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The Profitable Horseman's Newsletter The only weekly electronic newsletter published for Professional Horsemen.
August 23, 2006

Are you tired of trying to make money in the horse business the old way? I help professional horsemen find new and better methods to add to the profitability of their businesses.
Welcome New Subscribers!

in this issue
  • There is Something New Every Day in my Blog About the Horse Business

    click on the picture below
  • An Educated Equestrian Is Your Best Customer
  • Others have said
  • Back at the Barn
  • Build the Horse Business You've Always Wanted
  • Speaking about the Horse Business...

  • An Educated Equestrian Is Your Best Customer
    pitchfork for computer

    How do you answer the question, “What do you do?” If the answer is, “I’m in the horse business”, you are only telling part of the story. Because more accurately stated, you are in the recreation business for people who like horses. I’ve said it before: the horse is not your customer, people who like horses are your customers. They pay for the board, the training and the riding lessons.

    So to take this idea a bit deeper, one of the things you do every day is teach. Now, if you give riding lessons it’s obvious you are a teacher. But, if you sell horses, train horses or board horses are you a teacher, too? I sure think so.

    If you sell horses and have a sense of duty to the buyer and the horse, you try to do a professional job matching up horse and owner. This is true especially when the buyer is inexperienced in the horse world. This involves educating the owner about safety, temperament and suitability of horse to the intended purpose. The teaching process is necessary for the buyer to make an informed decision about the purchase. The education you provide as a professional horseman is often an unappreciated service. Thankfully, there is no “lemon law” for horses, but operating your horse sales business as if there was is a good philosophy. If you know that a horse is not the right match, do your best to educate the buyer about the problems and put her on a horse that makes sense. People want to buy fun, not trouble.

    If you train horses for others, you’ve noticed that often your hard work and the horse’s hard work may go to waste if the owner is not educated in how you trained the horse, how to use the aids to get the most performance from their horse and why it is important to keep a steady program for reinforcement of the training. Often, trainers teach the horse exceptionally well but have no skill in teaching the owner how to take advantage of their professional training investment.

    If you board horses, you may never consider yourself a teacher. But stop and think about what you are paid to do. You are charged with the responsibility of caring for your customer’s horse in their absence. You know when the symptoms of colic start to show up, you recognize stocked up legs and you know when the farrier is overdue for a visit. The owner looks to you for education for health issues, general horse care and guidance with all types of problems. After all, you are the expert and have an obligation to your customers to teach them how to have more pleasure and less pain with their horses.

    Good teachers recognize the different types of learners: audio, visual and hands-on, and the best ways to help them. They read body language, listen carefully and sense frustration. Good teachers encourage continuing education and help those who want to be helped.

    Best of all, good teachers are the most Profitable Horsemen. Don’t give up filling the role of teacher to those who want to learn more, but you can forget about taking the summers off.


    Others have said

    "The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence." -- Amos Bronson Alcott

    "Experience teaches only the teachable." -- Aldous Huxley

    "Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself." -- Chinese proverb


    Back at the Barn
    back at barn

    I wrote about having to track my number of “ride days” each year in last week’s newsletter since I often get distracted from fun to do more work. Since then, I’ve told work to take a break while I ride and have been managing to ride almost daily. I know I’m not the only horse owner out there who gets all mixed up with balancing work and play. Play is postponed so more work can be done and that’s all wrong.

    Work should be postponed for play so that when we’re done playing, we’re ready to go back to work with no guilt about not playing enough. Have you scheduled enough play time in your life?


    Build the Horse Business You've Always Wanted
    Deewochagall

    I work with Professional Horsemen who are struggling with the business half of the horse business. Just like a top performing horse has a strong foundation, so does a top performing horse business.

    If you've had enough with disappointment in your horse business, call or e-mail and we can talk about your business and how I may be able to help you.

    If you know other horsemen who would enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to them! I am on a quest to tell 1000 people what I do and I need your help.

    Life is short,

    Ride hard.

    Doug


    Speaking about the Horse Business...
    megaphone man

    I will be presenting two talks about the horse business at the Certified Horsemanship Association's International Conference in Fort Collins, CO September 23, 2006. Find more information at: www.cha- ahse.org or call 800-399-0138

    Is your organization in need of a speaker about the horse business at its event? Contact me and let's talk about it!


    There is Something New Every Day in my Blog About the Horse Business

    click on the picture below
    herd of horses

    Click on the herd of horses above. They'll take you right to the blog. What's a blog? Click and find out!

    Click on the links below for more information

    Profitable Horseman Web Page

    Past issues of Profitable Horseman newsletter

    Professional Horsemen's Blog- Don't Look Back!



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