everyone has different versions of “making it” in the horse industry. becoming a famous trainer, rider, etc. i’m trying to make it too, so this question is for those who have:
how did you do it?
more specifically, how can you do it from the ground up? who do i have to talk to, who do i have to work for, who do i need to sell my soul to? is there a tried and true way to grow and improve fast enough to make my childhood dreams come true?
making it in this industry is hard without lots of financial support, but i’m trying to push the boundaries of what is possible through my insane motivation and refusal to give up on what i love. any and all advice welcome
OK, since no one has responded in 13 hours posted…
You do the best you can with what you’ve got.
Are you going to get to the top of equine competition globally? Probably not, unless you have access to limitless cash. But that’s OK. There are other ways to be successful with horses.
Are you going to be “famous”? Probably not worldwide famous. But you can have successes, and wins.
How do you do it? You go to work for honest people who are truly GOOD horsemen. And who are not sexual predators, or pretenders. You can learn something from everyone, even if what you learn is what you are NOT going to do.
You work hard to become a skilled rider, and learn how to respond to the horse’s mind, to train a horse effectively and humanely. You learn about conformation, and unsoundness issues and injuries. You learn about horse health, and nutrition. You treat horses with respect and fairness.
Have I “made it”??? Well, I’m satisfied that I’ve done what I set out to do, enjoy a life with competitive horses, that I’ve raised and trained myself, in both racing and showjumping venues that are available to me.
If you can’t find decent people to work for and work with in the hunter/jumper world, go to work at the racetrack. You will learn lots there, which can be helpful in your growth as a horseman.
PS… I’ve never paid more than $3200 for a horse.
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I would say… it’s important not to sell your soul. No one ethical will want it, and it won’t be worth what it costs you to someone who isn’t. 
There is a lot of luck involved in getting to be “famous” if you don’t come in with money. There is no tried and true reliable path.
But, hard work, preparing for opportunity, giving all the time you can to learn and practice and grow, these are all ways to maybe be ready if the luck strikes you.
Come back to the core: what is it you really want? Your name in lights? or a barn full of lovely horses? To ride every day? To jump around the Kentucky Horse Park? What will make you happy, while you are hoping for that big break? There are lots of ways to get to these kinds of goals, which can also include getting a career in some other field that pays well enough to control your own destiny more than being someone who rides horses for hire.
Also, look for working student programs that do well by their students, both here and abroad, that might help you figure some of this out. Finding great mentors and learning from lots of different smart, capable people is never a waste of time.
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If you’re willing to share where you’re at riding wise, goal, age, and whether college is in the plan, it’ll dramatically shape input.
If your idea of making it is showing the A circuit doing the big Eq before 18 vs jumping around Grand Prix at Wellington by 40 vs developing a robust lesson local program that can let you pay bills then it informs recommendations and insight.
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first of all, i would like to say thank you (everyone) for all your thoughtful input. it’s very kind and helpful. second, i guess i should share some more information
i am entering college this year, and am going to be doing in person classes for the next 4 years. the degree i am pursuing is meant to support my horseback riding journey by hopefully making enough money to get by, or if im lucky, make enough that i can start moving up in the ranks… more money, better trainers, better horses, you know
my main issue at this moment is that i’ve made a commitment that almost gets in the way of my journey as a horsewoman. as a full time college student, you can’t be a full time horsewoman too. you can’t move to a different state to work for an accomplished trainer, you can’t spend all your time on horses and push your education to the side. so do i really have to just sit and wait for 4 years, or is there a way to improve under these circumstances?
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I did some of my best riding while I was in college and improved considerably. I was in a tough academic program, but I have never been a social butterfly, didn’t drink or party, and spent most of my off time doing horse stuff.
However, I was lucky in that I attended a big ag university with an equine program and was in an area where riding opportunities were readily available.
For me, the thing that really killed my horse time was graduating and having to get a “real” job. 
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Just wanted to give big hugs. You’re at a point in your life where it might feel overwhelming, but horses will be there once you’re done college. You might find as you age your goals with horses will shift and you’ll be happy you went to school to (hopefully) end up in a career where you can enjoy horses without feeling like you need to “make it”.
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What is the end goal though? If we know what you’re chasing it helps a lot with providing advice or insight into how that can be balanced with being a full time student.
