MARKETPLACE NEWS
M16 May 2006
PHOTO BY: BRETT SPADER
CASH IN: Nearly half of all horses
in Indiana are devoted to trail riding.
Catering to that market could lead
you to a value-added business.
Young author
brings a love
for equines
to journalism
W
Horse craze offers
profit opportunities
By BROOKE BAKER
H
AY burners translate into
big bucks for farmers who
are after extra income.
With a little resourcefulness
and effort, farmers can make an
extra dollar while meeting the
needs of the Midwest’s largest
and fastest-growing livestock
sector: horses.
“You have to look at the
needs of horse owners and
try to fill them,” says Melinda
Gerrish. She and husband,
Mike, operate Cuttin’ Up
Stables in Shirley, Ind. She says
there’s great demand for hay,
manure disposal, trail riding
Key Points
■ Delivering hay when customers
want it adds income.
■ “Horse motels” for travelers
and horses can bring in dollars.
■ Existing stables use the
Internet to advertise services.
and boarding services.
For example, because women
are often directly involved with
horses, farmers who produce
a lighter, shorter bale would
have a very appealing product.
While customers would pay
less per bale, farmers would
have more bales to market.
Equine primary use
Kyle Taylor of Taylor Turn
Stables, Indianapolis, says, “As
a woman, moving shorter hay
bales would be much easier and
quicker for me. Convenience is
a big plus.”
Another consideration is
that some horse barns have
limited hay storage. Taylor
takes advantage of an option
where she doesn’t need to store
a whole year’s supply. Instead,
she gives hay suppliers an estimated amount she will need.
They hold it until she needs it.
Many horse ventures operate on limited space. Taylor
deals with waste removal companies for manure management. She disposes of manure
in dumpsters emptied weekly.
Farmers could charge stables a fee to haul away horse
manure, these horse business
owners suggest. They could
either spread it or market it as
another product, like compost.
Blaze a trail
SOURCE: 2002 INDIANA EQUINE SURVEY
Recreational and trail use make
up 44% of horses’ primary uses
in Indiana, according to the
2002 Indiana Equine Survey.
That’s how huge the market is
for someone who developed a
place for trail riding.
Clearing trails for riders is
the extent of the initial work.
Mowing trails a couple of times
a year would be most of the
upkeep, experts say.
What about housing a
horse? Finding a facility is a
concern, especially for those
traveling with their horse. As
livestock operations close,
barns sit empty. Converting
these buildings to horse barns
by installing box stalls would
make them useful again.
‘Motel 6’ for horses
With fencing to make a paddock,
some farmers could operate a
“horse motel.” That’s the business model the Gerrishes are
trying to develop. Their farm
is reasonably close to major
interstates.
Cuttin’ Up Stables provides
traveling horse owners a facility to board their horses, as
well as themselves, overnight.
“Our motel is utilized weekly
by visitors. People from fortytwo states, British Columbia,
and Argentina have stayed with
RITING about horses is
easy for Brooke Baker.
They’re part of her life.
Baker authored the
story on this page after
participating in a special
Indiana Prairie Farmer writing
project. For the past several
years, Indiana Prairie Farmer
editor Tom J. Bechman has
assisted Chris Sigurdson,
head of Purdue University Ag
Communications, in teaching
students how to write for agriculture magazines.
Each student prepares
an article on a real subject,
with real sources. Sigurdson
requires it. Once the assignment is graded, students
can fine-tune the story and
submit it as an Indiana Prairie
Farmer article if they want.
Baker is happy that readers
in her home state of Illinois
will also see this article. She’s
one of several Illinois students who successfully completed Ag Communications at
Purdue.
Baker hails from Seneca.
Her family owns Percherons,
Quarter Horses and Paints.
She has shown Percherons
for 10 years. She placed
second in Illinois FFA’s Horse
Science Placement in 2002.
Congratulations to Brooke
Baker and all of the other
aspiring young Purdue
University writers!
us,” explains Melinda.
The Gerrishes have a cabin
where guests stay. Once built,
Melinda says, “The only additional work to run it is regular
housekeeping and clean sheets
after guests leave.”
Cuttin’ Up Stables markets
their “motel” on the Internet.
The horse motel has a Web
site, and is listed on www.horse
motel.com in the overnight-stay
directory.
Establishing a good reputation with current customers is
important to expanding your
business. “Once your business is started, word of mouth
goes a long way in promoting
a product or service,” Melinda
concludes.
Baker is a Purdue University
Ag Communications student.
Dollars and cents of horses
F
ROM 1999 to 2002, the number of horses in Indiana alone
increased about 20,000. The economic impact of the Indiana
horse industry in 2001 was estimated at more than $197 million.
The horse industry also provided more than 8,850 jobs. When
household spending was included, estimated annual economic
impact was over $207.2 million.
More operations have horses than any other species, and
horses are more valuable than all other species combined.
These conclusions are based upon the Economic Impact of
the Equine Industry in Indiana survey, plus Indiana Ag Statistics
Service data. The horse industry has similar impact in Illinois.