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How to Make a Career in the Equestrian Business
03/23/2009
If your passion is riding, and you can’t imagine doing anything else, here is your guide to starting a career in the equestrian business.
When it comes to the equine business and the equestrian business, there is a subtle difference that emerges between the two career paths. To put it simply, those who enter the equine business love horses, and those who enter the equestrian business love to ride. Naturally, most “horse people” love both, but it comes down to a matter of preference. If your passion is riding, and you can’t imagine doing anything else, here is your guide to starting a career in the equestrian business:
The first step to making it in the equestrian business? Ride. Seems simple enough, and in many ways it is. The equestrian business is all about experience, and the more experience you have, the more you will become of value. Some equestrian career paths—like being a jockey or a professional show jumper—have no defined career path at all. Your only qualification is your skill and dedication.
In fact, if you are thinking about entering the equestrian business as a jockey, you need to be very dedicated. It’s a myth that a jockey can’t survive the equestrian business without being under five-and-a-half-feet tall (British jockey Richard Hughes has had a successful equestrian business career at 5’10”). But the weight restrictions for professional riders—both jumpers and jockeys—is an unfortunate reality of the equestrian business. Show jumpers cannot weigh more than 136 lbs, and jockeys cannot weigh more than 116 pounds. Considering the outfit weighs 3lbs, that’s a lot of skipped meals for the sake of the equestrian business!
If 500 calories a day doesn’t sounds like your thing, there are areas of the equestrian business where riders can make their mark. Extreme horse riding, Rodeo circuits, and barrel racing are some of the less traditional ways riders can succeed in the equestrian business. Extreme horse riding is a style of riding that’s on the outer fringes of the equestrian business. It’s a bit like what it sounds like: a combination of the equestrian business and the stunt business. Extreme horse riders engage in jousting, trick riding, and extreme jumps (think Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken). One particular brand of trick riding is becoming popular in this branch of the equestrian business: horse surfing. Horse surfing is the practice of having a horse gallop through shallow water, pulling a surfer behind him.
But fringe riding isn’t a steady source of income, and is more of an equestrian business job than a career. So if being a professional jockey or show jumper isn’t possible, the best way to make a career in the equestrian business is through teaching. And the best way to teach in the equestrian business is to make a name for yourself as a talent rider. Enter the competitive circuit, win prizes, and make connections with professionals in the equestrian business.
Once you’ve spent some time working your way into the equestrian business as a rider, you should enroll in an accredited program for Equestrian Science. Whether a trade school or an Associate’s Degree, find a program that works with your budget, and focuses on the areas of equestrian business you most enjoy. Then join the staff of a ranch or school as an associate manager or an assistant instructor. Most of the equestrian business is about contacts and passion, so do what you love, educate yourself, and go after your dreams.
