The arrival of a new foal is the culmination of planning, hopes and dreams—unless something goes wrong.

Only about 5 percent of mares experience foaling difficulties, but it happens. Sometimes a mare dies during or shortly after foaling. Some mares reject their foals, while others don’t produce adequate milk or get seriously injured and can’t care for their babies.

In any of these scenarios, prompt intervention is needed to give the foal its best chance for survival.

Raising a “bottle baby” is certainly possible, but not the best option for a foal, who ideally needs to be raised by a horse to be properly socialized.

Enter the nurse mare.

In the traditional nurse mare business, mares are bred to have a foal each year so they’re available for lease if needed to raise another mare’s foal. When that nurse mare is called into duty, her own foal is left behind to be raised on milk replacer. Often called “throwaway foals,” some of them end up in the slaughter pipeline.

The nurse mare industry has long been a reality, but not one that people spoke of with pride. It’s a tragic irony that a business created to save valuable foals makes orphans out of others.

Using a More Ethical Option

As a young woman, Laura Phoenix worked in the traditional nurse mare business, but grieved over the brutal truth of those foals left behind.

“It was always sad,” she says. “I didn’t like coming home to the orphans.” She later left the business because of that aspect.

Decades later, she learned about the concept of hormonally induced lactation (HIL). With HIL, mares are safely brought into milk production without being pregnant and having a foal.

In 2011, Phoenix gave it a try with two of her mares. After finding demand for the service, she started adding more mares. Today, Phoenix owns and operates Nursemares of the Northeast at her home base in Walton, N.Y., and Nursemares of Kentucky in Paris, Ky.

Raised on a working horse farm in Virginia, Bronwyn Watts became a professional groom, working at the highest levels of eventing competition for years.

She’d worked in the horse industry her whole life, but learned about the traditional nurse mare business by reading an article in 2017. This inspired her to look for a more ethical way to help orphans.

After researching HIL, she got her first two mares and in 2018, launched ColdSpring Nurse Mares, LLC, in Ocala, Fla.

Although their businesses are totally independent, Phoenix and Watts are both driven by the same passion.

How HIL Works

With HIL, mares are given hormones for a short period to mimic late-stage pregnancy and stimulate milk production, explains Alan Riggs, DVM, a veterinarian with Peterson Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala, Fla.

After a brief hormone protocol, the mare has mammary gland development. It typically takes anywhere from five to 10 days for her to come into milk. Hand milking encourages further milk production until a foal is nursing her.

“Once the mares come into milk, they are milked at least twice a day to keep up the milk production. This is done until a foal is on them. It’s completely safe for the mare and safe for the foals,” notes Riggs, who specializes in reproduction.

Each mare is different, and the protocol can be adjusted for each individual.

“With [HIL], lactation can be timed to when the mares will be needed,” he adds. “By far the biggest benefit is not having a foal that becomes an orphan.”

Phoenix and Watts each have their own unique protocols they’ve developed over time and personal experience.

“The mares have 21 days of hormonal support protocol, and then they’re treated just like any other mare,” says Phoenix. “They dry up after weaning just like a mare who’s had her own foal.”

Because one never knows when a nurse mare will be needed, Phoenix and Watts both keep mares ready in different stages of protocol throughout foaling season.

Bonding with the Foal

The traditional nurse mare leaves her own foal at home, and must often be sedated, blindfolded, hobbled and forced to accept the orphan foal. That trauma is never part of the process with HIL nurse mares and proper pairing.

But just having a lactating mare doesn’t ensure success. The strategy is pairing the right mare with the orphaned foal so they can bond quickly and thrive together.

“There’s a lot of misconception that any lactating mare will make a nurse mare,” says Watts. “It’s a very delicate situation. You have to really know the mare and know what you’re doing bonding mare and foal.”

Great care goes into matching mare and foal, taking into consideration size, personality, history, and health of the foal.

If the foal is having health issues on top of being orphaned, it takes just the right nurse mare to fill the spot. Sometimes the foal is sick and already in the clinic. This situation requires a mare who is not only going to bond with the baby, but whose personality can handle the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) setting.

The mare is hauled to the foal’s location. Every effort is made to ensure that conditions are optimal for bonding. The less distraction, the better. A team of two people is optimal: one to safely handle the foal and one to handle the mare.

The mare is brought into the stall with the foal and the handlers stay in place until the foal is nursing, which helps cement the bond.

