Barbara Clayton
After over thirty years of working in accounting and IT, a career change was the last thing that Barbara Clayton had on her mind. But that’s exactly what happened, and now she’s gone from working behind a desk to working on horseback in the tourism industry.
Although Barbara started riding horses and had a passion for nature since she was nine years old, she never thought she’d find a career where both those passions aligned. “I started out as a pharmacy assistant, so I did that for a few years. Then I moved into an admin role in a horse business and really enjoyed that. From there, I went to school and moved into accounting. Then I got a job as an accountant, and was there for ten years. I really loved the work, but accounting tends to be the same thing month in, month out. So, I moved sideways into Information Technology (IT). I spent the next twenty years there. I loved my job, but got to the stage where I was ready to slow down.”
When COVID hit, Barbara received a redundancy and had every intention to retire. “I had decided that 30+ years working was enough. My children had left home, I was well established… I actually had no need to work and I thought, I just want to play from here on in. So that was my intention, that I was going to stay home and play!”
One day, while scrolling through Facebook, Barbara noticed a small ad from Cradle Country Adventures saying that they were looking for a guide. “I saw it and mentioned it to my husband and he said, ‘that would be perfect for you’! And I said, yes it would be perfect for me if I was looking for work, which I wasn’t!”
Unbeknown to her, Barbara’s husband made a secret phone call to enquire about the job, and next thing she knew the owner of Cradle Country Adventures was on the phone wanting to talk to her. After chatting for a while, Barbara went and met the owner and the horses, had a ride and loved it.
She remembers fondly thinking, “Wow, you get paid to play with horses, be on horses, meet people! I’ve been there ever since.”
Before Barbara found her new career in tourism, one of her key desires was to remain active in retirement and retain a flexible lifestyle. Thankfully, her role as a Horse Riding Guide ticks all the boxes. She says, “The flexibility with this job is really nice, to just be able to ride when you want to. I can plan more holidays, I can still have my life but actually work as well… just the physical activity that I’m getting from it, I’ve noticed that my flexibility has improved, my fitness is good, for someone as old as me! It keeps you young. It’s a relaxing physicality that can keep your brain active and can keep your body active, and be able to enjoy [Tasmania] at the same time. It’s awesome. I consider myself semi-retired now. I can’t really say I’m fully retired, because I’m getting paid to do this thing that I love!”
“It’s awesome. I consider myself semi-retired now. I can’t really say I’m fully retired, because I’m getting paid to do this thing that I love!”
Another part of the career that Barbara loves is the opportunity to guide guests through such a unique experience, particularly those who haven’t been to Tasmania before. With some of the locations Barbara rides through, such as Bakers Beach in Narawntapu National Park and Cradle Mountain, it’s not difficult to see why. She says, “It’s pretty special to be able to show people what it’s like to be riding on a horse in the most stunning places in Tasmania… You spend most of your time at work, so to work in an industry where it’s this fantastic, you’ve got to do it. I enjoyed my other jobs as well, but this is just that one step up where you’re actually at one with nature. It’s therapy. You’re on the horse, enjoying life and getting paid to do it. And being able to show other people the same thing, it’s just a bit of a win.”
“My advice to somebody who’s been in the same job for a long time, and may love it but it may not be their passion… you don’t want to spend most of your life, 40 hours a week, at “just” a job. It’s nice to be able to spend that time in a job, in nature… and just enjoy coming to work… Switching careers can happen at any time in your life. I would suggest, do it while you can!”
