Is It Worth Working in the Equine Industry Anymore?

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Is It Worth Working in the Equine Industry Anymore?​


Let’s be real: if you’ve worked in the equine industry for longer than five minutes, you’ve probably questioned your life choices. Whether it's the long hours, the low pay, or the never-ending list of picky demands from stable owners, it can feel like a thankless job that only gets harder over time.


I’ve been working at a stable recently (it was my dream job—or so I thought). It ticks all the usual boxes: unreasonable expectations, lack of proper equipment (or the wrong gear altogether), and leadership that feels more about ego than actual management. I've been told to harrow arenas that haven’t even been used the day before, just because the owner likes to see the lines (which were still there from the previous day, untouched). It’s not about logic—it’s about control.


Funny enough, I served 10 years in the army, and it’s surprising how much of that same BS I see here. Toxic leadership. A culture of doing things “because that’s how we’ve always done it.” People more concerned with appearances than actual results. Maybe that's why I lasted longer than some—I guess I’m wired for chaos. I do miss some of it, if I’m honest. The comradeship, the dark humor, the structure, the sense of being part of something bigger. You don’t get that much in civvy street.


After I left the military, I thought working with horses might be the thing that filled that gap—structure, responsibility, a clear routine. I love the animals. Still do. But eventually, I had to admit it wasn’t working. I was chasing a dream that couldn’t justify the reality. The pay isn’t much more than what I was already earning in a "normal" job, and the stress? Way more. And not the kind of pressure that makes you sharper—more the kind that wears you down, day by day.


The culture in a lot of yards doesn’t help either. It’s often a case of “shut up and get on with it,” even when stuff clearly isn’t working. Gossip, favouritism, zero accountability from the top—it’s exhausting. People say you stay for the horses, and that’s true to a point. But love for horses doesn’t pay your rent. It doesn’t stop your back from breaking when you're using a knackered wheelbarrow for the fifth time that day. It doesn’t fix broken management.


I’m now trying to get into the fire service, or possibly the NHS—either as a paramedic or an ambulance driver. Tried the police (didn't get in). Somewhere with structure, purpose, and hopefully a team that actually works together. I still care about horses. But I care about my own mental and physical health more.



So, is it worth it?


That’s up to each person. If you’ve got the right setup, good leadership, fair pay, and you genuinely enjoy the work—it can be a rewarding job. But if you’re stuck in a toxic yard, being micromanaged, underpaid, and treated like a robot? It’s okay to walk away.


Passion is important—but it shouldn’t come at the cost of your self-respect.


Curious to hear from others—what’s your experience been like in the industry? Have you found a yard that works, or had to walk away like I did? Let’s talk.


“Left the Army, Found the Same BS in the Yard”
 
I think LEC has hit the mail on the head, that the industry isn’t professional and therefore doesn’t operate as many of us who have worked elsewhere would expect. I really wish that there could be a proper movement to enlighten employers how to treat employees ( and livery clients if it comes to that) properly ..even the most simple thing like no shouting or screaming instructions at other grown up adults would be a start. I have to stop now I can feel a soapbox moment coming on…
 
My father found the lack of structure after a 35 year career in the Navy very stressful and difficult, All. I'm not sure how many of your issues are equine specific. Low pay for long hours probably is, but the rest of what you describe can sadly be found in any job. Though I do agree that they seem more common and a bit amplified in many stable yards.

I hope you find something that gives you what you need.
.
 
Sadly, I think the lack of "management" skills is the root cause of so many poor functioning organisations these days - big or small. OH and I both ex-military (RAF) but did not find the BS you describe in your experience - difficult characters at times, yes, but not to the detriment of the overall life. I found it a total joy to teach leadership skills to trainee officers in one job and watch them develop into good managers who understood that you needed to look after the individual's needs as well as the task requirements in order to get a good result. The lack of even basic management skills in the world today has me tearing my hair out.

I, too, hope you find something satisfying to do.
 
I gave up. It was my dream to work with horses and I did from working on a sunday at the local riding school aged 13 up until the age of 28 where I went all the way up and had my own yard for a year. Having liveries is as bad as working for someone if not worse imo as you can’t just go home when your own horses are there too. I offered clipping for a few years after this but still had some bad clients..! I now offer holiday cover for a very select few people who are local to me and am a self employed courier instead. No drama and I can keep my own horses as a hobby.
 
