If you happen to be a horse lover with decent horseback riding experience and are thinking about getting a job that will bring you closer to your passion, then look no further – this article is exactly for you.

We have compiled this list of equine jobs, according to several important criteria: 

• The job needs to involve working with horses, as much and as closely as possible.
• We excluded jobs that require a lifelong commitment and years of rigorous study, such as horse veterinarian. In our opinion, you must try your hand at several entry-level jobs, before making long-term career plans and investing in your education.
• We did our best to pick the highest paying jobs from this subcategory. You will notice that the jobs are ranked by salary.

1. Stable Manager Assistant

Quite obviously, a Stable Manager (or Horse Barn Manager) is responsible for everything that happens therein. This is usually an experienced horseman with great management skills, who also has extensive knowledge of horse nutrition and behaviour, plus at least some basic veterinary skills, for general care and first aid purposes. Stable Managers make sure that feeding, mucking stalls and turning out horses all happen correctly and on time. Furthermore, they handle Human Resources, bills and other paperwork related to the horse barn. As a Stable Manager Assistant, you will have all of these responsibilities and more, but the Manager will be there for you, offering guidance and directions. 

Average Weekly Salary: 558 USD.

2. Assistant Horse Trainer

Horse trainers are the educators, or teachers if you will, for horses. This is one of the most up-close-and-personal jobs in the industry. Trainers usually work with horses from a tender age, educating them as they grow. As an Assistant Horse Trainer, you will be helping feed, groom, and otherwise tend to horses and to the premises, as well as participate in daily training sessions and eventually start training horses on your own. You will look up to the horse trainers and do your best to take in all of their expertise and know-how.

Average Weekly Salary: 686 USD.

3. Farrier Apprentice

A Farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care – put simply, a professional who takes care of horses’ feet. Combining veterinary skills with those of a blacksmith, Farriers handle hoof trimming and shoeing. Their skills are in high demand – this is one of the highest paying animal jobs, with income reaching as much as 2.500 USD per week. Most Farriers will offer apprenticeships at some point or another, which represent excellent opportunities to get acquainted with the trade. A Farrier Apprentice can get paid a daily wage, a per-horse wage, or even a percentage of the total income – it all depends on your negotiation skills and your actual performance on the job.

Average Weekly Salary: 721 USD.

4. Riding Instructor

Riding Instructors teach other people to ride horses correctly, in a way that is safe both for the rider and the horse, and to achieve maximum performance and pleasure from riding. To become a certified Riding Instructor, you need to get accredited by the American Riding Instructors Association, the Certified Horsemanship Association, the U.S. Dressage Federation or the British Horse Society. All require at least a year of horse riding teaching experience, knowledge of horse anatomy, physiology and healthcare, horse feeding and grooming, equipment use, as well as having passed at least some basic safety and security courses (safety measures, first aid etc). Once you get certified as a Riding Instructor, you will get to work both with a lot of horses and people, which is great.

Average Weekly Salary: 938 USD.

5. Equine Insurance Agent

It is true that from this entire list, this job involves the least degree of direct interaction with horses. However, not everyone is made for hand-on approaches and physically demanding occupations. If you are one of those people, but still love to be around horses all the time, then this is a perfectly viable option for you. On the bright side, this job also happens to be the highest paying from our list. Equine Insurance Agents are the liaison between insurance companies on the one hand, and horse owners and stables on the other. Any self-respecting horse owner will have his horses insured against injury, theft, and death. Furthermore, they will usually insure their stables and equipment against damages of all kinds, and even the riders against accidents, so the insurance market for the horse industry is quite lucrative. This bodes well for your commissions, while also letting you interact with the animals you love, on a daily basis.

Average Weekly Salary: 1.438 USD.