Jodie Talks Horses, Work & Home Life: Getting the Perfect Balance
As the event season begins and Spring is finally in the air (some days) we asked our brand ambassador, Jodie, how she manages to balance work, life and horses!
"Getting the perfect work/life balance…
Isn’t that just the dream? It’s certainly not one I always get right, but it’s something I work hard to maintain.
I love what I do. I’m a cosmetic dentist at Cherrybank Dental Spa (based in Perth and Edinburgh), I can truly say I landed the job I have always wanted. But work, for all of us, can be all-consuming. I’ve known me wake in the night thinking about treatment, or lying in bed until the silly hours thinking about something that maybe didn’t go exactly the way I would have liked. Thankfully, 6 years ago, I found what would become my therapy….horses.
Horses for me are incredibly therapeutic. I love everything about them - mucking out, spending time with them, the noise they make when they see you, hacking, competing. Everything. Nothing relaxes me or empties my mind more than a summer’s evening spent hacking through fields, or a quick gallop up the stubble fields on a cold autumnal day.
Sometimes the hardest balance is when you have a serious competition coming up and the preparation time is more significant than when it’s off-season. This summer, in a 6 week period, I was preparing for Burgham CIC*, Gatcombe Novice Championships and Blair CCI*. I have a very understanding job who appreciate my desire to event and the need for annual leave based around the eventing season! I work 4 days and this allows a Tuesday off for Physio, farrier, jumping and flatwork lessons, etc.
The priority for me is knowing my horses are fit and prepared for the job they need to do. I like working within a strict training schedule, working back from 10 days before the event (the theory being you can’t change the horses fitness after that time) including multiple trips to the local racing gallops to ensure optimum hill prep. I also like to set goals. I have goals for the next event, for the season and then for beyond. This gives me a drive to tack up and go out in the pouring rain when all I want is a hot bath and a cuppa tea!
As any horsey person will understand, the horses have to come first, and often your time, time with loved ones, money and energy levels become the sacrifice. But if you want to make it work, the sacrifices are 100% worth it.
“Follow your passion; be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and, above all, don’t let anyone limit your dreams”
Jodie x
Photos by Dave Cameron Photography