I worked with horses for many years, at dealing yards, studs and teaching. I then switched to IT and now work as a fundraiser. The horse years were tough, living conditions shocking, pay - life limiting.
However, it set me up to make the very best of my own horses when I could eventually afford them. It gave me useful/unusual practical life skills. Was I taken advantage of? Yes, very probably, but overall it was a good thing.

I come into contact with paramedics a lot through work - it is a tough job. Rewarding, but very tough.
 
I had 11 years working as groom/rider/yard manager and it was highs and lows. The good jobs were amazing and the bad jobs were horrendous. I look back and laugh at some of the cr*p I put up with.
I used my time to travel and worked abroad. It was tough going but I lived in 2 amazing countries and travelled round more. I wished I’d gone further afield to Australia or the USA but family ties meant Europe was the furthest I went.

I left the industry after working for a horrendous woman at her competition yard. She was truly awful. I didn’t go near a horse for nearly a year after leaving.
I fell into working in construction after. I went the office route and ended up in Commercial. Working on site was great fun, not as ridged as the office team and well paid.
There are lots of well paid apprenticeship positions if you wanted to do Site Management/ Engineering or Commercial Degrees.
 
Don't like to be the bearer of bad news but if you are wired for chaos & didn't like the army, you are not likely to love the fire service. They are absolute experts in doing things because that's how they're done! They developed out of the fire fighting units in the armed services (Royal navy) & are still doing things the way the 19th century navy did them. You jump when you're told to jump & woe betide you if you questioned whether " the arena needed harrowing" or their equivalent.

You seem a bit conflicted about what you want from a job. Are you "wired for chaos" or are you missing the structure and routine of the Army? You are looking for something similar (Police/fire service) but you hated the BS & "toxic leadership".
Did you get any careers advice or counselling when you left? If not can you get some now? It may help you with some clarity of the direction you want to head in.

I don't know of any job where the new person starting at the bottom doesn't have to do as they're told, pretend to respect the occasional manager that doesn't deserve it, do jobs they can't see the point of. However if there's a plan, a progression, an ultimate goal, you suck it up.
 
i am just going to add the following points to the above

A. harrowing / levelling every day wouldn't be to bad (it can take up to 3 hours with there current equipment . I could do it better and faster with a large tractor mounted harrow) there straight a way 3 hours gone of the day gone already. let a lone lunch / tea. plus all the other work they want done (rolling a field can take 3 hours plus)
can we not do it every other day e.g. arena one day gallops next ect.

b. the NHS from what friends say who are paramedics they don`t find the bs to bad as there with there driver and out on the ground away from every one toxic.

C. my qualifications mean I can do private ambulances as well (witch most of the paramedics a know do in there spare time with the same company I am talking with)

D. I did serve my time in the construction industry i may go back to it ?

E. The love of chaos being QRF (on call for you civilian lot) having the radio go off and your out the door half dressed running to the HQ sub 2 min your out the door (the information you get is short and to the point) race down to what ever the task is medical , fire , gas leak , IED , RTC , mass causality ECT.
getting there your that focused / well trained it just happens

F. I have previously worked on a mixed farm before I still know the owner and there a job there if I want it. 80% the work can be repetitive , boring the other 20% its like being back on QRF (job time) fires , med , pipes bursting, shooting , days where your there 18 plus hour`s a day repairing the bio gas plant .
the staff make it there all there for a reason and all get along with minimal BS
 
Have you considered working in a humanitarian/NGO area? Plenty of chaos, quick turnaround times, people doing it for the right reasons... Doesn't necessarily mean you'd be abroad either if home is what you wanted/needed.
 
All said:
i am just going to add the following points to the above

A. harrowing / levelling every day wouldn't be to bad (it can take up to 3 hours with there current equipment . I could do it better and faster with a large tractor mounted harrow) there straight a way 3 hours gone of the day gone already. let a lone lunch / tea. plus all the other work they want done (rolling a field can take 3 hours plus)
can we not do it every other day e.g. arena one day gallops next ect.

b. the NHS from what friends say who are paramedics they don`t find the bs to bad as there with there driver and out on the ground away from every one toxic.

