Do you think I said, or even implied this?
Not exactly. My response goes back to the whole, âwhat use is the SRSâ question. It wasnât meant as a bash. Probably could have written it better. Sorry!
And then, off on another tangent - we do our best to preserve important historic buildings, paintings, sculpture, etc⊠I personally think that (non-harmful) culture of all types should also be preserved regardless of how relevant it is to modern-day uses of the same media, whether those media are bricks and mortar, paint, clay, or horses.
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I think this is the essential question. A lot of these living cultural heritages canât/wonât/shouldnât(?) generate self-sustaining profits without âDisneyfyingâ and diluting or diminishing the very reasons they were preserved. There are many, many sites around the world that risk degradation and outright destruction because of the level of tourism they sustain.
And letâs not forget this is what started the exodus of senior riders at SRSâŠdirectors who attempted to privatize the program.
If Austriaâs government and/or private patronage cares enough, they will preserve it. If not, it will probably limp along in a diminished capacity.
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I donât think being more transparent about the training and providing more public education and awareness is Disneyfying anything. I do think the emphasis on the performances is, and thatâs what is driving people out.
I said much earlier in the thread that the SRS might want to consider a fundraising/business model more like what you see at institutions like zoos ( like the San Diego zoo) and museums. No more dolphin shows, more paid educational opportunities and behind the scenes access.
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How did the Totilas cross come out as far as movement goes? I am not a Totilas fan and canât imagine this breeding.
Based on the FEI database Hotilas seems to be competing at I-2, GP with scores in the 62-66% range
Hotilas (107QN46) | FEI.org
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No, I donât have a problem with anything that you mentioned. I just donât think itâs going to generate the kind of capital to keep this program going. Itâs probably several million at least in operating capital annually. Iâm not sure they can get the kind of foot traffic that s zoo does.
Yes, I think they need to offer more in the online space for sure. Revenue from foot traffic is way too limiting.
When you think of the âinfluencersâ who somehow manage to make millions with inane TikTok videos, it seems like there should be a market for online income from these horses and their program if they can figure out the details.
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Only an extraordinarily small portion of âinfluencersâ make that kind of money, and itâs also highly dependent on how many followers you can get and what products you can shill. Iâm guessing the pool of potential followers is relatively small for the SRS. Recommending that as their way to make millions is kind of like recommending they âdrop out of college and get richâ because thatâs what Mark Zuckerberg did.
Not to say they couldnât make some money off of it, but I would not view it as a reliable income by any means, especially the rate at which apps seem to rise and fall these days.
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True, but that small pool might be willing to spend a bit more apiece for useful content. Especially compared to the followers of fashion tips or whatever on TikTok.
Plus if they are working the horses anyway, which Iâm sure they do every day, it doesnât seem like that much more effort to set up a couple of cameras and put it online. Itâs not as if the horses would just be standing in their stalls otherwise.
There are certainly more people who could watch it on their computers rather than getting on a plane and going to the school in person.
Thereâs definitely universe in which this would work, but it would require the labor of several people who have skills in several different arenas. Their best bet is to bring on a couple of interns who are social media savvy, and will do it in exchange for the education.
Probably they need several tiers, starting with TikTok, Instagram and Facebook for exposure. Then at that point, you funnel those users into paid tier content in the form of structured video tutorials, maybe on Patreon.
Then, if youâre picking up traction there, you build out a bespoke website with membership options there, including personalized training.
Supplement all of this with regular clinics, symposiums, and fundraisers, both meatspace and online.
Itâs a LOT of creative labor.
One problem that we canât know without being inner circle with SRS is who âownsâ the ability to generate content and profit, or even record the horses. Their status, as cultural heritage, artifact might tie the whole idea up with institutional bureaucracy.
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No doubt.
But it certainly sounds like the business model theyâve been following recently has not been working too well for them. Maybe itâs time for a change before itâs too late.
I think most income from âinfluencersâ making huge amounts of money comes from promoting products - they are paid per post by companies wanting them to promote their products. So how many companies are jumping to have SRS promote their products and how big is their budget to do so?
The model youâre suggesting is more akin to what Twitch streamers do (mostly video games/video game adjacent streams), but again, an extremely small portion of streamers are making significant money. A leak came out a few years ago of the top 100 earners on Twitch and only the top 80 (out of over 7 MILLION total streamers) were making over $1 million annually from subscribers.
Again, totally possible to make some money, but as MadTrotter said it is a LOT of effort for no guarantee of success. Who knows though - maybe some combination of this, a few sponsorships, an online educational course(s), and sending their top riders out to teach in person clinics across the globe could be enough to keep them afloat. Like you, I do hope they try something.
He sure is handsome!
The Traveling Horse Witch made about 500k with people signing up for a $150 FB group. Think how much money the Parelliâs, Clint Anderson and the like have made. The SRS could generate a lot of income if they wanted.
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They probably could, but in doing so they would probably destroy everything that makes the SRS out of the ordinary.
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Quoting ProfAm/eq "Do you think maybe demystifying âclassicalâ dressage might change things? If places like the SRS did more outreach and education (and their method of training were more accessible), perhaps it would become more fashionable. The horses do seem sounder and more ammy friendly than the big WBs. I personally would buy one after knowing a few. Most amateurs just want a sound, sane, rideable horse capable of doing the training! They arenât aiming for the top of the sport."Unquote
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There is nothing mystifying about classical dressage. It is a step by step process of training the horse, along with a rider who is physically very fit, knows how to isolate their own muscles and has the mental ability to know when to move forward, move slower, or to back up their training program
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Of course itâs out of the ordinary if only people who can afford to travel to Vienna to see it live can watch it. More people would be able to appreciate the special beauty if it was available online. I fail to see how that would be a bad thing. 
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