If you have a little horse sense, you can turn your love of horses into a moneymaking endeavour. Teaching horse riding can be very lucrative and you don’t have to be an expert to do it.  You do not even need to own a horse or stables.

Jenny Lee was a stay-at-home mother of four when she decided to do something about her desire to get back in the saddle again. In order fight off the guilt that all moms feel when they decide to do something for themselves, she found a way to bring some income into the home, as well.

Because she grew up caring for, riding, and showing horses, Jenny Lee has the knowledge and experience to market herself as a horse-riding instructor. From September through May, she charges $175 for ten one-hour sessions. She teaches all ages and ability levels, but most of her students are school-age children. During the summer months, she offers one-week camps to make even more money.

When she first started teaching, Jenny Lee advertised as frequently and as cheaply as possible. Eventually, her classes filled up and now the yellow pages and word-of-mouth are her main advertising media.

Minimal overheads.

The best part of Jenny Lee’s set up is that she teaches the classes at someone else’s stables. She uses their horses, their equipment, and their land. Because the stable owner is already being paid for the boarding and caring of the horses, Jenny Lee’s overhead is virtually nothing. However, she does purchase insurance as a safeguard; this is always a wise decision with any type of business.

Boarding stables provide a good opportunity for enthusiastic horse-lovers to find students. The average person boarding horses could use refresher courses too. Most could use more than just that. Moreover, not every horse boarder is interested in teaching.

When you haven’t got the experience …

If you have an interest in horses, but do not have the experience, you can still work your way into becoming a riding instructor. First, you could take lessons, yourself. In the beginning, it is true that you would only be able to teach the very basics. But you could pair  up with someone like Jenny Lee and offer to instruct horse care classes, leaving the riding to the expert. In fact, if you aren’t afraid of a little hard work, you might be able to negotiate a trade. You could do the “dirty work” in exchange for training on how to become an instructor.

Once you’ve gained the appropriate knowledge and experience, you can become creative in your packaging of different classes. Some stables offer birthday parties on the premises, especially if there are enough barnyard animals nearby to make up a petting zoo. If the customer prefers, you could arrange to take a pony into town to a party. Classes could also be arranged through scouting and other youth programs. Your own imagination will reveal many opportunities to you.

If you have a little horse sense, and enough persistence, you can turn your love of horses into a moneymaking endeavour; in effect, into “horse cents”!

Helpful Resources:

http://hop.clickbank.net/?kimbarra91/rogerbee

http://http://4ebe5d-2-ou0f0ah17i7095v9u.hop.clickbank.net/

http://www.horsetrainingsuccess.com/?gclid=CLeV08SVi5QCFRaVggodQilGWQ

Related posts:

1. Ten Money Saving Horse Care Tips.
2. Horse Back Riding ~ Tips and Techniques for the Beginner Rider.
3. So, You Want To Buy Your First Horse ~ What You Need To Know

Today, everyone is looking for horse care savings ideas. Fortunately, there are a lot of simple, practical ideas that can add up to big savings.

1. Prevention:

Keep everything running smoothly. That includes your horse, yourself and your equipment.                                                                                                

Pay close attention to your horse. Every day, do a daily horse checkup. Check for food and water consumption, manure production and general demeanor. Scan her body, pick out her hooves and watch her walk. You’ll both benefit if you catch problems early.

Keep up a regular program of dental checkups, hoof care, worming and vaccinating.

Use caution when working around your horse. Watch for kicks and foot tramples when you’re on the ground, and injuries sustained while riding. Stay limber and in shape so you can stay on top of your horse care (and your horse!)

Keep your equipment in good shape. Maintain your vehicles and tractors to save on gas as well as repairs. Clean your tack and store it properly. Good quality equipment can last for years if you take care of it properly.

2. Do It Yourself:

There are a lot of horse care tasks you can do yourself. You can learn how to give shots, pull and braid manes, clip your horse and clean his sheath. Ask your veterinarian for instructions on giving shots and cleaning the sheath.

3. Make It Yourself:

With a few simple tools and some skills, you can make your own jumps, tack boxes and horse clothes. And everyone can make horse toys-it’s as simple as stringing up a turnip!

4. Consign It!

Visit your local tack shop. They may have gently used items available for purchase. Blankets, tack, even clothing may be waiting for your keen eye.

Take a hard look at your gear, too. If you haven’t used it in a year, think about consigning it. Couldn’t you use those extra dollars? And the extra space?

5. Barter:

Do you have a special skill? Something you could barter in exchange for horse care services? If you can fix a car, design a website, setup a home theater, drive someone to the airport, babysit…you’ve got a barterable skill. Don’t be afraid to ask!

6. Don’t Waste:

Don’t waste hay or feed. Learn to reduce horse feed costs for big savings. Protect hay to minimize loss.

7. Don’t Overdo It:

Don’t oversupplement your horse. If your horse is healthy and eating a nutritious diet, she may not need much in the way of supplements.

8. Be A Cheapskate:

Prowl the dollar stores for great bargains on things like towels, storage containers, wipes, combs and measuring cups. Never pass up a garage sale-these are great sources of used tools, vacuums…you never know!

