AUSTRALIA · JOB GUIDE
Feed, groom and care for horses in studs and racing yards. Compare beginner stable duties with experienced thoroughbred handling and riding roles.
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You enjoy daily horse care and are happy with feeding, grooming, mucking out and stable routines.
Very early starts and weekend care are common. Thoroughbred handling and riding are different from beginner stable duties and need suitable experience.
Routine stable work includes mucking out, bedding, feeding, grooming and moving horses as directed. Stud jobs may involve broodmares, foals or yearling preparation, while racing yards follow training routines.
Starts can be very early and animal care continues on weekends. Ask which horses you would handle and who is present when you lead, load or work around unfamiliar animals.
Confirm transport for early shifts and housing before relocating. Breeding-stock work and recreational horse activities are not interchangeable for specified-work purposes; obtain an accurate duty description and check the shared visa guide.
No. Feeding, mucking out, grooming and yard routines are different from trackwork or exercising horses. Riding vacancies require a separate level of ability.
Some employers recruit junior or trainee stable hands, while yearling and thoroughbred handling often requires experience. Confidence around a quiet leisure horse is not the same as handling young racehorses.
A breeding stud and a racing stable have different work patterns and award coverage. The distinction also matters for specified-work eligibility.
Safe horse handling, feeding routines, grooming and stable hygiene are the practical foundation. Riding and trackwork are separate skills; a stable-hand course alone does not make someone ready for a riding position.
Direct employer and specialist recruitment routes. Current vacancies and general expressions of interest are identified in the descriptions.
Australian racing and breeding operations
Official vacancies distinguish specialist horse roles and sites. Experienced stallion work is not an entry-level stable job. Read the experience and work-rights requirements for each vacancy.
Jerrys Plains, Hunter Valley, NSW
Careers page invites CV enquiries covering foaling, broodmares, stallions and yearling preparation. Specify your actual handling experience and dates; an enquiry is not an offer or confirmed housing.
Nagambie, Victoria
Stud and yearling recruitment through the employer’s careers page. The yearling position requests experience; other stud-hand listings describe different entry levels. Choose the role matching your horse-handling ability.
Put your start date, available months, current location and work rights near the top of your CV. Add relevant hands-on tasks, any licences and whether you need accommodation; this lets the recruiter match you to a workable placement.
Describe the horses you have handled and the stable tasks you can perform. Keep riding experience separate from feeding, grooming and ground handling.
| Work / experience | Hourly pay | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Starting stable hand | $32.18 | Adult casual ordinary rate |
| Grade 1, after three months with employer | $33.05 | Adult casual ordinary rate |
| Grade 2 / track rider | $33.85 | Adult casual ordinary rate |
Horse and Greyhound Training Award rates from 1 July 2026, including casual loading and excluding super. Grade 2 requires the relevant experience and duties. These examples cover racing and training work; a breeding stud can have different award coverage.
Godolphin Australia recruitment
Coolmore Australia recruitment
Sources checked 17 October 2026.
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