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What are my Horse Career Options

I have a BSc in Computer Information Systems, but my passion has always been animals.

When I was younger I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I think I am too emotionally involved to be able to withstand that.

I would love to look into a career working around horses/cattle but I haven’t found a match yet.

I am not a great rider yet and have never had my own horse so I think for now I cannot look at horse training, plus there is no real demand for that here unless I want to train racehorses (which I don’t).

Are there any medical jobs I can pursue, perhaps something under a veterinarian? Maybe see about minor injuries and basic medical care?
Or maybe some other service I can provide? Racehorses form the majority of the horse population where I live.

So far my future looks like being a self employed consultant and running away from work every day to ride :lol:

Vet tech…though you would have to see everything.

Had a friend who went to work for a sort of bloodstock agency that handled cattle. They set up ownership syndicates and partnerships and brokered sales of elite level cattle and ran the breeding side. You think there’s money in horses? Cattle and some other livestock blow that right out of the water.

Basically, she made a very, very good living with great hours in a nice office , nice car with some travel basically selling collection services and frozen straws. She kept her very nice horses on the side and had a nice rig.

Every cattle breed has a head office and registry, passed the Charlois (sp?) office on the way to the Kansas City airport the other day. Might want to look into something like that in a related field, not just hirses…and, no, she knew just about squat about cattle, hired for her organizational skills. Degree in Ag Business Management.

With your education, that might be the way to go.

[QUOTE=findeight;8420350]
Had a friend who went to work for a sort of bloodstock agency that handled cattle… Degree in Ag Business Management.

With your education, that might be the way to go.[/QUOTE]

Getting a certificate or degree in the agricultural field sounds like a good idea.

What about designing software systems for vet offices?

Massage therapist or some sort of equine body worker?

[QUOTE=Skitten;8420224]
I have a BSc in Computer Information Systems, but my passion has always been animals.

So far my future looks like being a self employed consultant and running away from work every day to ride :lol:[/QUOTE]

I would say very honestly that this the best way for you to go, or to find a job that allows you to telecommute. Nothing you do directly with animals is going to pay nearly as well as your computer degree, nor will it give you as many options in where to live AND in being able to work with animals on YOUR terms.

Being able to make a solid living (and from an air conditioned location) that can in turn pay for your time with horses and allow you to enjoy them as your fun is actually a very strong opportunity.

You may well be able to find a computer job that fits more nicely into the animal work that interests you - there are many of them - but in the meantime, get a job that you enjoy and that gives you enough work-life balance to spend your time and money in riding lessons and eventually buying a horse. Computer work often has very flexible hours that will let you take advantage of clinics and competitions in a way that you cannot if you actually work in the animal industry.

From what I’ve seen, both USEF & USDF could use some help in their IT departments. It’s not hands on with horses, but it is certainly involved!

Most vet software is spread sheet based devoted to billing and record keeping, nothing particularly unique. And they don’t pay the help that well in the average office.

I’d pursue other options. Like adding some Ag specific studies to your resume. It’s not all barn work or riding a tractor. Think Agribusiness, there’s some behemoth companies that hire a lot of people besides the smaller, niche type ones out there, do a little research.

[QUOTE=poltroon;8421088]
I would say very honestly that this the best way for you to go, or to find a job that allows you to telecommute. Nothing you do directly with animals is going to pay nearly as well as your computer degree, nor will it give you as many options in where to live AND in being able to work with animals on YOUR terms.

Being able to make a solid living (and from an air conditioned location) that can in turn pay for your time with horses and allow you to enjoy them as your fun is actually a very strong opportunity. .[/QUOTE]

I was thinking of going to veterinary school (despite my initial post) but that requires 7 years of studying full time. That means quitting my full time job and having next to no income until I’m 30.

I can also do a Masters in Computer Science, I see that some courses offer biotechnology and bioinformatics, which may be cool when it comes to working with genes to and developing software to analyze them.

I may go the Msc route… At least if I don’t get a job in an animal sci/med related field SOMEONE else may hire me and I can still make enough to support my horse obsession… and maybe they’ll let me minor in agricultural studies.