“The bonding process is dictated by the mare,” says Phoenix. “Safety is the No. 1 thing, so we take every precaution.”

Pairing can take only minutes with very young foals but can take a little longer if the orphan is older when he loses his biological mother.

What Makes a Good Nurse Mare

What makes a good nurse mare? For starters, she must previously have had her own foals and proven to be a doting mother with good milk production.

Personality is a crucial factor. Nurse mares are sent to both small farms and large breeding operations. Either way, they need to be easy to catch and handle.

Vices like stall walking or weaving will disqualify a mare, as will aggression or serious lameness issues, such as laminitis.

“If a mare is cribber, that’s not a deal breaker if she’s a good mom, but she will wear a crib collar,” says Phoenix.

Since most nurse mares are on the older side, averaging late teens to 20s, age isn’t a negative factor, providing the mare is healthy.

Both Phoenix, who has 220 mares, and Watts, who has 80, have built their herds through donations. Mares often come from clients who want their retired broodmares to have great homes.

Although many are retired Thoroughbreds, there are plenty of other breeds in the mix, including warmbloods, Quarter Horses, Appaloosas, Arabians, Standardbreds, and draft crosses.

For most nurse mares, raising orphans is their third career.

“In the beginning, we said we were saving a life,” says Phoenix. “However, we quickly realized we’re saving three: the unwanted broodmare, the client foal, and the throwaway foal.”

Situations with Unusual Orphans

Not every client who calls needs a nurse mare for a horse foal. On occasion, baby equines of different species need a mom.

In 2023, Nursemares of Kentucky came to the rescue when a zebra foal lost its mother. In addition to their dramatic stripes, zebras don’t vocalize like horses, so it required just the right nurse mare to adopt this unusual newborn.

“The client was licensed to have exotic animals, but they didn’t have the facilities to keep them in for bonding, so they brought the zebra foal to us,” says Phoenix, who had prepped two mares for the unlikely orphan.

The first mare took to the zebra immediately and the two were able to return to the owner’s farm within four days.

ColdSpring Nurse Mares has provided nurse mares for three donkey foals. One of these was a Poitou, a rare long-haired French donkey breed that is considered endangered.

Watts says her nurse mare who raised the Poitou donkey foal was known for her powerful mothering instincts and had even nursed a calf.

Lease Arrangements for Nurse Mares

Nurse mares are leased for a flat fee plus delivery charge, which varies depending on distance. Between Phoenix and Watts, their nurse mares have been sent to clients in the entire eastern half of the U.S. and beyond.

Foal owners lease the mare for as many months as needed to nurse the baby. During that time, the lessee is responsible for all mare care (feed, hoof care and deworming), as well as shipping the mare home after weaning.

In the traditional nurse mare business, the lessee is required to breed the mare back, but obviously, this isn’t required with HIL nurse mares.

“What these mares do is so special,” says Watts. “We’re giving these older broodmares a job they love to do, helping an orphan foal, and not contributing to the population of unwanted horses. You can’t go wrong with this.”

Phoenix agrees.

“Even with us putting out this many mares, I’m still shocked to find out so many people don’t know about this option,” she says. “These nurse mares are heaven sent. When we can fill that need without having an unwanted foal, everybody feels good at the end of the day.”

This article about the improving practices of the nurse mare industry appeared in the March 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post How the Nurse Mare Industry is Changing for the Better appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Della was a grade mare with a crooked right front leg who had been purchased from a kill pen. On my first visit to examine her, I also learned that she wasn’t halter trained.

“I know, I know,” said Maggie. “But we just couldn’t leave her there, Doc.”

Treatment Plan for a Neglected Mare

Maggie and I both knew that the kill pen industry was a bad business. The horses are crowded into filthy pens. They are generally sold to meat buyers, but the public can also purchase them (typically at a large markup). I completely understand wanting to help these horses, but buying from these places perpetuates a horrible industry.

Kill pen managers plant sad stories on social media (of course with an urgent deadline), lick their chops, and wait for the would-be rescuers to arrive with their checkbooks. Individual horse sales bring in far more than meat sales, and with a never-ending flow of horses to populate this market, kill lots laugh all the way to the bank. (Note to readers: Visit reputable horse adoption centers instead!)

