Before having even travelled and while still planning my trip to Ireland for the Irish National Stud I stumbled across a website that caught my attention with a few words: horses, beach, South Africa.

Julie-Anne Gower along with her husband Clint run Wild Coast Horse Trails on the East Coast of South Africa.  I spent five weeks of absolute heaven learning, riding and breathing horses with them.  Julie-Anne has kindly answered some questions about their trail riding business.

What services are offered by Wild Coast Horse Trails?
We provide horse riding holidays for horse loving people, see notes on Wild Coast Horseback Adventures for all the details.

– 1 to 12 week hands on working horse riding holiday at Sunray farm
– 6 night 7 day Wild Coast Horse Safari
– 8 night 10 Day Surf & Turf Safari
– 1 to 14 day Castaway trails – custom made trails
– Day rides along the beach
– Torstone Sport Horses

How did you get into this equine related business?
I kept seeing other people trying to do this type of thing, and in my opinion they were not getting it right. Finally, we had a cash flow crisis, and a field full of horses, and I put a trail itinerary together, created a web site and waited for a year before my first booking! I was in the right place and the right time and the horse trail agents picked me up and started selling our rides.

The Gap year program developed first of all as a work for board arrangement, but this presented only problems and so I decided to charge riders for staying with us. The demand for this type of experience has grown into a full time business and we now take up to 8 riders at the farm at any one time. We have converted the old farm house into a comfortable cottage for the riders to live in, and developed the whole thing into an extended riding holiday. We have a full time yard manager who oversees the daily routine and also instructs the riding and schooling sessions.

I started breeding horses because I thought that it was a good idea at the time – I am still trying to make money out of it!!
The great thing now is that we can bring our own bred horses into the trails – and that really is rewarding. My dream is to produce competitive endurance horses that will be sold overseas. We are on the cusp of this, as the perfect prospect has to be about 8 years old and have completed 3 x 80 km rides and at least 1 x 120km competition – it’s a very long term project, but we are lucky enough to be able to use the up and coming youngsters in the trails as part of their training – and they are earning their keep at the same time.

How much of your day/week is hands on with horses?
I don’t spend as much time as I would like to! I do all the guiding for the trails, and that is very hands on with the horses. At the farm, I tend to be organising and checking rather than actually doing these days 🙁

In this field is it possible for someone to be a full time professional, earning a livable income?
To earn a living from horses, it really depends on you. Most day ride operations do ok if they are in the right place and have a consistent flow of tourists to support them. They drive old cars, and the house needs painting, but they are doing what they love!

What are the general steps taken to be able to provide such a service to others?
The overnight trail scenario is highly competitive. You have to select your market carefully, and if like me you are remote and rely on international tourists, you have to have representation in Europe and the UK.

Any advice for those interested in pursuing this line of work?
Don’t expect to make it straight off. It takes time and effort – you are planning and working with agents a year in advance for the marketing – so if you start now, only expect returns over the next 1 to 2 years. In the mean time you have to feed and care for the horses and keep them in tip top condition.

Besides being totally horsey and you must be able to ride VERY well and enjoy looking after people, get some field guiding qualification, and some hospitality training. Also, get experience in leading trails with all levels of riders.

Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
I would love to meet and do some work with Richard Maxwell or Monty Roberts. I would love to do a course and improve my technique with training young horses etc.

Favourite horse memory?
When my old man Moonlight comes to me in the paddock, touches me with his nose and says hello; after all the training, sweat, and tears, winning endurance races! Also, having a young horse that you have bred, trained and sold on – do well and bring joy to their humans 🙂

Future goals?
I want to travel the world doing horseback trails and holidays 🙂 To build my horse riding holidays into a profitable business so that I can go on riding holidays!

Best thing about your sport/profession?
I had a client a few weeks ago who came back to do her second trail with us. At 74 years old – what a dynamic woman – she is an inspiration to me in that I can now envision myself still riding for another 40 years! The horses have taught me to be authentic with myself and to others, do everything with love and respect.

“We have fast horses for fast people, gentle horses for gentle people, and for people who don’t like to ride, we have horses that don’t like to be ridden.”

Tags: Wild Coast Horse Trails, horse beach riding, horse riding holiday, trail riding, Julie-Anne Gower, South Africa

I started reading the Thoroughbred series in my early teens and can contribute this series by Joanna Campbell to developing my interest in racehorses and potentially working with them.   The author of this popular teen series kindly took the time to answer some questions with regards to writing horses.

