Recently Anne Marie kindly agreed to answer some questions about the horse focused work she does as an equine web designer. You can find out about her work below.

How much of your day/week is related to horses?
While I don’t yet have a horse of my own, about 90% of my work is related to horses. I am always learning more about horses and their care in my spare time. I plan to get more involved with horses and spend more time in the saddle next year.

What is it exactly that you do?
I am a website and graphic designer specializing in the equine industry. I help equine businesses and nonprofits tell their unique story through custom ads, branding, graphics, logos, and websites. Designing websites and graphics is something that I thoroughly enjoy, and I love helping equine businesses on their ride to success.

I also volunteer with Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society. I help advertise their rescue horses, design ads and event programs, and assist with their website.

In this field of work, is it possible to be a full-time professional and earning a liveable income?
Definitely, the web design and graphic design fields have the potential to earn a good income. It takes work, time, support, good marketing, and lots of advertising to keep a full load of clients every month.

There are also options to create passive income, like selling DIY website templates and social media graphic templates. I am blessed to be able to earn an income from my business.

Profile on Anne-Marie, Equine Web Designer

What are the general steps taken to be employed in such a role?
Research and get familiar with website building platforms and graphic design software. The first thing I would recommend is to choose a platform and software you want to start working with, and then spend some time making mockup designs. Once you get familiar with your platform and feel confident using it, start making some designs for friends and family. This will help you get experience and will also build a portfolio for your website.

Before opening your business, I recommend that buy a domain name, form an LLC or at least get a DBA Name if you are a Sole Proprietor, open a business bank account, get an EIN, launch your business social media pages, website, branding, and logo, etc. In the United States, a degree is not required to be a web designer or graphic designer.

Having an eye for detail and design is beneficial, and creativity and patience are imperative. You have to create unique and user-friendly designs that clients will love, and also have the patience and grace for clients who are busy and non-technical.

Favourite horse memory?
This is a tough question because I have many good horse memories stored in my mind, but I will share one memory. The first time I rode a Mustang, she was the most sure-footed horse I ever rode. Her gait was so smooth! I absolutely loved riding that mare!

Future goals?
It is one of my goals to financially bless a struggling business owner through investing in their business to help them become more successful. I would like to add some more passive income streams for my business, and write more blog posts.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
The flexibility to work on my schedule, the ability to work from anywhere, and the opportunity for growth is unlimited. I also love that I am able to serve clients from all over the United States.