I’ve been on the back of a horse since I was six years old, spent years showing in the hunter/jumper ring, and I’m now finishing my MBA. People often assume those two parts of my life have nothing to do with each other. In reality, the best sales programs in this industry are legitimate businesses with premium assets, operating costs, marketing, and negotiation tactics. The more I learn in lectures, the more clearly I see how business functions at every show.
The first thing that transfers is thinking about every sale horse as an asset with carrying costs. Board, training, show fees, and vet bills add up every month a horse goes unsold, eating away the final return. Deciding whether to accept a lower offer now or hold out for a better one later is a finance question as much as a horsemanship one. Programs that track those numbers carefully can make those calls with confidence rather than guesswork.
The second is understanding that buyers aren’t all the same customer. An amateur looking for a safe partner, a junior chasing equitation finals, and a professional seeking a grand prix prospect want different things and respond to different pitches. Marketing coursework calls this segmentation, and it explains why one show video and a brief text sent to everyone rarely moves a horse.
I also want to be honest about what doesn’t transfer. No spreadsheet can tell you how a horse feels jumping into a tight combination, and no case study replaces years in the saddle. Precisely why I believe this industry needs people who can connect both worlds. Feel finds the right horse, and business discipline makes sure the sale actually works for all parties involved.
If you work in or with a sales program, I’d love to hear which business skill you wish more people in this industry had. Drop your thoughts in the comments, and follow me on Instagram for more on the business side of sporthorse sales.
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