Maybe there’s light at the end of this tunnel after all. I feel like I’m having a mid life crisis already.

[QUOTE=IPEsq;8420329]
Vet tech…though you would have to see everything.[/QUOTE]

If OP is too emotionally connected to be a vet, being a vet tech won’t work either. We see everything, and we do some of the hardest jobs. Literally, the only thing I don’t do is stick the euthasol in the vein to put down the animal. However, I am there to hold it while it struggles and takes it’s last breath.

Yesterday, I had to carry in a dog that had been shot in the head, soaked in blood from the back of a truck.

A vet tech is NO piece of cake and not for the weary. Of course, I work small animal, but I imagine large animal isn’t much different. Of course, less carrying of the animal. :lol:

[QUOTE=Skitten;8421760]
I was thinking of going to veterinary school (despite my initial post) but that requires 7 years of studying full time. That means quitting my full time job and having next to no income until I’m 30.

I can also do a Masters in Computer Science, I see that some courses offer biotechnology and bioinformatics, which may be cool when it comes to working with genes to and developing software to analyze them.

I may go the Msc route… At least if I don’t get a job in an animal sci/med related field SOMEONE else may hire me and I can still make enough to support my horse obsession… and maybe they’ll let me minor in agricultural studies.

Maybe there’s light at the end of this tunnel after all. I feel like I’m having a mid life crisis already.[/QUOTE]

Being good at databases and statistics is a great resume element that will make you useful for all kinds of biological research and possibly give you a hook into genetics.

You might consider just getting a new job. An MS in computer science won’t necessarily make you particularly more employable than you are now, except if it’s a fancier school or you add specific expertise like statistics that you don’t have now. But there are plenty of great, fun, interesting jobs in CS.

Start an online business that runs itself and then spend your time enjoying horses. Read “the Four Hour Workweek”.

There is and will continue to be demand for technological degrees in the agricultural and equine industries. Every large company has software, records, and systems that must be developed and maintained. You will not be hands-on, but you will be involved and the income will be enough to allow you to truly enjoy your animals. Being involved in the industry does not mean that you must train, breed, or show. It is multi-faceted and extends into corporate businesses.

I’d get out and working for now. Vet school is long and hard with not as many jobs out there that pay enough to get rid of any student loan debt as most assume.

Agree with poltroon getting the MS means more time in school, lessens earning opportunity in those years and is not going to make you more attractive to employers, might even make you overqualified for available, entry level jobs.

Broaden your horizons and think of feed companies, veterinary pharmaceuticals and the food retail industry. Located just about anywhere across the nation EXCEPT high rises in major east coast metro areas…you know, where you can’t afford to live much less keep a horse. Find one in an affordable area with decent salary, that’s a huge key to keeping a horse or two.

[QUOTE=findeight;8421882]
I’d get out and working for now. [/QUOTE]

This. And someone told me “never step job hunting”.

Get into something you think you like/enjoy/are good at/pays the bills, but keep looking for your next step. Cast a wide net and see what pops up. Then consider your options carefully, but don’t be afraid to jump in with both feet once in a while. After a few career switches, you might find yourself right where you want to be even if you never would have planned it that way.

ETA: Vet Techs are below Veterinarians, but if you don’t think the emotional side of being a vet is for you (and that’s ok) a tech position won’t be either. A good tech is worth their weight in gold, but they face the horrors of veterinary medicine head on.

And I would embrace the computer degree.

Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement and honesty.
Getting a masters and Phd was always a goal if I couldn’t do vet school so I may still do it while I can get the funding.

I have a job now doing IT in an insurance company so I am getting the experience, and I can do my master’s part time so I am seriously considering signing up for it in the new academic year.

I also figure if I can minor in agricultural science then I would have the edge over whatever pure IT person trying to get their foot in larger production companies.

Question - would being over qualified make me less likely to get employed? Is it because they expect they’ll have to pay me more?

[QUOTE=Skitten;8422317]
Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement and honesty.
Getting a masters and Phd was always a goal if I couldn’t do vet school so I may still do it while I can get the funding.

