Are Horse Trainers rich?
Purse earnings can be a huge percentage of a trainer's income, and a trainer can really make the big bucks if their horses compete well in the more prestigious stakes races (which carry purses ranging from a few hundred thousand to several million dollars).
If the horse sells, or doesn't sell, if the horse lives, or dies, the trainer gets paid. You may not get rich as a trainer, but you'll get paid. If you have your own ideas, and you work hard, and you are dedicated to your craft, you'll make money. You might even become very wealthy.
Salary Ranges for Horse Trainers
The middle 57% of Horse Trainers makes between $69,011 and $174,070, with the top 86% making $384,488.
9. Horse Racing. There are actually many different sports that fall under the equestrian category, such as dressage, showjumping, and vaulting. Most of them would be considered rich people sports due to the costs of owning and caring for a horse.
Rank | State | Job Count |
---|---|---|
1 | Hawaii | 54 |
2 | Ohio | 534 |
3 | Kentucky | 224 |
4 | Mississippi | 166 |
The Horse Training Services industry provides various types of horse training as well as boarding and care. The industry declined marginally over the five years to 2022 as demand was curtailed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic in 2020.
An associate degree in equine science or equine studies is typically required to become a horse trainer. You may look into additional courses, workshops or apprenticeships to become more familiar with training horses.
But What About Prize Money? Trainers do get a share of prize money, yes, but for all bar the top echelon, it is not a significant contributor to their business. They get just a smidgen less than 10% of the winning prize money and just less than 6% of placed prize money.
Typically, the winner is paid 60 percent of the total purse, and second place is paid, 20% to second place, 10% to third, 5% to 4th, 3% to 5th, and 2% to 6th. From horses' earnings, jockey and training fees are paid.
What is the highest paying equine jobs?
- 8.) Equine Veterinary Technician.
- 7.) Mounted Police Officer.
- 6.) Equine Nutritionist.
- 5.) Equine Insurance Agent.
- 4.) Horse Trainer.
- 3.) Product Sales Representative.
- 2.) Farrier.
- 1.) Equine Veterinarian.
The average Horse Trainer salary in the United States is $37,442 as of July 26, 2022, but the salary range typically falls between $33,100 and $42,273.

Many trainers run a few horses of their own, and they get to keep all of the earnings in this case (save for the jockey fees of course). There are examples of the owner/trainer combination to be found in nearly every racing program, particularly in lower level races where it is extremely common.
Sports with high numbers of athletes which also had high percentages of state educated Olympians were football and cycling. Sports with higher percentages of independently educated athletes than state educated were rowing, equestrianism and tennis.
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2. Ohio.
The salaries of Horse Jockeys in the US range from $10,049 to $271,427 , with a median salary of $48,880 . The middle 57% of Horse Jockeys makes between $48,882 and $123,036, with the top 86% making $271,427.
Trainers make money off their commission on purse earnings. “Typically trainers get a percentage of what their horse earns in a race if it finishes in the top three (sometimes they will get paid through fourth, and maybe some get a percentage of any money made). Again, it's a deal between the owner and the trainer.
“Training is a lot harder than people think. It's not all blue ribbons and glamorous horse shows; it's hard, dirty, tiring, long days, and apprenticing shows you the reality of being a horse trainer.”
- Pro: The Horses! The most rewarding part of the job is working with the horses. ...
- Con: The Horses! Working with horses does come with its challenges, however. ...
- Pro: The People. ...
- Con: The People. ...
- Pro: It's Hard Work. ...
- Con: It's Hard Work. ...
- Pro: Working Outside. ...
- Con: Working Outside.
This could be a four year or two year equine science program or equine management program at an accredited college. Another option is to find a 4 year college with an intercollegiate team. You can pick a major and try out to ride on the team in college to gain more experience.
Is horse training a good career?
For people who enjoy working with animals, a career as a horse trainer can be rewarding. Horse trainers can spend a significant amount of time working outdoors, and no two days are exactly the same. They can also build lasting relationships with the horses they train, as well as with their owners.
Steven Mark Asmussen is undoubtedly one of the best racehorse trainers in 2021, rightfully claiming the top of this list. He has more than 9,000 wins in his entire career in North America alone and has a net worth of $4 million as of this year.
Noun. A man who rides a horse. horseman. equestrian.
According to the latest World's Billionaires List published by Forbes, they are also the richest. According to Forbes, Alain and Gerard Wertheimer each have a net worth of $34.5 billion putting them at No. 41 on the list of 2,755 billionaires worldwide.
The horse. Training board ranges from approximately $600 to $1,800 a month. Traveling trainers usually charge $40 to $75 per hour, while a regular trainer will cost you $650 a month.
Training. Again, training fees will vary from trainer to trainer and between those training for the flat and those training for jumps. Average annual training fees are £14,444 for flat and £10,675 for jumps. These include fees for farriers, vets, physios, dentists, gallop fees, clipping and wormer supplements.
Investing in and owning racehorses is an extremely risky endeavor, but one that can hold riches for the few that are successful. Major races pay out significant sums in prize money and successful horses can have breeding value long after they're done racing.
An equestrian is someone who is involved with horses.
Rank | Jockey | Career earnings |
---|---|---|
1 | Yutaka Take | $796,100,000 |
2 | Norihiro Yokoyama | $560,636,800 |
3 | Masayoshi Ebina | $479,423,200 |
4 | Yuichi Fukunaga | $479,409,900 |
Veterinarian. A veterinarian is one of the highest-paying animal careers. There are many different types of veterinary jobs. Mixed practice veterinarians work with both small and large animals, domestic or exotic.
What is the richest horse in the world?
Some of the most expensive horses sold are Thoroughbreds. The most expensive horse of all time, a Thoroughbred – Fusaichi Pegasus, sold at a whopping $70 million.
Showjumper Industry and Salary
Showjumpers earn most of their money by winning prizes at competitions. Prizes can be worth thousands of dollars. But it is likely important for most showjumpers to have a secondary job, like running a horse barn, offering riding lessons or doing grooming.
In dressage, riders are not competing for anything as louche as money. The largest purse is the European Championships at a little over €50,000. If you're looking for a return on investment it's going to come from your horse, rather than huge prize winnings.
Typical Day for a Horse Trainer - YouTube
Generally speaking, though, trainers are allowed to bet on their own horses but are not allowed to bet against horses that they're involved with.
Exercise rider
They commonly ride six to eight to horses a morning. They must know the horse and be able to apply what the trainer instructs during a training exercise. Good exercise jockeys can keep a horse at the pace the trainer advises.
They can do, for sure. Every yard has four main sources of income: a share of prize-money as already mentioned; training fees; buying and selling horses; and transportation. Most trainers claim to at best break even out of buying and selling horses, although the opportunity to make money is greater on the Flat.
Trainers make money off their commission on purse earnings. “Typically trainers get a percentage of what their horse earns in a race if it finishes in the top three (sometimes they will get paid through fourth, and maybe some get a percentage of any money made). Again, it's a deal between the owner and the trainer.