I’m an RN in Ontario and make over 100k. The great thing with nursing is generally shifts are easy to pick up and over time is easy to come by. For example one OT shifts pays my board for the month. I’m also part time so I make significantly more as they give me in lieu of vacation and benefits.
The poster who mentioned time, money but not both is bang on. However in healthcare the 12 hour shifts are lovely. More days off during the week for pony time and in the summer it’s easy to go for a ride after a 7-7 shift 
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My observation is that most people showing at the high levels of the sport have some serious money backing them, like inheritances and the like, not salaries from regular jobs. I make close to 100k, which is a very nice income and much higher than the average in my area, and I have horses and a small horse property but absolutely could not afford to buy a top quality horse, $$ lessons, etc. and go to big shows.
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$100k CAD = about $75k USD
I was a commissioned salesman… averaged $140k in the 1990s… my kids and wife were able to show nationally
There is great advice here. Ditto the time vs money and especially when you start out. I made the decision to advance career and work really hard the first five years out of school. That paid off and I am thankful for the salary I make and benefits I have now. However, I never would have had time to have the horses in that first 3 years, got my horse 4 years after university but even then was just affording board/schooling shows and I am lucky I have a supportive husband (then boyfriend) who paid the majority of our shared bills.
Also I would stress that in location need to look at tax rates, tax rates in the Maritimes are the worst and do not make up for the reduced housing prices, assuming you are looking to be making in the higher tax brackets…
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It does happen that people get together and finance riders they are interested in. When I was a junior equitation rider a group of grown-ups I barely knew wanted me to campaign to compete for a McClay medal. They offered to pay all my and my horse’s expenses. I turned them down. As a teenager I was too shy to turn my love of riding into a business.
I grew up with the great Olympian Melanie Smith. She was another kettle of fish entirely. She was determined to show in Open Jumping at a time when most trainers wouldn’t allow teenage girls to show Open. She had a wonderfully talented hunter named The Irishman. I’ll never forget her first Open Jumping class. At that time most Open Jumpers would rush up to the jumps and then be “set up” by the riders a few strides out, jump the jump and race toward the next one. Melanie came in and showed those rowdy men how to win, smooth as silk, a little faster than a regular hunter round but she went clean and won! Later I watched her on television competing in the Olympics in L. A. She and her horse Calypso won Silver in the individual category and gold in the Team Jumping. We named the street that led to our show grounds, Melanie Smith Lane! Later she became Rider of the Year!
If you want to compete on that level, you do need a lot of money but most of all you need the horse. Other Olympic hopefuls have told me that’s what makes the difference.
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[quote=“Frosty Joseph Fargis
and Touch of Class (USA)[/TD]
[TD][IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png)Conrad Homfeld
and Abdullah (USA)[/TD]
[TD][IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Flag_of_Switzerland.svg/20px-Flag_of_Switzerland.svg.png)Heidi Robbiani
and Jessica V (SUI)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Team jumping
details[/TD]
[TD][IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png)United States (USA)
Joseph Fargis
and Touch of Class
Conrad Homfeld
and Abdullah
Leslie Howard
and Albany
Melanie Smith
and Calypso[/TD]
[TD][IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png)Great Britain (GBR)
Michael Whitaker
and Overton Amanda
John Whitaker
and Ryans Son
Steven Smith
and Shining Example
Timothy Grubb
and Linky[/TD]
[TD][IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/ba/Flag_of_Germany.svg/22px-Flag_of_Germany.svg.png)West Germany (FRG)
Paul Schockemöhle
and Deister
Peter Luther
and Livius
Franke Sloothaak
and Farmer
Fritz Ligges
and Ramzes[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
She was one of 461 athletes to receive a Congressional Gold Medal instead of going to the 1980 Moscow Games.
Finding sponsors only works if you’re willing to give up ammy status. Also very hard to do nowadays BEFORE one becomes a top athlete.
And Melanie Smith was on the Gold medal team at LA, but did not make the podium as an individual. Results were Gold Joe Fargis/Touch of Class, Silver Conrad Holmfeld/Abdullah, Bronze Heidi Robbiani/Jessica V.
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regarding salary $100K Canadian is equal to about $75k USD
Oops. Thanks for setting me straight!
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Yeah, this is true if you look at exchange rates, and import goods tend to run about 30% higher in Canada. Even when the Canadian and US dollars were at par, companies like Banana Republic/Gap chargef 30% more in Canada.
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my guess to campaign a horse some would be done in the US, we showed some in Canada and enjoyed the less expensive costs. The inverse would affect OP’s salary needs.
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Don’t get too hung up on chasing salaries you forget to pick a career that you want. It’s going to take up most of your time and energy for the next 40 or so years of your life.
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Lots of good advice here. Just going to throw one more thing in the mix.
It’s one thing to move to Ontario where cost of living and board tend to be high (I pay just under $1k at a very nice private dressage facility an hour north of Toronto). With the high cost of living, the average salary tends to also be high.
I would be doing quite a bit of research into what the average salary for a Physician Assistant is on the east coast. As others have mentioned the cost of living is low along with the economy etc. There, that job may only pull in $45-50k. Maybe that is enough to manage what you want, but you don’t want to spend your life skimping on everything because you have a tonne of mortgage compared to annual income. Just be sure the salaries for that career aren’t being inflated by Vancouver/Toronto salaries.
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Thanks everyone! This has been very helpful.
I’ll look more thoroughly into what the average wage for a PA is in the maritimes and what the cost of living is there (and in other provinces, too).
My fiance and I collectively make over $200k/year. If we didn’t have student loans, debt (cc, car, house), and project remodeling houses, I’m sure I’d be living a pretty nice horse lifestyle right now. But, the bills are what get in the way of doing so and we are now working so hard that sometimes I can’t convince myself to go to the barn after work.
When I was leasing, I probably spent $1200/month minimum on horse bills, not including a trailer, shows, vet bills, tack, massages/chiro. There were some months when I spent close to $2000 for whatever happened.
I’ve decided to take a year or two off to pay off our CC debt, house project debt, and as much of the car as possible. Once that is done, it will be REALLY nice to not worry about how much extra do I need to save or if I can afford the crazy vet bill that randomly popped up. I really wish I did that as soon as I graduated college, but I have great memories from it and am mentally ready to focus on my financial situation than I am on the horses. I still trail ride with friends so that helps me from jumping in too deep into something I don’t need right now.
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Wow. I’m impressed that we have horses at all …… 3 and 1 pony! And DD competes.
Are you competing at FEI level in a major city? I think most of us can absolutely afford horses on a much lower salary… but the level and amount of what you want to do vs location can change the funds required significantly.
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This. I can afford to compete a bit in Virginia. If I still lived in Connecticut, not so much. Moving to California? Yeah showing will not be a thing.
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Absolutely what @rockonxox said. Salary is important but it’s all relative. Location location location! We lived in Denver for a while and absolutely loved it. Would have stayed if it weren’t for family on the east coast and secondarily the rising cost of living in that area. If we had stayed, I’d never be able to afford horses/the set up I have now even on a combined income in the mid 6 figures. And in my mind (as far as horses go), I’m not fancy, I have no indoor, etc. Our location is considered rural though and that makes it possible to own acreage, a farm, horses, renovate a house (and barn), own the cars we want, take the trips we want, etc. Would not be the case in other locations. I personally prefer it this way.
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Like a rock star who is on the road all the time leaving you at home to enjoy the horses.
Or having a good stockbroker. Put your money to work making money.
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