4 Equestrian Job Types to Be Hands On With Horses
The equestrian industry is a fascinating and varied field to work in. From trainers, grooms and farriers to veterinarians, stable hands and riding instructors—each job requires different levels of experience and knowledge. Let’s take a look at the different types of jobs in the equestrian industry, and what you need to know for each one.
Trainers are responsible for preparing horses for competitions or shows, as well as helping riders improve their techniques. To be successful, they must have extensive knowledge of equine anatomy, nutrition and psychology. It is also important to have a good understanding of different training techniques, both for the horse and the rider. To get started towards a training career, look for jobs as a working student. This position will place you close to the head trainer of the stable you work at while also allowing you to learn directly from that trainer. This is one of the best ways to set yourself up for a profitable career as a Trainer.
Grooms are generally responsible for taking care of horses on a daily basis—from feeding, grooming and exercising them to cleaning their stalls and checking for any medical problems. They need to be knowledgeable about horse health and safety, grooming techniques, showing and the unique needs of the rider. Grooms are very close to the horses they work with and often develop a very close relationship with both horse and rider. This is an intimate and rewarding career for horse enthusiasts that requires a lot of hands on work and travel.
Breeders are responsible for selecting horses to breed, guiding the process from mating to foaling. To be a successful breeder, you need to have an excellent eye for conformation and soundness. You should also understand genetics so that you can select horses with desirable traits to pass on to their offspring. As a breeder you’d be most likely working alongside high end competition stables to produce good athletic horses. This career path can be very rewarding but does typically require industry connections to get into.
If you’re a people person, you may enjoy working in the equestrian industry as an event manager. Event managers are responsible for all aspects of organizing and running equine competitions, from booking venues to scheduling classes. A successful event manager should have planning and organizational skills and be able to work under pressure. Running events is no small feat, but horse shows are some of the most fun events you can go to! As an event manager you wouldn’t necessarily be hands on with horses, but you are definitely impactful on both horse and riders experience showing!
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