C. my qualifications mean I can do private ambulances as well (witch most of the paramedics a know do in there spare time with the same company I am talking with)

D. I did serve my time in the construction industry i may go back to it ?

E. The love of chaos being QRF (on call for you civilian lot) having the radio go off and your out the door half dressed running to the HQ sub 2 min your out the door (the information you get is short and to the point) race down to what ever the task is medical , fire , gas leak , IED , RTC , mass causality ECT.
getting there your that focused / well trained it just happens

F. I have previously worked on a mixed farm before I still know the owner and there a job there if I want it. 80% the work can be repetitive , boring the other 20% its like being back on QRF (job time) fires , med , pipes bursting, shooting , days where your there 18 plus hour`s a day repairing the bio gas plant .
the staff make it there all there for a reason and all get along with minimal BS
Click to expand...
How long have you been out of the army?
 
My brother was in the army for many years, he can not stand BS, so although intelligent and capable he came out as a LC. He works best on his own, he used to be a HGV fitter and driver, plus he likes tinkering with classic anything on four wheels, and he has a huge train set.
I think it all depends on money, if you have enough money how money do you need to do what you like. All jobs are eventually boring, so my method is to earn as much money in the shortest possible time, so I have more time to do as I please.
The army gives you a lot of transferable skills, I would just look for something where you like the people with reasonable pay and perhaps have horses as a hobby. My best job was the least mentally stimulating but I worked with people I really enjoyed working with, so it was a lot of fun. Its coming you to the summer how about festival and show work, setting up and security, or try agency work to try before you commit.
If you work outside large companies, do not expect small one to have any written or even logical work structure.
 
All said:

Is It Worth Working in the Equine Industry Anymore?​


Let’s be real: if you’ve worked in the equine industry for longer than five minutes, you’ve probably questioned your life choices. Whether it's the long hours, the low pay, or the never-ending list of picky demands from stable owners, it can feel like a thankless job that only gets harder over time.


I’ve been working at a stable recently (it was my dream job—or so I thought). It ticks all the usual boxes: unreasonable expectations, lack of proper equipment (or the wrong gear altogether), and leadership that feels more about ego than actual management. I've been told to harrow arenas that haven’t even been used the day before, just because the owner likes to see the lines (which were still there from the previous day, untouched). It’s not about logic—it’s about control.


Funny enough, I served 10 years in the army, and it’s surprising how much of that same BS I see here. Toxic leadership. A culture of doing things “because that’s how we’ve always done it.” People more concerned with appearances than actual results. Maybe that's why I lasted longer than some—I guess I’m wired for chaos. I do miss some of it, if I’m honest. The comradeship, the dark humor, the structure, the sense of being part of something bigger. You don’t get that much in civvy street.


After I left the military, I thought working with horses might be the thing that filled that gap—structure, responsibility, a clear routine. I love the animals. Still do. But eventually, I had to admit it wasn’t working. I was chasing a dream that couldn’t justify the reality. The pay isn’t much more than what I was already earning in a "normal" job, and the stress? Way more. And not the kind of pressure that makes you sharper—more the kind that wears you down, day by day.


The culture in a lot of yards doesn’t help either. It’s often a case of “shut up and get on with it,” even when stuff clearly isn’t working. Gossip, favouritism, zero accountability from the top—it’s exhausting. People say you stay for the horses, and that’s true to a point. But love for horses doesn’t pay your rent. It doesn’t stop your back from breaking when you're using a knackered wheelbarrow for the fifth time that day. It doesn’t fix broken management.


I’m now trying to get into the fire service, or possibly the NHS—either as a paramedic or an ambulance driver. Tried the police (didn't get in). Somewhere with structure, purpose, and hopefully a team that actually works together. I still care about horses. But I care about my own mental and physical health more.



So, is it worth it?


That’s up to each person. If you’ve got the right setup, good leadership, fair pay, and you genuinely enjoy the work—it can be a rewarding job. But if you’re stuck in a toxic yard, being micromanaged, underpaid, and treated like a robot? It’s okay to walk away.


Passion is important—but it shouldn’t come at the cost of your self-respect.


Curious to hear from others—what’s your experience been like in the industry? Have you found a yard that works, or had to walk away like I did? Let’s talk.


“Left the Army, Found the Same BS in the Yard”
Click to expand...
I think the same BS is actually everywhere, it's taken over. I just left a job neck deep in BS, read new employment contract, yuck, pages of BS. Have you seen the Veronica's toxic workplace stuff on YouTube. It's so accurate that it's like tragic.

With horse jobs you have to weigh up the pros and cons. Put simply: Pro; you get to spend quite a bit of time with horses rather than assholes. Cons; money is none existent and there are still assholes.
 
