Careers with horses?

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DD1 is desperate to work with horses. She is 14 and currently has a part loan through the riding school (We can’t afford to get her one of her own.) She’s a hard worker and very committed. But I don’t know what she should be aiming for, or the various types of jobs working with horses that she could do. Does anyone have advice? What areas of study should she focus upon? I think that she can do BHS exams now. Is that a good idea? Many thanks

I’ve just paid my horse’s physio - £55. She did one other horse in the same visit & was there for about 2 hours altogether plus it would have taken about 45 minutes round trip travel time (although of course I don’t know if she was combining it with something else). She also does humans - I’m not sure if one side subsidises the other to a certain extent?

A few people use barefoot trimmers or 'equine podiatrists' for their horses, so could be an option, bearing in mind that farriery/dentistry will be physically hard, you probably wouldn't be able to work until retirement age.

I would also advise having this as a hobby, my DSD competes in dressage and lives on yards for long hours and little pay and sometimes treated like utter crap. Her goal is Olympics, which is great for aspiration but not reality. And because she was so obsessed with the horse she failed most of her exams but that's another thread.

Hi. My dd - 19 and also dyslexic is now a groom having finished an apprenticeship in January.
She started one apprenticeship and realised that she was a yard hand with no training opportunities for £3.90ph so that 9 months was wasted til she went to the event yard shes at now.
Like you my dd had always been told she was v v unlikely to have her own but a year ago we paid for her horse and bless her but she has maintained it on her apprentice wage (we would be back up if needed but she doesn't know that!).
Shes now on 25p above minimum wage for 7.30am til 5pm and does 35k steps per day and is strong as an ox! While she enjoys it she now realises that it's not a forever career - but has no clue what else she wants to do. She's considering vet nurse but hasn't found an opportunity yet - especially now she owns the horse she has bills to pay so whilst is prepared for apprentice wage again she won't consider full time education.

Essentially she followed her dream and is very happy with all the experience she's gained. The horsey world seems very incestuous (apologies if any horsey people find that offensive!) But it's very much who you know and are able to network with and difficult to break into if you haven't had your own and gone through the ranks when young.
That's just our experience. You dd may just get a lucky break!!

Not sure if the correct term but therapy horses for working with people with disabilities? DC attended summer camps for 5 years, at a place with therapy horses. There was some incredible work going on there, really inspiring to see how the bond with a horse could make such a difference

@mamakoukla Riding for the disabled specialist centres employ people and often help with training. If you're in Scotland oatridge College is one possibility, it has a branch in Aberdeen now as well for equine. I started off going to uni, doing primary teaching then went back to horses. Did my BHS stages and coaching qualifications. Get some experience helping at an RDA group and do their coaching qualifications, they give you some exemptions from BHS exams and are free. It is hard work but if you enjoy what you do it's worth it.

Thanks @horseymum! It really was a magical place and I have great admiration for all of the staff and volunteers. They really did bring something special to the children and families they were working with.

I studied Equine Science at Uni and friends from the course went on to do the following... work for feed company as a nutritionist, equine chiropractor, stud manager, welfare advisor at a charity to name a few. Equally lots don't do anything horse related now...

As someone who worked with horses for 6 years (and has horses now), who has 2 sisters who worked with horses, and who has a 16 year old horse-mad and very talented daughter, I would really try to persuade her, like others above, not to work with horses. It really is very hard work, long hours, few days off, not great pay, and bosses can be a nightmare. Often you get to do all the hard work, mucking out, poo picking etc, with only the less exciting riding, and getting to compete is rare. There are no doubt some yards where people get amazing opportunities, but they do seem few and far between. There are so many youngsters wanting to work with horses that employers can be very choosy, and really don't need to look after their staff well.
Training as a vet nurse, farrier, vet, nutritionist etc is worth looking into, or getting any other well paid career so you can buy your own horses and do your own thing, is, in my opinion, the best way forward. I really loved parts of working with horses, but other bits were awful, especially the way girls were treated (this was 25 years ago now, but sexual harassment was just part of the daily routine, often physical), plus we really were 'disposable'.
Good luck x

