If you’re wondering how to make money with horses, this article is for you.
Horses, like many other creatures, are fascinating.
They are a sight to see, fun to ride on, and they make beautiful pals in photographs.
Yet, from the business perspective, they are potential money-making creatures. Many do not understand this.
The question “is a horse a credible investment” lingers on, and yet there doesn’t seem to be a realistic, practical answer.
This article touches on the subject, giving yearning answers to the question.
Is a Horse an Investment?
A Forbes article pointed out that you can invest in a horse in an IRA. Hence, horses are another form of investment.
However, there are two major options in investing in a horse.
The primary ways to make money from a horse are in the form of racing or by breeding.
In breeding, you need to understand that horses cannot appreciate in value indefinitely, but rather their value may decline as they get old.
Also, you need to take into account the maintenance cost, which no doubt will include stables, veterinary care, and training.
If you opt to make money from a horse by racing it, well, you should make a thorough effort to understand how horse racing really works.
It would be wise to seek out someone who knows and understands the horse race business, develop a plan, and aim to win.
If you eventually win a race, the value of your horse is likely to increase and thus attract prospective buyers.
At this point, do not be afraid to sell it off; it is the time to reap your investment.
Are Horses Profitable?
In the horse business, profit isn’t the cash generated but rather the income generated after expenses have been calculated and taken off.
As with other businesses or investments, profiting in the horse business all hangs on the timeless concept of buying low and selling high.
However, the purchase price is just the beginning of this venture.
As stated earlier, you must put into consideration other costs such as lessons and training, insurance, veterinary expenses, boarding fees, transportation expenses, and showing during sell-off in line with the value of your horse.
And if your intention of delving into the horse business is simply for breeding, you would still have to bear related expenses as well, including insurance.
Still, horses are profitable during the sell-off.
If your horse is a seasoned show winner or horse race winner, it increases your likelihood of earning more profits.
The winner of the 2018 Kentucky Derby took home a whopping $1.8 million.
The 10 Proven Ways to Make Money with Horses
Although the goal of making money with horses is to purchase low and sell high, there are still other ways to make money with horses.
Horses are fun creatures to keep in your possession and not just for financial gains; however, horse owners can’t play blind to the fact that they are pretty expensive to maintain.
They require a lot of space, food, and attention. Some breeds can prove more expensive to maintain due to specific traits or intelligence.
Since horses are expensive to maintain, it would make sense to supplement the cost by seeking out ways to earn with them or for them.
There are plenty of ways to make money with horses, be it if you’re simply seeking ways to earn extra cash or aiming to start a horse business empire.
Below are the ten sure ways to make money with horses.
1. Board Horses In Your Stable
Since you’re boarding your horse, it would be an intelligent idea to board some more and make some money.
As long as you do have the space required for boarding horses, you can turn it around and make extra money without going through much of a hassle.
All that is needed to get started are on-site amenities such as large enough space, a safe and secure environment for horses to enjoy the outdoor wind, and plenty of hay.
How to start
Spread the word out to other horse owners that you offer stability to horses for boarding purposes on a monthly basis.
Boarding service may sometimes include care for the horse, grooming, stall cleaning, and blanketing.
However, some other services may focus only on the boarding aspect.
The profit-making potential
Boarding horses is the most expensive aspect of owning a horse.
So to make a profit from it, it would be wise to do a research of the amount or fee other stables close to you do charge for the service and then set a little lower to attract more clients.
This way, you’ll make a decent profit and even get repeat clients.
Advantages
- It doesn’t cost much to do if you have the required space, except you’re looking to provide full-care boarding options.
- This business doesn’t require specific timing to get started; you can start any time or season.
- If you invest appropriate money in this business endeavor, it can be very profitable.
Disadvantages
- Space must be available for boarding multiple horses.
- If you offer full-care boarding services, you may need to hire an extra hand to meet up with the responsibility of boarding several horses.
2. Exercise Horses
Horses need exercise as much as possible.
However, it may be difficult for horse owners to find the time to ride them out daily.
If you have extra time on your hands and are familiar with horses, you could offer your service to exercise other people’s horses in exchange for a small fee.
How to start
Mostly, exercising a horse is about riding a horse. Hence, if you know how to ride a horse properly, then you do know how to exercise a horse.
You do not need any training tips or guides; all you need is confidence and the ability to work with a horse that isn’t familiar with you right away.
So, go on and inform horse owners of your services; no one will turn you down; it’s a win-win for both parties.
The profit-making potential
Usually, horse exercisers charge anywhere between $15 to $40 per hour.
