Wordless Wednesday – Arena
Land and Horses
Hubby was kind enough to indulge me last month and take us for a drive to a nearby reserve that is utilised for a local Pony Club. This particular reserve is open to the public and can be utilised for a small fee for those in need of horse riding facilities.
Keen to offer something similar on our future property, I was eager to see what was on offer and how good the facilities were. It was exciting to see an area with fenced off and maintained arenas, tie up areas for horses and a relatively spectacular collection of cross country jumps dotted about cleared areas between native trees. Definitely got me dreaming about future goals!
Perhaps you have a love of horses and some land that could be put to use for the fellow equestrian. There would definitely be establishment costs and ongoing maintenance and gardening, but perhaps this is an area where you can invest and find a return in the equestrian world?
“You know you’re a horse person when you consider a golf course as a waste of good pasture land.” – Author unknown
Profile On: M.R. Bain, the Business of Horses
Author and business owner M.R. Bain has kindly taken the time to answer some questions about his business, the Business of Horses.
How much of your day/week is related to horses?
24/7
What is it exactly that you do?
We have a horse facility that is involved in training, boarding and breeding plus we do consulting work for horse business owners teaching them the ins and outs of this industry.
In this field of work, is it possible to be a full time professional and earning a liveable income?
Yes, if you are willing to put in long hours when needed.
What are the general steps taken to be employed in such a role?
A solid background that includes education and hands on experience. A willingness to realize that you will work a long time to gain recognition and fame.
Favourite horse memory?
They all are.
Future goals?
To keep on doing this as long as I am able.
Best thing about your sport/profession?
As a youngster, all I wanted was to be with the horses and this has provided me with that dream.
“He who said he made a small fortune in the horse business Probably started out with a large fortune!” – Author unknown
Whispering Back
Whispering Back is a non fiction book on horse training, broken up into many chapters. They each tell the tale of a horse that the authors and horse trainers – Adam Goodfellow and Nicole Golding – have worked with.
What I found unusual about this book – and love! – is that Adam came to horses on account of Nicole at a later age in life than many. It was during university that he flippantly made a comment about Nicole purchasing a horse she’d fallen in love with in a nearby field. Little did he know the journey that would take him on.
A couple living in the UK, Nicole and Adam attended a session run by Monty Roberts and were instantly convinced that there had to be a better way to reach and train horses than to muscle them around. Each chapter of Whispering Back details their growth as horse people, troubled horses they worked with and how accomplishments were made over time.
If you have a passion for horse training and natural horsemanship, I encourage you to get a copy of this book. Of interest to me also were the many references to different horse trainers and educators in the industry – it seems I’ve got some more research for blog posts!
Whispering Back is an interesting read and the fact that it is factually based makes it all the more appealing to me.
Authors: Nicole Golding and Adam Goodfellow
http://whisperingback.co.uk/the-books/
Non Fiction – horse training
In my library? Indeed! I may have to have a look out for the other work by these two authors. Definitely the topic was insightful and inspiring!
Want it? Get it now at Amazon.
“You cannot train a horse with shouts and expect it to obey a whisper.” – Dagobert D. Runes
Profile On: Susan Strawser, Equine Insurance
How much of your day/week is related to horses?
100% of my work day is related to horses.
What is it exactly that you do?
I sell equine-related insurance policies. I answer questions from clients in this industry to help them determine what insurance policy is going to meet their needs. My agency deals only with equine policies –
- mortality/medical on the horse,
- liability for the independent trainer/instructor,
- farm policies for the property owners with horses and/or horse business (boarding, lessons, training), horse clubs, equine events.
In this field of work, is it possible to be a full time professional and earning a liveable income?
Yes. Insurance is an important part of the horse owner’s life. We help protect your investment in your horse through life insurance and medical insurance. We also provide required coverage for property – insuring against loss to homes, barns, equipment, and tack.
Many farm owners are now requiring the independents conducting business on their property to carry their own insurance and name the property owner as an additional insured. This is very important because property owner’s own policy would not protect them if they are sued because of the independent’s business.
What are the general steps taken to be employed in such a role?
To be employed in the insurance industry, you could start as clerical staff in an agency or come in as a licensed agent. Each state requires an insurance agent to be licensed to sell insurance. Some agents are independents and they broker business through an agency without being an employee. In this case they are paid a commission on the business they bring to the agency. In most cases, the independent agent would have a contract with the agency spelling out their agreement.
Favourite horse memory?
As a young teen, I went horseback riding for the first time with a friend from church. She sat in the saddle and I sat behind her hanging on for dear life! When the horse stepped over a bridge in the ring, I just knew I was going to slide off the back end. It was scary and exhilarating all at once.
Future goals?
My goal is to continue to grow my agency by helping people understand why they need insurance, what policy is best for them, and helping them save money in the process.
Best thing about your sport/profession?
The best thing about my profession is the satisfaction of helping others. I’m not a saleswoman but a teacher, guiding people to make good decisions. I also enjoy getting to visit the farms I insure and spending time with beautiful horses.
“I pray the gentle hands may guide my feet;I ask for kind commands from voices sweet; At night a stable warm with scented hay, where, safe from every harm, I’ll sleep till day.” – Pony’s prayer
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