Why are horse jobs so badly paid?

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Guinness

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Had a little accident at work today, and it got me thinking-working with horses is a pretty dangerous job (especially youngsters). If you class it as dangerous then surely people working with horses should get "danger money" like, for example tree surgeons. A friend of mine does this and its extremely well paid, I know its a dangerous job, but is it more dangerous than working with horses?
 
i wouldnt have thought tree surgery was more dangerous. Depends on where you work with horses, what you do. I work with pretty well mannered horses, but even still I narrowly escape injury on a weekly basis. Just stupid things like horses kicking off at each other while Im leading them, or one thumper of a horse that enjoys attempting to jump on you when coming in from the field.
Good post, be interested to see other people's replies
 
I don't think it's possible to make a huge amount of money out of horses (unless you're at the top of your sport) so how would employers pay you?
 
I have no idea about danger money, but the main reason horsy jobs are so badly paid compared to, say, tree surgeons is sheer demand. I should think a good many of us started our horsy careers as Saturday helpers at the local riding school, doing willingly and for free a job that someone would ordinarily be paid to do. If people loved cutting down trees as much as we love horses, tree surgeons would find themselves badly-paid as well, as enthusiastic amateurs lopped their trees "for the love of the branches".
 
I think most horsey jobs are so poorly paid because people that have horses know that people who don't and love them are desperate to be around them in any fashion.

There are millions of young people that would work with or around horses for near nothing just to get to ride and spend the day around them.

I am mostly speaking of grooming, excercising, mucking etc

However, very SKILLED horsey jobs (like you may have??) should be well paid. Not only are they harzardous, but finding skilled horse training is hard and worth every penny


Goood horse trainers are very well paid here


what is it that you are doing to be precise?
 
'If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys'

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'If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys'

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and I imagine monkeys get hurt far more !
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Best pay Cashews and maybe you will save on your insurance premiums!
 
I don't understand this either, people will happily pay their cleaner or gardener £10 an hr, no questions to dust or mow the lawn but when it comes to looking after their horses which could be worth £1000s they will quibble about paying the minimum wage.
 
There are so many people out there who would love to work with horses that employers don't need to offer more than min wage (not even that half the time!). Can you imagine if you offered £25k a year to work with good horses on a decent yard? People would be banging down the door to work for you!

It's a lifestyle, I think, and that's why you sacrifice the pay - you get to spend all day out in the fresh air (or the rain) doing what you love and still get paid for it! I know it doesn't seem fair when you are doing it, but believe me, if I could earn the same money working with horses I'd be there in a shot
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Alot of the 'working with horses' jobs are basically labouring. The nearest they get to actively doing anything with them is rugging up, turning out & bringing in. The rest of the time is spent mucking out & sweeping the yard.

There are very few yards where you will get to exercise the horse, school it etc but you will need to have qualifications. If you manage to land one of those type yards then you may earn more but for the 'basic' yard job you will earn very little. Most of these workers have no qualifications so will always be paid the lower wage.
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i wouldnt have thought tree surgery was more dangerous.

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*cough* Well given that Tree Surgeons have to climbs trees, chain saw in hand, suspend themselves 40 feet in the air and try to saw branches off without accidentally cutting off their own foot or letting the branch fall on someones head, and that they have to pass rigourous exams and obtain the relevent licences... Perhaps working with horses is safer and easier!
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Tree Surgery is a specialised career, whereas tbh, any old muggins can pick out horse poop and lead horses in and out of fields! Who'd be willing to pay lots of money for that service?!
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