Have you always been interested in horses and when did you start writing and getting books published? Do you do anything else with horses that generates an income?
I’ve always been interested in horses, and tried to win a pony when I was under ten by sending in names for the pony.  I didn’t win, but I didn’t give up after that.  I still loved them.  Even though my grandparents owned a small farm next door with a barn where my grandfather said I could keep a horse, my parents refused to get me one because they were afraid of the cost and that I would lose interest.

My novel writing begain with adult romantic time travel novels.  I sold four of them and only turned to writing about horses to gain some quick money, since I was a single mother raising two children.  I was quite amazed at how popular my young adult horse novels were.

I had to wait until I was in my early 20’s and married to buy a horse of my own for $100.  He was a refugee from a bad stable, was skinny, lethargic and lice infested. My father fenced in a portion of our acre property for him, and I could still ride him in my grandparents’ fields next door.  With my cousin’s help I taught that Quarter Horse and myself how to jump–in a Western saddle, no less.

I got pregnant with my second child and rode until I was six months pregnant, with no harm to me or my future son, but toward the end of my pregnancy, since I also had a toddler, I no longer had the energy to ride or care for my horse, and winter was approaching.  I allowed my husband at the time to trade him to a good home in exchange for a motor bike for my husband.  Stupid, in retrospect, but necessary.

Are you self published or did you go through a publisher?
I’ve only published with big houses, like Avon, Random House, Bantam and HarperCollins.

Do you think that whether your horse book is fiction or non fiction bears on how easy it is to get published?
I’ve only written fiction, so I have no idea how non-fiction could do.

Any advice for those interested in pursuing writing about their love of horses and turning it into an income?
Does a love of horses tie into any success as a writer?  That is a hard one to answer. First you have to have an inborn talent for writing, which I do.  I’ve been writing stories in my mind since I was a young teenager.  You also have to have a command of the language, spelling and grammar.  You also have to hear the music of the words as you write them.  You can’t teach anyone to do this; they have to have it in their being.

“A camel is a horse designed by a committee.”

Tags: equine novel, horse writing, horse book, horse fiction, Joanna Campbell

Have you always been interested in horses and when did you start writing and getting books published?
My answer to the first portion of your question would be a simple “no”. Horses were always in the background, during my early adulthood, as my youngest sister was enamored with horses and a simple and quick Christmas present would be a horse statuette purchased for her. But I paid very little attention as my interests were centered on the sea and all that swam in the salty waters of our Mother Ocean.

Eventually my love for the sea distilled down to an overwhelming compulsion to learn all that I could about our brothers, the whales and the dolphins. And while living in Hawaii, I was fortunate enough to be able to work with these marvelous creatures and the joys of bonding and partnering were first explored.

Later in life I met my wonderful wife, Terry, who always had a dream of developing a relationship with a horse of her own. And while we lived in Brazil, this magical union did occur and to this day, Apache and Terry are inseparable and were excellent role models for my first equine relationship. Sometimes, like a fine wine, things that take time and come to you over the years are rich and robust in their depth and clarity. That is how I feel my connection with horses came to be.

Now to the second part of your question, this is my first “book” project although I am not new to writing. In fact, “Straight from the Horse’s Heart” is a compilation of, not just short stories, but journal entries that I made over the course of several years.

Each entry, or story, was prompted by an emotional and stressful event from the crash of a space shuttle to the death of my parents and highlights how the horses reacted to these occurrences and in turn, how they touched my heart and soul. Many of these stories were shared on the internet with fellow horse rescuers at Lone Star Equine Rescue which is now aligned with Habitat for Horses. It was my hope that these captured moments in time would give to their reader’s faith, courage and fortitude in continuing their fight against equine abuse, neglect and slaughter.

It was not until I made a promise to a now deceased friend to “tell the story” that the idea of a book was conceived. So my wife and I set about to collect and compile what I had written and almost as if like magic, the book was born. It was the “natural” thing to do and we both felt driven to make it happen. One of the happiest days in my life was to see the book appear on the pages of Amazon.com and the first one was ordered off from my website www.rtfitch.com. I knew that my promise had been kept and that a long and lengthy journey had come to fruition.

