What do you think are the best jobs for owning a horse?

[luckycricket123]

I think jobs that pay well enough but provide flexibility are the ultimate amateur careers. I’ve got a small social media following, but I keep getting questions from the kids on tiktok about what I do for a job.

I work in tech, which is great for me but not for everyone. I’d love to hear what jobs you all have (and what sort of education you’d recommend for someone looking to break into that field)

Now, I don’t think that everyone needs to LOVE their job, but I do think it should somewhat align with their interests or strengths, so I’d love to hear a variety of options and the pros & cons of each fields

[Foxglove]

I think the answer depends on what kind of riding/showing/horse use stuff you enjoy. I was always a fox hunter (57 seasons this fall) and liked riding in the summer -a little training, but mostly following my kiddos around to local shows. Therefore: for me TEACHING was ideal with the three months off in the summer, and breaks when my kiddos were not in school (neither was I). I made enough to support my herd modestly on a little farm.

One kiddo went to the top of her discipline (3-Day) where she was showing against the best in the game. As her groom, I hung out with the other grooms --your question often came up: What does XXX do to afford to show 3-Day around the country (or the world --a few Olympic riders were places we were. Turned out the most common answer was “independently wealthy, or managed the family money.” Not one single upper-level rider we met, was completing and holding down a full time job.

The closest was two doctors married to each other --they scheduled surgery (she was the surgeon) and operations (he was an anesthesiologist) to allow them to show their two horses Thursday-Friday-Saturday -back at work on Monday. Their shared trainer kept the horses and transported them to whatever location they were expecting to attend. The husband and wife flew in --both were pilots --showed the horses and flew out. That worked for t hem, although I haven’t seen either one named recently in the showing news --but then I’m kind of out of of the game, these days.

Anyway --the hunt club includes many different people with many different jobs from postman to law enforcement, lawyers, doctors (a bunch of doctors), salesmen, real estate agents, farmers, and teachers like me (although I am retired now).

So a vote to go into teaching as a way to enjoy your horse. Might pick PE --few papers to grade.

[clanter]

comptroller for a small to medium size city, worked very well for at least one individual

[endlessclimb]

Anything that has somewhat regular hours, and pays enough.

There are lots of options.

There are lots of jobs with regular hours and not enough pay. There are lots of job with plenty of pay, but no ability for free time or a work/life balance.

I think someone coming straight out of college should get ready to either really struggle to find time, or to put their big-time riding goals on hold. There is a period of time, about 5 years, where you need to “earn your stripes” and get the experience to make yourself valuable. That often means additional hours at work.

[thebandtrain]

Finally made an account just to say this comment has me absolutley rolling.

Ideal job to afford horses: crime

[clanter]

laundering is another way to make big bucks the Horse Industry … the Mexican mafia got nailed buying/selling racing quarterhorses flipping them to make dirty money clean

[showy]

Heiress

[PeteyPie]

Let’s see, lots of money and plenty of time off.

Many STEM professions would fit. They tend to pay well and have regular hours, but not necessarilly a lot of time off.

Teaching is great because, as @Foxglove mentioned, it allows the time. Don’t forget other jobs (administrative, clerical) working for colleges or school districts which also allow summers off. The pay can be too low for comfort to support an expensive amateur career but with careful budgeting can work.

Some medical specialties where work can be scheduled and emergency calls are very rare or nonexistent would also fit. I’m thinking of the doctor who just did my colonoscopy. He schedules all of his surgeries for two days a week and has some office hours, but I think he is off Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Orthodontists and ophthalmologists tend to have pretty routine schedules. I’m sure there are many other medical professions which fit the bill. The con to these professions is that they require a significant number of years dedicated to education during which time it would probably not be possible to pursue a serious equine career; it would have to be delayed.

A friend works for a government agency which has a four-day work week. The pros are that there is a pension and plenty of time off, as well as a four-day work week, but the con is that the pay is less than in private industry.

In the case of having a medium-paying job and plenty of time off, it’s probably a given that many women who are heavily involved in horses have a working spouse or partner who shares some of the living expenses which frees up more discretional income. I hate to say it, but the reality is that marrying money is also a way to have support.

Two factors are really important for financial security and success, and I think they are worth mentioning to any young person asking about their futures, because really, if you budget well you can accomplish your financial goals with most jobs. I like to mention both things to young people and emphasize the first to young women since it affects them more. That first one is unplanned pregnancy/giving birth at a young age before they have their education and some financial stability. This will almost surely delay their financial success and progress. The second is addiction. I tell them to look around at adults in their lives who are successful and compare them to those who aren’t. My observation is that those who are basically failing at life are often addicted to something harmful: alcohol, drugs, compulsive shopping, gambling, etc.

