Your CV Template

Your CV is your opportunity to show an employer what you can do, the experience you have and what you could bring to their team, yard, business or organisation.

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There isn't one ‘right’ route into work, and valuable experience doesn't only come from paid employment. You may have built your skills through previous jobs, freelance work, placements, volunteering, caring for or working with horses, competing, clubs or other hands-on experience.

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The important thing is to be clear and accurate about your experience, responsibilities and skills.

Our downloadable CV Template will help you get started.

Download CV Template

Before you start

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Have the information you'll need to hand. This could include:

Your previous job titles, employers and dates of employment
Your main responsibilities in each role
Relevant experience outside paid employment
Qualifications, training and certificates
Relevant practical, riding or competition experience
Driving, towing or horsebox qualifications, where relevant
Examples of responsibilities or achievements you're particularly proud of

You don't have to include everything you've ever done. Think about the job you're applying for and prioritise the information that shows why you're a good fit.

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Your contact details

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Include your:

Full name
Phone number
Email address
Address
LinkedIn or professional profile, if relevant

You also don't generally need to include personal information such as your date of birth, marital status or a photograph.

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Your personal profile

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Start with a short introduction (around 3-4 sentences) that gives an employer a quick picture of you, your experience and what you're looking for.

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Think about:

How much experience you have
The environments you've worked in
Your area of expertise, if relevant
Your strongest skills
The level of responsibility you've held
What you're looking for next

If you're just starting your career, focus on the experience you do have and the skills you've developed.

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Tip: Avoid relying on general phrases such as ‘hard-working’, ‘passionate’ or ‘team player’. Instead, give an employer information that helps them understand what you can actually do and the experience you can bring to the role.

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Your key skills

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Choose the skills that are most relevant to the role you're applying for.

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Depending on the position, these might include practical horse care and handling, riding and exercising, competition preparation, coaching, yard management, customer service, administration, events, marketing, communications, leadership or managing people.

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Be accurate about your level of experience. You shouldn't feel under pressure to say you're confident doing something independently if you're not.

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Your employment history

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List your most recent job first and then work backwards.

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For each position, include:

Job title

Employer /yard/business /organisation

Location

Dates you worked there

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Then explain your main responsibilities and experience in around three to five bullet points.

Give enough context for an employer to understand what your role actually involved. Depending on the job, this might include:

The type and size of workplace or yard
The number or type of horses you were responsible for
Your riding or exercising responsibilities
Competition and travelling experience
Working with owners, clients or customers
Supervising or managing other members of staff
Responsibility for rotas, records, ordering or administration

If you've worked freelance or been self-employed, include this too. It doesn't need to have been a traditional employed position to be valuable experience.

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Tip: Try to be specific. For example, “Responsible for the daily care of 10 competition horses, including feeding, turnout, exercising and competition preparation” tells an employer much more than “general yard duties.”

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Your wider experience

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Not all relevant experience comes from paid employment. You may have developed valuable skills through:

Volunteering
Work experience
College placements
Caring for or working with your own horses
Competing
Pony Club or Riding Club
Coaching
Helping on a yard
Supporting events or competitions
Other responsibilities outside work

Tip: Don't dismiss experience just because you weren't paid for it. What matters is whether it demonstrates relevant knowledge, skills and responsibility.

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Qualifications and training

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Include qualifications and training that are relevant to the position. These could include:

Professional or vocational qualifications
BHS or other recognised industry qualifications
Coaching qualifications
Equine or animal care qualifications
Apprenticeships
First aid
Safeguarding
Health and safety
Horse transport qualifications
Relevant CPD or professional training

Include the name of the qualification, the provider or awarding organisation and, where useful, the year you completed it.

Education

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Include your school, college or university and relevant qualifications.

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If you're at the beginning of your career, you may want to give this section more space, particularly if you've completed a relevant course, apprenticeship or placement.

Riding and competition experience

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If riding or competition experience is relevant to the job you're applying for, you may want to include a short section covering:

Your discipline
The level you've ridden or competed at
Relevant experience with different types of horses
Significant achievements, where appropriate

You don't need to list every competition result. Include enough information to give an employer a clear and accurate understanding of your experience.

Other useful information

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Depending on the role, it may be helpful to include:

Driving licence
Own transport
Towing entitlement
Horsebox / HGV licence
Languages
Other practical qualifications relevant to the position

References

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You can simply put “References available on request” on your CV.

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You don't need to include someone else's personal contact details on a CV that might be sent to several different employers.

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When an employer asks for references, choose someone who can genuinely speak about your work, experience and responsibilities.

Before you apply

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Read the job description again and look at your CV from the employer's point of view.

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Can they quickly see that you have the skills they're looking for? Have you explained your experience clearly? Is the most relevant information easy to find?

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Aim to keep your CV to around two pages. Check your spelling, dates and contact details, and save the final version as a PDF with a professional file name such as Firstname-Surname-CV.pdf.

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Most importantly, keep it accurate. You shouldn't feel you need to exaggerate your skills, riding ability, qualifications or experience to secure a role.

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And remember: you're choosing an employer too

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Applying for a job isn't only about whether an employer thinks you're right for them. It's also an opportunity to consider whether the role and workplace are right for you.

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Before accepting a position, make sure you understand what you're being offered – including your employment status, pay, working hours, days off, holiday entitlement, accommodation if provided, and what will be expected of you.

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Everyone deserves to be treated fairly, with respect and to feel safe at work. Read about your Employee Rights here

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If something doesn't feel right, you don't have to navigate it alone. EQUISS provides independent, confidential support and advocacy for people across the equestrian community.

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