The proceeds of ‘Straight from the Horse’s Heart’ go to Habitat for Horses; tell us about this organization?
Habitat for Horses is our nation’s largest all breed equine rescue and protection organization.  HfH is headquartered in Hitchcock Texas where we maintain a ranch and intake facility but the bulk of our rescued and rehabilitated horses are cared for in volunteer foster facilities (homes) in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Florida, the Carolinas and beyond.

The founder and President of HfH is Jerry Finch, a very caring and compassionate individual who is an accomplished author in his own right.  He is mentioned throughout our book and was the one who pressured me to put my feelings to paper.  I owe him a lot and consider him to be my very best friend.  The work of HfH is chronicled in our book and it encompasses everything from the rescue of one single abused horse to being the major driving horse rescue whose members waded through waist deep, snake and alligator infested waters to save horses that survived Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.  This is a very colorful and talented bunch of people.

HfH has managed, through the work of many dedicated volunteers, to reach the top 20 shelters in the US for ZooToo’s Million Dollar makeover.  On April 7th the top 10 shelters will be announced at the HSUS convention in Las Vegas and for the next 10 days the US public will vote for the number one shelter and recipient of the Million Dollar make over.  This is special as for the very first time there are 2 horse organizations in the top 20 and if we manage to make it to the top 10 we will be representing every single horse and horse owner in the United States.

No insult to dog and cat shelters but this will be the first time that the horse community will be represented on such a scale and we will need everyone’s help to win.  Please, stop by www.habitatforhorses.org to see how you can help to make this dream come true.  The positive impact that such a prize will have on the horses and the education of the public will be out of this world.

Do you do anything else with horses that generates an income?
No, in actuality this project is not a true money making venture, for our business, as the bulk of the proceeds go to HfH.  (The main intent is to get the message out.) Most of our horse related activities revolve around taking care of our adopted horses and volunteering for HfH.  It is our objective to give “to” the horses and not to take “from” them.  What they return to us is far more precious than anything money could buy.

How much of your day/week relates to horses?
As of late, with the advent of the ZooToo competition, several hours each day are dedicated to the horses, even while I am away at my paying job.  Such things as TV and going to the movies have been put on the back burner while we work the rescue issue.
Also, there is a lot of time spent marketing, updating, shipping, and answering questions related to the book.  It has only begun its journey and it takes a lot of cultivating and promoting to get the word out to the general public.
And, of course, we spend several hours each day taking care of our herd, playing with them and maintaining our property that makes up their home.

I am also working on a second equine related book, this time it’s a novel.  So the bulk of our days are centered on horses and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Are you self published or did you go through a publisher?
There was an immense amount of time spent researching and brain-storming about which direction we should go.  Self-publishing, with a top of the line publisher, won out due to the following main considerations:
1.) Time in production – when we said go they moved forward.
2.) Control of content
3.) Maintaining legal rights to that content

These conditions were paramount in our decision as we did not want to wait nor did we want to give up our rights to the editing of the content.  We had a message to get out and we did not want it tampered with or delayed.

We, personally, paid for the PR work, editing, design and marketing and probably will never realize a return on that investment but it does not matter, the message is being told. We do have two brick and mortar publishing companies now standing in the wings, but we have not given into the pressure to sign a contract with them due to the loss of rights.  So we are hanging tough on this particular book.

If anyone would like help or information on how to become self-published I will be more than glad to give some insights gleaned from our personal experience.

Do you think that whether your horse book is fiction or non fiction bears on how easy it is to get published?
I don’t believe so as the bulk of the correspondence, that I have had, with publishing firms centers around prior work.  This makes it difficult to get started but once you are out there you begin to peek their interest.  Our work is considered non-fiction but there are portions that may stretch that definition depending on your depth of imagination.  As an author, I am granted the ability to apply a little dab of literary license.

Any advice for those interested in pursuing writing about their love of horses and turning it into an income?
My first bit of advice would be to approach your writing as a hobby and a tool in which you can express yourself versus being motivated to earn a living from your efforts.  If your talent and insights are polished enough you may mature into generating an additional income stream and maybe, ultimately, a full time income but none of that would ever happen over night.  In essence, don’t give up your day job nor subvert your message and style in an effort to make a fast buck.  It’s all about the message/story your heart is trying to tell, be true to yourself, first.

Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
Oh yes, my only fear is that I won’t live long enough to learn all that I want to learn.  It is my goal to continue to delve into the science and meta-physical aspects of equine behavior and communication.  Besides the spiritual and emotional aspects of bonding and partnering I hope to become adept at understanding even the pure and scientific principles behind the behavior that our equine cousins exhibit.

