Work–horse balance
How I make it work: having the stables nearby, making the most of the mornings, and refusing to be a fair-weather rider
The veterinary nurse
Tegan Barnard works as a veterinary nurse in South Wales and keeps a retired Irish cross and a Thoroughbred ex-racehorse. With the Brecon Beacons right on Tegan’s doorstep, hacking is always spectacular.
My job…
I’m a registered veterinary nurse, although not many people are aware of what vet nurses do. My day-to-day role includes everything from patient care, anaesthesia, assisting with surgery and phlebotomy, to being a lab technician and much more. It’s not a normal nine-to-five job as I work day and night shifts. I started working at Abbey Veterinary Centres, a small animal practice in South Wales, two years ago when I decided to move back to the countryside. It was a case of right place, right time. The practice deals with a wide range of animals, from cats and dogs to rats and birds — no two days are the same.
My career path…
It sounds crazy, but I didn’t always want to be a veterinary nurse. I knew that I wanted to spend my life around animals, but ultimately I hoped to be a ballet dancer. At 18 I left school and did two years at a prestigious dance school in London, but sadly, halfway through my training, I injured myself.
I took three months out, but it soon became apparent that my injury was too bad to continue. During my three months’ rest
I was asked if I wanted to do some work experience at a local veterinary centre and I loved it. I fell in love with the job and knew it was the path that I wanted to pursue. I worked in practice for the three years of my training and have been a registered veterinary nurse (RVN) for the last two years. Recently I became a clinical coach, which involves training the new student nurses through their placements and teaching them the skills they need.
Highs and lows…
The worst thing about my job is when we have to say goodbye to our beloved patients. It never gets any easier.
The best thing is when I see the animals going home after they’ve been poorly. It’s so rewarding seeing the waggy tails when they see their owners again. Knowing that I’m being trusted to look after someone’s beloved pet keeps me motivated, as do all the puppy and kitten cuddles I get!
My horses…
I have two horses. Candy is a 20-year-old 16.3hh Irish cross who I evented at a low level before retiring her last year, and Iya is a 17hh Thoroughbred who came off the track in 2018. Iya and I did some Retraining of Racehorses (R0R) showing during the summer and are hoping to contest affiliated British Eventing (BE) events next season.
Riding roots…
I started riding when I was seven, with my grandma taking me to my first lesson.
At 11 I got my first horse, a 15.3hh Welsh
“I do as many jobs in the morning as I can, so I don’t have to fill haynets after work”
section D cross who taught me everything I know. My mum and sister also had horses, so we used to hack around the Brecon Beacons together. Neither of my parents thought I would last the winter but, 20 years on, I’m still no fair-weather rider!
The daily grind…
6am: My alarm goes off. The first thing I do is put the kettle on, then I feed my two cats, Sprout and Tim, my Jack Russell terrier, Mouse, and my two goldfish, and I throw some lunch together for myself. I usually eat breakfast on the go — nothing exciting, just tea and toast.
6.30am: I leave the house and head to the horses, although fortunately the yard is only 10 minutes away. I’m lucky in that last year I had stables built at my boyfriend’s parents’ smallholding, so I know that there’s always someone there if I have a problem.
6.40am: Out with the horses, I’ll give them a quick check over and a rug change, make sure that they have hay and, depending on my start time, I ride and then turn them out and give them breakfast.
I also try to do as many yard jobs in the morning as I can so that I don’t have to face making feeds or filling haynets after work. 4pm-7.15pm: This is the time I get home — so there’s a wide variation. If I’m on a night shift, I’ll start work at 7pm and finish at 8am, so my days reverse.
If I haven’t ridden in the morning I’ll try to get out before dark. Then both the horses get their dinner and an evening haynet. My boyfriend, Olly, does the majority of the cooking. He generally works from home and so finishes earlier than I do. We try to eat together, which is the only time in the entire day that we actually get to talk.
My motivation…
The horses get me through. We all have those mornings when we hear the rain hammering on the window and just want to roll over and snooze the alarm, but as soon as I’m at the yard it makes the early mornings and late evenings 100% worth it. Trying to get a good work/life balance is important to me too.
I try to ride at least four times a week. The hacking, straight up on to the Beacons, is fantastic — there’s no need for any road work. Iya and I are doing the #Hack1000Miles challenge, so that really encourages us to get out now the clocks have changed. We’re also finding it a good way to grow our bond and get fit for the new eventing season.
Aside from riding…
I try to socialise as much as I can, but this can be difficult when every week is a busy week. Olly and I have just finished renovating a house, so I’m going to have more spare time now to catch up with my friends. Most of the social events I attend are horse related, which helps a lot.
I also do aerial hoop as a hobby, which is acrobatics on a steel hoop (resembling a hula hoop) hung from the ceiling. It’s really good for upper body strength and it keeps me in touch with my dancing roots.
NEXT MONTH The publisher and author with a retired dressage horse and a traditional cob.