Over the past 7 years, I have watched as my girlfriend has returned to making horses and riding a significant part of her life. She rode as a kid, and now as an adult is 'returning to the saddle' and building on what she has loved from an early age.

She has held various positions since I've known her: barn help, working student, apprentice trainer, and now horse owner. Each one has expanded her expertise and given her the confidence to plan for the time when we will have a place of our own with horses at home.

I have been following along as she has made this progression, and have come to learn that the horse world has a distinct culture, and within that culture has grown the mythology of the horse husband. There are many kinds of horse husbands - a search on the term will return hundreds of jokes, stories and rants, a few poems, and the proverbial t-shirts. I have met many over the years - we've exchanged a nod and wry smile in the aisle of the tack shop, and had long chats while watching a lesson.

For me, being a horse husband has been a career - a progression of jobs with their own roles and responsibilities. As I've moved up the ranks and expanded my skill-set, the rewards and opportunities have grown. Over the next few posts, I'll go into each job in detail, and show how the progression has brought me to where I am today. I'll also cover some of the one-off and part-time jobs that I have done.