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Emerald Ridge said:
Iv worked in the equine industry for the last 7 years. It's a brutal industry that you work your way up from the bottom. Shoveling stalls, hauling hay, all the nitty-gritty stuff and really if your working in the barn your not handling the horses much more then to do turn out. I worked my way to a couple assistant training jobs and I freaking loved it. It took a few times to find the right trainer I could work for and I worked with her for 4 years. I got to ride and show some really cool horses, give lessons and build friendships and learn a lot as a rider. But at the end of the day you're lucky if you make minimum wage. At the end of the day, I was always in the red and stressing about finances. Your out in the elements, long hours, no holidays, no overtime, no benefits and no sick leave.
That being said I went to school and am a Certified Equine Sports Therapist. Being your own boss rocks ! I get to travel, work directly with horses and improve their quality of life, meet some really cool people from all walks of life and make some really cool friendships along the way. But at the end of the day, if you have no work you don't get paid. You're on the road a lot and it took me a solid 4 years to build up a clientele that I'm still building to support myself. It's very seasonal so i had to get a supplemental job. I work part-time in a Chiro office and it's awesome! Warm, clean, great hours, and I can afford to show my horses and go back for more schooling.
Moral of the story.. do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life.. but if you don't make enough to have a life then something needs to change. Best of luck with all your future endeavors :)
Agree, you really do have to push yourself to get going and used to mucking out etc. Although the time and effort put into it, I personally enjoy it. I'm sponsored by small companies in the uk and based on Instagram and you really do build so many friendships and it offers you so much etc, but you need to also find a stables that provides the facilities you want like arenas and more as you don't want to hire arenas xx. Wish you luck for what you end up doing, keep us updated x |
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OK, thank you. I figured it'd be something like that. And the ad says that they 'prefer' someone with horse knowledge. And they've had more then one ad in the local paper, so they might be having a hard time getting any calls for the job in the first place...
Nordic Acres said:
Jellos Warmbloods said:
Snow Stable said:
I have an opportunity to work with horses/farm work. How much should I expect to be paid an hour? (Unexperinced and all...)
Close to minimum wage.
If you’re lucky enough to get it with lack of experience :/
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Cadence Farms said:
My personal opinion is...
Go to University to learn a skill/trade not related to horses, but you love, and can foot the bill to pay for horses.
Then you get to spend lots of time around horses, own them and do it on your own terms, because you can afford to fund it.
As it's a difficult road to be in the horse industry, be successful, and earn a living from it.
It's hard, but not impossible.
But from my experience, it's easier to earn a living doing other things, and have horses as a hobby.
Just saying.
100% agree. Not to be a killjoy but they say the easiest way to make a million dollars in the horse industry is to start with two million. And it's true...things like land, insurance, fencing, etc. are expensive. Get a solid education and money saved up first. Then if you still have the itch to work with horses you'll have something to fall back on if needed.
Not saying it's impossible - a friend I took lessons with years ago is doing quite well as a trainer now, for example - but I'd say she's not the norm. She had a ton of familial support in horses as a kid right up through college and has a husband with a good job now, so it's less risk for her and she still has her degree to fall back on. You definitely need a safety net of some kind if you go into horses...injuries happen, but the bills don't stop. |
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Thought of something else: if you do go into horses and work for someone else, be wary of who you work for. In college, one day a week I did the morning feed, medicines, turnout, watering, picked out like 10 stalls and mucked like 6 for a boarding barn. I never rode in this barn but heard of the job via word of mouth. The trainer had a shady rep as a businessperson but I was able to work the shift this barn needed and I figured hey, horses. It will work out.
Well payday was a nightmare. Every. stinking. time. they were late and I had to call and call to get my money, making an extra trip to get my check. A few times we're talking like days, pushing a week late. I put up with that for too long before quitting (I liked the horses). I had other part time jobs at the time so I still had money coming in but had that been my only money source I'd have been in trouble. So be careful if you work for someone else and if their reputation precedes them, pay attention! |
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If you work in the horse world you definitely have to find your kind of crazy to work for. I've been at the same breeding farm in the US for almost 4 years now. I absolutely love my job but it's a lot of work and i've veered towards the breeding side, mainly stallion handling these days. I make decent money to be comfortable. I also live on the property so i'm on call 24/7 regardless of holidays or even my time off. The staff is pretty close so we all try to help each other out.
You could try looking up internships to get a taste of how it would be working in the horse industry day in and day out. I did one over a summer while still in college. That is where I got my first real taste of the breeding aspect and decided to pursue it a little further with classes. |
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It depends on what job you want to do, your experience (practical), and in some cases your qualifications.
I'm currently finishing up in one of the best equestrian colleges in Ireland (THE best, in my opinion, lol!), and to be honest, my classmates and myself are already planning on what we might to 'after' horses. It's not predictable, it's not well-paid, and usually it's not permanent.
I LOVE grooming; I love mucking out, having the place clean, having happy horses, I love the hard work and the camaraderie. But like I said, it's not predictable. And expect to work 6 days weeks, 10-12 hour shifts with more on busy days, and for minimum wage if you're lucky. And, you have to be very very good.
It may be different in the US, but over here, instructing is considered a very stable job and good instructors are in high demand at the moment. As we always say in college, when you're broken, you can still teach from a wheelchair!
Having a different degree is the smart idea, and maybe after Uni you can take some courses in horsemanship etc. and try out working smaller hours in the job you want to do, to see what you like? You're lucky, though, I wish I had done Uni first, horses after!
There's so much to enjoy about the industry but as others have said, the reality is long days, early mornings, late nights, small pay, annoying customers and demanding bosses. But really, the best way to know whether you want to do it or not is to get experience. Otherwise, all your life you'll be asking yourself "what if?". |
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Marry someone with a good income, then you can enjoy your own horses....thats what I did, ha ha. Not intentionally though. |
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Sunny