But Della needed our help today. I’d managed to draw her blood the week before, and she was approximately 200 days pregnant. Normally I’d palpate and ultrasound the pregnant mare to make sure all was well with the pregnancy, but this simply wasn’t possible with Della.

Her belly wasn’t very big, but she was streaming milk from her udder and there was a discharge under her tail. These are common signs of an infection of the placenta, which can harm the fetus.

The neglected mare was surely unvaccinated, and I had to take my best guess as to what infectious agent could be causing the symptoms and come up with a treatment plan. Della would have to be on the medications until she foaled.

The mare stood at a safe distance as I placed a small tub of grain on the ground with some medicines carefully mixed in. I’d added a dollop of molasses for good measure.

Della pretended to ignore the tub, but after doing battle with herself for several minutes, the food won. She lowered her head to eat, never taking her eyes off me. She took a few suspicious bites, then devoured the mixture and licked the tub clean.

“This is what you’ll be doing twice a day,” I said to Maggie. “If the symptoms begin to improve, it’s a good sign that we’re on the right track.”

Maggie looked anxiously at Della, who was still licking the dish. “Can the baby be saved?”

I sighed. “Fifty-fifty. Horses tend to get wary of oral meds after a while, but even if we do everything right, we could still lose the foal.”

Maggie set her jaw, a look that I knew well, and I chuckled at the unsuspecting Della, who was going to be medicated twice a day no matter what. Over the next month and a half, Maggie used a rotating arsenal of applesauce, ground carrot, peppermint, and molasses to trick Della into eating her meds. Maggie was also halter-training the once neglected mare and getting her used to being handled.

Foaling Night

Della improved, but I was still concerned and wasn’t surprised to hear from Maggie late one night. She was very experienced with foaling mares, so when I heard the worry in her voice, I hurried to pull my boots on.

“Something’s wrong. Della’s been showing signs of labor all evening but she’s not progressing.”

Della was on her side breathing heavily when I arrived. Her vitals were stable, mucus membranes were a healthy pink, and her water hadn’t yet broken. There was no baby in the birth canal, although the cervix was dilated. As I gently pulled my gloved arm free, the mare strained vigorously and suddenly a red structure ballooned from the birth canal.

I gasped. “Red bag!”

Maggie looked at me in horror. “What on earth?”

There wasn’t time to explain. This was a true emergency. Because of the damage done by the infection in the mare’s uterus, the weakened placenta had separated from the uterus with the foal still inside. We had to get him out immediately or he would die.

I grabbed my knife from my belt and sliced open the thick red membrane, being careful not to cut the foal. Maggie and I each grabbed a front foot, and soon we had the foal on the ground. I cleared the mucus from the small nose and gave him a few rescue breaths while Maggie rubbed him vigorously with a towel.

His heart rate was too low, so I ran for the emergency kit as Maggie took over the rescue breathing. I injected a strong stimulant into his vein and continued toweling him off. When his chest finally began to rise and fall, Maggie and I high-fived each other.

I heard the mare get to her feet behind me. It occurred to me how vulnerable Maggie and I were, hunkered on the ground by the foal, but the mare simply reached her head between us and began to lick her baby. It’s amazing how they always seem to know when we’re helping their babies.

Will to Live

I monitored the foal’s heart rate and gave him a second dose of the stimulant. He was still very weak, and I knew that he was going to need a lot of care.

We had to milk the mare, tube-feed the colostrum into the baby, help him stand, and place an IV catheter. Poor Maggie had to feed him around the clock and get many medications into him. He was unable to nurse on his own for almost a week, and he had a crooked right front leg like his mama, but he lived.

Maggie was exhausted but happy the next time I saw her. And she was actively working on new legislation to close the kill pen businesses down for good. It would be an uphill battle, but if anyone could do it, it was Maggie.

This edition of Vet Adventures about a neglected mare appeared in the June 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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George still hadn’t quite gotten used to talking on cell phones, and I winced as he answered his phone at his usual volume. It increased twofold when he realized it was me.

“WELL, HOWDY COURTNEY, WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!”

I held the phone away from my ear.

“Hey, George! if you’re not busy, I have a quest—”

“IT’S SUNNY HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT I SEE CLOUDS MOVING IN, AND DANG IT, I’VE GOT COLTS TO GELD!”

“GEORGE, I NEED TO ASK YOU A MARE QUESTION,” I bellowed.

