What Does an Equestrian Job Involve?

Equestrians, also called riders or jockeys, compete on horseback to win prizes or awards in a variety of competitions. Using a riding discipline such as dressage or jumping, they compete against other teams and individuals to demonstrate their horsemanship skills and the ability to train the horse. This type of sport requires a strong relationship between horse and rider and can be physically demanding. It’s also an expensive endeavor, and some competitors must own their own horses to participate in regular intercollegiate competitions.

An equestrian’s job duties may include caring for the health and welfare of horses, competing in a specific discipline, and coaching or instructing other riders. Some equestrians also advocate for equine rights and welfare, work with therapeutic riding programs, and organize or lead horseback riding lessons, clinics, camps, or workshops. Other responsibilities include working to improve the performance of their horse through a variety of exercises, including groundwork and lunging.

The University of Tennessee Equestrian Team is a club that supports collegiate equestrians in their pursuit of competitive excellence. Its members compete at regional, zone, and national championships in hunter seat, western, and eventing competitions. In addition, the team hosts an annual equestrian vs. rodeo show where students on both the equestrian and rodeo teams can try events from both disciplines, and has won the competition multiple times.

Morehead State’s intercollegiate equestrian team offers full-time college students the chance to compete without having to own their own horse. The team is part of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), which was founded on the principle that all students should have a chance to participate in competitive equestrian sports, regardless of financial status or riding experience.

While the majority of IHSA competitors are in the hunter seat and western disciplines, a smaller number of schools field a ranch horse team to compete in the Ranch Horse Division of the IHSA. The MSU ranch horse team has won the Zone 5 Championship title three times and is a top-10 National Champion.

Riders on the varsity equestrian team, which is supported by the United States Equestrian Foundation, compete in four IHSA disciplines: show jumping, dressage, cross-country, and horsemanship. Each discipline has a different set of competition rules and requires a unique relationship between the rider and the horse. Show jumping involves jumping over obstacles that must be knocked over as few times as possible, while dressage is a series of movements to music, judged on a rider’s form and harmony with the horse. Cross-country is a long course that requires the competitor to negotiate a number of obstacles while riding. All of these events require a high level of physical fitness and skill. In addition to training and preparing their horse, the MSU riders also compete in a gymkhana. A rider is scored on her ability to guide her horse through a course of patterns, such as circles and the dramatic sliding stop. Each event takes place on a separate day and is timed.