At 23, Bella has already achieved a longstanding dream – a career with horses. With her new graduate placement as a nutritional advisor at Cheshire-based feed company Dodson and Horrell, she’s looking forward to helping horse owners provide the best care for their animals, using her experience and insights gained through her studies.
Choosing to study Equestrian Sports Performance at UCR was an easy decision for Bella, who was drawn to the Nantwich based university centre’s unique curriculum and the opportunity to have her own horse nearby.
“I chose UCR as the curriculum was unique and of my interests,” she says. “It also had a small quiet campus, I could have my horse on livery at Reaseheath, and it close to my existing family.”
Bella’s love for horses has always been central in her life, so she pursued a degree that would open doors to a wider range of roles in the equine world.
“Horses are one of my only interests,” she explains. “I wanted my life to involve them, and obtaining a degree enabled me to be able to do so much more within the industry.”
Navigating her studies alongside a job in social care and caring for her own horse was a balancing act.
“Finding time for yourself is hard,” she shares, “but studying topics that reflected my interests and selecting modules that I was particularly interested in helped tremendously.”
Bella also found that staying organised and taking things one day at a time was essential in managing her workload. The flexibility of her course allowed her to choose modules that inspired her, keeping her fully engaged, even with a busy schedule.
Bella credits UCR’s support system with helping her through challenging times. “My personal tutor helped me tremendously,” she says. “Sarah was there for me in times of uncertainty and having that one-to-one time with my tutor allowed me to break things down into manageable chunks.”
Bella also worked closely with the inclusive learning team, who provided additional support throughout her first and second years. Looking back, Bella sees how her UCR experience has prepared her to step confidently into her new role.
“The course enabled me to see so much of the equine industry – things I didn’t even know existed as potential employment options,” she says.
“I felt ready to step into my role as my knowledge is diverse; this means that I am able to apply nutrition in a practical and physiological perspective.”
With a strong foundation in both theory and practice, Bella is now set to pursue her long-term goal of advancing to an associate nutritionist role.
Her advice to students facing similar challenges? “Try to stay organised, break things down into manageable chunks, and take one day at a time,” she says.
Visit our blog listings page or view our latest blogs below.
Animal Behaviour