It is imperative, to me, to learn about their past, their history and evolution so that I can better understand the drivers that speak to our horses of today.  This topic interests me enough that I am enrolled in several university sponsored equine behavior courses.

I would also enjoy improving my skills as a competent rider and companion for my equine friends.  Good communication and partnering while in the saddle makes for an enjoyable trail ride and sharing session, one that both of us can look forward to.

Favorite horse memory?
There are many, from seeing the face of a little girl light up when she first adopts a formerly abused pony to pulling 5 horses out of a flooded field that had been underwater for 7 days after Hurricane Katrina.

But in reality, I guess my all time favorite would be to relive the day that my wife was surprised with her very best Christmas present, ever… her soul mate Apache.  I will never forget the joy that it gave me to ensure that my wife realized one of her lifelong dreams and to even have her parents there to witness it. (This was no small feat as we were living in Brazil at the time).  That day was the first day to the rest of my life with horses, both she and Apache have made the world a much better place to live, not only for me but for many, many other horses.

Future goals?
Easy question… a second book.  Already underway anxious to get it completed.  While I was in Manhattan filming my Blackberry commercial a producer came over and asked if I would be interested in writing a screenplay about the odyssey of bringing Apache back from Brazil.  All other writing projects were put on hold and although I know nothing about writing screenplays I began to chronicle the adventures of our horsey life in Brazil and the epic journey of Apache to our pastures in Texas… and the story continues.

But we are energized as the story is true, exciting, filled with love, death,international intrigue, espionage and triumph.  It’s the horse story of today and a remarkable one to tell.  So the adventures of the little rescued cart horse, a Mangalarga Marchador, and how he affected change to dozens of horses in the US is on tap next.  I am excited about its future release and anxious to get it into the hands of horse lovers around the world.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
I am not a sportsman nor do we compete with the horses, but if being a horse rescuer stands up to the test of being a profession then I have an answer for you.

The best thing about working on stopping equine abuse, neglect and slaughter is that when you go to bed at night you can be confident that you have made a difference with your life and for someone else’s.  If you just join a humane society and pay your dues you have made a difference.

If you make telephone calls or volunteer to sit at a booth and pass out pamphlets you are special.  If you foster, volunteer at the ranch or stuff envelopes you have touched someone.  If you desire to stop the pain, increase awareness and act as an agent to improve conditions for the horses, you are experiencing some of the best and richest moments in life.

Everything that you do for the horses IS the best thing about this profession/career.  Thanks to all the volunteers everywhere who give their time, their money and the simple sincerity of their love… you are making a difference.  May the Force of the Horse ® be with you!

“You know you’re a horse person when… on rainy days, you organize the tack room, not the house.”

Tags: equine novel, horse writing, horse book, horse non fiction, horse fiction, R.T. Fitch

I stumbled across the site of Tena Bastian, author and clinician and contacted her to see if she’d be able to answer some questions with regards to her published works that are advertised on the site.  She willingly obliged, giving a bit more of an insight into the possibilities that can arise from writing works regarding horses.

Have you always been interested in horses and when did you start writing and getting books published? Do you do anything else with horses that generates an income?
When I was a child, a tornado destroyed our house and my dad took us to a riding stable to distract us from the chaos. That is when I met my first horse and have loved them ever since. I have always written stories and poetry for as long as I can remember.

The Foal Is The Goal was published in 2005. That was my first real “hit”. I have shown, we breed and ship semen and artificially inseminate, I present seminars and clinics on horses.

How much of your day/week relates to horses?
Most of it. We also own a dog boarding kennel so my time is split between those two things and writing.

Are you self published or did you go through a publisher? Do you think that whether your horse book is fiction or non fiction bears on how easy it is to get published?
I have two publishers, nothing self published yet. I have five fiction novels that I have written. They are horse related. Non fiction is easier to get published.

Any advice for those interested in pursuing writing about their love of horses and turning it into an income?
It is a tough economy and they say to write about what you know so get to know all you can about the subject.

Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
Everything as the opportunity presents itself. Nothing in particular comes to mind.

Favourite horse memory?
Foals being born in the early morning. Walking outside and noticing that the sun has come up. Going team penning with a gelding named Teddy.

You can access Teddy’s story for free. An audio version is available on my website at www.tenabastian.com on the books page.

