Careers Working With Horses
Working with horses can be a rewarding and varied career path. The horse industry includes many different roles, ranging from hands-on horse care and breeding work to training, property management, and equine welfare.
Some careers involve daily care of horses in stables or studs, while others focus on training, competition support, or specialist areas such as nutrition or behaviour. Many people begin in entry level roles and gradually develop their skills and knowledge through experience and further education.
This guide explores a range of careers working with horses and explains the types of skills and knowledge that are useful for each pathway.
It’s also a young industry, and that cuts both ways. Jobs and Skills Australia records about 5,600 people employed as stablehands in Australia, with a median age of 27 against 40 across all occupations, and around 43 per cent are under 25. Two thirds are women and roughly half the roles are part time. Most of the work sits in New South Wales (37 per cent) and Victoria (31 per cent). If you’re a school leaver, that’s an open door. If you’re changing careers later, stable hand work is still the way in at any age, and the Certificate III is how most people move out of general yard work into the specialised roles where experience counts for more than youth does. Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, based on ABS Census data.
How do I get into working with horses in Australia?
To get into working with horses in Australia: get hands-on time with horses, do the ACM20221 Certificate II in Horse Care, start as a stable hand or groom, then step up with the ACM30821 Certificate III in Horse Care. That’s the short version. Here’s what each step actually involves.
- Get hands-on with horses. Nothing else on your application matters as much as this. An employer wants to know you can catch, lead and rug a horse without it turning into a drama. Volunteer or work at a riding school, a local stable or an agistment property, or do a structured placement like our Equine Care Internship.
- Get a nationally recognised qualification. The ACM20221 Certificate II in Horse Care is the entry point. It covers safe handling, daily care, health and biosecurity, which is exactly the list an employer runs through in their head when they read your application. It also tells them you’ll turn up.
- Start in an entry-level role. Most horse careers begin as a stable hand or horse groom. Early starts, physical work, and the feeding, grooming, handling and preparation that keeps a yard running. This is where you learn the job properly.
- Specialise or step up. The ACM30821 Certificate III in Horse Care is the next rung after the Certificate II, and it’s usually the point where you stop being general help and start being trusted with the difficult horses. With it behind you, you can move into stud work and foal handling, competition and performance stables, riding coaching, or specialist areas such as farriery and equine bodywork.
You don’t need to ride or own a horse to start, and there’s no age at which it’s too late. If you’re serious about a career with horses, the fastest first step is the ACM20221 Certificate II in Horse Care. If you’re weighing up providers, our guide to choosing a horse care course sets out what to compare.
Entry-Level Careers Working With Horses
Many people begin their careers in the horse industry in practical roles that focus on the daily care and management of horses. These jobs provide valuable experience and allow individuals to develop the skills required to progress into more specialised positions.
Common entry level roles include:
Stable Hand
Stable hands keep the yard running. It’s the most common way into the industry, and it’s the job where you build your horse sense.
What you’ll do: Feeding, cleaning stables, maintaining paddocks and assisting with routine horse handling.
Where you’ll work: Breeding studs, racing studs, agistment centres, performance horse stables and private farms.
Horse Groom
Grooms get horses ready to work and keep track of how each one is going. It suits people who notice small changes.
What you’ll do: Grooming, tacking up, cooling horses after exercise and monitoring horse health.
Where you’ll work: Performance horse stables, riding schools and some larger agistment centres.
These roles are an excellent starting point for people who want to build practical experience and develop confidence handling horses.
Skilled Careers in the Horse Industry
As people gain experience in the horse industry, they may move into roles that involve greater responsibility for managing horses, breeding programs, or training horses or riders for riding and competition.
These careers often require strong knowledge of horse behaviour, handling, riding, nutrition and health management.
Examples include:
Professional Rider
Professional riders may compete in equestrian disciplines, train horses for clients, or assist trainers in preparing horses for competition.
Equestrian Instructor or Coach
Instructors teach riders of different skill levels and help them develop safe and effective riding techniques.
Stud Hand
Stud hands work on breeding farms with broodmares, stallions and young horses. Because so much of the work is with youngstock and stallions, reading horse behaviour accurately matters more here than in most entry-level roles.
What you’ll do: Caring for broodmares, stallions and foals, handling youngstock, and assisting with breeding and foaling routines.
