There are so many opportunities these days to turn our passion for horses into something that can be seen by people worldwide and (hopefully) generate an income.  Racing is known as the Sport of Kings and from where I am situated in Australia, the horse racing industry is one of the highest employers in the country.

While it still costs a fortune to own and train a race horse the sport itself continues to be enjoyed by a diverse range of people from all across the socioeconomic spectrum. You don’t need to be a ‘high roller’ for online horse betting, it’s easy to learn and there’s action at the horse track every day of the year.

If you have a passion for horses – be it racing or otherwise – consider how you can develop an online presence, provide quality content and help to educate others about the value of your horse related service or product.

“The profession of book writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business.” – John Steinbeck

The challenge for growing your equine career this month is one word: diversify. I believe for you to be able to race ahead in any industry, it is important that you can branch out from one area of expertise, to many areas of knowledge.

Now I’m not saying you should be the jack of all trades (and master of none), but work to become a skilled and knowledgeable equine worker in one industry with capabilities in other areas, too. You never know when these will be necessary, so create them before they are!

I started out in the horse breeding industry and always landed another job before leaving one. Although I could stay in the breeding industry year round, I was keen to try other facets of the equine industry.

One such opportunity came in the form of an offer to teach horse studies – after I’d gained a teaching qualification. I was blessed in that I could do this on my weekends off (every other weekend) whilst still working as a stud hand. Then I was able to walk straight into a teaching position.

Another time alongside stud work, I studied to become a horse riding instructor and this study lead to securing work as a stable hand at a riding school, and teaching at another riding school nearby.

Currently my contract has finished for teaching at TAFE and I cannot undertake work with racehorses or the 12 day fortnight on a stud due to family commitments. You never know where life is going to lead you, but you can be better prepared to take on job opportunities if you are willing to diversify your skills. If you can study to improve yourself while working, go for it!