How to become a Stablehand

Duties & Tasks of a Stablehand

Stablehands:

• Brush and groom, feed, handle and exercise horses, and lead them to their stables
• Check horses for lameness, common injuries, ailments and infections
• Give first aid, medication or other treatment to horses
• Clean and maintain stables and training equipment
• Accompany horses to registered race meetings, gymkhanas (horseriding events) and equestrian events
• Exercise horses during track work or equestrian activities.

Tasks

• Exercises horses by walking, riding, leading and swimming, and attending to horses at track work, barrier trials and races.
• Cleans stables, stores bedding and performs minor repairs on fixtures, buildings and fences.
• Assembles, prepares and stores horse gear.

Working conditions for a Stablehand

Stablehands start work early in the morning and may be required to work on weekends and public holidays. The work must be done in all kinds of weather. Long hours are usually involved.

Employment Opportunities for a Stablehand

Stablehands are employed in breeding, racing, trotting or riding stables, agistment (feeding) centres or farms. Some live-in jobs are available in both city and country areas. This occupation has a high turnover of staff, which results in a steady replacement demand. To become a stablehand you do not need to be able to ride horses. With experience, and sometimes further training, a stablehand may progress to stable supervisor or manager. Some stablehands who show potential and are light in weight may become apprentice jockeys. There are also opportunities for self-employment as a horse trainer/breeder.

Specializations

Stud Groom

A stud groom assists in coordinating horse breeding activities, including selecting horses for mating and assisting with breeding and foaling procedures.

Stablehand

Stablehands assist with maintaining and cleaning stables and handling horses.

• 

  Average age

  27

• 

  Future Growth

  N/A

• 

  Gender Share

  67% female

• 

  Average full-time

  43 hours

• 

  Weekly Pay

  N/A

• 

  Skill level rating

  Entry level

• 

  Unemployment

  Average unemployment

• 

  Full-Time Share

  51%

• 

  Employment Size

  5,600

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  Employment by state

  ACT: 0.8%
  NSW: 32.8%
  NT: 0.2%
  QLD: 16.6%
  SA: 5.6%
  TAS: 1.7%
  VIC: 32.1%
  WA: 10.1%
  
• 

  Age brackets

  15-19: 15.8%
  20-24: 23.6%
  25-34: 23.5%
  35-44: 13.7%
  45-54: 12.3%
  55-59: 4.7%
  60-64: 3.3%
  65 and Over: 3.3%
  
• 

  Education level

  Advanced Diploma/Diploma: 8.1%
  Bachelor degree: 5.2%
  Certificate III/IV: 20.7%
  Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate: 0.8%
  Year 10 and below: 25.8%
  Year 11: 9.3%
  Year 12: 30.1%