9. Buddy Up:

Your farrier or equine dentist may be willing to reduce fees if s/he can see more than one horse at a visit. See if you have friends that may want to participate in a group visit.

A group might help reduce hay costs, too. If you can gather a few horse owners together to purchase a larger quantity of hay, you may be able to negotiate a better price.

10. Offer Your Services:

Offer to exercise someone else’s horse. You can make money doing what you love!

Saving money on horse care is more important than ever. Take the time to look at your horse care routines-there may be room for some money saving improvements!

Related posts:

1. Hints and Tips: How to Save Time and Money As a Horseowner.
2. A Lot of Horse Sense (Cents!).
3. Horse Care For Beginners: 5 Helpful Tips To Keep Your Horse In Top Trim.

I was motivated to write this Post about Wintec  after becoming aware of it’s evolution (and also being Australian,  just like me!). Apparently Ron and Ken Bates, owners of Bates Saddlery Australia on Perth, Western Australia are the designers behind the revolutionary Wintec saddles.

Wintec 500 All Purpose Saddle

I learned from further research that this first ever full cloth race saddle was given to a local jockey to test. He absolutely loved the saddle and would, in fact, take it into the shower with him after a race to wash the mud and sweat off it. In no time there were enough jockeys interested in the saddle to send it into full scale production.

The Wintec saddles took the global market by storm, especially in England where in 8 out of the next 10 years the famous English Derby was won by jockeys riding in Wintec saddles.

I’ll probably do Posts on other Wintec products at a later stage, such as the Wintec 500 and the Wintec dressage saddle, but for this Post I cover some of the features of  the …

Wintec 2000

Wintec 2000 All Purpose Saddle

The Wintec 2000, a strong contender in the synthetic all purpose family saddle field. Toward the top of the all purpose range, this great multi discipline saddle offers exceptional performance. It feature Flexibloc inset panels that form to your horse and you, the rider, working with the deep designed Equisuade saddle to promote a stronger riding position. The popularity of this saddle is understandable when you consider the Wintec 2000 offers the best of all worlds to riders.

With a formidable heritage, the Wintec 2000 takes some of the strongest features of the synthetic all purpose range. The range boasts a number of new attributes to ensure you get the most out of your saddle.

Features of note.

• Easy Change Gullet System – adapting to your horse or pony as it matures, the gullet can be changed to assure a marvellous fit.
• Equisuade Saddle – ensuring a excellent grip in the saddle even in wet weather.
• CAIR system – Greatly improving the comfort of you saddle, this system reduces friction points on your horse or pony. (The CAIR system is also available in the Wintec girth range which has also taken off in popularity).

Real Riders

The Wintec 2000 invariably scores high with real riders who cite quality and security as the key features of this saddle. The saddle is soft and comfortable unlike many leather saddles. The design of the seat gives an improved position enabling you to sit more properly with the fabric of the Equisuade adding to the feel.

Likes

• The Equisuade seat compared to basic end Equileather seats meaning you can essentially benefit from the improved grip provided by the fabric.
• With the gullet system meaning you don’t have to buy a new saddle as you switch horses means this saddle is a excellent investment. Very straight forward maintenance saves you cash and work.
• Just rinse off the saddle with warm water while your friends have to oil and treat their leather saddles.

Dislikes

• The grip provided by the saddle can take a bit of getting used to. A few riders have suggested the Equisuade holds some moisture for a period after rain.
• Change is distressing for some people and they see anything but leather as inferior. ( I’ll cover the features of synthetic saddles in a later Post).

There’s a lot to recommend the Wintec 2000 saddle and this will be appreciated most by multi discipline riders who are looking for function and value. As well as trusting your saddle, you need to be able to rely on your supplier. Wonderful guarantees and a ‘trial ride’ service make the organization at the link above a great recommendation. But as always, I strongly recommend that you check out all  suppliers available to you

Related posts:

1. Synthetic Saddles: What are the Benefits?
2. A Modern Jumping saddle – the Pessoa AO.
3. Saddles and tack: Tighten up the girth ~ or not?

You can probably feel it in your blood. Why? Because the warmer weather is coming. Spring is in the air. As you wander around out of doors you notice that, at last, the grass is starting to grow and the paddocks are recovering their lush, green look. At this time you can vividly imagine yourself meandering down a country lane or cantering across the green paddocks on your very first own horse.

All this feels so good to you, but you haven’t yet got your own horse! So you decide that now is the time to take positive action.

So just what do you need to know?

Here are 6 important and practical tips to help you find just the right horse.

1.   Where should you look for your perfect horse?

One of your best starting places are the contacts you have with people who already own a horse. Look for notice boards that you’ll find in your local horse supply outlets, saddle and pony clubs, and riding schools.
Then look for those horses that are advertised in both local and national magazines. One of these, if you’re in its coverage area, is Horse and Hound.
Bear in mind that for advertised horses you’ll need to be quick off the mark. You may well find that the best horses may be quickly sold in just the first few days. You’ll also need to be prepared to travel as many available horses could be quite some distance from your home. Be prepared for some disappointment along the way and realise that it may take some considerable time to find just the right horse for you.
2.   What questions should you ask yourself before you go looking for your horse?

