How much of your day/week is related to horses?
100% of my work day is related to horses.

What is it exactly that you do?
I sell equine-related insurance policies. I answer questions from clients in this industry to help them determine what insurance policy is going to meet their needs. My agency deals only with equine policies –

• mortality/medical on the horse,
• liability for the independent trainer/instructor,
• farm policies for the property owners with horses and/or horse business (boarding, lessons, training), horse clubs, equine events.

In this field of work, is it possible to be a full time professional and earning a liveable income?
Yes. Insurance is an important part of the horse owner’s life. We help protect your investment in your horse through life insurance and medical insurance. We also provide required coverage for property – insuring against loss to homes, barns, equipment, and tack.

Many farm owners are now requiring the independents conducting business on their property to carry their own insurance and name the property owner as an additional insured. This is very important because property owner’s own policy would not protect them if they are sued because of the independent’s business.

What are the general steps taken to be employed in such a role?
To be employed in the insurance industry, you could start as clerical staff in an agency or come in as a licensed agent. Each state requires an insurance agent to be licensed to sell insurance. Some agents are independents and they broker business through an agency without being an employee. In this case they are paid a commission on the business they bring to the agency. In most cases, the independent agent would have a contract with the agency spelling out their agreement.

Favourite horse memory?
As a young teen, I went horseback riding for the first time with a friend from church. She sat in the saddle and I sat behind her hanging on for dear life! When the horse stepped over a bridge in the ring, I just knew I was going to slide off the back end. It was scary and exhilarating all at once.

Future goals?
My goal is to continue to grow my agency by helping people understand why they need insurance, what policy is best for them, and helping them save money in the process.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
The best thing about my profession is the satisfaction of helping others. I’m not a saleswoman but a teacher, guiding people to make good decisions. I also enjoy getting to visit the farms I insure and spending time with beautiful horses.

“I pray the gentle hands may guide my feet;I ask for kind commands from voices sweet; At night a stable warm with scented hay, where, safe from every harm, I’ll sleep till day.” – Pony’s prayer

Gini Woodward of Saddle Exchange took the time to answer questions about saddle fitting as a career.

How much of your day/week is related to horses?
All day at least 5 days a week every week.

What is it exactly that you do?
I’m a saddle fitter.

In this field of work, is it possible to be a full time professional and earning a liveable income?
Yes.

What are the general steps taken to be employed in such a role?
You need to undertake an apprenticeship.  Our agents and retail partners take anything from 9 months to around 2 years to train.

Favourite horse memory?
This is a difficult one… so many. I’ve had so many moments of joy with my own horses but I think my best memory of the last year has to be when I found out a customer of ours who we had worked very closely with and I had seen grow hugely in her horsemanship and who’s pony had improved immeasurably in the 18 months I had known them had just won the European Pony eventing Championship.

I still get emotional when I watch the video of her cross country and show jumping, sentimental old soul that I am!

Future goals?
As our brand awareness now spreads around Europe, our goal is to have a team of retail partners and accredited agents through the UK , Europe and the world, who can fit saddles where ever and whenever they are needed without having to wait a month or more for a visit from either me or my husband.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
I get to spend my days with horses and their owners.  There is immense satisfaction in providing a well fitting saddle to someone who has had problems and then coming back in 3 months, 6 months, a year and seeing how they have improved.

“No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle” – Winston Churchill

How much of your day/week is related to horses? What is it exactly that you do?
Firstly, no week is ever the same. I teach riders, and train horses. But I also, do holistic therapy for animals and humans. This last week, every day was involved with care of horses, but I only did two equine Bowen therapies, and no teaching. Tomorrow I will ride/train and possibly teach.

In this field of work, is it possible to be a full time professional and earning a liveable income?
As far as being able to earn a full time living — yes it’s possible, but I will never be rich. Though I consider myself lucky to do something I love, and get paid for it.

What are the general steps taken to be employed in such a role?
Anyone can train to do Bowen. There are several colleges world-wide. However to become qualified in equine Bowen, you have to become qualified in humans. Both courses took about a year each.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
The best thing about my work is the reward of helping a body back into alignment. Especially horses. They look at you with such gratitude when you have released a trapped nerve, that they have been having to work with for a long time.

