When we think about horse racing and the job roles associated with it, the two most prominent ones that come to mind are that of jockey and trainer, but there are plenty of other very important job roles going on behind the scenes, and if you feel you want to work with racehorses, some of the ones on this list here could be good options.

Let’s take a look at a few career choices for working with thoroughbred racehorses.

Stablehand

It might not sound as glamorous as being a champion jockey or horse trainer, but the stablehand provides vital services in the development, upkeep and well being of the horses, and if you’re someone who has a passion for horses, it’s a job where you get to work closely with them.

A major part of the stablehand’s role is to keep the stables clean and in good order. This also involves looking after the horses, washing them and grooming them, and reporting any illness or injury to the horse trainers and the vet.

Stablehands also are responsible for feeding the horses and taking them out for exercise.

Track Rider

Maybe you don’t want to be a professional jockey but love riding horses and putting them through their paces. If you’re qualified and have the necessary experience, you could hire out your services as a track rider.

Track riders perform very important roles and work closely with the racehorse trainer. Much of the role is about exercising the horses based on a routine devised by the trainer. This will include walking, trotting, and galloping. It’s all about getting the horse fit and in top shape for race day.

As a track rider, you could end up one day preparing one of the Melbourne Cup horses for the big race.

Farrier

Farriers primarily take care of horses’ hooves, although part of the role is to keep an eye on the overall limb health of the animal and report injuries to vet and trainer alike.

Farriers are experts when it comes to all things hoof care. This includes expertly fitting horseshoes and making certain they are comfortable for the horse, cleaning, grooming and trimming the horse’s hooves, and also accompanying the horse to the race track for last minute preparations.

Being present at the race meets means a higher level of excitement attached to the job of a farrier, as you actually get to be there when your horse is racing.

Horse Breaker

Before a racehorse can ever be ridden successfully on the track by a jockey, that horse must first become accustomed to having a saddle and rider on its back. This is the job of the horse breaker, a very specialist role.

A horse breaker is also a form of a horse trainer, one who gets heavily involved in the early stages of a young horse’s training and development.

Racehorses are not born expecting to be ridden by anyone, let alone running at full speed around a racecourse. They first have to be patiently broken in so they get used to taking a rider, and that’s primarily what the horse breaker does.

Become a Pre-Trainer

Once a horse has been broken in by the horse breaker, the pre-trainer then steps in to begin the initial fundamentals of racehorse training. This prepares the horse to a certain standard where once reached, the racehorse then gets handed over to a more seasoned professional trainer to get it up to a competitive racing standard.

Fitness levels are a key role of a pre-trainer, and to be successful in this role you’ll require extensive knowledge of horses and the equine industry.

Racehorse Breeder

What better way to indulge your passion for racehorses than to be the one breeding them. Apart from allowing you to spend a lot of time around the animals, you love so much, being a racehorse breeder can also become very lucrative if you build a reputation for producing champions from quality bloodlines.

Breeding horses can be very satisfying on many levels and seeing those horses go on to become champions, you know you played a pivotal role in that.

As you can see, there are many other ways to spend time working with racehorses other than being the trainer, jockey or owner.