Once in a while, George remembered to put his hearing aids in, but today was not one of those days. I explained the situation at the top of my lungs and asked if it was safe to allow the pregnancy to continue.

“THAT FOAL WILL GROW TO THE SIZE OF THE UTERUS. IT’LL BE BORN NORMALLY, AND THEN WHEN IT HITS THE GROUND, IT’LL REALLY GROW!” George boomed. “AND TELL LONNIE TO QUIT FEEDING THAT MARE ALL THOSE DANG SUPPLEMENTS—ONLY THING THOSE’LL DO IS MAKE HER FAT!”

George knew that Lonnie was an indiscriminate user of feed supplements, and her barn shelves were lined with every possible product, powder, granule, additive and oil. He made his opinions clear to Lonnie, and he liked to joke that she probably used a supplement dartboard to guide her protocols.

Incessant Calls about the Pregnant Pony

Lonnie was still worried about her pregnant pony, although she was grateful for George’s advice, and the waiting game began. We had an estimated four months to go, plus or minus.

Looking back, I think it might have been the longest foal watch of my career. Lonnie made sure the pregnant pony stayed on my radar with many helpful evening and late-night calls informing me that the mare had lain down twice and groaned several times, or that her udder wasn’t tender yet, or that she hadn’t finished her alfalfa hay in the same time frame that she’d finished it the night before.

I liked Lonnie, but I started letting the calls go to voicemail after a while, as having my dinner interrupted to be told that the mare was scratching her butt on the fence was getting old. When Lonnie couldn’t reach me on the phone, eventually she started paging me.

“Lonnie, what is it this time?” I asked wearily after my pager had gone off three times in a row.

“You need to come right out, Doc! I think she’s bleeding from her birth canal!”

That got my attention.

“How much blood? When did it start?”

Lonnie wasn’t sure, and when I arrived, she was holding a towel to the pony’s backside.

The towel was black, so I couldn’t tell how much blood there might have been.

I gently removed the towel and inspected the little mare. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Lonnie had a chair ready for me, and we watched the pony for about 20 minutes, but there was no sign of any bleeding or leaking fluids.

“Well, she was wet back there, and it seemed red,” said Lonnie defensively. “But the towel was so dark I couldn’t really tell.”

I stared at her. “Lonnie, I’m going to say this once. The pregnancy is progressing normally, and you need to leave her be and get some rest. Don’t call me again unless she’s showing actual signs of labor!”

The Wait is Over for a Pregnant Pony

My phone was quiet for the next few weeks. Finally, early one morning I finally got the call that I was waiting for. The pregnant pony had given birth during the night. Her foal was nursing well and the mare was up and eating. I didn’t see any reason to cancel my morning calls, and I told Lonnie I’d be along in a few hours.

Her number popped up on my cell a few times, but I was busy and didn’t answer. Then my pager went off.

“Where are you?!” Lonnie demanded. “The baby’s down, and she’s twitching!”

“Lonnie, she’s sleeping!” I said in exasperation. “I told you, I’ll be along when I finish my calls. Don’t page me again!”

Lonnie was sulky when I finally arrived, but she cheered up when I examined the mare and her huge foal and pronounced them perfect. The filly had the largest knees I’d ever seen, the mare was bright, and she hadn’t even torn during the delivery. I was charmed by the big filly with her whiskery, milky muzzle, and Lonnie was beaming when I drove off.

Growing Like a Weed

When the foal was a week old, her back was level with her mother’s hip bone, and by one month of age, she had to squat down to nurse. It was comical to see the pony with her huge gangly baby, and soon the filly was taller than her mother. Lonnie was much calmer now that the pregnancy was over, and my phone stayed fairly quiet.

One day, Lonnie announced that she was still hoping to find her driving team and was planning a trip to the horse sale.

I stared at her. “No more auction mares, Lonnie!”

She grinned. “Oh, don’t worry, doc! I’ve got my hands full with this elephant out in the field, and I’m sorry to have been such a pain about the whole thing.”

We gazed out at the enormous filly, now six months old and dwarfing her mother. Lonnie winked at me.

“Doc, make sure to ask Dr. Platt what supplements he recommends for the filly to get her ready for weaning.”

If you missed the first part of this story, click to read it now.

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Read to learn about horse industry careers that don’t require a college degree.

