11 Ways How To Make Money With Horses

Right up front, if you are interested in horses because you want to make money, find another interest. The only ways people make money from horses themselves involve exploitation. Examples include racing, breeding, some forms of competition and horse slaughter. For the most part, horses are a costly hobby and interest. The expense is well worth it to people who truly love horses. All others need not apply.

Having said that, if you are a true horse lover who wants to make a bit of extra money for tack, feed, veterinary expenses, farrier fees and the like, there are quite a few paying tasks involving horses that you may be able to take on.

In this article, we share few simple ideas to help you make a little money with horses. Read on to learn more.

11 Ways How To Make Money With Horses

1. Offer your services as a tack cleaner

Offer your services as a tack cleaner

Cleaning and organizing saddles, bridles, blankets and other equipment is a task that is often thrown by the wayside. Offer to clean tack and help organize tack rooms for an hourly fee. Remember to charge a bit more if you must supply your own cleaning equipment and materials.

2. Provide a grooming service

Provide a grooming service

Study up on methods of braiding and dressing manes and tails, clipping and general grooming. Many horse owners who show or compete with their horses would be happy to have a reliable groomer come and take these tasks off their hands. If you do well, you’ll have a long list of clients before you know it.

3. Provide barn, stall and equipment cleaning services

Provide barn, stall and equipment cleaning services

If you’re physically up to it, cleaning out trailers, barns and stalls is a job that’s always in need of doing.

4. Offer a manure cleanup and hauling service

Offer a manure cleanup and hauling service

Regular stable and paddock cleaning results in mountains of manure. Offer to haul it away, and if you have the space on your property, compost it and sell it to gardeners.

5. Provide pasture care and weed removal

Provide pasture care and weed removal

It doesn’t take long for weeds to take over a pasture and crowd out the grass. This is especially true in pastures that are over-grazed. Add weed removal and reseeding services to your manure removal service for a complete horse property maintenance package.

6. Seek work as a general stable or farm hand

Seek work as a general stable or farm hand

People who own horses for pleasure but also have busy, demanding work schedules may not have the time to feed and water on a regular schedule or turn their horses out for grazing every day. Just a few clients could keep you very busy on a regular basis. This service is also valuable for horse owners who want to be able to go on vacation without worrying about their horse’s care.

7. Exercise horses

Exercise horses

If you are a skilled rider, you may be able to find work exercising horses for busy owners. Knowing how to lunge a horse also comes in handy for this sort of service.

8. Become a farrier

Become a farrier

Hoof trimming and shoeing is a great way to make money with horses. This is not a task you can simply take up, though. It takes several years of training, experience and certification to become a qualified farrier. Once you’ve completed training, this is an interesting career that can earn you a living and save you money when it comes to your own horses’ hoof care. If you are interested in this career, visit the American Farriers Association for more information.

9. Training horses and teaching riding can be a bit risky

Training horses

Even if you’ve had lots of experience and success in riding and in training, remember that there’s quite a bit of liability involved in training and in teaching riding. If you want to pursue these avenues of income earning with horses, it’s best to work under the auspices of an established stable or training facility that has set hiring policies and liability insurance in place. If you want to set out on your own, be sure to get proper training, certification and insurance.

10. Lease your own horse

Lease your own horse

Consider leasing out your horse for a couple days a week for a little bit of extra income. This could be 2-3 day a week lease, and you can also request that the other party be responsible for insurance and vets bills – it all depends on your lease agreement.

11. Write article about horses

Write article about horses

Share your love of horses and your knowledge skills and abilities by writing online articles about horses. Some online websites will pay directly for well-written articles. You can also set up an account with an online content site that offers the opportunity to monetize your work. This is a great way to make a little money by sharing the same information you may already be sharing free of charge in horse-focused social media groups.

Make Money, Have Fun And Gain Experience

You won’t make a fortune helping horse owners with the many tasks surrounding horse ownership, but the money you make could certainly help you care for your own horses. If you haven’t got a horse, performing these types of tasks provides a great opportunity for gaining experience. It also offers a way of saving up to purchase your own horse.

9 thoughts on “11 Ways How To Make Money With Horses”

  1. As an instructor myself I do find it upsetting to see another horse person so strongly discourage new interest in the sport right at the intro of an article. Anyone who has some training and tenacity can find a way to work with horses, it’s up to them how far they take it and how profitable it can be.
    I feel compelled to ask – is it “exploitive” for a person to have a job that makes their employer money? Horses in the higher money end of the equine world are no different, they just have jobs like most of us. The sad truth is that most horses in America are simply pets which is equivalent to being on permanent “unemployment benefits”. Horses thrive on work and interaction of having “a job”.

    However in terms of stating “average income” for each job – that varies wildly. Factors such as where you live, what level and discipline of horses you are dealing with and level of horse experience you possess play a huge role. For example, exercising someone’s back yard trail horse may be offered as “free riding on my horse” and require only advanced beginner riding skills while exercising a $50,000 show horse on a regular basis could be rather lucrative but requires extensive training and athletic ability from the rider in the proper discipline for the horse. Getting into each of those subjects in depth could truly be an entire book.

    All in all keep it positive, people! We are the stewards of a dying sport/ artform. We should be trying to support each other in our various pursuits as well as the horses that carry us there and encourage new interest where we can!

    Reply
  2. Thank you for your response Tara. This is a very biased article and not well researched.

    There are well paid speech therapists, occupational therapists and physical therapists partnering with horses to help people. There are therapeutic riding instructors, equine assisted learning facilitators, equine mental health professionals working in a HUNDRED difference models such as Natural Lifemanship, EAGALA, OK Corral, and Equine Guided Education just to name a few. There are college professors who focus on the equine arts; facility designers; saddle makers; photographers; commentators for the Olympics in Dressage; curriculum designers; stunt riders; actors; 3D printers for shoes to correct foals misshapen hooves; nutritionists; equine massage therapists; equine chiropractors and acupuncturists; transformation coaches for equine professionals; videographers who create commercials for facilities including those Budweiser ads we typically see during the SuperBowl. The list goes on and on and on! My friends, when it comes to horses the sky is the limit. Don’t let the short sightedness of others stop you from pursuing your dreams of working with horses in some fashion!

    Reply

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