SubscribeGift a Sub
Enable cache 100

HI Spy: What’s Your Horsey Dream Job?

Have you ever caught yourself daydreaming at work or school, imagining an existence where you get paid to work with horses every day? Few horse lovers have not at least considered the possibility of turning their passion for horses into a lifelong career.



Would you give up everything tomorrow if you could become a professional rider? Do you dream of taking young, green horses and shaping them into show-ring superstars or reliable family companions? Do you aspire to share your skill with horses as a riding instructor? Can you see yourself saving horses’ lives and careers as an equine vet?



Maybe the daily horse world grind doesn’t appeal to you. But imagine if you could create your own dream job. Would you spend all day guiding trail rides along Mediterranean beaches? Or become head carrot-feeder for the horses of the United States Equestrian Team? Or work as interior designer for Martha Stewart’s stable of Friesian horses?

Finally, if you’ve already landed your dream job in the horse world, share your story. Is it everything you hoped it would be? Are you working your way toward another horse industry career?

Click “Submit a Comment” below to share your equestrian dream job with other HorseChannel.com visitors. Some responses may be selected for publication in a future issue of Horse Illustrated.

See all HI Spy Questions >>

View Comments

  • After I graduate from college, I plan to become a riding instructor and horse trainer. I am 17 and have already trained my Arabian mare, who I got 2 years ago when she was 12 and only halter broke. I now compete in gymkhana with her and go on trail rides. I have also given many young girls riding lessons for free on my friend's 24 year old Arab mare. I love teaching people how to do what I love, and I love the reward you get from all of the hard work you put in to training a horse.

  • i want to be a Horse & child therapist. and help the children learn to ride horses and give them freedom on the back of a horse. although i am only 13 yrs old

  • I dream about going to compete in the Olympics for showjumping! It has been my dream since I was 6, and I am working my hardest to reach it. No matter how impossible it sounds, I beleive just like any rider, you can make it there if you keep trying! :)

  • Riding instructor! Now it's my turn to boss people around. Joking! Seriously though, I love to help people and watch them learn. So why not incoorperate my love for horses?

  • i would love to be a riding instructor. i have seen my instructor at work and he seems like he is having so much fun! i also love working with children, so that is another plus.

  • I want to work with horses, like buying and selling them. Maybe a bit of breeding here and there so I can raise the foals, and have fun training them. I love organizing events, and whatnot, so I think I'd be fairly good at that.

  • I have Thoroughbreds that I bought to be retired. One I could bring back. But TB's is what inspired me long, long ago...the Thoroughbred racehorse. So beautiful and magnificent, their veins popping out of their skin because of the excitement and anticipation. I would love to be an active owner/trainer and have horses do well for me in racing as I would commit myself to my horses, as I do now, but for pleasure.

  • I fully intend to be a horse trainer-but not be giving up competing in show jumping. I will train my clients' horses using Parelli Natural Horsemanship methods, as well as retraining my own rescue horses. I will continue competing my Arab in show jumping and learn some dressage, too.

  • My dream job is to be a top trainer at a saddlebred barn and work with great trainers like Emily Doll,Martha Thompson-Hoyt,and Anne Conway.

Recent Posts

An Overview of White Line Disease

It's often what you can’t see that leads to trouble, and that’s definitely the case with white line disease. Understanding…

3 days ago

ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: My Man Ira

Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the…

4 days ago

Riding Lipizzaners in Hungary

Two hours’ drive from Budapest in the picturesque Bükk National Park lies Szilvásvárad, a beautiful little village that is home…

5 days ago

How Horses Helped Two Boys with ADHD

During the height of the pandemic and racial tension around the U.S., two boys struggling with ADHD found healing through…

6 days ago

Adopting a Companion Horse

When you think of the term “companion horse,” one that is versatile with the ability to fill a variety of…

7 days ago

Emergency and Natural Disaster Preparedness with Horses

Each year, hurricanes, wildfires, and severe storms force thousands across the country to evacuate their homes. When preparing for a…

1 week ago