Before you even go to look at your first horse give honest answers to these three questions:

*       What is my budget?
*       What do I want to do with my horse?
          Do I want hunt and jump, dressage, or simply trail ride?
*       What is the level of my riding ability?

Make sure you’re totally honest and keep the answers to these questions firmly in mind. It’s easy to go astray by falling in love with a totally unsuitable horse. In such a case you may find that you end up with a horse you cannot control or if, for example, you want to jump, a horse that has a total aversion to jumping. Keep a clear head and let it rule your heart! And remember, keeping a horse can be an expensive business – there is no point in overstretching yourself in buying a horse as you’re going to need to buy saddle, and other expensive tack.
3.   When you go to inspect a prospective horse, what should you look for?

Be sure you see the horse in every day situations. Don’t just rely on the seller’s statements, ask to see for yourself. Watch him be saddled up. Does he stand quietly or does he move and fidget around? A horse may behave well when being ridden, but be inclined to kick and bite when being fitted up with his tack, or having a rug put on or off.  

Examine the horse carefully for signs of sweatmarks. He may well have been lunged or given a vigorous ride before you turn up making him appear much quieter than he really is. Also realise that a horse that is used to being exercised more than you have time for may mean that you have a much more excitable horse on your hands than you can handle.

4.   You’ve never bought a horse before, so what should you do when you try him out?

If you’ve only ridden at riding school or saddle/pony club before, without having your instructor standing in the middle telling you what to do, you may find yourself at a loss. So, before you go to your horse inspection it’s advisable to decide on a short routine you’ll use to test the horse you’re assessing to decide whether this is the right horse for you or not. It’s also a good idea to take an experienced horse riding friend along with you for the inspection. Your friend can also help you with the following sample routines:

Sample routines:
Walk the horse, halting once or twice to make sure the horse is listening to you.
Walk a 20 metre circle, watching to see if he leans in or out. Change rein and repeat this walk in the reverse direction.
If he bends easier on one rein than the other, this is not a fault as most horses tend to have a stronger rein. More important, is he is attentive to you?

Then trot the horse. Does he go forward eagerly, or is he reluctant?
As in the walking exercise, work a circle on both reins. Does he drop out of a trot as he bends?
Does he try to go forward into a canter?
Whatever the result, you will have to decide if you’d be happy with the horse’s behaviour. 
Once again, your experienced friend may help you decide.

If you’re happy with the trot, try the canter on each rein. The horse should make the upward transition smoothly when you ask him to do it. It’s important that he do it on the correct leg. If you didn’t learn this at riding school or saddle/pony club, hopefully your friend can help you with this also.

If you want a horse for jumping, make sure you put him over a fence or some other reasonably high jump.
Is he eager or is he inclined to baulk and need a lot of encouragement?

It’s important to decide before you visit the horse and try him, exactly what you’re looking for, and what you’re prepared to work with. There’s no point falling in love at first sight with a beautiful animal you can’t control – or one which is reluctant to jump when that is your reason for buying!

In buying a horse you’re forming a partnership which you’ll have for quite some time. Your partner must be chosen very carefully to make sure he is compatible with your level of riding and what you want to do. Commonsense should rule here – not your heart!

5.   When you go to see a horse, should you see him ridden first?

Without a doubt, YES! Should the vendor say there’s no one available to ride him, think about just going home! It may be that the horse is too difficult for anyone to ride. You should only attempt to ride him if you are a very experienced rider – otherwise be prepared to walk away, or at the very least try and arrange a time when you can come back and see him ridden before you try him.

The current owner should ride a routine along the same lines to the one previouly outlined to let you assess the horse’s way of going, and how he responds to the rider’s instructions. If he makes upwards transitions easily for someone else, but not for you, this may be something that can be overcome with some lessons – but be wary. There is a saying that a horse’s ability sinks to match those of its rider! Just because the horse you’ve fallen in love with makes flying changes on demand for its current owner does not mean that it will make them for you if you can’t ride at the same level of competence.

6.  You’ve found the horse you want. Is there anything else I should do before buying him?

Just one thing more. And it’s really essential. You need to arrange to have your potential new horse thoroughly checked by a qualified veterinarian. Try to select a vet who is well experienced in dealing with horses. Yes, it is quite expensive, but a few dollars spent now could save you a lot of heartache and many dollars in the years to come.

Finally, be prepared for it to take quite a few months to find the right horse for you and to fit him out with the right saddle and tack, but be assured the wait will be worthwhile. One thing is almost certain. At the finish that palamino mare you had pictured yourself riding away into the sunset may well turn out to be a percherson thoroughbred cross gelding! But whatever size, colour or sex you end up with, if you’ve taken your time choosing, you’ll have a wonderful partnership for many years to come!

Recommended Reading:   Horseback Riding For Dummies (Paperback)~ Audrey Pavia (Author)

Related posts:

1. Safe Riding: Tips On Keeping You And Your Horse Safe
2. A Horse First Aid Kit Could Save Your Horse’s Life ~ A Few Helpful Tips!
3. Horseback Riding ~ Avoid the Mistakes I Made When Buying a New Horse!