Anyone on here have a career with horses? If so, did you have to go to college, tech program, etc? Also, how’s the pay?
How’s the pay? lol…that’s funny.
But seriously, I have had several jobs in the equine industry. From Vet tech, to office manager at a breeding farm, to working for a non profit equine association, to now being an animal health sales rep.
I went to college for a degree in Animal Health Technology with a minor in equine science. I have used it little compared to real world experience.
There are a lot of threads on this topic. I’d say that the careers break down into several categories.
Training and instructor: Like all sports, you get there by being very good at the sport , and the most marketable measure of that is winning a lot in your discipline. And you get there by focusing on your riding, getting into a good training program, and either having some money to spend on the sport, or else finding a mentor who really promotes you. Plus there is the question of natural talent. Trainers and instructors are also generally small business people, so you have to be able to run a business, and work hard for yourself, and promote yourself. As far as formal training, some book-keeping and computer courses would help but the actual riding is going to be learned from riding. Once you are a good rider, you might become a working student for a big name trainer and get a boost into professionalization that way. Income is usually moderate, but if things are going well, I think that job satisfaction and a sense of independence are high. There is a high attrition rate (meaning people quit over time).
Groom or barn help: You would work with the horses on the ground. The pay and the tasks would be determined by the level of the facility. You would need to be good with horses, but not need to be a great rider. Some high-end barns have long=term grooms who seem to make a moderate income, but most barn help jobs are minimum wage or less, and lots of smaller barns just barter work for reduced board or riding lessons. Barn help is considered agricultural work, so it is really at the bottom of the heap in terms of conditions and pay. I would say most people do not spend a long time in these jobs, with a few exceptions.
Racetrack groom: whole other world, and suits those who like the atmosphere of the track. People tend to start as barn help and train on the job. Pay is low to moderate. Again, not usually a lifetime career choice for those with other options.
Then you get into the realm of jobs that service horses. In general, as in every field, the pay, status, and longevity of the career are proportionate to the amount and expense of training needed. To be a vet needs the same kind of marks and science courses as to be a doctor, and similar training, but you can make a good professional income: less than a human doctor, but more than almost anyone else in the horse industry. Vet techs fill the role of nurses in a vet practice, but they make a lot less than human nurses. Then there are all the massage, chiro, saddle fitting, dentistry, etc. jobs people do. Some folks manage to make a good thing out of these occupations, but for most people it is a part time income. In general, the easier and cheaper the training, the more people will get trained, and the lower the salaries.
Farrier: specialized training, hard physical work, self employed.
Then there are all the jobs that are manufacture, office or retail based, but sell the horse community. Feed manufacturers, feed stores, tack stores, equestrian apparel, etc. You wouldn’t be around horses on a daily basis, and you’d need to be good at the skills required by the job, whether that was nutrition, design, computers, sales, etc.
And no, I don’t have a horse career. I made a decision not to go that way in Grade 11, when I watched my friend who’d dropped out, slog back from the race track on the bus every afternoon too tired to ride her own horse.
I have a friend that is a saddle fitter and is making very nice $$ at it but she lives on the east Coast in the NY NJ area–lots of riders there