The great thing about horses is that there isn’t really an age limit like other sports. 4 years feels like a long time but you can continue riding a few days a week in college, if you can afford it, and then ride until you’re 60 or 65! Again, if you can afford it.
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if you can’t tell, i’ve been avoiding this question a little— mostly because it’s hard to explain. my childhood dreams didn’t really have a specific field of study, but more like something built off of love for the animals. though i think the end result i would really like in the future is managing/owning a boarding facility. i like the idea of helping horses and people, and i would also like to be able to go to shows. this dream is nothing extravagant, but it is what would make my life feel complete. i don’t actually wish to be famous, i just want to have a satisfactory career
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I haaateee to be a dream crusher, but I want to be realistic.
There’s not much profit in owning a boarding facility unless you are a very BNT yourself, or work for the BNT themselves - to which you wouldn’t have a normal corporate career. Going to big shows as a barn owner or barn manager in today’s USA (different story if youre in Europe or elsewhere) is not… common.
Not even the barn managers of like Boyd Martin (a dear friend and trainer of my old eventing trainer - if you’re in SoCal you know who this is) or Karl Cook (friend of my trainer- we are a short trailer ride to him) super seriously compete…maybe an A show to two if they can get the time off a year. Most of them don’t even own their own competition horses as their day job of barn managing is so incredibly busy and taxing.
So - I’d spend some time thinking about…
Do I want to work in the industry (low pay, long hours, maybe a chance to show just based on proximity, but you’d have to purchase your own animal and make it happen)?
Do you want to get a normal person job and be an adult ammy – depending on your actual goals like – Winters in WEF and showing A shows at Thermal most weeks – ya not gonna happen without family money
Or A show for 1 week at Thermal and a few weekends at Thunderbird while working as an in-house corporate lawyer who has 6-8 weeks of PTO a year.
@GraceLikeRain is right - there’s no sense in us chiming in if you’re not specific.
Horses - and competing especially - is expensive.
Southern CA here, but I have lived in DC, WA, NJ… to go to 2 local weekend A shows a year and pay training board for a horse
training board: 2,500-4,000/month (depending on half or full training)
vet, chiro, shoes, any additional special feed, supplements: avg $150-400/mo
insurance (nice horses are insured): a few thousand a year depending on how nice the horse is
show bills – 3 days local A show: 2,000-3,000+
I’ve made tech and ibanking money my whole adult life (35) – no kids, dont want them, and own my SoCal home (thankfully I am married and only pay half the mortgage, but it was 7 figures to purcahse)-- and I feel STRESSED about horse bills because I also want to remodel my kitchen.
But many folks, don’t show beyond local, self care board, or keep at home, in a lower cost of living location.
all depends on what you want!
Lots of people ride the most in college - ISHA, D1 eq team, riding lessons near the university. I got a 3.8 GPA in a hard major (finance and math), worked 20-30 hours a week, was in a sorority, ran long distance, and had the most free time I have ever had besides sabbaticals from work as an adult. I didn’t ride much in college as I was in a city and didn’t own a car at the time and made the conscious choice to mostly only ride during school breaks and summers.
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This question gets asked a lot, there are several threads from other high school and college students considering going pro that might be useful to you. The general advice is not to do it. It’s hard to give you good advice though without more details. What kind of riding and showing experience do you have already? Have you worked in barns before? Are you pursuing an equine-related degree? Do you have family money you can rely on while you get your career off the ground (or if you get injured and can’t ride anymore)?
Sure you can. Unless you’re in a crazy intensive degree program you’ll have tons of free time, and flexible class schedules and summers off actually make it a lot easier than riding around a full-time job. Whether you can afford it or not is a different story, but time isn’t the issue.
You haven’t given us much to go on but just reading between the lines it doesn’t sound like you have a very clear picture of what pursuing a career in horses would look like. Using your summer break or taking a gap year to be a working student could help you figure out if that’s something you really want to do before you spend 4 years on a degree in support of that goal.
I’ll also throw out there that if your goal is to ride, compete, and move up the levels, it’s completely possible to do that as an amateur with a good civilian job. You don’t have to work with horses full-time to be a serious rider.
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Time away from riding full time doesn’t have to be just sitting around. There are books, a YouTube full of clinic videos, and possibly horses nearby in some capacity. Learn from good horsemen of any and every discipline.
