Ifyou’re looking for a job working at a stable, you’re in luck. There are countless openings for stable help and qualified instructors across the country—it’s a job-seeker’s market right now. The United States is not alone in its struggle to keep a full workforce; the UK’s Horse and Hound magazine reports that a number of riding schools have decreased offerings due to a shortage of workers, horses and funds. The recent headline: “Looking for Work? Canada’s Horse Industry Has Endless Opportunities” from the American Horse Publications newsgroup describes worker shortages in Canada.
But why the shortage? Can it be solved? And how will it affect the future sustainability of riding stables?
SHORTAGE OF YOUNG WORKERS
Colleges with equine programs receive requests for graduates by riding stables. Marny Mansfield from SUNY Cobleskill indicates that “on the average, I receive one request a week for either barn help or a therapeutic horsemanship instructor. There is an unmet demand, since most of my students get swept up after their internship.”
The same has also been said by many equine vet practices looking for recent graduates to add to their staff. Younger people value their time and question if the longer hours and hard work of a stable or veterinarian job meets their need for work-life balance.