EQUESTRIAN students who have just completed their first year of studying at Wiltshire College & University Centre say they can’t wait for the next one.

The one year course in Level 2 Equine Care and two year Level 3 Equine Management courses give students a far-reaching introduction to the equestrian world, not just the welfare of horses but how businesses operate, running and marketing events, nutrition, coaching and biology.

They are split between classroom learning at the college’s Lackham campus and Rein & Shine Equestrian Centre at Baydon, near Swindon. The aim is to give students with a passion for working with horses a taste of the variety of careers available in the sector.

Sophie Mortimer, 16, of Swindon had only been riding for a few months when she started her Level 2 course. “I went to a college open day to find out about the course and I thought ‘that’s definitely something I want to do’,” she said. “I want to learn more about horses, get more hands-on on the practical side and learn a lot more than just riding.

“When I started I learned so much that I just wanted to learn more, especially the science, like biology and nutrition.”

She is now thinking about going to university after she has completed her Level 3 next year. “I want to study nutrition to help people understand what’s best for their horses and their diet,” she said.

Tyla van der Westhuizen, 19, of Chippenham, said she has enjoyed the coaching side of the course and wants to use what she’s learned to help others. “I really like to teach people,” she said. “After this I’ll have the qualifications to go into an apprenticeship to become a coach and teach people how to ride, because I want to show them the joys of working with horses and proper horsemanship.”

The chance to get hands-on experience working in a professional set-up at Rein & Shine has brought the learning alive for Izzy Skuse. “I’ve learnt so much by doing things here and the lecturers and the staff really help whenever you’re struggling with something,” she said.

“They give you a proper explanation and help you get it right. They’re really supportive.”

She has her own horse and chose the course to deepen her experience. “I just wanted to know more about how my horse works, how I can give it the best life I can and all about the nutrition and welfare side of it,” she said. “I want to study ecology at university but this course has been good because I can learn more about something I’m really passionate about.”

One of the highlights of the first year for the girls was being chosen to be part of the backstage crew at the world famous Badminton Horse Trials in May. They camped out at the site for three days and worked under the instruction of designer Kelvin Bywater to build the show jumping course for the final day.

“Most of us grew up watching Badminton and dreaming of competing there,” said Izzy. “So it was a great opportunity to see how much work actually goes into one of our favourite horse events.”

The students ate alongside the professional course builders, riders and their support teams and then worked in the show jumping arena as the event came to a climax. “We actually got to put the jumps up and on the Sunday we got to sit and watch while we were still working, it just felt like a dream,” said Izzy.

“We’d go and eat and look up to see our favourite rider at the next table.”

Tyla added: “On the Sunday we were put with a course builder who manages the jump and if a horse knocks down a pole two of us would pick it up. We had to be quite professional because we were on TV so we had to make sure there was a correct gap between the poles and nothing was damaged. If we had a broken pole we had to run and get a spare in time for the next rider.”

The students will begin their final year in September knowing they’ll have the same level of support and encouragement from lecturer Ria McLean and her team. “Ria’s a very passionate teacher and she’s so good at explaining things, she’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever had,” said Izzy.

“We get a lot of one-on-one teaching with her and the other staff,” added Tyla. “Our whole group has gotten on really well and we all work together really well.”

Sophie said her riding has improved as she has discovered more about the equestrian world and its possibilities. “You can always go to the teachers or coaches and ask for help,” she said. “And you can also ask the other students because we all help each other. If we don’t know, we try and figure it out together.

“The amount of confidence in riding I have now, compared to last September, is huge. I’m just a much more confident person generally now. I’d hardly speak to people when I started but now I’m one of the chattiest.

“It just shows that if you come to college, do something that you love and have good people around you, how much of a better person you can become.”