Question about horse industry?

Question

My dream is to become a race horse trainer and manage a stable. Hopefuly owning a stabl of my own someday. And i think this is every horse trainers dream, but to train or own a horse that runs in the kentucky dereby. I am very excited, but my mom says they dont get paid alot of money and being big in that job is rare and that i should work with kids because i am patient. I dont want to do that, I want to do my dream but i'm scared that my mom is right. What should i do???

Answer 1

Your mother is probably right as far as Race Horse Trainers not getting paid allot of money. Chances are you'll never get rich. The ones that get rich are the ones who make a name for themselves in the training world and the ones who are working on the huge farms. I.e. Bob Baffert. You have to work at training race horses for years and years before you finally get to train that Seabiscuit or Ruffian that is going to take you to the top. Amazing race horses are far and few inbetween and I think it takes a combination of time and plain old luck to get a Triple Crown type of horse under your training..

The big thing here is follow your heart, never let someone decide for you. You have a brain for reason, and God gave you the ability to use it so use it in a way that is going to make you happy. If you are not a compete success who cares? What matters is that you enjoy what you are doing.

When you really want something, and I mean truly want it, you will be amazed at how far you can go. Live your dreams, maybe someday you'll be the next Bob Baffert or the next Man O' War type trainer you never know. Just keep dreaming and even after you fail keep dreaming.. (Donald Trump went bankrupt 3 times before he got to where he is now). Just work at it and never let anyone tell you that you can't do something.

Answer 2

The most successful people in the world do what they love and find a way to get paid for it. Everyone can't be a horse trainer. It requires learning a wealth of information, lots of hard, physical work and an innate talent and love of horses. it sounds like you may be the right kind of person to persue this career path.

No matter what you do in life, a college education will benefit you, so consider trying to work in the horse industry in some capacity while you get your education. If you are near a race track, or in an area where there are horse farms, you can find a job. There is always room for someone that works hard and wants to learn. Entry level work won't pay much, but it will be as good as a fast food job or a job at the mall. You will learn a lot and be able to know if it is a lifestyle you want to grow into. The more you can contribute, as you learn, the more you will be paid.

There are tracks all over the country and they are full of trainers that make a decent living doing something they love. The big names are few, but the industry doesn't survive on them....it depends on the other 99% of the trainers.

Go find yourself some horses to work around. Volunteer if you have to in order to get started. YOU will know if this is the right career for you by the time the first crop of blisters heal!!!

Good luck, and I'll look for you at the track in a few years!!!

Answer 3

I don't know how old you are, but do your best in school and go to college with a major in the equine industry, management of some kind. Take a lot of math and science classes, volunteer with a local vet, hang out at the barn with the trainers...watch, ask, learn as much as you can. Mom just wants you to be realistic. Don't be scared of losing the dream, because she probably is right, about the making it big thing anyway. As you get older you'll realize there are lots of ways to make it big that don't require winning a national horse race. You should tell your mom that kids AND horses both require a lot of patience, so either way it is a lot of work and the pay sucks. If you love it, who cares?

Answer 4

Your mom is correct in the fact that most trainers don't make a lot of money and being big in the racing world is rare. If you seriously want to pursue a job in the racing industry (I don't know how old you are) you need as much horse experience as possible. Go to the backside and try to pick up jobs hot walking or cleaning stalls. Get to know trainers so you'll have connections in the future. Most of all, be careful, the track can be a rough and tumble place to work. Good luck.

Answer 5

I'm not going to lie to you. The majority of the jobs in the equine industry don't pay very well until you've proven yourself or unless you have connections to other big name trainers. I've worked in many different areas of the horse industry, including the racetrack. This happens to be one area where most people are either dirt poor or super rich. Yes, you'll see the wealthy trainers on television come Derby time (Baffert, Zito, Lukas, Pletcher, etc.), but the majority of trainers have to scrape every penny together just to break even. It's a hard business and it requires long hours (usually three in the morning until six or seven at night). The best way to get started is by working on the track now. If you can, get a job exercising racehorses on the tracks or working with the youngsters on a breeding farm. These jobs are hard to get and pay very little, but securing one might be able to get you a foot in the door. If you can't find a job with racehorses, take a job in a different area of the horse industry. Any experience with horses will serve you well, trust me. You may also want to consider a degree in Equine Studies. The degree itself won't get you much, but some universities and colleges can help their students secure internships with successful trainers. Your goal should be to intern with a big name trainer. Plenty of good trainers got their starts as assistants to the big names. Pletcher, for instance, used to be an assistant for Baffert, I believe. You should be prepared not to make it, though. In horses, there are far more stories of people who failed than there are those rags-to-riches miracles. But, there are also enough people who love working in the industry even if it means making only enough to get by. If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.

