At Houghall and in the TDS programme, Rachel is studying at EDC’s state-of-the-art Houghall equine centre, where she can study a programme of education that’s not available in traditional mainstream education.
“When I ended up at Houghall,” continued Rachel, “I feel like I really do fit in because there’s people interested in the same things as me. It’s boosted my self-esteem.
“When I came to Houghall, I was very nervous because I thought I wouldn’t fit in. But actually, it wasn’t like that at all, there’s lots of people very similar to me. People here have been some of my top supporters, and now I’ve made new friends and am going back to school ready for my GCSEs.
The future looks bright for Rachel, who will take on formal ownership of her business this year: “I’ll be director when I’m 16. At the moment, I’ve designed it all and my brother has then taken it to the full product. My vision is maybe even setting up a shop and having stalls at shows. More stock, more base layers, keep improving everything, and hopefully be one of the top brands up there.”
With the support of EDC, Rachel’s enjoying a huge boost to her self-esteem. “This is my future: I’m taking a shot and I’m going to big shows. Even if I mess up I’ll still give it a go. No one cares if you fail or struggle, it’s all for experience. No one cares if you fall off, no one cares if your business fails. It’s all about getting experience."
If you’d like further details about studying Horse Care at East Durham College's Houghall Campus, please check out our Equine Courses Section >> or call 0191 375 4700.