Poor management is everywhere as is conflict in the workplace. Different people have different ways of doing things.

It sounds like you might be better off trying to set up your own business where you can choose how you do things or be in a management role where you have more say in how things are done. Alternatively working for a start up where there might be more modern ways of working. Maybe saddle fitter might work for you if you can be self employed and you have autonomy plus you can choose how you fit, you don't really know what new clients would be like until you arrived so degree of chaos and there seems to be a shortage of them if you want to remain with horses.

Friend of mine used to work as a paramedic plenty of annoying colleagues and how varied and how much autonomy depends on where you work. My friend dealt with a lot of suicides not easy and neither were long nights shifts dealing with drunks around holiday times.

I wonder if something like events management might be something that might work for you. Or if you are willing to retrain a plumber as you are called out emergencies.
 
All said:

Is It Worth Working in the Equine Industry Anymore?​


Let’s be real: if you’ve worked in the equine industry for longer than five minutes, you’ve probably questioned your life choices. Whether it's the long hours, the low pay, or the never-ending list of picky demands from stable owners, it can feel like a thankless job that only gets harder over time.


I’ve been working at a stable recently (it was my dream job—or so I thought). It ticks all the usual boxes: unreasonable expectations, lack of proper equipment (or the wrong gear altogether), and leadership that feels more about ego than actual management. I've been told to harrow arenas that haven’t even been used the day before, just because the owner likes to see the lines (which were still there from the previous day, untouched). It’s not about logic—it’s about control.


Funny enough, I served 10 years in the army, and it’s surprising how much of that same BS I see here. Toxic leadership. A culture of doing things “because that’s how we’ve always done it.” People more concerned with appearances than actual results. Maybe that's why I lasted longer than some—I guess I’m wired for chaos. I do miss some of it, if I’m honest. The comradeship, the dark humor, the structure, the sense of being part of something bigger. You don’t get that much in civvy street.


After I left the military, I thought working with horses might be the thing that filled that gap—structure, responsibility, a clear routine. I love the animals. Still do. But eventually, I had to admit it wasn’t working. I was chasing a dream that couldn’t justify the reality. The pay isn’t much more than what I was already earning in a "normal" job, and the stress? Way more. And not the kind of pressure that makes you sharper—more the kind that wears you down, day by day.


The culture in a lot of yards doesn’t help either. It’s often a case of “shut up and get on with it,” even when stuff clearly isn’t working. Gossip, favouritism, zero accountability from the top—it’s exhausting. People say you stay for the horses, and that’s true to a point. But love for horses doesn’t pay your rent. It doesn’t stop your back from breaking when you're using a knackered wheelbarrow for the fifth time that day. It doesn’t fix broken management.


I’m now trying to get into the fire service, or possibly the NHS—either as a paramedic or an ambulance driver. Tried the police (didn't get in). Somewhere with structure, purpose, and hopefully a team that actually works together. I still care about horses. But I care about my own mental and physical health more.



So, is it worth it?


That’s up to each person. If you’ve got the right setup, good leadership, fair pay, and you genuinely enjoy the work—it can be a rewarding job. But if you’re stuck in a toxic yard, being micromanaged, underpaid, and treated like a robot? It’s okay to walk away.


Passion is important—but it shouldn’t come at the cost of your self-respect.


Curious to hear from others—what’s your experience been like in the industry? Have you found a yard that works, or had to walk away like I did? Let’s talk.


“Left the Army, Found the Same BS in the Yard”
Click to expand...
Sounds like you do not care for taking orders, but sadly those who pay wish to give orders so that the job is carried out to their requirements. That is their privelege but it does not excuse shouting at people etc. Strongly suggest you set up your own business but beware - clients will have expectations too.
 
Did you get any careers advice support or help to integrate back as a civilian when you left the army. A relative has recently left the navy (after 30 years) and got a lot of help in determining the kind of job he would be suitable for and adapting to a number of life changes. TBF the navy seem to be much more in line with civilian employers than they have in the past, particularly in terms of discrimination and employment rights.

What kind of role were you in? Does a similar role exist outside of the military?
 
Probably more so now given the awareness of more employers of employment rights for employees and opportunities to train and travel.
 
me and a few others left this year

careers advise what is that (we got more support coming of tour than when we left )

the jobs at larkhill (rasc ) the only yard I can act like me with out being reported to hr or being sacked because I called someone a ....
a yes there jobs recently went up on Facebook
i have previsely helped there now and then
 
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