The charge rate comes down to your experience as a rider and your confidence in exercising the horse regularly and adequately.
Advantages
- You do not need any extra equipment or money to be spent.
- It’s a free way to make money riding horses.
Disadvantages
- Sometimes it is difficult to find a client.
- It may require traveling.
3. Offer Riding Lessons
Offering riding lessons is one of the most common ways of making money while enjoying your pet.
Also, it’s a way of educating young riders who are new to working and playing with horses while they seek to develop their riding skills.
How to start
You would have to own a stable where you will have your horse ready for riding lessons for visitors.
Aim to provide a positive and enjoyable experience in your riding lessons to your clients.
Doing this will help you build a community of clients that will come back for more lessons and, best of all, give your business a good reputation which may result in more clients through referrals.
There are a few things to consider before giving riding lessons.
First, you should make sure you’re confident with other riders and be able to communicate with them, telling them the do’s and don’ts while they’re on the horse.
Secondly, set your price ahead of your lesson and stick to it. It is best to charge lower than the regular fee at the onset.
However, you can increase your price when you’re firmly established.
The profit-making potential
Typically, the price for riding lessons is anywhere between $40 – $75 per hour.
In the beginning, you should advertise your service on social media platforms.
As your business thrives, you could build a website or business plan devoted to your offers of horse riding lessons.
Advantages
- As your engagement increases, you can do this as a side business and grow it into a full-time job.
- It doesn’t cost much to begin offering lessons.
Disadvantages
- The success of the business largely depends on your self-advertising to attract large number of clients.
- Profits can sometimes be inconsistent.
4. Horse Stable Cleaning Services
The importance of cleaning horse stables cannot be overemphasized.
Horse owners know the importance, but it is time-consuming; therefore, they wouldn’t mind paying someone to do this for them.
That’s a window of opportunity to make some extra money.
How to start
It doesn’t require any special skills or experience; almost anyone can clean a stable.
Cleaning a stable properly involves the following:
- Taking out and rinsing off the mats.
- Sweeping off the waste.
- Washing troughs and water bowls.
- Washing blankets.
The profit-making potential
Horse owners do pay around $10 – $15 to teenagers to clean their stables.
However, you definitely charge more per hour if you offer this as a specialized service or work with stables with more horses.
A few facilities offer premium cleaning services with a team of professional and certified cleaners.
Advantages
- It is quite an easy work that requires no special skills or experience to get started on and complete at any time.
- It is easy to find customers in need of your service regularly.
Disadvantages
- There’s not that much profit to be made unless you operate professionally.
- The work involves getting dirty and traveling.
5. Transport Horses to Events
Offering a service of transporting horses to large events is another sure-fire way to make money with horses.
However, this would require investing some significant amount in getting started on this.
How to start
Transporting a number of horses to an event in a single go will mean you will have to own a large trailer or have access to one.
That is just all that is needed, and self-advertisement.
The trailer to be used in transporting must be cleaned and regularly checked for mechanical issues.
It must be large enough to ensure horses would be comfortable inside.
The profit-making potential
The transportation fee should not be much expensive considering that the owners of the horses would come along with you and thus still bears the responsibility of caring for the horses.
However, you should put into consideration the trailer fee, gas fee, and the efforts required to pull the horses when charging your fee.
Depending on the distance of the event location, you may charge per hour, or per mile traveled.
Advantages
- If you already own a trailer, this is a cost-effective business you can embark on.
Disadvantages
- The trailer in use can easily get damaged due to additional wear and tear.
- Sometimes the business may need specific equipment you may not readily have.
6. Leasing Your Horse
Giving out your horse for a specific fee to others to practice riding for a few hours is another exciting and new way to make money with your horse.
How to start
Your ideal clients for horse leasers will likely be riders advancing from one division to the next.
There may be a rider outgrowing a pony and thus need to practice on another horse but doesn’t have one; hence your leasing service will meet this need.
To such riders, leasing out your horse to them would be a great way to help them get familiar with the change while making extra cash.
Before leasing out your horse, make sure you research lease agreements and read up everything that has to do with horse leasing.
The profit-making potential
Leasing horses is a way to cuts down back on the expenses of maintaining and caring for your horse.
There isn’t that much to make, but it is a way to make money without spending a cent just with your horse.
Advantages
- This is a way to exercise your horse if you’re too busy to ride it out yourself.
- It helps cuts down the cost of caring for and upkeep of your horse.
Disadvantages
- It is a risk on horse life and health if you lease to an untrustworthy fellow.
