At one time or another, you’ve probably dreamed of making your own horse business. Whether it’s something like owning your own private horse farm or starting an online business that helps other people in the equine community, if you love horses, you’ve thought about what it would be like to make money doing something related to them.
If you’re interested in starting your own small equine business, there are several different ways to go about it, so let’s take a look at some of the best Owning an equestrian business allows us to follow our passion to work with horses and make a living doing so. If you’re interested in starting your own small equine business, there are several different ways to go about it, so let’s take a look at some of the best ways to get started with your dream today!
- 1) Become a Horse Trainer!
- 2) Pony & Horse Care
- 3) Trailer for Hire
- 4) Pony Club Management and Training
- 5) Horse Trail Riding Service
- 6) Board Your Stalls
- 7) Equestrian Clothing Business
- 8) Create a Horse Niche Website
- 9) Sell Your Horse Art
- 10) Sell Horse Products
- 11) Buying and Selling Horses
1) Become a Horse Trainer!
Even if you have absolutely no experience teaching people how to ride, if you’re an experienced rider you can start today and set up a part-time riding school from your home. It doesn’t cost much to run and you can charge as little or as much as you like. It can be as simple as a few horses in your backyard and some basic equipment, or more formal with horses stabled nearby and full equestrian facilities.
While fees will depend on what sort of facilities and professional services are included, many riders are happy to pay $30 – $50 per lesson per rider. Good quality horse trainers that can teach the horse and student also make significantly more as you continue to gain experience.
2) Pony & Horse Care
As mentioned, there are lots of opportunities to take care of horses and ponies. There are many ways you can go about doing it. Perhaps you have horse-owning friends or family members who need help keeping their animals fed and watered? Maybe there’s a barn in your area that needs someone to muck out stalls or tack up horses? Or maybe you’ve got another skill set you can use to offer services such as riding lessons or hoof trimming.
No matter what your background is, there’s likely a way for you to earn some extra cash by offering horse-care services.
3) Trailer for Hire
Renting out horse trailers can be a great way to supplement your income as a horse enthusiast. As long as you’re able to afford paying for insurance and maintenance on a trailer, you can put it to use by making money by renting it out. If you have a friend or family member who has horses, ask if they’d like to split costs on an extra trailer.
Alternatively, if you don’t know anyone with horses but are interested in having one yourself (or even just looking at them), try posting an ad online or asking around at local stables and farms. It’s also possible that there’s someone in your area who already has a trailer but is looking for someone to share expenses with – if so, offer up your services!
If all else fails, consider purchasing an older model used trailer from someone who doesn’t need it anymore and is happy to sell it off cheaply; then get some business cards printed up and start advertising!
4) Pony Club Management and Training
Pony club management and training is a great way to turn your love of horses into a small equine business. If you’re looking for an unusual and fun way to earn extra money, one option is starting a pony club at your local barn. While many pony clubs are attached to bigger stables or facilities that offer riding lessons, it’s also possible to start your own on an acreage.
By obtaining permission from landowners, adding portable jumps and other equipment, holding competitions, teaching lessons and charging membership fees—which can vary depending on what kind of services you offer—you can build up a small equine business at home!
5) Horse Trail Riding Service
Are you an active person who loves animals? Trail riding services are often a big business. People love going on trail rides and they’re willing to pay someone with experience to ensure that everyone has a good time.
One of your first hurdles will be finding clients, so think about advertising in local newspapers, at horse shows, or even on Craigslist. Don’t forget about offering discounts for repeat customers!
While there are plenty of other ways to make money as a trail rider, you can also branch out into horse care and training services to attract more clients. If you don’t have any formal training but know what it takes to train and care for horses from personal experience, then that could be an added bonus for potential clients.
6) Board Your Stalls
This is an appealing business idea for horse owners and horse lovers. Whether you’re looking to board your own horses or to build a boarding business, there are plenty of options available. You can work as a boarder out of your home or find space in a barn at an equestrian facility.
The demand for personal horse caretakers is high, so even if you don’t have property or financing for your own stable, consider working as a part-time caregiver or consultant with larger stables that may need help caring for specific needs of individual horses.
7) Equestrian Clothing Business
While there are already a number of established equestrian clothing businesses, there’s plenty of room for another. With increased awareness and popularity of equestrian sports, apparel companies can carve out a profitable niche by offering high-quality products designed specifically for equestrians.
It’s a business idea that doesn’t require much in terms of startup costs—you can even start from home if you have sewing skills—but it does require steady marketing and online presence to keep up with your competition. If you have experience with graphic design or website development and enjoy working with animals, starting an equestrian clothing business might be your dream job waiting to happen.
8) Create a Horse Niche Website
A niche website is a good way to get started with a small equine business, especially if you’re on a tight budget. Creating one is fairly simple, and with your knowledge of horses and equestrianism already, you’ll be able to create an impressive website in no time.
Your site can take many forms: an informational hub with detailed articles about horse care and ownership, or a place where customers can order tack or other riding supplies. Regardless of which route you choose, treat it as a learning experience. Evaluate what works (and what doesn’t) and use that knowledge when building your second website or expanding into other areas.
9) Sell Your Horse Art
Selling your horse art is another low-cost way to make money. This can be a great side business for someone who loves to draw, paint or sculpt. If you have some talent, you can use it to create beautiful artwork and sell it online or at local shows and fairs.
The nice thing about selling horse art is that there are many types of artwork you can sell – paintings, sculptures, drawings, etc. You don’t need any experience in selling your work; just set up an online store through Etsy or similar sites and start getting creative!
Nowadays you can even create art with just a computer so you don’t have to spend any money on materials. These digital art forms can be turned into shirts, phone cases, bags, and more! Another lucrative emerging market are NFT’s (non-fungible tokens) which are centered around selling digital art pieces.
NFT’s are a growing part of the crypto field and get a bit more complicated, but many are selling for millions of dollars! You don’t even need any coding experince. Maybe you can claim the horse niche of the NFT space!
10) Sell Horse Products
One of my favorite small business ideas for equestrians is to sell horse products, especially if you have lots of experience working with and around horses. If you’re willing to buy wholesale horse products and sell them on Amazon, eBay, shows, or through trade shows, you can make a tidy profit. Of course, there are pros and cons here—you will have higher expenses (including buying products in bulk) but your overhead is likely lower than most businesses since you don’t need an office or storefront.
11) Buying and Selling Horses
Selling horses can be a very lucrative opportunity if you know what you are doing. This takes a bit more capital to get started and it would be wise to have plenty of knowledge about buying a horse before jumping in head first.
If you have experience training horses as well, you can also increaser the value of the pony that you happen to purchase turning a good deal, into a great deal.
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