[B-burg_Dressage]

I work in accounting. Not enough money to do it big, but enough to be a happy AA competing in dressage. Generally go to a couple schooling shows and a couple recognized shows each year. Own our own property and have two horses.

OK salary. Only need a 4-year degree. Great job stability–everyone needs accountants. Lots and lots of flexibility and WFH (or work-from-barn) opportunities.

For clarity, our property was fully a combination effort of DH and my salaries and a lot of his sweat and skill. It would have taken many, many more years for me to save enough on my salary alone. (He does construction though, so definitely didn’t “marry money”.)

[clanter]

I do not think there is a magical job, career or industry,

I was in sales of access control equipment as a commissioned employee in the 1990s when a low six figure income was actually something. Just depends upon how much risk one will accept.

All but one of our children are self employed as photographers as they enjoy the freedom to do what they want when they want to do it. (None do horses, but kind of got interested in photography from watching show photographers)

The one that works as she says “a real job” has extensive flexibility that does allow her to remote work when out blowing money away showing her horses

[PNWjumper]

Sales. Every industry has a sales component. Most are flexible and pay decent (at least related to the industry).

I’ve been in biotech sales for decades. I work remotely and have the flexibility to set my own schedule. I’ve managed my string of horses (ranging from 4-10 over the years) on my farm, and have the flexibility and salary to ride and show.

[EVneo]

Came here to say this - sales/ sales-like job (aka outside recruiting). Third party executive recruiting is what I do, but it’s definitely sales-like. Performance-based bonuses, remote work, flexibility with hours. Since I work with execs, they’re generally available to chat nights/weekends. Maybe couldn’t do this in my junior recruiter days, but I’ll often be grazing my horse at a show while on the phone with a candidate, catching up on how their interview went. This flexibility means that I can haul to a show on a Friday and not take PTO or ride in the mornings before it gets hot. It takes tenacity and self motivation, but those who dig in and do the thing can easily make six-figures most places. High earners at our firm regularly pull in 200k+.

[MsM]

Teaching may have good vacation times, but public school teaching would generally not pay enough for serious recognized showing. I was a teacher for many years in a district that paid pretty well (I also had a sixth year and lead teacher bonus) but I could barely afford to keep one horse and show in schooling shows. Also, the schedule lacks flexibility. Then, of course there are the current political issues affecting teaching.

The only teachers I knew who showed in recognized shows regularly had husbands with jobs that paid well! The dynamics are a lot different if you are single and self-supporting!

[Mersidoats]

Anything that is remote-first (or remote friendly) with flexible hours, and a high-skill/high-demand position where you can negotiate a higher salary. Sales and revenue ops positions have the capacity for large bonuses and high earnings. Technical work is flexible, and many product companies don’t care how many hours you work or even when you work, they just want to see functional code and daily code commits.

I think it’s less about the job and more about the company you work for.

[imbassetma]

I have worked behind the scenes in a large international professional services company for 27 years. In IT for most of it. The last 15 years have been 100% remote. I “own” applications, manage the people and activities that keep the lights without being a complete techie. It’s hugely flexible. As long as I’m getting everything done I need to, no one cares if I pause my day to go ride, take an afternoon off to go xc school, start my day super early because I’m on calls with the other side of the world and then end the day early. I am so grateful to have landed here and have this privilege.

[McGurk]

ROFL

Hope everyone gets the reference.

[Baybear]

Commercial Reat Estate, can be cut-throat but if you’re good/successful the money earning potential is extremely good. But to be at the top it’s hard and long work but there would be lots of flexibility - you make what you put into it I worked in a support role and the folks I supported made high 6 - to low 7 figure incomes. Crazy

[Punkie]

I agree with all of the other posters who say that there is no magic career/formula but what can work best with what you want. I tried a few careers on for size before settling into leadership consulting in the healthcare field. I more or less fell into my profession, got a PhD (I/O psychology), and while getting my PhD, fell into a really lucrative consulting gig for a major company in my industry and here I am today! My job is insanely flexible, I can work from just about anywhere in the world with an internet connection, and my hours are completely up to how dedicated I am to productivity. I typically work 10-12 hours a week but as I am paid per contract, this is more like a 40 hour a week salary. This allows me to run my farms, show, ride my horses, and keep up with my AirBnB portfolio (3 properties in two states). I make enough to have 3-5 horses showing on the AA circuit and to maintain a herd of 8-10 retirees at a time. I make my own hours, never miss out on opportunities to go to lunch with friends, hang out at horse shows, or make it to midday vet or doctors appointments. I’m a night owl, so I do most of my work between 11 pm and 2 am and it works brilliantly. Depending on the location of my client, I may answer emails for half an hour or so around 9 am, but otherwise the day is mine! About once a month I’ll have a stretch of 2-3 days that I have to buckle down and get a bunch of work done, but compared to my friends who work traditional 9-5s, I have zero complaints.