I have a job now doing IT in an insurance company so I am getting the experience, and I can do my master’s part time so I am seriously considering signing up for it in the new academic year.

I also figure if I can minor in agricultural science then I would have the edge over whatever pure IT person trying to get their foot in larger production companies.

Question - would being over qualified make me less likely to get employed? Is it because they expect they’ll have to pay me more?[/QUOTE]

As someone who is deep into STEM, I would say only go for the masters/PhD if you have some particular goal for it, some activity you want to do where you know it will be valued or required.

YES, being overqualified can make it harder to find a job. Making yourself specialized in the wrong field is a kiss of death for employability. It is not just that they think they’ll have to pay you more, but also that they will think you don’t really want their lame job and so you won’t want to stay. Or that you’ll try to solve problems they don’t have. Or that your approaches will be too theoretical.

If you are a capable and qualified graduate PhD student in a STEM field, your studies should generally be funded through the program (as a TA or research assistant), with a stipend, and there’s not a particular advantage to doing so immediately after your BS degree. If they are not, you should seriously consider the value of the program to you. On the other hand, if your employer will pay tuition on your behalf right now, that’s a little different situation and in that case, going for the Master’s may make sense.

[QUOTE=poltroon;8422358]
As someone who is deep into STEM, I would say only go for the masters/PhD if you have some particular goal for it, some activity you want to do where you know it will be valued or required.

YES, being overqualified can make it harder to find a job. Making yourself specialized in the wrong field is a kiss of death for employability. It is not just that they think they’ll have to pay you more, but also that they will think you don’t really want their lame job and so you won’t want to stay. Or that you’ll try to solve problems they don’t have. Or that your approaches will be too theoretical.

If you are a capable and qualified graduate PhD student in a STEM field, your studies should generally be funded through the program (as a TA or research assistant), with a stipend, and there’s not a particular advantage to doing so immediately after your BS degree. If they are not, you should seriously consider the value of the program to you. On the other hand, if your employer will pay tuition on your behalf right now, that’s a little different situation and in that case, going for the Master’s may make sense.[/QUOTE]

Wow that is something to consider. The government funds most of the tertiary education programs especially in the areas of medical and tech

If you want to ride and maybe own horses as an adult, figure out the best paying field that fits your abilities, and get good enough at it that you can eventually set your own hours, working conditions, and geographical location to some extent. That way you could, for instance, live in a good “horsey” region, have mornings free to ride while you work afternoon/evenings, and be able to afford it all (horse plus lessons and training as needed). And choose something that is not physically demanding, so you get to the barn full of energy!

Computer work sounds like it would be absolutely perfect. Probably none of us here can advise you as well as some chronicle of the computer programmer forum which I’m sure is out there somewhere.

From the outside, because keeping horses costs so much money, it might seem like it would be a lucrative sector to work in. But actually, it isn’t. Horses are primarily a hobby, the basic ongoing costs are high, and when people lose their jobs they sell their horses. Because the basic costs are so high, most horse owners budget to some extent, hence the huge market in second-hand tack. Plus it’s a small market, shrinking in many places, mostly women. Plus it’s part of the agricultural sector, and jobs in ag tend to pay less than human sectors. Plus because it’s a hobby, and an obsession, a lot of people in the horse field either undervalue their labor, or work for free or barter.

Of course the bigger corporate equestrian brands (Ariat, Purina, etc) run full-scale corporate offices like any other footwear company or food conglomerate, and hire the same kinds of computer and web specialists, salespeople, product designers, etc. You can look on their websites to see what career openings they have.

But I think every field that deals with animals is smaller and less lucrative than the same field dealing with humans. Being a vet is a good job, and takes as many years in school as becoming an MD, but still is usually not as lucrative as being a human doctor. Around here, anyhow, being a vet tech is a low-paid entry-level job, nowhere near as well paid or as secure as being a registered nurse for humans. Equine research is underfunded and thin (as you’ll find if you ever try to look up a topic on horse health) compared to human research. And I"m sure even the very successful Ariat company sells far fewer shoes than Nike or Reebok!