'It's so hard to make money in the horse business...'

I read this sentence EVERYWHERE online. It's soooo hard to make money with horses.

And I see it as a reality when I talk to many of you.

It's the same myth as the 'starving artist' story.

It almost is a badge of honor!

'When you work with horses, you have no life and you get paid too little for it!', goes the saying, the lamenting, the sighing...

BUT, I also talk to very successful horse trainers, farriers who create popular training videos, barn owners who have clients they love and who respect them!

So, what's going on here?

Is it luck? Is it that you have to sell you soul? Is it that some just 'have it' and others don't?

I'm going to take a stand here and declare that I believe it's none of those.

In my experience as an entrepreneur who worked for 17 years FOR very successful entrepreneurs, I see the following being the key ingredients to making money anywhere, and that includes the horse industry.

1. You take a courageous stand for what you love, what you're great at and who you want to work with and you find a way to say it in a clear, simple message.

2. You get organized! Yes, I mean it.

Get up an hour earlier and plan your day.

Have a yearly, 6-month, 3-month, weekly AND daily plan.

No, you don't always stick to it and horses have a gift for ruining our plans but if you don't start with one, I can guarantee you that you would't get anywhere. 3. Create a website that shows off what you do with who and how! Create one that is professional looking and makes you feel like a million bucks (as they say in the US).

4. Get over your fear of tech and email marketing and build your email list! Just do it! NOW!

5. Take time out of working IN your business and work ON your business by automating booking, sales and on-boarding of new clients!

This will give you back hours in your day, promise!

6. With a growing email list, start moving out of 1:1 to 1-to-many. Design group lessons, programs, clinics, workshops.

Now your self-discipline is paying off and you can fill those with a click of your mouse! Now that is freedom!

That is success!

That is peace-of-mind!

Ok, enough pep talk. Go, get started today. Take the first step. It gets easier after that! With much love to you and please know that all this 'wisdom' took me a very long time to learn myself!

Cheers, Christiane