Ready…Aim….Fire! If you like kids and enjoy marksmanship then being a Riflery Instructor at a summer camp or training facility might be the right fit for you.
A partial list of your duties will include maintaining absolute safety on the shooting range, instructing 9-16 year olds on gun safety, proper sighting, care and maintenance as well as and marksmanship, maintaining the equipment in good order i.e. cleaning and oiling the guns and making sure they are sighted correctly.
Camps vary on their certification requirements. Some prefer an NRA certification while others will accept a 4H Shooting Education Rifle Instructor Certificate or equivalent. I can report that every camp website that I visited required First Aid and CPR training for all instructors.
You can receive training either through the camp itself or from outside companies who provide training. The typical training from outside companies ranges from 18 to 23 hours over a three to four day period.
While this job is mostly held by those in college as summer jobs you could very well incorporate this into your career menu through use of vacation days, teach instruction certification courses through the year and keep time set aside for summer instruction at a camp. You could add it as one of your part time ventures should you be so inclined to hold a few part time jobs in lieu of one full time career or as a summer stint if you happen to work in the education system and have access to summers off.
Showing posts with label outdoors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label outdoors. Show all posts
Exercise Rider
Do you love racehorses? Enjoy riding them? Do pounding hooves sound like music to your ears? If so then you may want to consider a career as an exercise rider. An exercise rider trains racehorses to carry out the trainer’s commands. The trainer sets the workout for the horse and the exercise rider carries it out. They must be able to teach the horse such things as pacing themselves, walking calmly, maneuvering through a space between two horses, expose them to various conditions they may encounter on the track in addition to breaking bad habits such as head tossing. They must also be able to recognize soreness or injuries and relay this information to the trainer.
Still interested? What I have gathered from my investigation of this intriguing occupation is that in order to break into this career you must immerse yourself in the horse racing business any way you can. Even if you have experience with horses, the racetrack is a completely different environment. Obtain a job at a thoroughbred farm or small training facility and learn whatever you can. If you prefer, go for formal training. Depending on where you live, a search online for exercise rider training can be tricky. I’ve read that some states require certification and some a license and yet others have licenses for varying levels of exercise rider. I suggest contacting a training facility or thoroughbred farm in the state in which you live and ask about the requirements.
From a number of bio’s of exercise riders that I have read I have noted that many of them started out as hot-walkers then moved up to groom before becoming an exercise rider. This may be the way to go. A hot walker is someone who warms up the horses before their exercise and walks them back to the stable after their workouts. A groom takes care of the horses in the stable. They brush and bathe them, feed and water them, apply hoof dressings and other odds and ends around the stable.
As an exercise rider you will be exposed to both older horses as well as younger horses that may be very obstinate or skittish and accidents can happen. Broken bones are not uncommon in this line of work. You will need patience, strength and a willingness to be humbled by the animal in which you are working with.
Still interested? What I have gathered from my investigation of this intriguing occupation is that in order to break into this career you must immerse yourself in the horse racing business any way you can. Even if you have experience with horses, the racetrack is a completely different environment. Obtain a job at a thoroughbred farm or small training facility and learn whatever you can. If you prefer, go for formal training. Depending on where you live, a search online for exercise rider training can be tricky. I’ve read that some states require certification and some a license and yet others have licenses for varying levels of exercise rider. I suggest contacting a training facility or thoroughbred farm in the state in which you live and ask about the requirements.
From a number of bio’s of exercise riders that I have read I have noted that many of them started out as hot-walkers then moved up to groom before becoming an exercise rider. This may be the way to go. A hot walker is someone who warms up the horses before their exercise and walks them back to the stable after their workouts. A groom takes care of the horses in the stable. They brush and bathe them, feed and water them, apply hoof dressings and other odds and ends around the stable.
As an exercise rider you will be exposed to both older horses as well as younger horses that may be very obstinate or skittish and accidents can happen. Broken bones are not uncommon in this line of work. You will need patience, strength and a willingness to be humbled by the animal in which you are working with.
Farrier
If you love horses and care about their health then becoming a farrier may be right for you. According to wikepedia, a farrier is “a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of a horse's hoof and the placing of shoes to the horse's foot. A farrier couples a subset of the blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with a subset of veterinary medicine (knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb) to address the care of the horse's feet.”
This career has peaked my interest so I did some research and have learned that trimming and shoeing a horse will determine how the horse travels and mistakes can lead to a horse being hurt or crippled. A farrier also deals with injured or diseased hooves where the only remedy is to fashion a special shoe which will need to be fitted to the horse. Some basic shop tools that are used in this line of work include files, an anvil, a grinder, a vice and a welder.