Favourite horse memory?
My favourite memories — too many to mention. But each time a horse turns his head towards you, to say thanks; be it, that you’ve released them from pain, or told a rider to stop doing something, that you know the horse hates, is always special.

Future goals?
My goals are to take my teaching of riding and therapy to a wider field. I have worked in KY and TX. I would like to also visit CA and NE.

“Amazingly fast, incredibly strong, tirelessly proud, fantastically gentle, he is a huge dark beast that touches the hearts of all who meet him.” – Anna Sewell

Equine body worker Noni VanSon kindly took the time to answer some questions about her profession and business The Right Touch Equine Sports Massage and Rehabilitation.

How much of your day/week is related to horses?
At least 40 hours a week are devoted to horses–probably more if you add in all the time that I spend thinking and talking about them.

What is it exactly that you do?
I am an equine body worker. I am certified in equine sports massage, equine rehabilitation, and balanced equine structural therapy. I mostly use sports massage and body mechanics (both mine and the horses’) to alleviate chronically over-used muscles and over-stretched muscles, passively mobilize joints, and initiate exercises to generally improve the horse’s performance and comfort. I also provide the owner/trainer with exercises to reinforce the work that I have done and/or build strength in the horse’s core or other targeted areas.

I also spend considerable effort in educating owners and trainers and help them to coordinate saddle fit, farrier and dental work, veterinary work, and their training programs to enhance the horse’s physical well being as well as his or her performance. I strive to work as part of a team by improving communication between the various professionals and nonprofessionals who are responsible for each horse.

In this field of work, is it possible to be a full time professional and earning a liveable income?
Yes, it is possible to earn a livable income, but it takes time to build the reputation and clientele to do this. I would say that it makes a better second income for a family than the only one. However, if you are single, it could be done as long as you have some type of support while you build your business.

I worked part time during the first 8 years of my business, but was finally able to only do equine body work as my only income. I think the area you live in and your connections have some impact on how fast you are able to build a business. Certainly an area with fewer horses and lower per capita incomes would not provide a livable income doing this type of work.

What are the general steps taken to be employed in such a role?
I think certification or course completion in some form of equine body work is a must. I highly recommend Dino Fretterd’s Equine-DO Institute in California and The Animal Rehab Institute in Florida. Having said that, professional horse experience is also important to success.

One must know how to handle horses quietly, firmly, and with respect. The course one takes will definitely influence how well you do, but your mission statement and follow-through will also affect it. Additionally, you have to look at your career as one that involves continuing education and continual improvement.

Favourite horse memory?
My favorite horse memory is knowing that as a child I had no one really to help me with my horse addiction. We lived in an area where there were few horses, but many farms. My parents who knew nothing about horses, bought me a pregnant mare. I foaled the baby, raised him, started him myself, and rode him through the countryside without a care in the world, sometimes for the whole day.

And I never had him gelded! This stallion took care of me and never dumped me or even scared me. I never knew that it was dangerous. When I went to college, my mother gave the stallion to a friend of hers that had a herd of ponies that he wanted to breed for larger size.

A year later, I went to visit him and rode him bareback up the hill and away from his herd of mares to where my mom was. He never even looked back! Knowing what I know now, makes me feel that this entire relationship was a miracle of sorts and I am very thankful for the memories.

Future goals?
My future goal is to obtain funding for an equine rehab facility with a water treadmill, cold water spa, Theraplate, therapeutic ultrasound, effective body work, and employees who love horses and learning. This would be a place where horses could not only be rehabilitated, but actually improved and the people working with them would be treated with respect.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
The best thing about my profession is that I am an educated equine advocate. I help horses in real and tangible ways and I can also help their owners/trainers to achieve their goals for these horses.

“His is a power enhanced by pride, a courage heightened by challenge, his is a swiftness intensified by strength, a majesty magnified by grace, his is a timeless beauty touched with gentleness, a spirit that call our hearts to dream.” – Author unknown