When it’s time for a career change or to take on a part-time job, horse enthusiasts often consider equine-industry vocations as a way to combine a love for horses and the need for a paycheck. So what types of jobs are out there, and are there immediate employment opportunities within a horse career, especially without the need for a college degree?

“Almost any entry- to mid-level position in the equine industry is in high demand,” says Laurie Mays, equine talent pipeline project manager for the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) in Lexington, Ky. “Farms, tracks, veterinary clinics, horse shippers, et cetera, are desperate for people with equine handling and industry experience. Someone who is willing to work hard will succeed, no problem.”

Here are some highlights for four equine-related jobs that could serve as a second career or fit into a schedule as a part-time horse job, without the person having to get a college degree.

Horse Transport Driver

JOB DESCRIPTION: This job involves semi-trailer horse transport, short-distance smaller van driving, or pickup truck and trailer driving to move a client’s horses from point A to point B. You must have experience in handling horses. For driving semis, a Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) is required, but for smaller horse vans a Class B CDL is sufficient; a regular driver’s license may be enough for pickup truck and trailer under 26,000 pounds.

A few years of experience driving semis, a clean driving record and a Department of Transportation certified medical card are also required to land a job driving the “big rigs” for a horse transport company. These companies also offer other jobs, such as dispatchers, office personnel, mechanics and truck/trailer washing and restocking.

WHERE TO FIND JOB TRAINING: Truck driving school can be a good place to start,
but further driving experience is needed in order to drive a horse carrier semi. Some horse transport companies will partner experienced drivers with someone wanting to gain more experience.

The National Horse Carriers Association offers some useful information and contacts on their website (www.nationalhorsecarriers.com).

JOB OUTLOOK/AVAILABILITY: Horse transportation industry leaders report a great need for drivers. Nationally, all types of commercial semi drivers are in high demand.

TIPS FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS: DJ Johnson, owner of Johnson Horse Transportation in Shartlesville, Penn., has been in the business for 27 years. His wife Elizabeth works with him as well, and they currently run over 30 trucks going to horse shows across North America.

“There are two important things that we look for with our drivers: first is the ability to handle horses and the second is safety,” says DJ. “Drivers need to be available to work weekends, have horse experience and the ability to read the animal. The care of the animals is of utmost importance to us.”

Vonnie Gesinske, 54, of Lexington, Ky., started driving a pickup and gooseneck trailer for Johnson Horse Transport about a year and a half ago. She shares her thoughts about her second-act horse industry career sans specialized degree.

“After meeting DJ and Elizabeth, I decided that getting back into the horse business as a driver sounded like a great opportunity. I had trained and bred Quarter Horses and Paint Horses professionally for over 25 years and been out of it for about 10 years. I was excited to be involved with a company that not only has very high-end show horses to haul, but very nice equipment to drive. Being able to stay local and be home a great deal was the icing on the cake.”

Foaling Barn Assistant

JOB DESCRIPTION: This is a seasonal job from about mid-December through June each year, usually on duty during the night. Working for a breeding farm manager or owner, the foaling assistant keeps watch over pregnant mares, sometimes assists in foaling, and contacts appropriate people (farm manager/owner, veterinarian) for assistance when the mare shows early signs of labor. May also include some stall cleaning, feeding/watering and turnout. Some record-keeping such as noting the mares’ activities at hourly checks and foaling dates and times may be required.

Knowledge of horses is important, especially of broodmares and the signs of labor. Assisting a foaling mare can be a demanding job, so the person filling this position should be relatively physically fit. The job requires a vigilant, reliable person who is intuitive and detail-oriented.

WHERE TO FIND JOB TRAINING: Attend an equine reproductive short course. Several universities and a few privately owned equine reproduction service and supply companies offer them. Volunteer to shadow experienced staff at a farm or a vet clinic during foaling season.

JOB OUTLOOK/AVAILABILITY: This horse career outlook is quite good for those with some experience, especially on larger Thoroughbred and Standardbred farms (and no degree needed). There are also some job openings at farms that breed western performance or English sport horses.

TIPS FROM AN INDUSTRY EXPERT: Ben Tucker of Lexington, Ky., has been in the horse business for over 40 years, including operating a custom foal-watch agency that provides trained personnel to assist in foaling barns on area farms. He lists some key traits a good foaling barn assistant should have.

“You have to be able to stay up at night and not fall asleep; it can be a disaster if you miss a mare starting to foal. Come January 1st, every year the need for people to foal watch around here is overwhelming.”