Answer 6

I tend to get lumped into the snotty h/j group simply becasue that is the disipline I train/ride. Its part of the reason I am switching to eventing. Not really stereotype but: I tend to have a short fuse when dealing with riders that place better than I do but don't know pop-squat about horses. I have issues with any young girls having grooms. Especially at the lower levels. I can see it being necessary at a show or something if you are riding more than one horse but kids are rarely riding more than 1 horse. My only stereotype is not really a stereotype in my area. I think western/english pleasure is pointless and the horses are also harmed in the 'training'. I know there are good horsepeople in the sport but the minute I hear someone does WP, huge spurs and abuse come to mind. I watched a woman warm up for WP one day at a show and the 'training' she did will always sour the idea of the disipline for me. She had on 3" spurs and her horse began pulling baby stuff. She started screaming at him and jerking his head around. He couldnt have been more than 5 so natually he acting up even more. The rider began slamming her 3" spurs into him as hard as she could (I would be worried about kicking a horse that hard with just a boot heal) and holding tight to the reins. She would force him backward across the middle of the ring then spin him in some tight circle and back him up across the ring again. The entire time kicking with the spurs and screaming. She kept it up for about 10 minutes. The horse did not freak like it should have which tells me this treatment was not unusual. He just got the look in his eyes like he was trying to find his happy place to escape the pain the spurs and bit were causing. I ended up leaving the ring so I wouldnt have to watch. Sad thing was, the big name trainer was encouraging her. Behavior like this is common in my area. And all the stories about how some horses are taugh a headset or made to go slow scares me to death. That is my big sterotype.

Answer 7

OK, this my idea on this.
Horse Racing is not easy, we bought (Some friends and me) a $5,000 Claiming horse for fun. True, we raced it and had a big time playing Horse Trainer. Actually won enough to pay for feed. One friend's dad knew many people in this. He tell us, if you going to make any money, you going to "Have" to buy a better horse $20,000 and really $50,000.
OK, well, Beer seemed easier and my youngest daughter had a Registered Thoroughbred that always out run our horse, though she never officially raced her.
So, this is something you can do!!!!! But, you need to get involved and learn what going on. You need to talk with people that do this and get to know them. They not afraid of competition, that keep the game going. Learn and you may buy you an untrained horse, but, from what you learn you can know what to look for and how to train that "Bad Puppy". I going to try to show you a few links!!!
NOW! Ha! We should all listen to Momma! ;-p
You can actually work with children and make this work for your dream. When I train a horse it is riding people at 2 years old! This is really too young for a good horse. How do I do this to train and not push the horse too soon? Children! I slowly work my hourse to accept a blanket, then a saddle, in time I sit a small child on the horse and the child start the rein training. This a slow process that I never rush. It take working with the horse evreyday and much interaction. By the time the horse is 3 years old, it is well trained, muscular and will accept an adult. You could work with certain children; Blind, Handicapped etc. you will enhance their lives, may get a little money contributed to your cause and have you a winning race horse that wins not only at the track, but, in the lives of every child it meet!
Now, I show some links as to what to expect for a horse. Remeber for a first time you may want a $5,000 Claimer, it may pay for food and get you going. But, eventually you going to have to save your money and buy something you can work with and forget a nice car! An old Truck and "Good" horse trailer get you going.

Answer 8

You have a lot of life ahead of you. In this day and age it is unlikely that you'll do just one kind of work or job for your entire life. So, why not plan to do it all?

Career's these days span wide areas over the course of a life. Psychologists can work with people and animals, and do. Teachers become librarians, and librarians become teachers. People who work with horses can train, teach (and teach kids for that matter), work rescues, ride and drive horses in competitions or for business or just for fun, the list goes on and on.

I think you may already understand that you want to go into a line of work that isn't 9-5; you won't have paid vacations, employer-paid health insurance, or a pension plan. You will have to provide these things for yourself...BUT, it is possible and alternatives are out there!

Speaking as someone who has waited 20 years to follow their own dream, do not let fear, or the idea of hard work or hard times change your time if this is how you truly see happiness!!

No matter what you do, let me say that again...NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO there will be hard work and hard times. This is one of life's givens, hard work and hard times happen to EVERYONE!!

But here's the secret...none of that, NONE OF IT erases the joy of doing something you truly love, of doing something that you are happy to get up in the morning for. Follow your bliss, just remember to open your eyes along the way. You may not get your exact dream, you may choose to change things along the way and you may add things you haven't thought of yet, but you will have an amazing journey!!

Answer 9

i think u should go for it i have 2 horses i have al ot oof fun with them i would be realy happy to be a horse trainer btw u get paid a lot my horse is on the website on google calles strawberrybanks farm evney way go for it folo ur dream

Answer 10

First you should relax. I am 29 and I did the opposite of what my mom. I did good in collage and past and I am a horse race trainer. I make like $150 dollars a week. It all depends on what you think is right for you. It is kind of like trying to find the shoes that fit best for you. But when you find the right fit for you, you should feel that fit.
Sincerly,
P.J.