Careers

South Australian horse industry

Horse SA provides services which support equine sustainability through coordination, collaboration and sharing of knowledge & skills for horse owners, businesses and organisations in South Australia.

This is achieved through communication, advocacy and education.

Recreational trails, facilities, sustainable land management, biosecurity, horse health & welfare, cultural heritage, club & business development, and workplace safety are key areas of focus for capacity building and leadership.

Opportunities for engagement, collaboration and innovation may include:

  • Exchange recognition of events, conferences, meetings

  • Vocational training & youth development

  • Breeding collaboration, skills exchanges

  • Exchange programs (horses, sporting, students, workforce)

  • Research collaborations in all areas of interest, including emergent fields of social sciences, technologies, horse welfare, climate change

  • Investors and equine venture capitalist interest in South Australia

  • Know-how collaboration

    • Infrastructure development best practice

    • Professional development

    • Sporting event & volunteer management best practice

    • Recreational horse industry development

    • Equine tourism industry development

    • Equine industry technologies

    • Human-horse therapies

The largest employment type in South Australia is within the sector. Roles include jockey, track work rider, stable foreman, stable hand, transport driver, racecourse track attendant, steward and racing administration or marketing. Job vacancies are often advertised on Racing Jobs.

Some full time, part-time and casual jobs are available in other sectors, including Thoroughbred breeding and harness racing.

There is also work available in the non-racing sectors, including riding schools, polo stables or trail riding centres, which is usually advertised locally and on social media networks.

Many people opt to establish their own business in a field of interest, including property management, equine massage, coaching, horse training, horse care services or through the management of an online stores selling horse related products.

Training

University

South Australia provides an opportunity to train as a veterinarian at the University of Adelaide, with many students choosing to specialize in equines after graduation. Degrees are also available in related areas including animal behaviour.


Vocational qualifications

Horse SA provides feedback and input into a variety of vocational qualifications to support contemporary and relevant updates.

Vocational qualifications are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), with delivery by public funded or private Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). If you are interested in a qualifications and organisations accredited to train people, these can be searched on Training.gov.au.

Throughout the year, horse industry representatives including Horse SA, work with two Service Skills Organisations to update or develop new qualifications, being Skills Impact (Racing & Animal Care and Management Training Packages) and Skills IQ (Sports, Fitness & Recreation Training Package).

In South Australia, TAFE SA provides veterinary nurse training with job opportunities coming up from time to time in equine clinics.

However, many roles, especially in the thoroughbred racing industry, are learnt on-the-job coupled with a training agreement in order to attain an AQF recognised qualification. Contact Racing SA about career pathways and training.

Qualifications for leading a trail ride, instructing recreational riders or related job roles is available through the South Australian based Horse Safety Australia, which operates in partnership with Sports SA.


Coaching qualifications

If you are interested in coaching riders or drivers related to a particular sport, it is likely that the peak body has a specialist coaching course already in place. For example, Equestrian Australia provides coaching qualifications which supports gaining a job at a riding centre or to start up your own business. Organisations including Pony Club Australia, Riding for the Disabled Australia and Polocrosse Australia also provide coach education, available in South Australia through the state branches.


Volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to meet potential employers, gain skills and get to know the horse industry better.

Riding for the Disabled runs a number of centres throughout the state, which rely on volunteers to deliver the riding and driving programs, and care for horses.

Every local club activity, horse show, endurance ride, cross-country competition or carriage driving event requires many volunteers to run. Visit the club page to find a club local to you.