International Polocrosse Council

By Don Blazer

It is so easy to have a successful horse business that virtually anyone who wants to succeed can succeed!

All you have to do is: 1. get credentials, 2. focus on a niche, 3. become an expert.

Look around and you might think there is a lot of competition vying for the business you want.  But there really isn’t.  There are a lot of people offering services within the horse industry; but few that are truly qualified.

In the US today, less than 26 per cent of the population has a college degree of any kind.

Less than 10 per cent of those who operate a horse training or horse care business have any credentials at all; less than 1 per cent has a degree or professional certification in equine studies.  (And don’t let anyone tell you they are “qualified” because they have years of experience—experience is not a substitute for knowledge.)

Get credentials and start just about any kind of horse business you want.  You’ll be a success.

When you have credentials, you’ll be in demand.  Apply for a job and list your education credentials and it’s almost a guarantee you’ll get hired.  Business can’t find enough “credentialed” horse lovers.

There are more than 200 colleges in the US today offering equine study degrees, not to mention the “online” equine study degree programs available.

If you want an education, you can get it.

Decide on a niche rather than trying to be everything to everyone.

Most horse trainers today can’t earn a living training horses; they have a wife or husband who actually supports the family.  The main reason they fail to generate enough income to succeed is they aren’t recognized by potential clients for what they do.

Advertise and tell people about the horse services you provide is being visible.  But being visible isn’t good enough…you have to be “recognizable.”  When someone wants her horse trained for the show pen trail, your name and face need to be the first thing they think of.

The only way to become “recognizable” is to become synonymous with the service you offer.

Cathy Hanson, a HorseCoursesOnline.com instructor, trains world champion show pen trail horses, but not just any trail horses.  She trains American Quarter Horse trail horses.  Winning championships makes her recognizable to her market, as does the “visibility” of being an AQHA director and AQHA’s 2008 most valuable professional.

Hanson isn’t trying to compete with Hunt Seat, Reiner, Pleasure or Dressage trainers; she is focused on her niche.  Good economic times or slow, her barn is filled with clients who want to compete with AQHA show pen trail horses at the world championship levels.

Once you’ve decided on your niche, you want to become an expert.

Becoming an expert isn’t nearly as hard as you think.

If you read one book per week about the subject you’ve chosen…horses and whatever it is you are going to be doing with them as your business, within one year (52 books) you’ll have information equivalent of a doctorate degree on that specific subject.

If you know that much about a specific horse subject, you’ll be able to teach that subject to others at local community college continuing education programs, or for groups or organizations associated with horses.   You’ll be able to give clinics and seminars about your subject.

Local and national horse magazines and newspapers will be delighted to have articles written by you on your subject of expertise.

If it’s so easy, you ask, why doesn’t everyone have a success horse business?

The answer:  they have more excuses not to do it than they have desire to do it.

Anyone who wants to fail will tell you, “I’d do it, but….”

As soon as they say the word, “but” you know they are a loser.

Want to have a successful horse busy?  It’s easy.  Follow the three steps and make no excuses.

Don Blazer teaches The Business of Making Money With Horses for www.horsecoursesonline.com which offers equine study degree and professional certification programs.

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.I  turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I”m eighty-seven years old.  Can I give you a hug?”  I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.

“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked.  She jokingly replied, “I”m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…”

“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I”m getting one!” she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.  We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.  Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.  At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet.  I”ll never forget what she taught us.

She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.  Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I”m sorry I”m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me!

I”ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.”  As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.  There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success.

You have to laugh and find humor every day.

You”ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.  We have so many people walking around who are dead and don”t even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.  If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don”t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.  If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything  I will turn eighty-eight.  Anybody can grow older. That doesn”t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change.

Have no regrets.  The elderly usually don”t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”

She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.”  She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year’’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.  One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.  Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.  When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they”ll really enjoy it!

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.  REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.  God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings youto it,  He will bring you through it.