Horse trainers supervise the preparation of horses for thoroughbred or harness
races, advise and consult with owners and instruct stable staff and
jockeys/drivers.
Horse trainers may be required to work long hours. Much of their work is
carried out very early in the morning and they may continue to work all day.
Regular weekend work is also required.
How much can I expect to earn?
Full-time employed Horse Trainer earn an average of $812 per week. The
[average annual salary for this job is $42224 excluding super.]
Personal requirements
a keen interest in horses
patient
able to cope with the physical demands of the job
enjoy outdoor work
good communication skills.
This job also involves:
Mainly outdoor work
Workers performing these jobs would usually be expected to spend more than
three-quarters of their day outdoors, exposed to the weather. They may report
back to an office, station, depot or other central site.
Physical effort
The main duties and tasks involved in these jobs require daily physical
exertion, such as bending and twisting, lifting, climbing, pulling, pushing,
carrying or other effort where physical fitness is required. People with
heart, back or other conditions who should avoid physical strain may wish to
avoid these jobs.
Reading or writing
These jobs require moderate or better reading and writing skills. Workers may
be expected to prepare, understand or act on written materials, such as
letters or reports. People may wish to avoid these jobs if their reading or
writing English skills are limited to a small range of words or phrases and
symbols. Jobs remaining may still require very basic reading or writing
skills.
This occupation offers jobs at the following skill levels:
Skilled Trade Jobs
These jobs do not usually require completion of secondary education, however
further part-time study usually at Certificate III level, and on-the-job
training offered as an apprenticeship, is required.
Study requirements
At school, you can study these subject(s) to get a good foundation for this
occupation:
Rural Studies
School subjects that include some aspect of RURAL STUDIES provide a useful
background to these jobs. In some cases an rural studies subject is a pre-
requisite for entry to courses that provide the training for the job.
Duties and tasks of a Horse Trainer
Horse trainers may perform the following tasks:
carry out practical daily tasks, such as saddling, bridling, feeding and grooming horses
accustom horses to racing equipment such as bridles, saddles, harnesses and sulkies (two-wheeled carriages)
support the training of apprentice jockeys, drivers and track riders in horse riding or driving techniques and horse handling skills
supervise and direct stable staff, jockeys, harness drivers and other workers
plan, supervise and carry out training programmes for horses
plan and select race programmes to achieve the best placing for a horse
plan, supervise and carry out nutritional programmes for horses
monitor the health of the horses and consult veterinarians and farriers on injuries and ailments
advise and consult with horse owners
attend race meetings or other horse-related events
keep accurate records of accounts and use correct credit procedures.
Specialisations
Horse trainers usually specialise in thoroughbreds for galloping races,
standardbreds for pacing or trotting (harness) races, or performance horses
for events, show jumping and dressage.