If you can ride, you may already have a skill that sets you apart in the world of TV, film, and drama productions.
Many people think of film extras as people standing in the background of a street scene, sitting in a café, walking through a crowd, or filling out a busy room. But in productions that involve horses, countryside scenes, period settings, battle scenes, royal processions, rural life, racing yards, hunting scenes, carriage scenes, or historical drama, a confident rider can become far more valuable.
In the film and TV world, extras are often called supporting artists. A supporting artist may not have a speaking role, but they help make a scene look believable. When horses are involved, productions do not just need people who look right on camera. They need people who can ride safely, take direction, stay calm on set, and repeat an action again and again.
That is where equestrian skills can really stand out.
Horses appear in all kinds of productions, including:
A production may need someone who can ride through the background of a shot, sit correctly in period costume, handle a horse calmly between takes, ride in a group, drive a carriage, or perform a more specialist skill.
This is not the same as simply going for a hack. Film sets are busy, stop-start environments. There may be cameras, lighting, crew members, costumes, props, noise, waiting around, and repeated takes. A good rider for screen work needs more than balance in the saddle. They need patience, discipline, safety awareness, and the ability to listen carefully.
Basic riding ability is useful. But specialist equestrian skills can make you much more memorable to casting agencies, horsemasters, and production teams.
For example, you may stand out if you have experience in:
These are the kinds of skills that can move someone from being “a rider” to being “the person they call when they need something specific”.
Horseback archery, for example, is a recognised equestrian discipline that combines riding, trust, accuracy, and focus, with the rider shooting at targets while moving along a track. That kind of skill has obvious relevance for historical, fantasy, or battle-style productions.
Specialist film horse companies in the UK also supply trained horses, riders, action riders, stunt riders, carriage horses, and horses suitable for different eras, from modern settings to battle scenes. Dolbadarn Film Horses, for example, says it has spent over 40 years training and supplying professional film-trained horses and action riders for TV and film productions.
The Knights of Middle England also lists film and TV work involving specially trained film horses, stunt and trick riders, professional actors, swordsmen and archers, and offers tuition in riding for film and TV work.
That tells us that this is a real niche. Productions do need horse people. But they need the right horse people.
The work can vary hugely depending on the production.
You might be asked to:
Sometimes the horse is supplied by a professional film horse company. Sometimes a production may look for riders who own suitable horses, although this usually involves far more checks around insurance, suitability, welfare, and licensing.
For most people starting out, the easiest route is to register as a supporting artist with clear, honest details about your riding ability and any specialist equestrian experience.
There are several routes into this type of work.
Many UK extras agencies allow you to list special skills on your profile. This is where you should clearly include horse riding, carriage driving, side saddle, archery, stunt experience, circus skills, or any other relevant equestrian background.
StarNow lists several UK extras agencies, including Casting Collective, Phoenix Casting, Ray Knight Casting, The Extras Dept, Key Casting, Extra People. It also notes that agencies usually ask for clear photos, measurements, and profile details, and may take a commission from work booked.
When completing your profile, do not just write “horse riding”. Be specific.
For example:
“I have ridden for 15 years, confident in walk, trot, canter, and gallop, experienced riding in groups, happy riding in costume, basic side saddle experience, and own transport.”
That is much stronger than:
“I can ride.”
Casting platforms sometimes list supporting artist, actor, commercial, and specialist performer opportunities. You may find adverts asking for riders, horse owners, country people, stable staff, racing yard experience, or people with specific sporting skills.
Be careful to check the legitimacy of any advert. Real casting notices should be clear about the production, location, dates, pay, usage, and what is expected.
Some casting calls appear through agency mailing lists, casting pages, or production companies. Horse rider requests can be short notice, so having a current profile, good photos, and an up-to-date list of skills matters.
Avoid anyone asking for large upfront payments or making guaranteed-work promises. Remember that being accepted by an agency does not guarantee bookings.
