Born to run

Love horses, but particularly fast, fit ones? Then find out more about careers in the horseracing industry

WHEN PEOPLE THINK about careers in horseracing, the first job that springs to mind is that of a jockey. But there are actually hundreds of jobs available in the industry, from roles in a racing yard or on a stud farm, to working on a racecourse or in an administrative position. If you want to combine your love of horses with a corporate role, there are 59 racecourses in the UK with a considerable range of jobs available — think digital media to event manager. It may come as no surprise that horseracing is the second largest spectator sport in the UK; it’s also the largest sporting employer, supporting in excess of 85,000 jobs.

If you have never had the chance to learn to ride, don’t worry: in the racing industry specialist training providers can teach you to ride and develop your skills on Thoroughbred racehorses. There are also many jobs that involve caring for horses that don’t require you to be able to ride at all. Take stud grooms, for example, who care for mares and their foals. To do this job you would need training in how to handle the horses, groom them and look after them as they grow up. It’s a particularly rewarding job, and one day you might even see them win on a racecourse, too.

If you like riding, though, or fancy giving it a try, working as a racing groom could be just the job for you. A racing groom will care for racehorses on a day-to-day basis, grooming them, feeding them and mucking out their stables. Someone in this role will also ride up to four horses a day, both in riding arenas and on the gallops.