Embarking on a career as a horse trainer is a path for those with a deep passion for equine companions and a dedication to honing their riding and training skills. Horse trainers play a crucial role in shaping a horse’s behavior, preparing them for various equestrian activities, and ensuring their well-being. This profession requires a unique blend of experience, patience, and specialized knowledge.
What Does a Horse Trainer Do?
Horse trainers are instrumental in guiding horses to develop specific behaviors essential for riding, competition, or general companionship. Their responsibilities are multifaceted, encompassing everything from initial evaluation to advanced training techniques.
Common duties for horse trainers include:
- Personality Assessment: Evaluating a horse’s temperament to create tailored training plans and identify horses with potential for specific disciplines.
- Behavioral Training: Teaching horses to remain calm around humans and riders, properly accept saddles, and unlearn undesirable behaviors such as rearing, kicking, or biting.
- Command Response: Training horses to respond reliably to commands, which is vital for success in competitive equestrian sports like racing, dressage, cutting, and show jumping.
- Welfare Management: Ensuring horses receive appropriate exercise, nutrition, and overall care to maintain their health and performance.
- Rider Instruction: Educating jockeys and other riders on how to effectively communicate with and manage trained horses.
Horse trainers are experienced riders who leverage their profound understanding of horse psychology to teach them to respond to human cues. They might train horses for general riding purposes or prepare them for elite equestrian events. Trainers often travel to different farms to work with horses or are based at stables and training facilities, managing multiple horses from various owners.
When a new horse enters their program, a trainer’s first step is to assess its disposition. Horses are naturally prone to being skittish and often require extensive immersion training before they are comfortable enough to accept riders. Initial training typically involves familiarizing the horse with a saddle and discouraging dangerous habits like kicking, head-jerking, biting, and rearing. This evaluation process also helps trainers identify a horse’s potential aptitudes for different activities.
Specialization is common among horse trainers. Some work with stables that offer riding lessons, focusing on training horses to be amenable to riders and trail riding. Others prepare potential racehorses for prestigious events such as the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, or Belmont Stakes. A significant number of trainers focus on competitive equestrian disciplines, including dressage, eventing, vaulting, polo, reining, show jumping, or cutting.
A Typical Day in the Life of a Horse Trainer
The daily routine of a horse trainer can differ significantly based on their employment situation and specialization. While most work full-time, overtime is often a reality, particularly leading up to major competitions. For trainers at stables offering riding lessons, weekends are typically the busiest days to accommodate students’ schedules. Self-employed trainers might experience periods of intense work followed by breaks between clients.
Who Employs Horse Trainers?
Horse trainers find employment in various settings:
- Self-Employed: Many trainers operate their own businesses, taking on individual clients and managing their own training programs.
- Farm/Stable Owners: Some trainers own their farms, offering a comprehensive suite of services including stabling, training, and riding lessons.
- Employed by Others: A significant number of trainers work for established training facilities, stables, or individual farm owners.
A breakdown of industries employing the most horse trainers shows:
| Industry | Current Jobs | New Jobs Needed | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-employed workers | 15,900 | 2,400 | 3% |
| Animal production and aquaculture | 6,200 | 500 | 1% |
| Support activities for agriculture and forestry | 4,900 | 600 | 1% |
How to Become a Horse Trainer
The most critical qualification for aspiring horse trainers is extensive hands-on experience with horses and riding. Pursuing horseback riding lessons and, if possible, competing in equestrian sports are invaluable steps. Starting in entry-level positions at farms and stables can provide a strong foundation, offering practical experience in horse care and riding, and potentially leading to mentorship under an experienced trainer.
Pursuing a relevant college certificate or degree can also pave the way for a career in horse training. Some institutions offer two- or four-year programs in equine science or management, providing comprehensive education in horse care and training. If specialized equine programs are unavailable, enrolling in a college with an intercollegiate equestrian team can offer relevant experience, especially when combined with a degree in animal sciences or ranch management.
Beyond formal education and practical experience, obtaining sport- or breed-specific certifications can enhance an applicant’s competitiveness. For instance, organizations like the United States Hunter Jumper Association offer certifications for trainers specializing in hunter and jumping disciplines. The Certified Horsemanship Association also provides various certifications for general and specialized training focuses.
Horse Trainer Salary and Job Outlook
The average annual salary for a horse trainer is approximately $33,600, with potential earnings ranging from $20,640 to $57,170. Hourly wages average around $16, with low-end at $10 and high-end at $27.
National Annual Salary Data:
- Low Range: $20,640
- Average: $33,600
- High Range: $57,170
National Hourly Wage Data:
- Low Range: $10/hr
- Average: $16/hr
- High Range: $27/hr
Nationally, the career of a horse trainer is ranked #644 among all professions in terms of salary.
Job Growth Projections
The field of horse training is projected to experience a job growth rate of 11.1% over the next decade, with an estimated 4,100 new jobs created. This brings the total projected employment to 40,900 by 2024. This growth rate is considered below average compared to other careers.
Job Growth Rankings and Facts:
- #159 Nationally for All Careers
Highest Education Levels Among Horse Trainers:
- Doctorate: 1.1%
- Masters: 3.3%
- Bachelors: 26%
- Associates: 8.1%
- College: 27.3%
- High School: 28%
- Less than High School: 6.1%
Conclusion
Becoming a horse trainer is a rewarding yet demanding career that requires dedication, extensive experience, and a continuous commitment to learning. By combining formal education with practical skills and specialized certifications, aspiring trainers can build a successful and fulfilling career in the equestrian world. Exploring resources like horse training resources and training horse books can provide further valuable insights for those passionate about this field.