Where you’ll work: Thoroughbred and sport horse breeding studs, and larger commercial breeding operations.
Horse Trainer
Horse trainers work with young or inexperienced horses to teach them basic skills and prepare them for riding or competition.
These careers often require advanced horse skills and knowledge along with practical experience working with horses in professional environments.
The best horse people understand why horses behave as they do, not just what to do. That’s where our courses are different. We teach equitation science, the evidence base for how horses actually learn and cope, alongside the husbandry, health and welfare grounding that comes from our veterinary nursing background. Behaviour and welfare aren’t a bolt-on module here, they run through everything. Start with Your Horse is Always Learning or You Don’t Need to Be the Leader.
Specialist Equine Careers
Some professionals in the horse industry develop specialised skills that focus on horse health, comfort, and performance. These roles often require additional training and practical experience but can offer rewarding career opportunities for people with a strong interest in horse welfare and biomechanics.
Examples include:
Equine Body Worker
Equine body workers use techniques such as massage, stretching, and other manual therapies to support muscle function, improve movement, and assist horses recovering from training or injury.
Farrier
Farriers specialise in hoof care, including trimming hooves and fitting horseshoes. They play a vital role in maintaining soundness and supporting horses with specific hoof or limb conditions.
Bit and Saddle Fitter
Proper saddle and bridle fit is essential for horse comfort and performance. Saddle and bit fitters assess how equipment interacts with the horse’s anatomy and movement to ensure that tack fits correctly and does not cause pain or restriction.
Equine Dentist
Equine dentists provide routine dental care for horses, including floating teeth and addressing dental abnormalities that may affect eating, comfort, or performance.
These careers require detailed knowledge of horse anatomy, biomechanics, and welfare, as well as strong practical skills working directly with horses.
Working with horses: your questions answered
Do I need a qualification to work with horses in Australia?
No, not by law. There’s no legal requirement to hold a qualification for most entry-level horse roles in Australia. In practice a nationally recognised qualification like the ACM20221 Certificate II in Horse Care makes you far more employable, because it proves you can handle horses safely and manage their daily care, which is exactly what employers look for.
How do I start working with horses with no experience?
Get hands-on time with horses however you can, at a riding school, a local stable, or through a structured placement like the Equine Care Internship, and pair it with a Certificate II in Horse Care to build safe handling and care skills quickly.
What is the first job most people get in the horse industry?
Most people start as a stable hand or horse groom, doing the daily care, feeding, grooming, handling and preparation that keeps a stable or stud running.
What jobs can you get working with horses?
Entry-level roles include stable hand, horse groom and stud hand. With experience you can move into competition and performance stables, breeding studs, riding coaching, or specialist areas such as farriery, equine dentistry and equine bodywork.
How much do horse jobs pay in Australia?
It depends which award covers the job, and there are three in play. Thoroughbred studs and racing stables generally fall under the Fair Work Horse and Greyhound Training Award 2020 (MA000008). Other breeds, and larger properties running horses as livestock, can sit under the Pastoral Award 2020 (MA000035). Riding schools and competition yards, such as a dressage or show jumping training operation, come under the Amusement, Events and Recreation Award 2020 (MA000080), which covers recreational facilities and includes animal attendant work such as training and husbandry. All three currently set the same entry rate: from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, $978.10 a week or $25.74 an hour, which works out at about $50,900 a year for a 38 hour week before super. Each award then steps you up after a qualifying period, and junior rates apply if you’re under 21. The award sets your legal minimum and rates are updated each July, so it’s always worth calling Fair Work to confirm which one applies to your job. Beyond that floor, pay varies with experience, location and facility. Jobs and Skills Australia doesn’t publish a median wage for stablehands, so treat any single headline figure you see online with caution.
Can I work with horses without riding?
Yes. Many horse careers, grooming, stud work, stable management and breeding, focus on care and handling rather than riding.
What qualification do I need to work with horses in Australia?
The ACM20221 Certificate II in Horse Care is the qualification most people need to work with horses in Australia. It’s the nationally recognised entry-level horse qualification and covers safe handling, daily care, health and biosecurity. From there the ACM30821 Certificate III in Horse Care builds toward skilled and specialist roles. Neither is legally required, but employers treat them as the standard proof you can work safely around horses.