I have read that most horses are trained from an early age to stand patiently for a farrier but not all horses will. Some will fidget as a result of becoming nervous with a new person handling their legs and hooves. You will need balance and strength in order to successfully care for a horse’s hooves. If you work with neglected or abused horses then you have a whole separate set of issues to deal with. Some will gladly stand still basking in the attention while others are out right aggressive. A horse may have damaged nerves or other ailments from neglect that may make it near impossible to stand and hold their leg up in which case your balance and strength will need to come into play as you may have to support most of the weight of the horse while working on the hoof.
In my findings I have noted that certification is not required however, it can improve your status as a farrier. People are more confident in hiring a certified farrier. There are many schools in the US that are certified to train you to become a farrier. All you have to do is search on “certified farrier schools” and a number of schools will be at your disposal to explore. If you plan to become certified then you may want to find one that is “AFA” certified. AFA refers to The American Farrier’s Association. The AFA has varying levels of certifications that can be obtained ranging from beginner to expert. The AFA promotes equine welfare and provides continuing education for working farriers. Membership with them provides you with publications, discounts, insurance and more.
This career has peaked my interest so I did some research and have learned that trimming and shoeing a horse will determine how the horse travels and mistakes can lead to a horse being hurt or crippled. A farrier also deals with injured or diseased hooves where the only remedy is to fashion a special shoe which will need to be fitted to the horse. Some basic shop tools that are used in this line of work include files, an anvil, a grinder, a vice and a welder.
I have read that most horses are trained from an early age to stand patiently for a farrier but not all horses will. Some will fidget as a result of becoming nervous with a new person handling their legs and hooves. You will need balance and strength in order to successfully care for a horse’s hooves. If you work with neglected or abused horses then you have a whole separate set of issues to deal with. Some will gladly stand still basking in the attention while others are out right aggressive. A horse may have damaged nerves or other ailments from neglect that may make it near impossible to stand and hold their leg up in which case your balance and strength will need to come into play as you may have to support most of the weight of the horse while working on the hoof.
In my findings I have noted that certification is not required however, it can improve your status as a farrier. People are more confident in hiring a certified farrier. There are many schools in the US that are certified to train you to become a farrier. All you have to do is search on “certified farrier schools” and a number of schools will be at your disposal to explore. If you plan to become certified then you may want to find one that is “AFA” certified. AFA refers to The American Farrier’s Association. The AFA has varying levels of certifications that can be obtained ranging from beginner to expert. The AFA promotes equine welfare and provides continuing education for working farriers. Membership with them provides you with publications, discounts, insurance and more.
Tour Boat Captain
If being at the helm of a boat is your idea of a great day at the office and the smell of salty air is a treat for your nostrils then you may very well be the right candidate for a career as a tour boat captain. A strong stomach and sea legs are a requirement for this job. If you truly love boating then you’ll feel right at home at sea whether you provide dolphin/whale watching tours, host fishing parties or captain the boat of sunset dinner cruises.
How do you break into this watery career? A good place to start is to gain some experience by mating on party boats. This is a great way to see if boating for a living is right for you. You may enjoy your fishing or water ski excursions with friends every summer but to see if this is really something you would enjoy doing on a regular basis I suggest getting hands on experience.
After you’ve learned the ropes and you have your sea legs intact your next step would be to obtain a captain’s license. You would need to check out your particular state requirements for schooling and licensing. If you go to Boat Owner’s Association of the United States on the web you will find information about each state’s requirements, locate boating schools and safety courses, join their association and receive discounts and more.
Once you have your license you can begin running party boats for other people or you could purchase your own boat and begin your new business venture right away. The same rules that apply to starting a small business in your state apply to this venture as well so do your homework, obtain the necessary licensing and insurance, become legal with the state and begin your career on the open seas.
How do you break into this watery career? A good place to start is to gain some experience by mating on party boats. This is a great way to see if boating for a living is right for you. You may enjoy your fishing or water ski excursions with friends every summer but to see if this is really something you would enjoy doing on a regular basis I suggest getting hands on experience.
After you’ve learned the ropes and you have your sea legs intact your next step would be to obtain a captain’s license. You would need to check out your particular state requirements for schooling and licensing. If you go to Boat Owner’s Association of the United States on the web you will find information about each state’s requirements, locate boating schools and safety courses, join their association and receive discounts and more.
Once you have your license you can begin running party boats for other people or you could purchase your own boat and begin your new business venture right away. The same rules that apply to starting a small business in your state apply to this venture as well so do your homework, obtain the necessary licensing and insurance, become legal with the state and begin your career on the open seas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
