THE HORSE GAZETTE training a horse of course By Don Blazer © 2011


no lack of good paying jobs in the horse industry


make a living working in the horse industry seems to be widely held. But survey results show the idea may be invalid.


the father of a college student warning everyone to study anything but equine science. His premise was “major in anything that can get you a job that pays well, offers health insurance and a pension.” He


consideration to what a person loves to do, or is naturally qualified to do. He would have you toil in a job you didn’t like so that when you got “sick of it” your prescription drugs would be covered. And he apparently gave no consideration to the


turned “recession” in which thousands lost their jobs, their health benefits, their pension and too frequently their homes.


gives no consideration to the advice of the most successful on how to be successful: “Do what you love to do.” But what really


invalids the mistaken idea you can’t make a living in the horse industry is the input of


who can’t find “qualified employees”. A show horse


trainer in California told me she’d love to hire a “qualified person” to manage her barn. “I’ve


business for 30 years and I’ve yet to have a person with an equine degree apply for a job,” she said. “It would be great for my business to have a really qualified person running my barn. I’d be happy to pay them a very good salary.”


been in “potential employers” And obviously he current “depression” gave no A forum chat had The idea you can’t


has to supervise all the work at the barn. (She has 40 world class show horses in training). I can’t rely on a barn manager to know health care or how to determine and adjust nutrition requirements or look for safety hazards or supervise grooms or talk with my clients on a knowledgeable level. “I have to be the


qualified person, or I have to leave one of my assistant trainers when I go off to a show or for other business,” she laments “It all takes time and it reduces the effectiveness of my business, not to mention that it’s costing me potential profit.”


trainer, most trainers have to hire help at lower salaries because they have to “teach the person the job requirements.” “You can’t pay a


most who seek employment are simply “horse lovers who think they know a lot, but who offer no real skills or knowledge which can enhance my business.” “I hire a lot of young


women to work at grooming and providing daily ground exercise for my horses. I don’t pay them much because most of them start out not knowing


person top dollar, when their knowledge is entry level.” She explains that


According to this As it is, she says, she


feed companies, tack and equipment retailers, breeding farms, veterinarians, magazine editors, and other trainers, the lack of qualified prospects was constantly near the top of the list as to why good paying jobs were not available. One


said, “I want an assistant I can introduce to clients as an equine study graduate. That gives my clients confidence in my assistant, in me, and in our company. Why do you think we hang a diploma on the office wall…..it tells the client we’re qualified to treat their horses.” A lack of good


paying jobs within the horse industry may be a myth. The truth may be


there is a lack of qualified persons to fill the good paying jobs waiting to be filled.


Course on the web at www. donblazer.com


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Contact Marilyn at 210-641-9928 editor@horsegazette.com or Laurie at 512-791-4217 laurie@horsegazette.com


Visit A Horse, Of veterinarian


how to properly halter a horse let alone how to properly groom one. We have to teach them, and that takes our time. And about the time we get them trained they find a job in another barn that pays more, because now they at least have some basic knowledge.” In


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