Some companies specialise in horses, riders, stunt performers, trained animals, carriages, period tack, and equestrian scenes for screen work.
This route is more suitable if you already have strong riding ability, specialist skills, performance experience, or a professional equestrian background. These teams usually work to high safety and welfare standards, and they may already have their own trusted riders. But if you have something genuinely useful to offer, it can be worth making yourself known professionally.
If your dream is more than occasional extra work, look at skills that are useful on screen and in live performance.
This could include:
The more you can safely and confidently do, the more useful you become.
Yes, but it is important to be realistic.
Usually work is casual and freelance. You may get one day on set, a few days on a production, or occasional bookings when your look, location, and skills match what is needed. It is not a regular, guaranteed income.
However, it can lead to more opportunities if you are reliable.
Film and TV teams remember people who:
A single day as an extra may lead to more supporting artist work. It may also lead to riding double opportunities, horse handling work, grooming on set, equestrian consultancy, carriage work, stunt training, or being recommended to horsemasters and production teams.
But you have to earn that trust.
This matters more with horses than almost any other extra skill.
Do not claim you can gallop if you cannot. Do not say you can ride side saddle if you have only tried it once. Do not say you can drive a carriage if you are not competent. A film set is not the place to exaggerate.
Overstating your ability can put you, the horse, the crew, and the production at risk.
Instead, be clear and accurate:
Casting teams do not always need the most advanced rider. Sometimes they need the right person for a simple, safe, believable scene.
Your profile should make it easy for someone to understand what you can offer.
Include:
If you have video footage of you riding, even better. Keep it simple, clear, and honest. Show walk, trot, canter, and any specialist skill you are claiming.
Pay varies depending on the production, location, agreement, and what you are asked to do.
Supporting artist pay in the UK is often linked to industry agreements such as Pact/FAA for productions around London and Pact/Equity for productions outside London. Extra payments may apply for things like early calls, overtime, travel, costume fittings, or performing specific physical tasks. Entertainment Partners notes that horseback riding can fall under supplementary fees when supporting artists are required to perform specialised physical tasks.
So yes, riding skills may increase your value in certain situations. But you should still check every job carefully before accepting it.
Ask:
Never accept vague riding work where safety, pay, and responsibilities are unclear.
For some people, yes. For others, it may become an exciting occasional income stream.
There are different levels:
You register with agencies and accept suitable jobs when they come up.
You become known for a particular look, skill, or riding ability.
You ride in place of an actor for specific shots where the actor cannot safely perform the action.
This requires serious training, experience, safety standards, and often formal industry pathways.
Productions involving horses need skilled people behind the scenes as well.
Experienced professionals may support productions with horses, tack, welfare, training, historical accuracy, or stable-yard realism.
The bigger the ambition, the more you need to treat it seriously. Training, professionalism, safety, networking, and reputation matter.
If you already work in the equine industry, you may have skills that are hard to teach quickly.
You may already understand:
Those qualities are useful on set.
A production can teach someone where to stand in the background. It is much harder to quickly teach genuine horse sense.
If you have riding skills, TV and film extra work could be a fascinating way to use them.
You may not walk straight onto a major drama as a stunt rider. But you could start as a supporting artist, build contacts, gain set experience, and discover where your skills fit.
The key is to be specific. “I ride horses” is a start. “I can ride side saddle, drive a carriage, work confidently in costume, handle horses on busy sets, and take direction well” is far more powerful.
The equestrian world is full of people with unusual, practical, and highly visual skills. Film and TV productions need those skills when the scene calls for authenticity.
So if you ride, drive, perform, shoot arrows from horseback, work with racehorses, handle teams, ride side saddle, or have any specialist equestrian ability, do not dismiss it as just something you do. It might be exactly what a production is looking for.
If you are exploring equine careers more widely, keep an eye on TallyHO Talent for equine jobs, career ideas, and unusual ways to work with horses. Your riding skills may open more doors than you think.