That said, the lessons you learn in college will be cross-functional and will almost certainly make you a stronger and better person in a way that will help your riding. The people you meet and the network you create - those are people who are future resources for you as friends, clients, sponsors, advisors, or people like those people you may find later.
Riding will always be there and your four years away will be an opportunity to come back stronger.
In college, you will have opportunities that are hard to get later, and hard to take advantage of whne you own a horse, including options like studying abroad, interning in various jobs, etc. Take full advantage of them while you can. You may stumble upon the most amazing opportunities.
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Also
95%+ of us on this forum are adult amateurs … and have only aspired (either ever or in recent history) to be adult amateurs. But there are many upper level amateurs on here 1.40m level showjumping, 2*+ eventers, Grand Prix & B-S-G medal dressage riders)
There are a handful of pros here - but that is NOT the vast majority of us.
So yeah like I can only think of 5 or so individuals who have “made it” here on this forum in horses professionally as a rider or trainer.
There might be some barn owners or barn managers on here… but not many & perhaps they can chime in on what “making it in horses” means to them.
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I went the four year degree route because I’m realistic to a fault and didn’t have the financial backing or the innate skill to go anywhere, just the passion. I hardly rode at all during school, only in the summers when I was offered opportunities on horses where I had relationships.
Now, I have a mare that can hold her own in competition if I ride well. She’ll improve with experience and time, and I’d love to have a made ride, but this is light years ahead of what I’d wished for.
Right now, making it for me is being at the show and having a chance. I don’t think it’s impossible to have a Cinderella story, but without the backing to jump start it all, it’s tough and I’m glad I’ve gone the route I have.
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TL:DR join the non horse job market and pray that the world is stable enough you can enjoy it as a hobby.
In the next 10 years it is estimated that somewhere between 400-800M jobs globally will become redundant due to AI. We will likely have an implosion of the middle class in the US due to the growing inequities spurred on by AI and as of this evening it looks like we may be days away from officially being at war.
I’d get the most solid 8-5 job you can find post graduation. Your generation is uniquely vulnerable in that many of the entry level jobs you need to have any degree of upward mobility will be automated and made obsolete. To enjoy horses on a casual hobby level means it should be less than 10-15% (ideally much less) of your take home pay. Many of us sit at that 15% (or more) and often experience the very real stress of choosing between a vet bill and home expense or live very frugally in other areas to make sure that our horses aren’t getting compromised care. We are dual income no kids in a fairly low cost of living making well above the median income. Last year my backyard boarded horse ran me 17% of my take home pay and I took zero lessons much less even considered showing.
For some quick numbers to consider -
Price out what it would look like to purchase, board, lesson, show, etc in your area and then add maybe 30% to account for incidentals and inflation in the coming years. Multiply that number by 5 to get your target take home pay and then by another 1.4 to roughly get what salary you need to be making to live out that dream. My guess is that it will be very misaligned with a barn manager salary or full time horse career. The unfun truth is that it is likely misaligned with nearly any job you can get straight out of college with a four year degree.
There are SO many ways you can connect horses and people as a hobby or side hustle:
Equine photography (bereavement if you can handle it is a niche but very meaningful speciality)
Volunteering with a rescue
Farm sitting
Doing a free part lease on a horse that needs more time or rides than an owner can manage
Horse hair jewelry or other forms of art
Volunteer at a therapeutic riding program (if you love it you could always look at going back to school for OT, PT, speech)
Get involved with an animal welfare group advocating for better local ordinances to support equine protection
Take an equine body working course and start shadowing a local professional for a side job that could grow into a full time career
Consider becoming an independent saddle fitter for personal knowledge or as a side job that could grow into a full time career
Etc
If making it means finding meaning through time with horses and some light showing, doing a formal career in horses is the last thing I’d recommend.
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Everyone’s financial situation is different but this seems overly-conservative to me. It really depends on your other expenses and your income. Someone with a higher salary can spend a higher percentage on luxuries if they keep their core living expenses at an average level. I budget about 35% of my net income (~18% of gross) for horse stuff and my horse and I both live a pretty comfortable life in a HCOL area on just my income. I could probably get down to 20% if I cut out “unnecessary” stuff like shows, extra lessons, new saddle pads, etc, but I don’t need to. I’m not going out to fancy restaurants every weekend or jetting off to Europe at the drop of a hat like most of my DINK friends, but I still travel and have a social life, and generally I find I’d rather spend my extra money on horses than most of what my friends are doing anyway.