Horse Show Announcer

JOB DESCRIPTION: Impart knowledge, entertain spectators, and direct traffic, all over a microphone. An announcer must have extensive knowledge of equestrian sports in general, as well as the particular discipline or breed at a show, and also have familiarity with the rule books involved.

You must be able to multitask and keep a cool head even when things are chaotic; be comfortable using a microphone and electronic sound equipment; and be able to speak in a clear, concise and pleasant manner. And while a college degree in certain areas could provide useful skills, it’s not required for this horse career. Some announcers also provide their own sound equipment to the show as part of their fee. Good people skills and a flexible, quick-thinking nature are important for this job.

WHERE TO FIND JOB TRAINING: Go to large shows/events and observe professional announcers at work; intern with a professional announcer. Volunteer to announce at schooling shows to gain experience. Classes in public speaking, acting, auctioneering or broadcast journalism can all help prepare someone for a career in announcing.

JOB OUTLOOK/AVAILABILITY: Landing an announcing gig at top-level shows and events can be quite competitive, but there are often openings at local shows and events. Working as an assistant to an established professional is also a possibility.

TIPS FROM AN INDUSTRY EXPERT: A native of Devon, England, Nigel Casserley has been “the voice” of a number of FEI-level eventing competitions around North America, as well as FEI-level driving and dressage, the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and Grade I steeplechase racing. He offers the following advice for anyone interested in this career.

“You have to know the sport and have knowledge of those who are competing in it. When I started announcing, I created rider ‘bio’ sheets for them to fill out. The most important thing is not to get flustered. You have to learn to temper what you are receiving from the other end of a radio and not let it show over the microphone. A great horse show announcer gives the most information in the fewest number of words. And you must be blessed with a voice that amplifies well.”

Tack Repair and Saddle Fitting

JOB DESCRIPTION: Work with leather and other materials using hand and machine tools to create and repair saddles, bridles and other leather goods. Saddle fitters use evaluation methods and tools to properly fit saddles to the horse and rider.

Both career paths must have good powers of observation and a working knowledge of horse conformation. Good hand-eye coordination is important for working with the tools. A nice set of hand tools and a leather sewing machine can rack up an investment of as much as $5,000 to $8,000, although a basic set of tools and a stitcher for repairs could be purchased for closer to $2,000 to $3,000.

WHERE TO FIND JOB TRAINING: The North American Saddlery School in Warfordsburg, Penn., offers several levels of classes in saddle and bridle making and repairs, as well as saddle fitting, with the chance for participants to become certified at each level, with the ultimate goal of achieving either a Master Saddler or Master Saddle Fitter designation through the United Kingdom Society of Master Saddler’s guild system.

Another option is to apprentice with an experienced saddle maker. There are also other saddle-fitting experts who offer training sessions in saddle fitting, such as Jochen Schleese of Schleese Saddlery.

JOB AVAILABILITY: There is a demand for tack repair and tack-fitting services in North America. Saddle making takes more of a time commitment and investment and is harder to break into than repairs and fitting.

TIPS FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS: Annette Gavin, a Master Qualified Saddle Fitter and owner of HCS/USA Saddlery, is a driving force behind the North American Saddlery School.

“Our school is a hands-on, one-on-one learning process,” says Gavin. “People come many times over a few years to learn new skills, then go back to practice and do repairs and reflockings before returning to gain more experience. All courses have a certification of completion.

We train for both the English and western market. Our student body is about two-thirds women and one-third men. We have retirees and career changers, as well as young people taking our classes.”

Master saddle maker Clay Sharp of Oregon is also an accomplished farrier and has worked on many ranches across North America, giving him a vast knowledge of equines of all shapes and sizes. He and his wife Robin own Sharp Saddlery, where they have been making saddles, bridles, and other leather goods for over 20 years. Sharp has also taught clinics on saddle fitting and tree making.

“A lot of people tend to focus on the artistry of a saddle, but I think the mechanics of a saddle are far more important,” says Sharp. “We want the saddles to function 100 percent and then look pretty after that. I think a high degree of knowledge of a horse and how it moves is important. Common sense, experience and the ability to learn are also important elements in saddle making. A saddle maker should always be striving to make a better product.”

This article on finding a second horse career that doesn’t require a degree appeared in the January 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Second Acts: Horse Industry Careers That Don’t Require a College Degree appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.