Over and over, I get private emails from breeders who just can't quite seem to "make it" when it comes to marketing their horses. They ask my opinion of how the market is.  When I reply that reports I receive are good, they come back distressed that this isn't what they are experiencing.

Let me start this by saying that my following comments are common characteristics of what I have seen in those who have obtained the kind of success of which so many of us dream. This is also meant to just be the starting point, as we all have undoubtedly made various observations and have had experiences of our own. I invite you to move from here to our forums with any questions or comments you may have.

My daughter is in a service-oriented business and recently told me about an interesting survey that was conducted in her field.  The #1 key to success was the personality of the person doing the service - whether or not the client actually liked them.  #2 was the attractiveness and atmosphere of the facility and #7 (yes, SEVEN) was the actual service quality/product.  I found this very interesting as it closely relates to any business, whether it is a salon, a department store or a horse farm.

Let’s take #1 for example.  Being a very ego oriented species, people want to be liked.  They love it when others show an interest in them personally, in their own ideas and goals and feel like they have found a friend - someone with whom they would enjoy being associated.

The most successful breeders I know spend a great part of their time concentrating on their clients and prospective clients.  This is difficult for the "small" breeder, as we are all so busy scooping feed, hauling hay, and holding horses for the farrier that we have little time or energy left for intensive follow ups.  If we would admit it, we have too many horses to do justice to the best of them.

Let me compare some very successful friends of mine.  They started in Arabians at about the same time, but from different approaches.  One is a very high profile farm, the other does "some" showing, not a lot of advertising, but average sales last year were between 1 and 2 horses a month - CONSISTENTLY.  The third basically owns only one horse.

Farm #1 has a staff to care for the horses and a secretary, so those chores are out of the way.  However, it wasn't always like this.  Business at this farm is not only generated by the outstanding quality and reputation of the horses, but by the extensive travel schedule of the owners.

A point is always made to go to the farms of clients, regardless of whether they live nearby or in Saudi Arabia - a visit is made regularly.  They go to evaluate the mares that will be bred to their stallions and to see the resulting get.  They also establish and keep an ongoing relationship with that client and those that might be met in the process.  Likewise, their extra bedroom and guesthouse is frequently filled and the farm gate (if they had one) is like a revolving door.

Prices are relevant to the profile and expenses involved in maintaining that quality, with weanlings starting at 15,000 and adult prices averaging in the $30,000 - $35,000 range.  Top quality individuals may go much higher.  Sales in 1999 were at an all time high.

Farm #2 is a partnership whereas one partner takes care of the marketing, entertaining and business aspect and the other does the training, and physical work.  There are no employees, not one, not a housekeeper, not a stall cleaner, no help.

Through experience, the “in-house” partner seems to know exactly the right things to say to make a sale.  She is driven by the game of selling.  Contact her for a bay filly and you very well might bring home a grey colt.  She also keeps a file (doesn’t even have a computer!!!) and religiously follows up on prospects.  Like Farm #1, clients are highly valued.  With no guesthouse, and only recently a guestroom, they entertain a very large number of people regularly, giving up their own beds to make them comfortable.  I sometimes think that everyone they meet is invited for a holiday at their home.  And believe me, they come.  Some come and stay and stay and stay, as they do on Farm #1.  It isn’t always a picnic but sales are made and sometimes by the numbers.  Some of their least favorite clients have purchased as many as a dozen horses.

The profile of Farm #2 is far less than Farm #1, as are the expenses.  They don’t even use a prefix with many of their registrations.  Prices of their horses are also relevant to the profile and expenses involved and generally peak out at $20,000 with the average price being much less.

Facilities:
Farm #1 maintains approximately 100 horses most of the time.  They have a very large farm with numerous massive barns ample to bring in every horse in the case of bad weather.  They have attractive offices, covered round pens, covered arenas, a laboratory in the breeding barn – it’s big and it’s impressive.

Farm #2 maintains between 40 and 50 horses.  Their “show” barn is an old, repainted 4-stall barn with a small feed and wash room only.  Recently another open fronted barn was built nearby with about 4 or 5 stalls.  They also have a large corrugated metal building with maybe 6 stalls and two ends have loafing areas for the attached pastures.  There are other pastures with smaller loafing sheds.  It is not a fancy facility but very clean, attractive and serviceable.  The round pen isn’t covered and there is no arena even though they show and train in performance as well as halter.  Their office is behind double doors opening into a wide closet size area that is part of the TV room.  Management of this farm fits most descriptions of the typical small breeder, even with this number of horses.

Farm #3 has no farm.  They board their mare with a high profile, marketing based breeding facility.

