Victoria, BC Canada
Hello all,
My goodness, sorry for the absence! It has been absolutely ages since my last blog update.. Life has just gotten a little hectic! Where were we? I think the last time I updated was just after my Nana had left, that seems forever ago now! Since then I have just been working non stop, so I really don't have any exciting news to tell sadly.
As I am sure you have all gathered from my frequent Instagram uploads, I work as a carriage driver every summer here in lovely Victoria, British Columbia (Canada). It's now my eighth season with the company (!!) and it worked really well around the school year and its a pretty good set up!!! The job is pretty laid back, basically I just get to hang out with horses all day and chat to tourists while I drive them around the beautiful city in the sunshine (usually). When it isn't busy I get to just socialize with my fellow drivers and go on food/tea runs. In the summer though we're usually back to back which means I often don't get down from my carriage at all during a shift unless its to run to the loo or feed/water my horse, clean out the poo catcher etc. It can be a little much on a hot summers day, especially at this time of year. For the past few seasons I have tended to leave at the end of July and be away in England for the whole month of August.. August is our busiest time so I'm not too sure how I always get away with this! Anyway, since I graduated early this year I decided to go in April/May and stay for the whole season. I forgot just how difficult it can be!!!
August is a tough one because its incredibly busy with tourists, we've also all been working non stop since May. I'm working six days a week, alternating between day shifts and evening shifts, in the hot weather then freezing cold at night. I've done the same tour fifty million times by now, same route, same narration. I've answered the same ridiculous questions ... ("Does the Queen live in the castle"- points to capital buildings, "Do you accept real money", "I thought it snowed in Canada all the time", "Do you speak Canadian") over and over again. I'm tired, the horse is tired. Having to constantly be "on", so to speak, and we jolly, cheerful and do tours no matter how tired or sick you may feel is hard, and I am quickly losing the ability to feign interest in peoples bullshit stories/lives and not to answer peoples stupid questions with sarcasm and the disgusted face. I try, I really do. But there is only a limited number of times that I can listen to people whinging they "feel sorry for the poor horse" after being on my carriage for a minute... Why did you just spend $145 dollars to make "the poor horse" pull your fat arse around then? (JEZZUS *bangs head*)
While we're on that subject, I've also hit a peak with the dumb comments by non-horse people that grew up in a city and probably haven't seen horses before, but are apparently experts. At the beginning of the season I handle to sad faces, disapproving looks and silly comments well. I'm pretty tolerant and calm and I like to have rationale discussions where I can inform people and correct their misguided beliefs and conceptions about horses or the industry.I usually do this by adopting a high pitched school teacher like voice and dealing with everyone like they're 5 years old....
"This is a draft horse, a heavy horse, they are bred for pulling heavy loads such as wagons, canal boats and ploughs"..."A draft horse can pull up to six times his own weight on wheels"..."Yes they seem to enjoy their jobs, they wait by the gate every morning for work, its bred in them, like boarder collies likes to herd"... "Horses need a job to do for their psychosocial and mental health"..bla bla
I know often it is coming from a place of caring and goodness; people don't want to see animals abused. I get that. I also know that most of these people don't have a shred of horse experience and have probably seen a horse once on TV and this is why they ask ridiculous questions. I can deal with the odd one, I like to learn new things and also impart things I have learnt on other people. However, the more time I have spent on the job and the more times I'm asked... (and also the more I start to understand about how Canadian culture work; they don't like being direct), the more I realize that implicit in these comments and questions, these people are basically (indirectly) telling me I am an animal abuser. I think that this is actually what upsets me the most.
I love our horses, they are my co-workers, my friends. I hours every day with them, for years. Each knows the other well, and I know what each one wants, or is thinking, how they will react, what they like or dislike. Not many people in this technology age get the change to spend their days working alongside an animal anymore. I know some animals rights groups will say there's no such thing as "working" horse, I beg to differ however. As most horse people know, horses (and other animals) enjoy to work, they need jobs for their physical and mental health. At a time in our human history when most people live in cities and rarely get to interact with animals or be involved with practices that sustained.
Monday October 21st. 2013
I've finally come back to finishing this post almost 2 months later and after a break and a trip back home! Wow, I'd definitely hit the end of season wall there. Poor humans taking a ride with our staff at the end of August, we must all be bitches (haha). August is a tough one though, its a very demanding job, both physically and mentally. It's outside in all types of weather and very go go go. We don;t get set breaks nor a lunch break, and so eat when we get any spare time. You have to be very "on" with the customers, even when you're having the worst day ever. We drive around town so I'm being a tour guide, driving my horse which is demanding, especially with the new guys who are a bit spooky. I'm also watching traffic and what the other drivers are doing. But it is a great job. I am certain it is one of those jobs I will look back on when I'm older as the best job I've ever had.
I'm very lucky to have had this experience, it has taught me a lot, and a great number of skills I'm sure I will draw on forever. It has also been an amazing support network for me, most of my closet friends are (or have been) carriage drivers and it has been a constant in my life through lots of ups and downs. The staff are truly friends and it's very tight knit. Everyone is there to support each other through all sorts of messes.
Lots of things are changing for me this year, and I am really deeply sad that this stage of my life is over. I will miss it incredibly. It has been a fantastic run though and I have made the most wonderful memories and life long friends.
