How to Get a Job With Thoroughbreds
If you love horses, racing and distinctive characteristics of thoroughbreds, you may be interested in a career in the equine industry. Thoroughbred breeding and racing is a specialized field that will require a high degree of skill and experience with horses in general, and additional study of the extraordinary horses used in racing.
You must have a love of animals and a particular interest in horses. You also must have the patience needed to work with large animals and the drive to work your way into the equine industry.
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Instructions
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Learn to ride. Riding stables have many types of classes that will teach you proper handling of horses and how they think. These stables will also teach you basics of grooming and caring for horses. Most communities have riding stables within a short driving distance. Beginner, intermediate and advanced classes are available.
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Work at a horse stable. Once you know how to ride and how to handle horses, you can get employment at a stable. Entry jobs may be simple and strenuous, such as helping to clean stalls, but experience of any kind deepens your understanding of horses, their care and the horse business in general.
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Take a volunteer position with horses. If getting a job at a stable is not possible, consider doing volunteer work that involves horses. This may mean working with the disabled in therapeutic riding programs, or it may be working with horse rescue organizations that intervene in helping horses that are neglected or abused. These experiences will boost your resume and will help with future employment opportunities. Several rescue organizations, such as the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, deal exclusively with thoroughbred horses. Contacts within these organizations can help you in your search for employment.
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Talk to stable owners, horse trainers and other equine workers. The equine industry is a tight-knit group with networks of people who know each other and who know where jobs might be. Their referral will go a long way toward helping you secure a position. Ask questions about their training and how they got into the field. Offer to help with horse events and meet as many people as you can. You may be able to find contacts that lead you to thoroughbred ranches and the racing industry.
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Get formal training in equine studies. Specialized schools and university programs offer classroom studies and field training with horses. Penn State University's Agricultural School offers an Equine Studies program with emphasis on racing careers. Truman State University in Missouri offers training for careers in the horse industry. Meredith Manor in conjunction with West Virginia University offers both an associate degree and a bachelor's degree in equine studies.
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Tips & Warnings
Read horse publications and Internet sites to learn how the industry works and where the jobs are.
It may take some time to find entry into the field.
References
- Photo Credit horse portrait image by Melissa Schalke from Fotolia.com
