Working with your passion and horses is a lot of horse lovers dream. If you wish to work in the equestrian industry, there are a range of opportunities to educate yourself and work with what you love. We have looked into some of the jobs available for you to consider. The top 15 most popular jobs in the Equestrian Industry are:
1) Horse Groom
As a horse groom you are usually hired by a proffessional rider, work duties include grooming the horses, riding, overseeing the horses feed, turnout times and competition schedule. You mat also require a truck license to be able to drive larger horse trucks to and from events.
2) Professional Rider
Working as a proffesional rider can be difficult to start as a lot of riders rely on either a second part time job or a sponsor that makes sure they can afford their expensive lifestyle. This is more common in Europe and North America, as the equestrian industry is bigger there than Australia and has more financial backing.
3) Farrier
A farrier looks after the horse's feet and make sure they are trimmed and shod correctly and regularly. This is a very common job in the equestrian industry and easy to get started with. Please note, a lot of farriers suffer from back issues after years of bending forward - so make sure you are young and fit before you consider this profession.
4) Vet
Studying to become a vet is a minimum of 4-5 years and it is quite challenging. However if you has the passion and drive it can be a very rewarding profession. Working as an equine vet is usually better paid than small animal vet.
5) Horse Photographer
A professional equine photographer can specialize in either just event photography (such as dressage competitions, showjumping or eventing days) or target individual horse owners with private photo shoots of their horses. It is generally quite expensive to get started (purchasing all the equipment), but there is usually a lot of business for a good horse photographer as once you build a network in the industry - you have clients for years to come.
6) Horse trainer/Breaker
Working as a horse breaker requires a lot of knowledge and a bit of talent and feel for animals in general. Make sure you have years of experience with horses before you try this profession as young horses can be unpredictable and accidents happen, Horse breakers usually focus on one area of equestrian riding - for example horses can be broken in for english riding, western riding or the racing industry. Each breaker will use their own system for this.
7) Saddle fitter
A saddle fitter makes sure that the saddle fits perfectly over the horse's back and wither and its not pinching or tilting in either direction. This profession is great for someone who enjoys traveling around in their local town and enjoys dealing with the everyday rider and riding schools. It is a challening yet rewarding job. A lot of saddle brand try to partner up with saddle fitters for them to recommend their specific saddle brand, so their may be extra perks and commission to make as well as a saddle fitter.
8) Horse shop assistant
It can be difficult to get a job as a retail assistant in a shop for horse supplies in your area as it is usually a very sought-after job for young equestrians. Don't give up though as working with horse supplies will teach you more about all the different supplies available and meet like-minded people on a daily basis.
9) Equine Sales Agent
An equine sales agent is like the real estate agent but for the equestrian industry. You basically put horse buyers together with sellers. There are a number of websites who advertise horses too but some people prefer to go through an agent as they have connections to find the perfect horse for you, and you will feel more secure going through an agent that works in the industry and knows the ins and outs of horse buying and selling.
10) Horse Riding Instructor
This is a very common professions for horse riders, and you usually only require a few years experience plus the basic certificates to work at a riding school. Please note working as a horse riding instructor may give you evening and weekend work hours. Make sure you are ok with this before you commit to a full time job as a riding instructor. It is also a plus if you like kids.
11) Stable/Yard Manager
Cleaning out stables, sweeping, filling up waters and feeding are all jobs all equestrian centers requires doing. So for a yard worker or stable manager - there are always jobs to find. This can be a great place to start when wanting to get into the equestrian industry. However this job is generally tough on the body and usually not the best pay.
13) Horse Event Organizer
Are you a planner and a perfectionist? Then an event planner for equestrian shows may be for you. It is a very challenging profession as there are a number of things that can go wrong at a horse event, catering to the horses, riders, horse owners, audience and the weather is a challenging task. If you do want to go down this path - it can be a great place to study events planning in school and then also try to broaden your connections in the equestrian industry as this is usually not a job that is advertised for, its almost always head hunted.
14) Horse Riding Influencer (Youtuber/Instagrammer)
This is a fairly new profession but it is defintely possible in this day and age. Are you competing on a high level, have a unique horse or just love social media? Then why not give it a go. A lot of horse riding youtubers create educational videos, horse instagrammer post funny or inspirational content and make lots of money through sponsored posts.
15) Horse Massage Therapist
A horse massage therapist takes a bit of studying first, but it can be a very rewarding job to help individual riders with their horse's issues. A lot of riders can tell a big difference when riding their horse before and after the massage therapist has been out as it can soften the horse's back and neck and release a lot of tension in the body.
