Ways to profit off your farm and horses

[Texarkana]

I’ve been mulling over this topic for months. About 6 months ago while real estate shopping, my husband and I looked at a farm that wasn’t right for us but was perfect for someone’s horse business. It got me fantasizing about the different ways you could run a business off your farm or utilizing your horses.

Of course there are the obvious ways:

-Boarding or renting facilities
-Lessons
-Training
-Sales

Then there are some less obvious niches:

-Lay-ups
-Foaling/breeding/mare care
-Pony rides or carriage rides
-Trail rides
-Wedding/event/photography venue
-Supplying locations and/or horses for TV/film
-A local farm does wellness/mental health type therapy at their facility, kind of like meditation with horses

So what other creative ideas are out there?

ETA: This isn’t something I’m pursuing, I’m just genuinely curious.

[Simkie]

Not horse related, but I make pretty good bank hatching and selling chicks.

[clanter]

having a Unicorn for birthday parties around here commands $450 yo $550 to show up

regarding boarding… grand daughters are boarding a Goat… $150/mo

[lenapesadie]

Pony parties and pony rides at festivals are good money and in high demand here.

One BO I know makes a tidy sum by showing up at a church in Palm Sunday with her two mini donks in tow. Sets up in the parking lot and the church goers are delighted to pet the donks, take some pics and give them a treat.

[Texarkana]

These are all cool ideas!

@Simkie I had no idea chicks were so profitable. A friend makes a nice profit raising baby doll sheep, but then there is a fair amount of investment in said sheep.

@clanter and @lenapesadie I didn’t even think about parties!

I’m just so intrigued by this topic of ways to create some income off your farm beyond the traditional methods.

[clanter]

one thing that we did a complete work up on was boarding dogs/cats… and now would be the dog walker things… the biggest issue would be the high demand dates would be all the holiday periods

But small animal boarding can produce very high profits with little cost (once cages have been acquired)

We have babysit precious pooches before… two for three weeks… that netted over a thousand dollars …we did not charge that much but the dog’s owner said that they would have to spend more if boarded in at their normal kennel so start whipping out the hundred dollar bills.

The Goat the grand kids are boarding they are also training… the thing appears to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder that it picked up from its owner, never thought it was catching but that goat acts like its owner. The girls are clicker training it to mind commands.

[sportyspicepony]

The beautiful, picturesque, most perfect barn ever where I grew up riding as a kid is now a wedding venue where almost everyone in my small hometown gets married now. She used to also keep some nice, wedding-friendly horses that people could use in photos too (like a Friesian and a big grey) but I’m not sure she does that anymore… I’m sure it’s very lucrative for her but it makes me sad because she doesn’t do any boarding anymore at all there

[Angela_Freda]

If I won mega millions, I’d buy a place to do retirement boarding or get my lvt and do retirement and layups for my last equine vet.
I enjoy the care taking and barn work, I enjoy learning.

[S1969]

@lenapesadie

Pony parties and pony rides at festivals are good money and in high demand here.

One BO I know makes a tidy sum by showing up at a church in Palm Sunday with her two mini donks in tow. Sets up in the parking lot and the church goers are delighted to pet the donks, take some pics and give them a treat.

I feel like if people were really insured properly for that, they might not make a profit. I realize most pony parties and pony rides are safe…but all it takes is one 6 year old with a broken neck to lose everything you own…so you need insurance. But it’s can’t be cheap.

[lenapesadie]

It’s not something I do so I’m not familiar with the insurance costs. The folks I know that offer those services are also offering boarding and lessons. I’ve always presumed the insurance costs for the pony parties wouldn’t be more expensive than insurance for lessons. I could be very wrong though.

[sportyspicepony]

Actually another lesson barn I rode at as a kid would also offer writing workshops / camps for aspiring writers because the BO was an avid writer herself. Pretty creative way to use her other interests/ talents to diversify the business, not sure how lucrative it was for her but it’s an interesting idea!

[S1969]

Well you are probably right - if they are already paying for some general liability policy the ponies are probably covered also. I am thinking of people that own just a pony or two…trailering it around town for parties. They may not realize that they should carry insurance for that - homeowners insurance is most likely not going to touch it at all.

[lenapesadie]

Oh for sure!

[furlong47]

AirBNB or similar type vacation rental on part of the property. Either just for the scenery factor, or you could offer additional packages that include your other services (if you have lessons, carriage rides, trail rides, etc).

Similarly, programs like yoga or wine and cheese with the horses as a backdrop.

Obviously, your farm needs to be a certain level of picturesque for those to work.

Offering programs for scouts or other similar groups, for a fee per person it will cover xyz requirements toward a horse related badge. In some cases a full day program is enough for them to earn the whole thing.

[Texarkana]

@furlong47

AirBNB or similar type vacation rental on part of the property. Either just for the scenery factor, or you could offer additional packages that include your other services (if you have lessons, carriage rides, trail rides, etc).

Similarly, programs like yoga or wine and cheese with the horses as a backdrop.

Obviously, your farm needs to be a certain level of picturesque for those to work.

These are all really great ideas, and ideas I’ve seen a local farm execute and just forgot about!

The local farm is on the water and has human tent/RV camping, horse camping, trail rides with wine/cheese, trail rides with concerts, trail rides with yoga, trail rides with swimming, etc.

[Texarkana]

@sportyspicepony

Actually another lesson barn I rode at as a kid would also offer writing workshops / camps for aspiring writers because the BO was an avid writer herself. Pretty creative way to use her other interests/ talents to diversify the business, not sure how lucrative it was for her but it’s an interesting idea!

Was the writing related ot the farm or horses? Or just in general? Definitely a creative way to diversify!

[Texarkana]

@Angela_Freda

If I won mega millions, I’d buy a place to do retirement boarding or get my lvt and do retirement and layups for my last equine vet.
I enjoy the care taking and barn work, I enjoy learning.

I did the lay up thing. It was the best job I ever had. Probably the only thing I’m truly good at in life, haha. If I thought I could support myself from it, I’d quit my day job and do it for a living. Unfortunately it’s not so compatible with working 40 hours a week outside of the home. It’s also highly location dependent.

[clanter]

@S1969

homeowners insurance is most likely not going to touch it at all.

I suspect if you read your policy Any Business activity is specifically excluded …better check your exclusions section… as this is what ours says that excluded …“Arising out of or in connection with a business engaged in by any insured”.

[candyappy]

On our farm horses are the only animals we have that don’t produce an income! But, if we had our property in a better place ( like close to the interstate) I would offer overnight stabling to travelers.

[S1969]

@clanter

I suspect if you read your policy Any Business activity is specifically excluded …better check your exclusions section… as this is what ours says that excluded …“Arising out of or in connection with a business engaged in by any insured”.

Agreed. And even if “pony rides” were on your property and free they may be excluded.