Reading with interest as my DD is the same age and we are also in Scotland. She is keen to look at Oatridge college near Bathgate and would then like to work at a competition yard. Oatridge offer Equine HNC and HND qualifications then we saw someone who also did that and then did Sports Management and coaching at Strathclyde University and is now a successful coach with a good business. My DD has her own horse and does compete which I think does help. Could she look at swapping her current loan for a horse that she could start to compete on? I know its maybe a bit harsh if she's bonded with them but there are often really difficult decisions to be made and that is a huge part of working with horses from what I can see. I have said to her many times that its hard work with not always great pay but she will come to realise that in her own time and may change her ideas. Many people we know supplement their incomes with teaching and coaching so I think the BHS qualifications are a good idea xxx

Switch on ITV racing and look at the sex (and race) of the grooms leading the horses round the parade ring (these are the people who will be shovelling shit back at the stables as well). Then look at the sex and race of the people who actually get to sit on the horses during the race, especially the best horses in the biggest races. Look at the winning trainers (largely the people who have convinced a lot of high spending owners to send them well bred expensive horses). Better off making her own money elsewhere to buy her own horses than relying on others to judge whether she is competent enough to compete on or train their horses .

Here's a quote from the late great Reiner Klimke, who was a lawyer.
My profession is not riding. Riding is my hobby. Therefore my profession comes first, and when I have free time, I ride. It’s what I have done my whole life

Have a look at the careers guide on The British Horse Society. Lots of ideas in there.
I can’t link from my Ipad but type it in the search bar on the website and it comes up 😁

@EuroTrashed

There are a lot of horse related careers that can earn a reasonable living and many of which would involve freelancing or the ability to set up own practice so the business studies are a good idea. Off the top of my head (and with varying degrees of academic qualifications/ skills required): Farriery Saddler / specialty crafts that are equine related Physio Dentist Feed rep / horse feed development / nutrition Stud admin / stallion manager / really niche horse sperm wrangling jobs There are niche accountants and lawyers for the various equine specialisms, particularly if you look at the racing world. There are even equestrian property specialists at high end estate agencies - maybe she can pick a mainstream career but carry it out within an equine industry?

I agree with this, she's better off training with a specific skill than going down the groom/riding instructor route. The pay is generally better, and there's more flexibility in terms of not having to work unsociable hours.

IMO, there's more longevity in these careers, as well.

@Howdidthathappen1

Hi. My dd - 19 and also dyslexic is now a groom having finished an apprenticeship in January. She started one apprenticeship and realised that she was a yard hand with no training opportunities for £3.90ph so that 9 months was wasted til she went to the event yard shes at now. Like you my dd had always been told she was v v unlikely to have her own but a year ago we paid for her horse and bless her but she has maintained it on her apprentice wage (we would be back up if needed but she doesn't know that!). Shes now on 25p above minimum wage for 7.30am til 5pm and does 35k steps per day and is strong as an ox! While she enjoys it she now realises that it's not a forever career - but has no clue what else she wants to do. She's considering vet nurse but hasn't found an opportunity yet - especially now she owns the horse she has bills to pay so whilst is prepared for apprentice wage again she won't consider full time education.

Essentially she followed her dream and is very happy with all the experience she's gained. The horsey world seems very incestuous (apologies if any horsey people find that offensive!) But it's very much who you know and are able to network with and difficult to break into if you haven't had your own and gone through the ranks when young.
That's just our experience. You dd may just get a lucky break!!

Who you know for sure- when I worked in the industry I got a start with someone I knew, and that enabled me to find other work as well. But once you get that first break, it does get easier!

At 19, I think it's fine to have a "for now" job. If she's working for an event rider, and can build up some competitive results of her own, she could start instructing, which has a bit more future potential than just working as a groom!

I’d suggest looking at the local equine veterinary hospital and seeing what they offer to see if there are any areas she could specialise in.

I agree with a PP that most people want to be taught by someone with decent competition experience and those people inevitably have that from a childhood of pony clubs etc.

My personal recommendation would be to train in a job she will enjoy and is well paid, so she can buy her own horse and enjoy her hobby.

Careers with horses are notoriously low paid. (I know I took that route for a large chunk of my life) looking back I wish I'd done vet nursing specialising in equine. There are vocational courses to access this as well as the degree and lots of opportunities for career development in the right job.