8 jobs in the horse world that you might not have considered previously

I grew up knowing I wanted a job with horses, but I didn’t have a specific career path in mind at first. I just knew I loved horses – and that was that. Instagram didn’t exist and Facebook was somewhere that you posted pictures of nights out rather than a place of career research and inspiration.

I knew about the obvious jobs with horses – riding instructor, equine vet or groom, for example – but I hadn’t thought any further than that, and the careers advice at school just wasn’t set up for someone who wanted to do something a bit different. It focused on traditional professions and classic business roles.

Since then, I’ve done a three-year equine degree and spent at least a decade working in the industry. Over that time, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to hundreds of people with jobs in all corners of the horse world. Some of them work hands-on with horses on a daily basis, but many of them have what most people might consider a “normal job” with a horsey twist.

It’s hard to land your dream job – and not everyone does – as there are lots of people looking to turn their passion into a career, but knowing what’s out there in the world of equestrian jobs is the best place to start. And some has to do them, so why not you?

Jobs with horses you’re likely to be aware of

• Equine vet
• Veterinary nurse
• Farrier
• Equine behaviourist
• Equine nutritionist
• Saddle fitter
• Equine dental technician
• Equine physiotherapist, chiropractor or massage therapist
• Groom, ranging from a freelance groom in a specific discipline, to travelling groom or stud groom
• Rider
• Trainer
• Coach or instructor

Jobs with horses you might not have considered

Below are some examples of jobs in the horse world that you might not have thought of – it’s not an extensive list, but I hope it might spark an idea and give you somewhere to start your search.

You might find you benefit from a broader experience in the related industry at first, which when added to your passion for horses and knowledge of the equestrian industry, will make you a great candidate for interview in a more specific role.

Marketing and advertising

Every company will need to market and advertise their product or service in some way. Within these roles, you could be involved with creating marketing plans and assets, such as adverts or social media creatives, or developing strategies to target new audiences who would benefit from your product or service. These roles are likely to suit problem-solvers and good communicators.

Education and research

Does teaching and inspiring the next generation of the equine industry sound like something you could do? While being a maths teacher might not be something you’d ever contemplate, teaching other horse enthusiasts in a further education setting is a totally different prospect.

You might develop a specialist area – my lecturers taught everything from breeding science and equine husbandry to nutrition and biomechanics. Many people who work in higher education also conduct research alongside their teaching.

Communications

Most companies have a press and communications team or take on external PR support. These roles are all about getting a message out to the public. I receive emails from PR teams every day and they could include results from an event, advance information on a product release or potential news stories about welfare cases.

These roles are varied, but usually require decision making skills and the natural ability to connect with people.

Event management

Do you like the idea of being involved with the running of a big show like London International or Horse of the Year Show? These events can’t happen without a team behind the scenes who plan for months and years in advance to make them possible. Within these teams, you’ll have people responsible for schedules and entries, while others plan the trade stand layouts and sell the units to retailers.

These roles require excellent organisation skills, the ability to multi-task and work under pressure as there will be times where it’s “all hands on deck”.

Media and journalism

This world doesn’t end at event and news reporting. These creative industries need designers, editors, website specialists, photographers, producers, commentators and presenters, and there is work to be found within print and digital publishing, TV, radio, podcasting and social media.

There are a range of skills needed in these roles – if I look at my own team, we all have strengths in different areas. Some roles require creativity, while others focus on accuracy, but all require good communication skills.

Insurance and law

From underwriting and customer service, to finance and legal services, there are a range of opportunities in these areas. In each case, it’s unlikely that you’ll spend any time with horses in person, but you can use what you know as a horse owner to identify with clients and understand their needs.

In jobs like this, it’s easier to separate your own horse life from your work, while still doing something connected to the world you love. These jobs would suit an analytical and logical thinker.

Retail and ecommerce

Are you one of those people who can sell anything to anyone? Do you love equestrian products and fashion, or a passion and talent for product design? There are a wide range of roles in retail, from working on a shop floor or managing an online equestrian retailer to working on a trade stand at major equestrian events.

Working in a customer facing role requires excellent people skills, while managing an ecommerce website would need particular IT skills. Everyone working in retail benefits from customer service experience.

Business support

Some of the more practical professions require a wide range of support staff. There are people behind the scenes at veterinary practices and welfare charities, for example, who do crucial work that isn’t directly involved with a horse’s daily care.

These roles could include office management, customer services, human resources or finance and payroll, and are likely to require an organised person who enjoys working as part of a larger team.

What to consider when looking for a job with horses

If you’re set on a career connected to the equestrian world, thinking about the following might help you narrow down which jobs with horses might suit you:

• Your skills and interests outside of horses – what are you particularly good at and what do you get satisfaction from doing well?
• Level of horse involvement – do you want to be behind the scenes in an office or would you prefer to be at the heart of the action? Or a mix of the two?
• Career prospects – is there an obvious route for growth and development?
• Working hours – are you happy to be working early starts, evenings and weekends or would you prefer a regular 9–5?
• Travel – does national or international travel interest you?
• Employment prospects – is an area saturated with staff or are there always jobs available?
• Job security – how do you feel about working for yourself versus an employed role?
• Remote work – do you want the flexibility of working remotely or do you prefer in-person collaboration?

How I found my career with horses

I left school on a path to become an equine sports therapist, but soon realised that although I could do all the assessments and massage techniques, I just didn’t have the passion and couldn’t imagine going out into the world and doing it every day. Some people on my course had a feel and eye for it – I did not.

However, during my time at university, I discovered skills I didn’t realise I had – writing and editing – as friends soon asked me to read through all their assignments before they handed them in. I would translate complicated anatomy and physiology we’d learnt in lectures to a language they could understand, offer suggestions of ways to improve assignments, and make corrections of spelling and grammar. In my third year, I realised I’d like a job where I took information and reproduced it in a way that people could understand. As it turns out, this is skill required in the world of editing and publishing – finally I could see a path ahead of me.

Oh how I wish I’d known about this skill sooner – or someone had opened my eyes to the jobs that were linked to horses, but didn’t involve the obvious practical element. I also wish someone had pointed out that I didn’t want to work during other people’s leisure time – I wanted to be off when everyone else was, too, whereas for other people the 9–5 is something they purposely look to avoid. I also didn’t want to be self-employed – there are certainly benefits, but at the time it wasn’t for me.

Over the last decade, I’ve worked my way through the publishing industry, carving out my niche. I am now deputy website editor at Horse & Hound but if you’d told me 10 years ago that I’d specialise in ecommerce and SEO as part of my ideal role, I wouldn’t even have known what they were. This just goes to show that there are lots of opportunities out there and as the world changes, businesses (and possibly your career) will adapt, too.

For more inspiration on jobs with horses, check out the ‘All In A Days Work’ feature that runs every week in Horse & Hound (here’s how to subscribe) where you’ll meet people in different careers from across the equestrian industry.

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