10 Ways to Make Money With Horses
If you are in the horse industry you can find out pretty quickly it can be very expensive. If you want to be in the industry but can’t quite afford your own horse these tips can possibly help you work toward your goals. In today's blog I will go over some tips that will help you bring you some cash flow.
Transporting horses-if you have a truck and trailer you can make a lot of money hauling horses. People need haulers for picking up horses that might be too far for them personally to pick up. Some barns might not have a truck or trailer to haul their horses to horse shows or vet visits. You can make $3-$8 a mile if you offer your services. Advertise online to see if anyone will need your services.
Groom horses-being a horse groom can be very rewarding both mentally and financially! Some professionals ride too many horses a day that they don’t have time to groom or tack up their horses. Some professionals may require you to travel to shows so they are able to show multiple horses back to back.
Equine therapy- horses get massages, chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture just like human athletes do. Becoming a specialized therapist in some or all of these areas can bring in a lot of money. Find a type of therapy you like and agree with and research how to become certified. Once you are certified, ask some close friends to try some of the new techniques you learned on their horses and see if you get a great outcome. Once you become confident, find an area that lacks these certain therapies and advertise your services.
Make money selling tack- Second hand tack will also be a huge market because new items are so expensive! Find some second hand tack groups on Facebook and see if you can find a good deal. You can also visit your second hand tack store to see if there is any tack that you might be able to fix/polish and sell it for more than what you bought it for.
Sell manure- Horses make a lot of waste in one day, after months of cleaning out stalls you might find that it’s piling up more than you anticipated. Horse waste can be used as plant fertilizer! Selling manure can be pretty easy. All you need is a horse or two and some extra feed bags. When you clean out your horse's stall, put the extra manure into a bag so you can then sell it to farmers or a local garden supply store.
Exercise rider- if you are an experienced rider you can offer your skills to barns that need horses exercised; sometimes a barn has more horses than they do clients. Horses need to be exercised often in order for them to be healthy. Find a barn that is looking for an exercise rider and send them your skills and resume. Some barns simply just need someone to walk, trot and canter their horses just so they will be good for lessons. Some barns need an exercise rider to tune up their horses for clients.
Horse show official-Horse shows take a whole village to run efficiently. In horse shows there are: Judges, Videographer, Photographer, Time Keeper, Event Organizer, Show Ring Maintenance, Registration Official and Commentator/Announcer. Before you apply for one of these jobs you need to have knowledge on how the competitions work. You also need to know the rules and regulation backward and forward before you are out calling the shots. Once you have all this knowledge, reach out to horse shows nearby and see if they are looking for any help. The more you know the more you can get paid.
Pony rentals- Every little girl wants a pony for her birthday. If you have access to a pony or two, advertise that you will come to people's houses for birthday parties and events. You will need a truck and trailer, small saddles, one or two ponies, and some pony decorations. You can't start your prices at $150 depending on the distance.
Braiding services- At horse shows some horses need to be braided in a special way. If you are a night owl this might be for you because braiders mainly work at night. On average a braider charges about $40-$80 for a mane and $25-$50 per tail. These prices can fluctuate per braider and the area you are in. If you are able to braid quickly and efficiently you may make over $300 a night.
Horse photography- I personally don't know a single horse person who doesn't love pictures of their horse. If you are tech and photo savvy you might want to think about investing in a professional camera. Take some online courses to learn on how to shoot the best photos. Once you have tested the waters, offer your services online. Many horse shows have a professional photographer on site that charges a pretty penny.
These are just a few ways to make money with horses. If you love this sport and want to get more involved try a couple different jobs and see what speaks to you. While you are working you will meet some wonderful people in the process that share the same interest.
If you have any questions about how to make money with horses or any other questions about riding, send us an email on our contact form and we will help you out