I’d also push back on the “casual hobby level” idea. Being an amateur rider doesn’t have to mean casual. My riding goals aren’t related to my source of income but I still take them seriously and put a lot of time and energy (and money) into them. There’s a huge spectrum of commitment available to OP, it doesn’t have to be just pro=competitive and amateur=casual.
I agree with the overall recommendation though. Focusing on earning potential and stability will give OP the most options in the long run. That’s what I did and why I’m able to spend so much on riding now.
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(I haven’t read all the replies, so this may have been said)
My personal experience: I reached out (via email) to all the big barns in my area and landed an amazing working student position for a TOP barn (we are in WA and trainer goes to WEF, back east, etc).
I could’ve gone further with it, but after a couple-ish years decided to get a desk job with at my family’s business.
I ride as an amateur now and learned SO much all those years ago. I ride better because of that experience and also know a lot about the industry which is helpful when you’re a DIY ammy.
Best of luck!
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Random thoughts. No particular order.
You need to gain more experience in what it takes to manage horses as well as manage your own living situation, like food, place to sleep, car, insurance etc. Adulting is challenging when you start losing the bank of mom and dad back up It is a lot but looking ahead it is something you must learn to handle and can change (death, divorce, illness, injury, job loss etc).You need a firm grip on what things actually cost and what your take home after taxes income will be so you can compare careers and make wiser choices.
You need to spend time around working barns and see what life is really like for those depending on income from those barns. Maybe get a part time groom job or something to really learn it is more then fun riding-fact there is no time for much riding, it is hard, dirty, low paying work and horses need the same care 24/7/365, including Christmas and when you are sick or injured.
Few active, successful trainers post on here other then occasionally because they do not have time and it is not professional to discuss client business, share stories about clients or give what may be seen as free advice when they have paying clients. But many of us older Adult Ammies have at one time or other in past years or decades have been paid to ride or teach and learned being an owner is far better.
Serious question here, do you want to be a horseman or to you want to be famous? Which is more important? Will point out that just because famous riders and trainers have such recognizable names does not mean they are good horseman and might be famous for all the wrong reasons a casual observer not closely involved in the sport may not be aware of.
Remember that if you are a rider or trainer on somebody else’s horse it is not your horse, never will be your horse and you work FOR the owner who may want you do what they want, not what you envision.
This is blunt but very important when you are researching where to go from where you are now in life. You do not know what you do not know right now. Your focus needs to be gaining more knowledge about the specifics and getting some hands on, IRL experiences.
Its all good, most of us have been there and wish you do not make the mistakes many of us did back when we were looking at the future.
Oh, being a horseman is not defined by hours, riding ability or show records. It is understanding the horse and continuing to learn how to do better by and for them and being willing to do the grunt work firsthand to get that knowledge. Only what you learn after you think you know it all counts.
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OP, I feel like I’ve made it in the horse world, but maybe not in the way you’re hoping for.
Own my own farm with all the horse amenities I need. No mortgage. Have had some very nice horses in the past and still have some lovely young ones to bring along. I have a big community of friends/fellow horse people that share my passion. I’ve been very successful at the level of competition I’m happy with. I don’t have to ride any horse I don’t want to. I don’t have to teach any student I don’t want to. Not at all famous, but I’m competent enough that if I’m temporarily without a horse to ride, my community offers me nice ones to fill in. I’ll be 59 years old this year and I’m still riding and having fun and trying new things in the saddle.
How did I do it?
Always had a job outside of horses, even when I had a full barn with 20+ students showing. But I was young and with unlimited energy then. Always had an outside job with health insurance and a reliable income. Chose a partner with a solid career who wanted the farm lifestyle and grew up with it. Dual income and living well within our income (NOT showing in Florida for the winter, not taking out a second mortgage to buy a horse, not spending money on the flashiest truck or the saddle-du-jour) means we now have no mortgage and have invested comfortably for retirement.
So I can enjoy my horses and my farm and the people I spend time with.
My advice is to get the education you need to make a good income and then enjoy horses within that. Make good choices 
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