- It involves taking on deep research and paperwork of the individual you are leasing out your horse to.
7. Pasture Care
Like cleaning and taking care of stables, pastures should also be taken care of and regularly tended to keep weeds from growing and grass levels low.
Offering a service to tend to pasture is another side job you can make a little profit from.
How to start
It isn’t anything difficult, much like having your home lawn tended to, so it is for pasture care.
It is usually done at least once every two weeks, or you could offer to do it twice as you see fit.
However, there may be some machinery you may need to get the task done.
The profit-making potential
For a start, you’ll need to get specific equipment, at the very least a lawnmower and weed eater.
If you don’t have this equipment, you may have to rent them out.
Nonetheless, you should be able to rake in more than $20 per hour for the pasture service you offer.
Advantages
- You can easily find consistent clients in need of your service.
- Pasture work isn’t much time-consuming.
- It is more profitable when you already own the equipment needed to get the job done, as you can easily save overhead costs.
Disadvantage
- Transporting all machinery and equipment needed to get the job done can prove to be a hustle.
8. Horse Manure Cleanup Service
Horse manure cleanup service is another aspect of making money with horses.
Aside from cleaning the stable and tending to pasture, one aspect of horse cleaning that really makes a great significance is manure removal.
This is a money-making opportunity with horses that you could grow a business empire off, especially when coupled with fertilizer delivery.
How to start
Digging into dung of manure and shoveling it off is not an enjoyable task.
But, it is dirty work many horse owners will gladly pay someone else to do.
It doesn’t require any knowledge or sophisticated tool to get started on—just a shovel and your time and energy.
The profit-making potential
As long as you find any horse owner, you’re likely in business.
The pay is a little above the minimum wage for horse owners seeking to hire someone to get the job done.
This is the ideal side job or for young riders and teenagers to take on to make some extra money.
Also, the manure collected from this job can be repurposed for fertilizer or disposed of completely.
Advantage
- An easy way to make extra money with horses.
Disadvantage
- It is a dirty work that may pose a danger to your health.
9. Horse Tack Cleaner
Saddles, girths, breastplates, martingales, and bridles are some horse equipment that needs cleaning regularly or daily to promote the life of the items.
Several horse owners would gladly pay you to tack clean this equipment.
How to start
Tack cleaning is nothing complex. You only need to know the right cleaning products to use and how to clean items correctly.
Once you understand and have enough practice with cleaning tacks, all that is left is to find someone in need of your service.
The profit-making potential
Tack cleaning can be broken down into different categories.
It all depends on the particular piece of equipment being cleaned.
Usually, tack cleaners charge $50 to clean and polish a saddle and $100 to clean everything thoroughly.
Advantages
- It is easy to learn and practice.
- Profits can be easily made, including funds initially used in purchasing cleaning supplies.
Disadvantages
- It is a time-consuming job.
- Involves buying special cleaning products to get the job done.
10. Horse Photography
Are you good with a camera? Can you take excellent and quality pictures?
If you answered yes to those questions, then you might consider taking on a job as a horse photographer on the side.
An understanding of horses and shows or events will help horse photographers of different experience levels take the best of pictures.
How to start
Good knowledge of camera skills is your primary need here.
Next, find a horse event or equestrian show and start capturing some great shots.
As you keep on taking pictures, you will gain experience and improve your camera skills.
Once you feel confident in your skills, start offering sessions for horse riders or sell your photographs.
The profit-making potential
You may need to spend quite an initial sum at the onset in getting a good working camera and laptop for editing.
However, if you already got that equipment, that’s a plus. It increases your chance of profiting.
You could charge for a session as you see fit, all depending on the quality of your works.
However, be mindful not to charge a ridiculous fee in comparison to the quality of your work/service, or else you might end up chasing off potential clients.
Professional equestrian photography agencies charge up to $750 a day for their service.
Advantages
- Opportunity to meet new people and established valuable connections.
- It is a hands-off way to be still involved with horses.
Disadvantage
- A thorough understanding of photography and access to equipment is a necessity.
The Bottom Line is that you can earn with horses
It doesn’t matter if you choose to breed horses or are involved in horse racing shows or offer riding lessons and cleaning services or other horse-related services, one thing is guaranteed, it is very much possible to earn with horses.
Dedicated, determined, and hard-working individuals can even start an entire business out of horse-related services.
However, patience, creativity, and, most importantly, a start-up fund are the bedrock in seeking ways to earn some money with horses.
Once you discover your niche, the profits are sure to be rolling in.
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