I have been hearing an advert on Visionfm for Rural Aid recently and was curious. A little bit of research indicated that there are half a dozen linked websites that help out in this area. Their aim is to provide aid to rural properties and also the people in need who run them. This could be done in the form of providing Christmas Hampers for struggling families or supplying bales of hay for stock in a drought. And I got to thinking – why not a horse aid setup?

Definitely farmers find themselves at the mercy of the elements. A drought or flood can greatly impact the success of a crop or stock. And this in turn affects the ability to bring in income to support the family – and the business.

Horse Aid Initiatives

Well the same can be said for horse properties. I’m not sure if there is already something out there, but I love the idea of a business or organisation that is set up to help horse properties, specifically – horse aid. Whether it’s to help businesses gain funding for horse care, or maybe to provide horse feed in times of drought, this is necessary at times. Or perhaps emergency transport can be provided to help move horses in times of fire. Rescue of horses or sources of food could also be provided in times of flood.

I am sure that there are many ways in which horse businesses can be assisted in times of need. Although many people own horses for pleasure, many also do it for business. The racing industry in Australia is one of the top employers across the country – to have a horse aid setup to help horse businesses survive in times of trouble would greatly benefit many.

I am also sure that many people would be interested in helping such an initiative. Perhaps through donating funds or maybe through volunteering their time and skills to assist horse properties and businesses. Or maybe even through helping to spread the word about horses in need so others can assist. Horse aid – would you be interested in setting up such an initiative?

On a side note, if the idea of rural aid interests you, there are volunteering opportunities as well as the chance to donate.

I love reading horse books that give me ideas about other horse ventures people are participating in. I have been able to learn about a third horse business idea through Jenifer Morrissey’s book, the Partnered Pony. This time the focus was on the Horseman’s Jingle by Jerry Williams.

Now to me, a jingle is a little song that you might hear, advertising a product. But according to Jerry’s website, it indicates:

Taken from the great basin term, jingle, for gathering horses, The Horseman’s Jingle is the place where aspiring horsemen gather to learn, encourage, and support one another.

I love this idea! There is so much that we can learn from each other. We can also help others to be accountable for their actions, their words and even their aspirations. As Jenifer points out in her book:

Horseman’s Jingle founder Jerry Williams suggests that sometimes it’s better to invest a little time in ourselves because in the end we’ll be better partners for our equines. He emphasizes that 80% of success is mental; it isn’t always about ‘doing.’

Jerry promotes himself on his site as a mindset and communication strategist. I love that he uses horses to do this! He aptly says, ‘Everything starts with a thought… Make it count.’ We definitely need to hold our thoughts captive and make sure they’re positive and proactive. Interested in knowing more about what Jerry does? You can check out his website.

Focusing on the philosophy of true horsemanship developing from the inside of a person, out, the website boasts online courses, MasterClass clinics as well as private and group coaching. It is set up to help people stay on track (focused), to encourage them to develop new skills and to build upon what is already known.

“Horses are calmer than people. They also don’t throw things at cats.” ― Tamora Pierce