A career in the equine industry

Equine Industry

GREEN CAREERS

No Two Days the Same scotland.lantra.co.uk

Why work in the Equine Industry?

As well as the benefits that come from riding and taking care of horses, the even better news is that there are lots of jobs out there in the equine industry too.

Although you need to be skilled and willing to work hard in all weathers, if you love horses you will be in the perfect environment. It might not be a regular job, but it will provide its own rewards.

Scotland has nearly 200,000 regular riders and over 35,000 horses, so equestrianism is big business and supports a huge range of jobs. Whether it’s grooms to look after them, instructors to teach the riders, or vets and farriers to look after horse health, the industry needs well-trained staff.

Horses and ponies need to be cared for every day of the year, so people involved in the welfare, supervision and riding of horses need to be dedicated too.

The equine industry covers everything from riding schools, competition and racehorse yards, to professional horse training, the armed forces and mounted police.

Some people ride horses purely for fun, while others earn their living from it. Jobs in the leisure side include groom, riding instructor or stable yard manager. Within the racing industry you could be a jockey, groom or horse trainer, and if you were to become a support

professional, jobs available include farrier, vet, saddle fitter and horse dentist.

Horses, like any other animals, produce manure which can be turned into green energy or safe and clean fertilizers with lots of wonderful benefits for soil quality and productivity.

They can be used to help preserve grasslands and in forestry. Logging and the extraction of timber using horses allows for a highly selective and effective management of our woodlands resulting in a high quality of care.

How do I get started?

Be part of the solution!

Working in the equine sector can be very rewarding and there are a wide range potential job opportunities for those hoping to pursue a career with horses. If you are unsure where to start, volunteering or career shadowing is a great way of developing your skills whilst gaining valuable experience.

College courses can provide you with an introduction to horse care as a student or give you a higher level qualification in equine business management.

You could also find a job or apprenticeship first and learn in the workplace.

The British Horse Society (BHS) delivers a range of qualifications designed to provide a foundation of equine knowledge which can be built on, regardless of whether you want to spend your working life at the stables, in the saddle or in equine care.

Have a look at some examples of jobs on the next page for inspiration.

£ 25,000+ By studying an equine course, you will become part of an industry supporting approximately 900,000 horses and 2 million riders in the UK

Trainee riding instructors can expect to earn between £12,000 to £17,000, reaching up to £25,000 for more experienced coaches

1,000 jobs There are an estimated 1,000 employees already working full - or part-time in around 250 equine businesses in Scotland

Equine Industry Career Options

Here are some of the jobs you could be doing in our industry.

// GROOMING

// YARD MANAGEMENT

Head Groom Riding Centre Manager Stud Manager Yard Manager Stable Manager

Yard Groom Head Groom Yard Manager

// HORSE CARE Farrier Veterinary Nurse Equine Vet Equine Dentist Equine Physiotherapist

// COACHING AND RIDING Riding School Coach Equestrian Training Centre Coach Freelance Coach And Trainer Ride Leader Centre Manager Jockey

Routes into a Career in the Equine Industry

Depending on your current skills and experience, you could enter at different levels.

JOB LEVEL

SENIOR ROLES

SUPERVISORY ROLES

SUPERVISED ROLES

SCQF LEVEL

TRAINING AND COURSES

12

Doctorate

11

Masters | Graduate Apprenticeship | PG Cert Equine Leadership and Management

10

Honours Degree | Graduate Apprenticeship

9

Degree | Graduate Apprenticeship

8

HND Equine Studies | Graduate Apprenticeship

7

Advanced Higher | HNC Equine Studies | PDA Competition Horse Care

6

Higher | NPA Horse Care | Foundation Apprenticeship | Modern Apprenticeship Advanced Certificate Horse Care | Land-based Workplace Skills Award Scottish Vocational Qualification | NPA Stable Staff

5

NC Horse Care | NPA Rural Skills | NPA Stable Staff | National 5 Modern Apprenticeship | Race Horse Care | Scottish Vocational Qualification Land-based Workplace Skills Award

4

NPA Horse Care | National 4 | Land-based Studies Certificate | NPA Stable Staff Equestrian Skills - Flexible Study Programme | Skills for Work: Rural Skills Land-based Workplace Skills Award | Scottish Vocational Qualification

Making a difference

Morag Williams:

Rosa Mitchell

As well as doing my college work, I help with the running of a busy riding school and competition yard by caring for the horses and dealing with clients, working under the owners and instructors.

My work starts at 7 am where we get the horses fed, mucked out and ready. Some days I stay on the yard, getting horses prepared for lessons and doing the daily yard tasks. Other days I have a full day of teaching clients of all ages and abilities.

Equine student

The kinds of things I do every day are grooming, tacking up, feeding and watering, bringing in and turning out, mucking out, and checking that the horses are healthy.

Clients at the riding school can be anything from 4 to their 70’s, and because they often have different needs and riding abilities, you have to manage everything safely while being patient and communicating well at the same time.

“I’m now doing something I truly love” When I changed career it was a bit of a shock to suddenly be doing so much physical work in all types of weather, after I’d been indoors behind a desk for so long, but I’m really enjoying it now.

The bit I enjoy most of all is when I’m taking care of horses and giving them the love and care that they need, especially if they’re not well.

There’s no better feeling than doing your best for an animal.

I used to read about Ian Stark in magazines and see him on TV competing, and now that I’m actually doing a placement at his equestrian centre, it makes me want to push myself even further and learn as much as I can.

Groom and Junior Coach

The Equestrian Centre is part of Gleneagles Hotel, so we are especially busy during the holidays, but in quieter times we are able to get staff training, which is a massive bonus.

“I love seeing a happy horse and client” My job involves hard work, but it is worth it because we have such a fantastic team of horses and staff. Being able to give someone their first riding lesson and watch them fall in love with the animal and sport is so rewarding. You can’t complain when you have the beautiful hills of Perthshire as your office either.

Being able to do what you love whilst training and earning money is what everyone dreams of and I am very fortunate to be in that position.

Working with animals and customers presents challenges but I feel that is all part of the fun! I love being able to solve problems and to see a happy horse and client at the end of the day.

I have worked alongside the most inspirational role models, who have come up through the industry and shown me the skills I need to progress, so hopefully one day I will follow in their footsteps.

I’m so glad I was able to change career to the equine industry and that I’m now doing something I truly love.

Find out more For information on training and qualifications available, email scotland@lantra.co.uk or call 01738 310 164. www.scotland.lantra.co.uk www.myworldofwork.co.uk @lantrascotland @lantrascotland @lantra.scotland

GREEN CAREERS

Lantra in Scotland is supported by the Scottish Government Updated October 2022