Careers With Horses

The Comprehensive Guide to Finding Your Dream Job

Vicki Hogue-Davies

• Publisher: CompanionHouse Books
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9781937049850
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Careers

The comprehensive guide to finding your dream job.

CHAPTER 1

The Horse Industry in America

“God forbid that I should go to any heaven in which there are no horses,” wrote Robert Bontine Cunninghame-Graham, Scottish horseman, writer, and adventurer, in a letter to former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt in 1917. If the size and scope of the U.S. horse industry is any indicator, the passion for horses displayed in Cunninghame-Graham’s words rings true with people today.

Though the horse industry can be difficult to quantify because of its size and diversity, separate surveys done during the last several years by three organizations show that there are almost 7 million horses in the United States. This figure includes horses used in recreation, showing, racing, breeding, farming and ranching, rodeo, polo, and police work. The American Horse Council, the trade association representing the industry nationally, put the number of horses at more than 6.9 million, following a major study released in late 1996. The National Agricultural Statistics Board, part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), estimated there are approximately 5.3 million horses in the United States in its most recent survey in 1999. This figure is up 1.3 percent from the board’s survey one year earlier. The American Veterinary Medical Association says in its statistical data on horse ownership from 1996, there are 4 million horses being utilized as companion animals (used noncommercially) in this country.

There are approximately 100 different horse breeds in the United States.

While the exact number of horses in the U.S. may lie somewhere between these figures—or may be even higher when taking into account potential yearly growth of the population—the industry’s contribution to the U.S. economy cannot be argued. Using the 1996 American Horse Council figures, the horse industry supports more than 1.4 million full-time jobs across the country, directly produces goods and services of $25.3 billion, and has a total impact of $112.1 billion on the United States gross domestic product. These figures place the horse industry’s contribution to the GDP just behind apparel and textile products manufacturing and ahead of rail transportation, motion picture services, and furniture and fixtures manufacturing.

It is no wonder that horses contribute so much, since there are approximately 100 different horse breeds in the United States. The associations dedicated to promoting and improving horse breeds in this country, such as the American Paint Horse Association, American Quarter Horse Association, and American Saddlebred Horse Association, make up an even larger number. Top horse-owning states include Texas, California, Florida, and Oklahoma. Recreational riding, showing, and racing count the largest numbers of equine and human participants (see table). Horses and the people who care for them are also involved in activities like law enforcement, working cattle, and helping the physically and developmentally disabled. Breeding, raising, and training the horses that take part in all of these activities is a cornerstone of the industry, and the businesses that supply goods and services, as well as the veterinarians, researchers, nutritionists, and other professionals engaged in improving equine health, are all major contributors.

Number of Horses and Participants by Activity

(Table courtesy of the American Horse Council)

* Includes farm and ranch work, police work, rodeo, and polo

** The sum of participants by activity does not equal the total number of participants because individuals may be counted in more than one activity

The Industry’s Future

While there are no overall figures available about growth of the horse industry each year, some horse organizations, such as the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), report continued increases in memberships and new foal registrations. (The AQHA remains the largest single breed horse organization in the world.) However, other breed organizations report that the growth of their organizations is relatively flat, which could be attributed to the state of the country’s overall economy.

After several years of decline followed by marginal gains in the number of foals in recent years, Thoroughbred breeders were hit hard in 2001 and 2002 by the onset of mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS), which terminated hundreds of pregnancies or caused stillborn births for a significant portion of the Kentucky mare population. The overall loss was $336 million, according to a study by the University of Louisville, and the number of foals impacted in 2002 was estimated at 20 percent. Though the exact cause of MRLS is still being studied, scientists believe it is associated with horses ingesting the Eastern Tent Caterpillar. Partly in response to MRLS, the Congressional Horse Caucus was formed in 2001. The bipartisan caucus seeks to educate members of Congress and their staff about the horse industry’s importance to the nation’s economic, gaming, recreational, sporting, and agricultural life.

In addition to influence at the congressional level, the reach of the horse has extended to other federal areas. The U.S. Forest Service and the American Horse Council (AHC) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in 2002, which encourages the Forest Service to identify appropriate partnership opportunities for making public lands under the agency’s jurisdiction available to recreational riders and to work with AHC and its members to identify and pursue funding opportunities from nonfederal sources for trail improvements, facilities, and maintenance. In spite of increasing restrictions placed on trail use (which the memorandum seeks to help alleviate) and poor maintenance of trails, recreational riding continues to be the largest and fastest growing segment of the horse industry.

Another trend affecting the horse industry includes older citizens returning to riding. More 40- and 50-somethings, the so-called “baby boom” generation, are revisiting their childhood dreams of owning horses. Now-established adults, overwhelmingly female, are returning to riding in large numbers. This age group is such a rapidly growing part of the horse world that some breed organizations, such as the AQHA, have added amateur competitions specifically for exhibitors in the 50-plus age range. In addition, dressage, reining, competitive endurance riding, cutting, and team penning are enjoying continued gains in popularity among all age groups. And reining debuted at the 2002 World Equestrian Games, a positive step toward making this an Olympic sport.

