As a young person working in a law office in Miami, Florida, I went through the motions at work each day. One Sunday at church, I heard a minister speaking about passion and using it to achieve your goals. His comment, “you can climb an oak tree or sit on an acorn and wait” was the motivation I needed to explore the possibility of earning a living doing something I love.

Passionate about horses and with a background riding and horse showing I wanted a way to put my passion to work. I made a decision to go back to school and make a living with horses. Today, I have a unique and thriving business placing people in jobs in the horse industry.

Do you look forward to Monday morning? Or are you a TGIF (Thank God it’s Friday) kind of person who can’t wait to get away from the job for a couple of days? You spend at least 8 hours a day at the job, almost 25 percent of your week. If you are a TGIF person you are missing something really important in your work life - passion.

Does time fly by when you’re at work? Do you working past quitting time, not because you’re swamped with work, but because you were so intent you didn’t notice the time?

Passionate people get more done. They don’t spend time worrying about what they have to do next. They don’t scheme about how to get out of doing something. And they don’t have to waste time dreaming about a vacation they want to take to get away from the job.

People who are passionate about their work do a better job. Because they care so much about the work, they don’t settle for anything less than their best. They don’t ever “just go through the motions.” They pour all their thought and energy into doing the job well.

Bored and frustrated with their regular jobs, I see scores of job seekers that are ready to make a change and work at something they are passionate about, even if it means longer hours or less money. Some want a hands-on position such as grooming. Others want a job in a farm office. Still others look for a job riding, training, teaching at a summer camp or dude ranch. Some consider veterinary practice or work in a retail business that serves the horse industry.

Opportunities abound. The horse industry has a total impact of $112 billion on U.S. Gross Domestic Product, provides 1.4 million full-time jobs and l.9 billion in taxes, according to the American Horse Council.

Demand for Grooms
Grooms are in demand and are the backbone of our industry. A groom is responsible for the day-to-day care of horses. Duties usually include grooming, feeding, mucking out stalls, turning out horses and bringing them in, tack cleaning, preparing horses for exercise, competitions, etc., checking the general health of the horses, treating minor injuries, as well as general barn chores such as sweeping, scrubbing buckets and checking fences, etc.

Full-time grooms usually work 48 hours a week and start early in the morning. They are often required to work weekends or into the evening.
Those who work with horses need to be physically fit, be willing and able to work outside in all weather conditions, have a good general knowledge and experience with horse care and have an awareness of horse illnesses and equine first aid.

Aside from grooming, there are countless opportunities in related work. Training is available in many places. Are you ready for a career change?

Resources to Consider

meredithmanor.com -- post-secondary school
midway.edu -- equine studies programs
horsecoursesonline.com – online studies

Central Florida Community College – Continuing Education – Contact Shelia Ramos at 854-2322 x 1496 for short courses such as; Equine Groom School, Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Equine Care.

Central Florida Community College – Equine Studies Program – Contact James Lattimer 854-2322 x 1220 for AS degree programs – call for details.

Visit equistaff.com to learn about employment opportunities nationwide.
In Georgia, visit equinepros.com