Presentation:
These and other successful farms always keep some horses stalled.  They consist of their breeding stallion/s, show horses and primary sale horses.  They are always kept in basic show condition.  Regardless of age, sale horses that are to be shown to clients are body clipped or at least the coats are kept very short and heads clipped.  They are handled consistently and taught to stand up in halter. They don't own a horse that can't be bought for the right price, with maybe the exception of their elderly stallion and one very old mare.

Photographs:
One firm rule that they all have regards how others see their horses.  Under no circumstances do they use a photograph in advertising that is not professional or at least near professional quality.  There are no pictures shown that are unflattering to every inch of their horses.  They realize that people will not make excuses for something that the camera might catch wrong or distort.

I sometimes see photographs of horses that are not clean, their manes not brushed, and some with winter coats.  I've been guilty of this myself.  These can be fine for reference pictures but if you are trying to attract clients, always remember that NO picture is better than a bad one.   The most successful breeders make no compromises in this regard.

Quality of product:
Since we are not manufacturers, there are no duplicates in our business.  Each horse is unique in it’s own way and all of them have faults.  We also operate from a small gene pool and name recognition is important to most buyers.  I’m especially speaking about Egyptian Arabians.

Unless you are prepared to do what it takes to make a name for your own stallion, it is better to either purchase a stallion from well known bloodlines, who hopefully has some successes of his own, or to breed to one.  Pedigrees are very important in this business and many horses are sold on pedigree alone.  If sales are important to you, then it is advised that you establishing yourself with bloodlines that have a wide base of interested buyers.  The selection of bloodlines is at least of equal importance to the physical qualities of the horse.  My observation is that the #1 requirement of a very salable horse is a pretty head.  #2 is a good pedigree.  If it doesn’t have at least #1, you will have a hard time getting a return on your investment.

Mary Lou Walbergh gave me the following advice when I got my first Arabian.  She told me to get one really good mare.  Then if I wanted to breed that mare, I should breed her to the best I could find and afford.  Then she said I should be prepared to sell either the mare or the baby, but to never keep more than one horse!  Needless to say, I didn’t follow that advice, as I now have many and can’t wait to breed most of them.  It was good advice, no, it was GREAT advice but like most of us, I am an addict.

Phyllis and Hank Browning followed that rule ("Farm" #3).  After years of struggling with a herd and getting no where, they got out of the business.  However, they missed it and wanted to come back.  After many discussions they decided to use their heads this time.  They traveled across the U.S., not only looking for that special mare, but also looking for the right facility that would keep her.

(Note: – regarding point #1, hospitality)  During their travels they visited certain farms and saw mares they would have purchased and left there for their lifetime.  That mare would also be bred to the farm stallions.   However, what happened at most of these farms were that they were shown a few horses by staff, the owners visited briefly with them and they were sent on their way.  Remember, at this point they didn’t own a horse, but were just “lookers.”  Who was to know the degree of their interest?   SO, they left empty-handed.

Then they found their way to Gardner Bloodstock (now Arabians Ltd.).  They said, “You would have thought that we were their long lost best friends!!”  They took them to lunch, laughed at their stupid jokes (their words) and acted as if the Brownings were the most important people they had ever met.

Phyllis and Hank left Gardners feeling great about themselves, as well as their decision to purchase a mare from Gardner and leave her there permanently.  As fate would have it, although that mare produced mostly colts, she was a very good nick with the farm stallions, namely Ruminaja Ali, The Minstril and The Desperado.

Phyllis enjoyed the success of personally selling her mares’ first weanling colt for a price well into five figures.  That sale was made from a nice photograph.  They buyer didn't even see the colt first.  Those that followed were sold equally as successfully and the Brownings maintained just that one mare til they felt the mare was growing near the age of replacement.  They sold her to Israel, and probably for a nice sum.  OH – I haven’t told you the name of the mare yet, have I?  It was Ansata Justina.

So there you have a few examples that can be taken for what it is worth.  A large program, medium operation and a single horse owner.  Possibly one of them may have some hints that can apply to your own program. Just remember, I am just giving you the tip of the iceberg.

I can't close without saying that in recent years it has been proven that with many, many millions of people joining the internet daily, it is the most effective and economical way to establishing a recognizable name and generating consistent visitors and inquiries to your farm.  It is also of extreme importance that your farm be connected with a high profile website, such as Arabian Horses of the Great Pyramids or Arabians International. The internet is too large to believe that you can make it alone and be found by more than a very few people.  It is also very important that your website presence be established with a site known for it's integrity and ability to draw visitors, as well as one with high profile clients.  We are proud to offer such a site.  You are invited to compare us with others. Our details are here: Design and Hosting.
Please contact me personally to begin your road to success.

Barbara Lewis
Baraka Farm
Golden Ring Associates, LLC.