Small Gestures that Make a Big Difference
Georgia Harland, 21, a Trainee Company and Trust Administrator, has been working at VALLA for a year. When she’s not supporting our valued clients, you’ll find her at Greencliff Stables, caring for her two horses, Seven and Louis.
Georgia began riding at the age of eight and then got into the sport seriously at the age of 13. Georgia’s passion for horses now centres on showjumping, and she regularly competes in various competitions hosted around Jersey’s countryside.
Georgia is a very successful horsewoman and has won numerous competitions. In August, Georgia competed in a showjumping competition at the St. Lawrence Horse Show and won both her classes; the Masters and the Ladies Championships.
Hear from Georgia, in her own words, why horse riding is so important to her and how VALLA has supported her in continuing to pursue her passions outside of work.
“When I was younger, around the age of fourteen, I was absolutely crazy about horse riding and pestered my parents to buy me a horse. Thankfully after many attempts, they relinquished, and when I turned 15, they bought me my first horse, Seven.
Seven is a 15-year-old chestnut who has been my competition buddy since I first began competing at the age of fifteen. In 2018, two years after I had bought Seven while working at Greencliff Stables, I was given the opportunity to ride another horse, Louis, a 12-year-old Dun.
Dun describes a horse with the dun gene, which is a dilution gene that affects both red and black pigments in the coat colour of a horse. The dun gene lightens most of the body while leaving the mane, tail, legs, and primitive markings the shade of the undiluted base coat colour.
Louis and I were a dream match.
I had the opportunity to compete with Louis. It was the first time I had ever ridden him, and we won! That felt like such a special moment, and it was like he was meant to be my horse too, so when he came up for sale, I just had to have him.
Thankfully my parents agreed, and I got my second horse!
Working so closely with horses has really boosted my confidence
Having my own horses made me serious about the sport and competing. I’ve definitely grown in confidence since having my horses, and I’m more assertive, too, particularly as Louis can be quite a naughty horse, given half the chance! Growing in confidence and assertion has really helped me, not least at the stables but also in my work too.
Valla offers me a flexible working schedule so I can care for my horses
Throughout my year working at VALLA, they have been hugely supportive of my passion for horses and appreciate the time it takes me to care for them.
Recently, Seven suffered some health issues, and I was forced to send him to France as he needed an urgent MRI scan, which couldn’t be provided in Jersey.
VALLA didn’t hesitate to allow me the time off to accompany Seven to France, and when I needed to attend vet appointments, they were more than willing to allow me the time off.
My last vet appointment was supposed to take two hours, but it ended up taking six. VALLA allowed me to reimburse some of that lost work time by coming in early or working late, but they were also been really kind in allowing me some compassionate leave too, which was so generous.
When my horses need me, I can literally drop everything if I need to. VALLA know that my horses are my priority, and they respect that there are times when I need to put them first.”
At VALLA, our people are more than just a number. We know that without their dedication and engagement, we couldn’t provide a platinum service to our valued clients. That’s why we go further than perhaps other employers might offer small gestures that make a big difference to our people. We take time to truly get to know our people and share in their successes, and support them when they face challenges too.
Putting our people first is how we’ve always operated. Some might say we’ve always done it this way.