Baby boomers are flooding the recreational horse industry.

The horses that individuals ride are continuing to cross countries and cultures. European warmbloods, known for their pleasant dispositions, maintain their immense popularity in America for riding disciplines such as three-day eventing, dressage, and hunter/jumper events. As western riding continues to grow in popularity outside of the United States, the demand for western horses in European countries and Japan may continue to reap opportunities for trainers, breeders, riding instructors, and others familiar with the style originally developed for working purposes by the American cowboys. Additionally, Thoroughbred racing continues to grow in popularity outside the United States. Since 1999, direct exports of breeding and racing stock—from the United States to Korea—have increased five times, while exports to the United Arab Emirates tripled during the same period. Racing of Arabian horses is increasing and the high-spirited, yet gentle, horses are also making increasing inroads into the world of dressage, according to the Arabian Horse Association (AHA), even as they continue to remain a strong part of the endurance-riding world.

The way we communicate in the horse industry has also undergone significant change in the last 10 years. As use of the Internet grows throughout the world, so too is the same trend found in the horse industry. The Small Business Administration (SBA) reports that 61 percent of all small businesses among industries that use the Internet have Web sites. This statistic certainly appears to carry over to the horse industry: farms, product suppliers, breed associations, riding schools and stables, and other businesses and organizations in all areas of the industry have Web sites and more are being designed each day, allowing horse industry businesses greater exposure and creating opportunities for Web designers, programmers, and photographers specializing in horse industry ventures.

On the downside, while the rise of the Internet has made it easier for horse professionals to advertise their services, it has also been easier for less qualified people to advertise equine services. Unlike the European equine industry, the United States does not have any mandatory licensing or certification requirements for riding instructors and trainers. As is common in the horse industry, people who may not always be qualified can hang out a shingle and call themselves horse industry professionals in the area in which they practice. That said, there are currently many highly qualified instructors and trainers in this country who do not have certification. However, as the industry becomes more safety conscious, partially in response to increased litigation, and as it strives for a higher level of business professionalism, there is a growing move afoot to provide training and instruction that will enhance the quality of instruction in the industry and to have certification requirements measuring competence.

Changes related to safety are also taking place in the show ring, where all junior participants in U.S. Equestrian hunter/jumper events are now required to wear helmets certified by ASTM/SEI (American Society for Testing and Materials/Safety Equipment Institute). Concern with safety has also created several organizations whose mission is to improve safety industry wide. Three such organizations are the North American Horseman’s Association, the Association for Horsemanship Safety, and the American Equine Medical Association.

61 percent of all small businesses among industries that use the Internet have their own Web sites.

Finally, as the general public becomes more comfortable with alternative therapies and holistic approaches to medicine, these nontraditional medical fields are gaining acceptance in the horse industry. Growth in the areas of equine chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, and other Eastern forms of medicine is taking place and introducing more opportunities for individuals interested in these areas. The fields of therapeutic riding and equine-assisted psychotherapy continue to expand and offer increased opportunities for riding instructors, occupational therapists, and others.

Career Opportunities

The horse industry offers a variety of career opportunities in the hands-on positions of working with horses and in areas that support the industry. Opportunities exist in such careers as breeding, showing, health and welfare, rodeo, recreation, product manufacturing, research, education, and service industries. Positions are available for people highly skilled in horsemanship, but there are also places in the industry for individuals with no direct horse experience at all.

Many people working today as trainers, riding instructors, stallion managers, farm managers, and in other high-level hands-on careers, once worked their way up the barn ladder as stable hands, wranglers, grooms, and even volunteers. These lower-level jobs, though they are characterized by long hours, hard physical work, and low pay, are often the stepping stones to lifetime careers in the industry. It is also very common in the horse industry for people with hands-on careers to work in combined positions, such as the horse trainer who also manages the barn or the riding instructor who also deals with or trains horses. Combining positions may be a requirem...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Chapter 1 The Horse Industry in America
• Chapter 2 Finding Your Place
• Chapter 3 Horse Industry Experience
• Chapter 4 Your Education
• Chapter 5 Get the Job
• Chapter 6 Starting a Business
• Chapter 7 Breeding Careers
• Chapter 8 Communications and Creative Careers
• Chapter 9 Equine Health and Welfare Careers
• Chapter 10 Events, Judging, and Training Careers
• Chapter 11 Horseracing Careers
• Chapter 12 Human Health and Well-Being Careers
• Chapter 13 Industry Service Careers
• Chapter 14 Industry Support Careers
• Chapter 15 Marketing and Sales Careers
• Chapter 16 Manufacturing and Production Careers
• Chapter 17 Research and Education Careers
• Chapter 18 Horse Recreation Careers
• Chapter 19 Transportation and Facilities Careers
• Appendices
• Back Cover