Equine Small Business Series Spotlight: Sporthorse Saddlery

By Lisa Skylis | skylisli@msu.edu

Are you ready to turn your horse hobby into an equine small business? Do you have what it takes to turn your passion into a career? Whether your dream business is a tack shop, freelance photography, a boarding barn, or anything else, it's crucial to learn how to set your business up for success before launching and learn from those who've already made the leap. The goal of this Equine Small Business Series is to guide you through the process of becoming a small business, be a resource for growing and maintaining your small business, and give real-life advice from equine professionals with an established small business. Read on and let's get to business!

Turning Passion into Promotion

Nestled in an industrial town in the Southwest corner of Oakland County, Michigan, Sporthorse Saddlery is passionate about serving the active equestrian community of Southeast Michigan. Founded in 2004 by Nancy Bredeson, Sporthorse quickly gained popularity and eventually became known as the toprated saddlery in the county – notably, the county which has the most horse owners in the entire state of Michigan. The same year they were founded, Anna Rebori decided to take a leap of faith and joined the budding business team as a sales associate.

A life-long horse lover, Anna began riding at age twelve and quickly became immersed in the realm of Hunter/Jumpers, becoming a member of her school’s equestrian team and competing nearly every weekend. Smitten with the equestrian world, she decided to turn her passion for horses into a sustainable career and began to explore the opportunities available to her “I worked for a Standardbred trainer for four years, grooming and exercising horses. I then worked at a different saddlery for four years,” Anna elaborated, “Where I discovered [my] love for working in the business. From that point, it became my goal to one day own my own tack store.” Soon enough, her dream became a reality and Anna became the sole owner of Sporthorse

Saddlery

Strategies for Saddlery Success

As with any business venture, Anna soon discovered that owning and managing an equine business comes with its challenges and can be especially demanding of your time. “Do expect to work hard,” She warned, “And work lots of hours. But don't get discouraged! I found it much more satisfying to work in a field I truly enjoyed. It's easy to make the change when you are passionate about the job. It pays off in the end.”

Certainly, Sporthorse Saddlery would not be the business it is today without Nancy Bredeson’s vision for an elegant yet practical tack store and Anna Rebori’s passion for connecting with other equestrians. Networking is an excellent way for equine small businesses to connect with potential customers and partners and build relationships that can help them grow. “When starting any business in this industry,” Anne advised, “It would be best to reach out to people not only in your direct area, but all across the country I encourage someone [with a new small business] to visit as many equine events as possible, as it's a great way to meet people face-to-face and build personal relations that way.”

Other essential aspects of establishing or growing your own tack store or saddlery are marketing and advertising If lacking a proper marketing strategy, your equine small business might struggle to stay afloat during these challenging economic times. Marketing is an ongoing process where a business owner defines what their product is and discovers who their audience is through research, design, and analysis. Advertising is the specific way you communicate about your businesses' service or product to your audience. Although a business card may have worked wonders in the past, nowadays advertising campaigns use multiple media platforms to spread word of their business. “Today,” Anna explained, “a social media presence is a must. It is a free way to reach so many people all across the world and really allows you to establish your own voice.”

When it came to reaching new customers, Sporthorse Saddlery went far beyond a social media strategy and took a creative approach. Be on the lookout for their well-stocked mobile store on the grounds of many of Michigan’s best dressage, eventing and hunter/jumper competitions! Often found at well-attended Michigan events such as The Waterloo Dressage Series, Woodbine Farms, and the Cobblestone Horse Trials, the mobile store was Sporthorse’s creative approach to increasing their sales and connecting with a new audience of equestrians. “We decided to take Sporthorse Saddlery on the road to reach new customers from out of state,” Ann reasoned, “Or maybe customers who live further away and aren't able to make the drive to the store as often as they would like to visit! It also is a great way for us to build relationships with customers, as the shows we visit always have a great atmosphere.”

Economic Outlook and Encouragement

“Any career change involves a lot of research.” Anna counseled, “I’d encourage you to talk to other people in the field, so you can make an educated decision on the [right] path for you.” A particularly reputable source for learning about the equine industry is the American Horse Council’s 2017 National Economic Impact Study. According to the Study, the horse industry has a total employment impact of 1.7 million jobs and contributes a total of $122 billion to the U.S economy That same Study found that a whopping 30.5% of all U.S. households have a horse enthusiast in the home, who regularly engages with the equine industry

After taking in those statistics, you may be thinking to yourself, ‘that’s great to know about the horse industry in 2017...but what is having a small business like after a pandemic?’ Conducted in 2021, the QuickBooks Commerce Small Business Shopping Report reported that almost half of consumers (48%) were more likely to try a new business than they were before the pandemic. The Report also found that 93% of shoppers said that, due to the pandemic, supporting small businesses is more important to them than ever.

All this to say, there is a sizeable market for selling saddles, tack, and other horse-related wares and an even larger group of smallbusiness-loving equestrians to sell them to. “There are so many job opportunities in the horse industry today,” Anna continued, “the possibilities are endless depending on your passions. The opportunities are endless for someone to combine their love of horses with their career!”

For anyone still uncertain about launching their own equine tack store, Anna had some sage advice to offer. “Focus on living your dream,” She emphasized, “And not someone else’s. Do what makes you passionate!”

Sources: Thank you to Anna Rebori and Rachel from Sporthorse Saddlery for allowing me to interview them, for their insight into the equine industry, and for the wonderful photos. If you live in Michigan and would like to see their Saddlery in person, please stop by 56849 Grand River Avenue, Suite 800 in New Hudson,

Michigan 48165 or keep an eye out at your next horse show for their mobile store.

Sources for this article include a 2021 article from Intuit Quick Books titled “QuickBooks Commerce small business shopping report: Opportunities for small businesses, increased support from customers”, and the 2017 National Economic Impact Study from the American Horse Council Foundation. Extension Horses maintains a host of equine business-related articles from their Equine Business Network and, if you're interested in more resources, visit: https://horses.extension.org/horse-business/

Lisa Skylis graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Animal Science. She is a professional freelance writer and Lisa's work largely focuses on the equine industry When she's not writing, Lisa can be found doting on the horses at her local therapeutic riding barn or entertaining her mischievous Golden Retriever, Roy. Freelance inquiries can be sent to skylisli@msu.edu

Oakland County 4-H Horse Camp June 19-22, 2023

Four-day camp at Springfield Oaks County Park in Davisburg, MI for youth ages 9-19. The daily schedule includes four instructional classes, crafts and educational demonstrations. Classes: Fitting & Showing, Western Horsemanship, English Equitation, Dressage, Jumping, Trail, Centered Riding, Bareback, Ranch Riding, In-Hand Mini, and Gymkhana.

$225 fee includes meals and stall. Campers provide their own horse (with proof of current negative Coggins test), feed, bedding, and tack, including SEI approved helmets. Campers must attend a mandatory meeting Sunday, June 18th at 9pm!! Parents must volunteer a minimum of 3 hours. Camping at $25/night is available and requires a separate registration.

H Reservation Deadline May 15, 2023 H

For more information, attend the Oakland County 4-H Horse & Pony Spring Round Up – Wednesday, April 5th, 6:30pm

Fair Office Community Room, 12451 Andersonville Road, Davisburg, MI Extension

MSU Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or veteran status.