Horse Trainer
A horse trainer develops and improves the ridden or driven performance of horses through systematic training programmes, working in equestrian facilities, stables, or training yards. They use evidence-based handling and conditioning techniques to teach horses obedience, gaits, and behavioural responses to commands, while assessing each horse's physical capability and temperament.
What this job is
A horse trainer develops and improves the ridden or driven performance of horses through systematic training programmes, working in equestrian facilities, stables, or training yards. They use evidence-based handling and conditioning techniques to teach horses obedience, gaits, and behavioural responses to commands, while assessing each horse's physical capability and temperament. They may specialise in disciplines such as dressage, show jumping, eventing, Western riding, or driving, and ensure training complies with animal welfare standards and ethical horsemanship principles.
Are employers advertising this role?
Falling, down 30.6% over 5 years
Counted across a group of similar roles. These are three-month rolling averages of online job advertisements, not filled positions.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Assess a horse's current fitness level, gait quality, behavioural traits, and psychological state before designing a tailored training programme. Design progressive training schedules that build the horse's strength, flexibility, and responsiveness over weeks or months. Lunge horses on a lunge line to develop balance, rhythm, and obedience at walk, trot, and canter before ridden work. Ride or drive horses under saddle or in harness to teach lateral movements, transitions, collection, and discipline-specific techniques (such as flying changes, pole work, or carriage control). Correct behavioural issues such as rearing, bolting, bucking, or refusal through desensitisation, habituation, and positive reinforcement. Condition and strengthen a horse's musculature, cardiovascular system, and mental resilience through structured exercise programmes and cross-training activities. Provide feedback to riders and owners about their position, aids, timing, and effectiveness in communicating with the horse. Monitor the horse's health and soundness during training, recognising signs of lameness, fatigue, or stress and adjusting workload accordingly.
Who does this now
About 3,000 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3)
Registration or licensing may be required.
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation had trouble finding suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Jobs and Skills Australia defines an occupation-ready qualification as:
Completing this qualification will provide the skills and knowledge to undertake this occupation. Further training and experience may be required to meet specific industry requirements including licensing and registration.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
Income is unstable and often modest. Physical wear accumulates fast: bad falls, chronic injuries, and joint damage are common. You're also at real risk if a horse panics or bucks unexpectedly, and there's no safety net if you get badly hurt.
Where the jobs are
Remote work is not possible. Work is scarce in inland and coastal areas without horse culture or competition infrastructure.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 3611, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.
This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.
Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
Skills
- Active Listeningcore
- Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
- Attention to Detailcore
- Goal Setting and Planningcore
- Incident Reportingcore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Record Managementcore
- Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
- Risk Identificationcore
- Stakeholder Communicationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Workload Self-Managementcore
- Advise on animal purchase
- Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
- Calculate rates per hours
- Continuous Learning and Upskilling
- Customer Needs Assessment
- Negotiation
- Policy and Procedure Adherence
- Report Writing
- Rostering and Scheduling Support
- Team Collaboration
- Written Communication
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
What Horse Trainer workers move into, from ten years of tax records.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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