Advice for aspiring horse trainers and horse riding instructors from low-income families?
I really want to be both a horse trainer and a horse riding instructor, however, I come from a low-income family who can't afford horses, pickups, trailers, a farm house, or anything of that sort. I'm currently a senior in high school who plans on going to college for Equine Management, however I'm not quite sure if I'll be able to have the career I truly want because I was born into a low-income family and will have a hard time paying for these things, including college itself. Are there any horse trainers and/or riding instructors that you know of (or if you're one yourself) that came from a low-income family and is now a horse trainer and/or a riding instructor? Are there any grants specifically for students going into equine related majors? If you're a trainer and/or an instructor, what steps did you take to get where you are today? Thank you! #career #college-major #equine #horse #horsetrainer #horseriding #horseridinginstructor
3 answers
Jared’s Answer
Hello Kaisin O.
Sounds like a great goal to me that can be accomplished through hard work. You can start by looking for grants or scholarships to schools that line up with your interests in an area that has horse ranches. That way while you are going to school you can work as a ranch hand. You can even start at a smaller community college and work toward getting an associates degree and work at the same time.
Jennifer’s Answer
There are also some online educational options that could supplement your hands on learning. Good luck in your endeavors. I'm not as active with horses now that I have a husband and child - but I found those years (from 8 - 18+) to be very rewarding, and I still try to slip some horseback riding in (or go to watch a horse show now and then) as often as I can.
Here's a site that may have something useful for you:
https://www.animaledu.com/Landing-pages/Become-Horse-Trainer?p=1&c=70&g=2&a=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwte71BRBCEiwAU_V9hzNu5OFvRrNL4qQS1R6zxeKsCh3wvoPWD2z-4b9SvJKMgGMBMNx9choCB04QAvD_BwE&d=1
Donal’s Answer
Have you thought about moving to Ireland? You can get great hands on experience in some of the top yards in the world. They usually give you somewhere to live and you learn on the job. Lots of hard work but super exposure to the industry if you are willing to start at the bottom and work your up.
Check out the Racing Academy and Centre for Education (RACE)