Career with horses?

I was doing training to work with horses at your age and i very much regret it now, i work part time on a yard for very little money, under minimum wage, i have two kids who i feel miss out on things because i cant find a better paying job, i got bad results at school and never went to college/uni as i insisted to everyone that working with horses is what i wanted to do, my parents tried their hardest to convince me otherwise, what i should have done was got myself a career and then had my own horses, i do have a retired gelding who i struggle to pay for but wont part with again as this is the second time iv owned him, even if i wanted him in ridden work i couldnt do it as couldnt afford the higher insurance or too have him shod. My advice would be to go to college then get a good job, my friend who's the same age as me has 3 horses and im sooo jealous of her but she done the opposite of me career wise so deserves the horsey life so too speak that she has now.

Its a hard decision for you but think long term and into the future xx
 
I'd be very surprised if you could make a decent living teaching alone and even then it will take a long while to get a bank of regular clients together IMO. Most people need a way of supporting themselves over and above any freelance teaching / grooming etc until you have sufficient clients.

I also think most clients want someone on recommendation and to know that the instructor can walk the walk aswell as talk the talk.

Personally I'd never recommend someone to try and earn a living through anything horsey, whether that be yard owner, trainer, groom etc etc. I know that sounds really negative but unless you a re a' name' you will find it very hard as there are so many people offering these services so competition is high and rates are small.

I'd always recommend someone to have another career that funds their horse and then build up a client base gradually and even then i'm not sure its enough to live off without income from another source.
 
It's possible, but I would weigh up how you'll feel about having to go and ride, muck out and feed your own horses after a long day of teaching other people, and how you'll feel having to go and ride, muck out and feed your own horses after a day stuck behind a desk!

My family are all horse professionals, but if anyone asks me why I'm not doing the same I always tell them I love riding because it's a hobby, but as a career I'd be sick of it pretty quickly.
 
i have a good job at the moment and i feel like i want to do my stages as a back up.
My parents are convinced there is loads of money working with horses but the wont listen to be when i say there isnt. so at the moment managing a shop and i have access to ride good horses and a yard. I dont really want to go back to school coz i hated it. I like my job though!
Its stressing me out coz my parents are on my back all the time but they just shout at me when i say there isnt money in teaching. they tell me to go to austrailia or america but i dont see how it will be different over there. they arent horsey but they just have the misconceptions and wont listen to me. its stressing me out. i dont know what to do. its my life but i feel like im trying to keep everyone else happy.
thank you for your view its helped.
 
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I would say yes you can make a living out of teaching but you need to be very good at it to make a decent living. As others say it takes time to build a client base and most private clients (which is where the money lies) look for people with good experience, who have been there and done it so to speak. If I were you I would go and work for one of the top trainers in whichever field youa re most interested and get some hands on experience with them, it is amazing how much you can learn just by watching and being around top horse people. You can get opportunities to compete good horses which will give you good competition records under your belt and also experience working with a wide variety of horses so you can relate to the people you teach better. The better your experience the more you can charge for lessons. So if you really want to make a career out of teaching go and get lots of experience under your belt first so that you can be really good at it!
 
Just read your reply Dandycandy, it that case I'd definately consider going and being a working pupil/live-in at a yard for a year or two (though make sure you find a good one!), that way you will be paying your own way and can get away from the parents for a bit! It will be hard work but if it's what you really want then it will be worth it.
 
Hi,

Bit of a contradiction, please don't all shoot me down in flames at once for saying this! :eek:

I did all of my GCSEs, was and A*student, did my A levels and have since gained 2 degrees (one science/one art). I am also a single mum. When I was younger I had the opportunity to be a working pupil for first international, then olympic riders in the uk...

After much advise I took the 'proper job' avenue rather than persuing my horsey career dreams.

Many years later I am still in a low paid job that I hate. I just about get by moneywise. I have a horse, but I have to help out with other people's horses on top of my normal job to be able to afford to keep him.

I, myself am now at the point where I am thinking, yes ok I am never going to get rich working with horses, but, I would not be any poorer and at least I would enjoy my life rather than be wishing it away.....

There are many decent jobs on yards, many of which include accomodation. You may not end up wealthy, but often you can find ways of getting free livery along with a job, and often fantastic training... I certainly can't afford even a lessson a month, whereas previously I had 4 training sessions a week included in my job!!

It is definitely something to think about. I agree that it must be wonderful to able to get a job that pays for all your horsey desires, but I am proof that a fairly decent education will definitely not guarentee this outcome any more than working with horses.

I would say work towards a lifestyle you will love. Keeping horses as a 'hobby' may be the sensible option, and often the right one(!) but is not right for everyone.... There is not a moment I don't wish I had stayed working on those yards, it was amazing.

Good luck for the future whatever your decision xx
 
I personally would never go down the teaching route, first of all because there are already loads of teachers, so your competition is high, also it takes years to build up your reputation.

I however, recently started up my own business, doing breaking and schooling. I offer a service whereby I go to peoples own premises', as well as giving them the option to bring the horse to my facility.

In the area I work in, there are very few people who will actually come to your home to work with your horse, and a lot of people can't afford to send their horse away to a yard. I did a lot of research before attempting to start up, and I have years of experience working for other people in this field. Business is picking up now, as the weather gets better too.

I was all set up to go to uni and do english language, but I changed my mind at the last min. Then I looked into doing an equine degree, not worth it either.

Horses are my life, and I couldn't imagine doing anything else, but it is hard work to get to where you want to be, and it's equally as hard to make it work after you get there.
 
I def agree with the working pupil route, having spent time last year convincing a young friend to take a job going down that road, she's been there just over a year and theres been lots stress and compaining but iv always managed to persuade her to stick at it, i couldnt do that kind of job as i had my son not long after i finished the training i was doing with horses, which is why i pushed said friend to take the oppurtunity that i didnt have x
 
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