Future goals?
Surviving the economy. Working more with a gelding named Hootie come spring.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
It’s all good. Concentrating on the horses and less on the politics.

“To many, the words love, hope and dreams are synonymous with horses.”

tag: equine novel, horse writing, horse book, horse non fiction, horse fiction, tena bastian

I got an email not too long ago alerting me to the fact that someone had left a comment on the post, Hippotherapy.  That someone just happened to be an Occupational Therapist who has been involved in Hippotherapy for the past couple of years.  Barbara Smith kindly took the time to answer some questions regarding this unique form of therapy with horses.

Have you always been interested in horses and when did you start out in Hippotherapy? What is it exactly that you do?
I have always liked horses but did not have a lot of exposure to them since I grew up in New York City. I have been an occupational therapist for over 30 years mostly working in schools. Three years ago I went to a presentation by Temple Grandin.
She is a well known lecturer in the therapy field and talks about how her autism helps her to understand an animal’s perspective. She has a Ph.D. in Animal Science and designs cattle equipment.
I was inspired by her to learn about hippotherapy since I love being outdoors, getting exercise and working with children on the autism spectrum.
I use the horse as a treatment tool to work on goals such as increasing balance, strength, communication and motor skills. I love to design activities that help them process sensory information and use their hands during functional activities.

How much of your day/week is related to horses?
I only work two days a week at the hippotherapy farm. I also do home-care work where I help elderly people with low vision. In addition, I am finishing up revisions to a book about how parents can help their children to develop hand skills. It will be published by Therapro, Inc.
Of course, maintaining a website, two blogs and Youtube videos about my work is another job. But I find these projects fun and rewarding.

In this field of occupational therapy is it possible for someone to be a full time professional, earning a livable income?
Absolutely. Salaries vary according to work setting and what part of the country or world you live in but an occupational therapist can earn $40,000- $80,000 dollars a year.
I believe that the highest salaries are in long term care and hospital settings. I have been working in pediatrics where the salaries are on the lower end of the scale (in the U.S.).

What are the general steps taken to be able to provide such a service to clients?
Occupational therapists need to earn a Master’s Degree and also take a test to become a registered therapist. We then apply for state licensure and national certification.
Information is available at the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA.ORG).
Since I chose to work in the hippotherapy setting, I decided to earn additional certification by taking courses at the American Hippotherapy Association. Some jobs require this, others do not. There is a great deal of information and resources about hippotherapy on my web site: Horseot.com

Any advice for those interested in pursuing this line of work?
If you have a horse background it will be much easier to go into one of the professions that involve working with horses and people with disabilities.
Therapeutic riding instructors also work with disabled individuals teaching them riding skills. However, only physical, occupational and speech therapists do hippotherapy – that is doing therapy using the horse as a treatment tool to achieve therapeutic goals.
Someone interested in this line of work would have to attend a university program and continue with further training to learn about hippotherapy. But I want to add, that the thing I love the most about switching to this line of work is that the families and children are so appreciative and happy. I used to work in the schools where all parties were frustrated with the child’s struggles to succeed academically.
If a child simply sits on top of the moving horse – he or she is working hard and will be working toward goals while having fun.

Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
I have taken lessons to learn how to ride and vault. I want to do this again in the warmer weather. I know that the more I understand about horses and how it feels to ride and do different movements, the better I can deliver my services. It is also a lot of fun to learn these new skills at my age (over fifty years).

Favourite horse memory?
I briefly cantered. I find it challenging enough to trot but was very proud of myself when I got the horse to canter and didn’t fall off.

Future goals?
I am looking forward to having my current book project completed and then marketing. I love to write articles and give presentations, so marketing will be fun.
I feel that my book will help parents to choose the activities and toys that will help their children to learn. As a result of this early stimulation children will develop the hand and visual perceptual skills they need to read and write.
I have joined Toastmaster’s International this year. This organization helps its members to learn public speaking skills. Its a lot of fun and I plan on earning many blue ribbons!

Best thing about your sport/profession?
I enjoy thinking of creative ways to help children learn and I love to make something of value out of nothing.
I have written a whole book about designing therapeutic activities out of recycling items such as plastic laundry bottles. The book is called The Recycling Occupational Therapist published by Pro-ed. Inc.

“Where would a rider be without a horse?”

Tag: hippotherapy, physical therapy, equine therapy, riding for the disabled, occupational therapy