As the old saying goes, ‘you will never work a day in your life if you’re doing something that you enjoy’, and that has seen a growing number of people interested in horses taking steps to work within the sector.

Equestrian care is incredibly important in a number of ways, whether that be caring for racehorses or working closely with the stars in other Equestrian events such as show jumping and dressage.

Nowadays, there are more ways than ever to have the opportunity to work with horses on a day-to-day basis. But, what are some of the most popular career paths for those looking to work with horses?

Equine-Assisted Therapy

With the growing need for those with mental health issues to get the care that they require, there is an increase in people turning to Equine-assisted therapy. This profession will see those with master’s degrees and licensed therapists work with horses in the hope of making breakthroughs with their client.

The therapy can work in a number of different ways, whether that includes riding the horse or just standing next to the horse and stroking the equine.

It has experienced major success with patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression since emerging, and the results mean that it continues to be a hugely popular career path for those looking to help not only horses, but also other people.

Equine Dental Technician

Just like humans, horses will also need to have regular check ups to ensure that their teeth and gums are healthy, and therefore becoming an equine dental technician has become a very popular route to work with horses on a day-to-day basis.

In this role, professionals will work closely with vets to clean the teeth of horses, as well as removing sharp points and edges to ensure that the horse doesn’t get any pain inside their gums. It can often be a brave job those in the role, as professionals may also need to extract teeth.

Furthermore, those in this role must be prepared to travel for work, and also be extremely organised, as they will need to keep records of all the horses within their care.

Equine Nutritionist

Horses aren’t too dissimilar to people in a number of ways, and that includes maintaining a healthy diet to ensure that they don’t fall ill with any long-standing health issues. Nowadays, there are a number of roles to become an Equine Nutritionist, as you will be tasked with making plans that horses will need to follow in terms of their food and drink to ensure that they remain healthy.

Tailoring individual plans for each horse is very important, as professionals in this field will need to take into account the activity level of each horse, as well as their size and their ideal weight. The diet will play a vital role in ensuring that the horse remains healthy, and it will contribute toward the horse enjoying the best of their lives.

This is an incredibly popular profession for those looking to get into horse racing, as the nutrition of horses is under the microscope more often than in other areas surrounding horse care.

Equine Rehab Therapist

Horses are also prone to injuries, regardless of whether they are in training for horse races, TwinSpires tournaments or any other form of sport. However, the fatality levels are now at an all-time low, as veterinary care has increased massively throughout the modern era.

However, it is the role of the rehab therapist to get them prepared for life back in the field or on the track.

Rehab is an essential part of the recovery for all horses, as they will be in control of putting together plans to ensure that problem areas are able to heal without any negative side effects. This includes massaging the areas of concern for the horses involved, and offering advice on targeting exercises that must be completed in order to aid the injury.

In this role, professionals must also be able to be proactive in their decision making, as they will need to come up with ideas as to how the horse can regain full muscle capacity through techniques that can be used. In order to go into this field, there are various educational pathways, among those include getting a degree in equine rehabilitation.  

Other Popular Career Paths

As mentioned previously, there are a number of other professions that horse enthusiasts can break into, with the vast majority available within the horse racing sector.

Among those include becoming a horse breeder, which requires extensive knowledge surrounding the reproduction system of horses, and having in-depth understanding of different sire lines. Furthermore, horse lovers could opt to work on the yards of horse racing trainers, being handlers and grooms to form bonds with the best thoroughbreds in the world.