10/27/2026
I genuinely believe horse people should be able to put some VERY different skills on a resume.
CRISIS MANAGEMENT: Successfully convinced a 1,200 pound animal that the leaf blowing across the driveway was not, in fact, an assassination attempt.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: Kept an entire operation running while being financially classified as a missing person by the bank.
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING: Repaired a piece of equipment using baling twine, a hammer, and the kind of confidence that makes insurance companies nervous.
MEDICAL EXPERIENCE: Diagnosed 34 different things on Google, convinced myself my horse was dying, and then discovered he had a piece of hay stuck to his face.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION: Successfully negotiated a ceasefire between two horses who hate each other, while simultaneously arguing with a human who has the emotional regulation of a wet paper bag.
TIME MANAGEMENT: Completed 36 tasks, started 14 more, forgot why I walked into the barn, and somehow still haven’t done the ONE THING I came out here to do.
RISK ASSESSMENT: Looked at a situation that any reasonable person would avoid, said, “Well, let’s see what happens,” and immediately regretted being born with curiosity.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Smiled politely while someone explained horses to me despite the fact that their last equine experience was riding a carousel at the mall in 1997.
LOGISTICS: Coordinated veterinarians, farriers, feed deliveries, trailers, schedules, and 14 moving pieces of equipment while one person still can’t figure out how to shut a gate.
HUMAN RESOURCES: Managed employees, clients, and barn drama while being fully aware that half the horses have better manners than the people.
And my personal favorite:
ADAPTABILITY: Can go from discussing bloodwork to fixing a fence, dragging a dead tractor out of the mud, and explaining to a grown adult why their horse cannot live on three flakes of hay and positive thinking.
Honestly, some of us aren’t unqualified for normal jobs.
We’ve just spent so long working in an industry where the livestock are 1,200 pounds of unpredictable opinions and the humans are somehow harder to manage that a corporate office would probably feel like a paid vacation.
Put “horse person” on your resume. Under qualifications, just write: “I’ve seen things.”
