Have you ever wondered how you are going to pay the vet bill your horse just created? Do you need some extra cash for board this month? Do you just want to earn more money each month so you have the funds to buy a new saddle pad or clothes when you please? Whatever the reason, we’ve all been there. Needing some extra money.
If you need extra money right away or just want to increase your monthly bottom line, then a side hustle is for you. A side hustle is something you do in addition to your normal job that earns you extra money.
I’ve written a post about side hustles before, but this time I thought I would address it directly to equestrians. We can all agree that our equines are an expensive habit. Sometimes you need to figure out how to earn more money. Some of these side hustles will be related to horses, and some are not specifically involving horses. Regardless, you can pick any of these side hustles and start today to generate money for yourself or your horse.
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1. Clean Stalls at the Barn.
This is an easy (and free for you) way to earn some extra cash around the barn. If there is an opening for cleaning stalls, you could greatly reduce, and sometimes even eliminate, your boarding bill.
Keep an eye out for barns near your home or boarding barn that need stalls cleaned as you want to make the location convenient. You may also be able to move your horse somewhere better in exchange for work. I know that I have inquired on a few private (ie at their house) barns who would exchange board for someone to feed and muck stalls once a day. That is a great deal if you have a few minutes to spare. Lots of barns will pay you cash for cleaning stalls even if you don’t have a horse to board.
2. Offer to groom, hold or take care of other people’s horses.
Many people are short on time and if you have some to spare at the barn, it is possible that you can earn some cash by doing some activities that others don’t have time for. You can hold horses for the farrier or vet, groom and pick out feet, and any other care activities at the barn that people may need done. Especially if boarders go on vacation, they will appreciate having someone give their horse a little attention as well as checking them over occasionally.
3. Learn to braid and/or clip horses.
You can make good money by braiding horses for shows. Many people don’t want to do it and would prefer to pay someone who is experienced. You can practice on your own horse for a while until your braids look good and you know how to do multiple styles. In addition, you can offer clipping services – body/trace clips in the fall and winter, and show clipping in the Spring and Summer.
4. Take Surveys.
Survey websites will not make you rich, but you can earn quite a bit of extra money in your spare time on the couch by doing them. I have made about $1,000 in the last few years on survey sites, and continue to earn some easy cash from them. Just sign up and start working on surveys. You will find that you are disqualified if you don’t meet what they are looking for, but don’t be dismayed – there are always more to try.
The simplest and quickest survey site I have found is Swagbucks (Get a $10 bonus if you sign up by clicking on that link!) You will like the wide range of activities that you can do to earn cash. Not only do they have surveys, but there are videos to watch, games to play, sign up activities, and more! I highly suggest signing up to start earning now. You can cash out for gift cards to your favorite retailers or for a cash payout with Paypal.
Click here to sign up for Swagbucks.
My next favorite survey site is Survey Junkie. Survey Junkie has many surveys, and their site is constantly re-stocked with new surveys. So far I have avoided disqualification a lot less with this site than on some of the others! You can easily cash out to a gift card, paypal or bank account once you earn $10.
Click here to sign up for Survey Junkie.
InboxDollars is another survey site that, like Swagbucks, has lots of options for earning money. There is a daily to do list, searches, videos, games, surveys, and offers. You can cash out once you’ve earned $30, but once there, you can always work toward $40 to avoid a small service charge. $30 sounds like a lot, but it doesn’t take that long to reach it.
Click here to sign up for InboxDollars now.
5. Start a blog (equine related or not).
This is not going to make you money anytime quick, but it could eventually. I was inspired to start this blog because of my passion for horses as well as personal finance. I encourage you to find what matters to you and write about it. If you generate an audience and readers, you can make income from ads, affiliate income and/or selling products. There is no limit to the options of what you can write about – equestrian apparel, your favorite type of riding, horse shows, a certain breed of horse, about your life with horses, your profession, etc. Just find what matters to you and write about it. But like I said before, this is not going to make you money today, or even in a few weeks. It will take a lot of time and dedication.
See related post: How to Start your Own Blog
6. Sell on Amazon.com as a FBA Seller.
I personally do this and make a little extra money every month by selling through Amazon. It’s pretty easy when you set up your account as a FBA (fulfilled by Amazon) seller – then you just ship your products to Amazon and they handle the selling, shipping and returns through Amazon.com. You can sell anything you’d like – horse tack, clothes, personal care products, toys – really, anything! You’ll need a printer, boxes and tape to ship your items to Amazon. It does take a bit of work to figure out what sells with a profit margin. You can take a course for that, or learn by trial and error (my preferred method).
7. Clean Tack.
This is simple and requires only a few supplies to get started. Make sure you use quality cleaner and conditioner so your client’s leather goods are returned in beautiful condition. Post an ad at your barn, tack store, Craigslist, and Facebook. You’d be amazed by how many people would prefer to have someone else do this mundane task for them. It’s easy and you can do it while watching Netflix.
8. Mow pastures and/or yards.
We live in an area where everyone lives on about 5-10 acres and I always see people mowing through the Spring and Summer. This is a great side hustle because you can do it whenever you have spare time from your normal job – probably evenings or weekends. Keep pastures and large yards mowed and cleaned up for people and you can charge a fair price for your services. Here in the outskirts of Denver, I see pasture mowing for about $60 an hour. If you already have the equipment, this is a great way to earn some extra money during your downtime!
9. Become a groom at Horse Shows.
If you have a flexible schedule, or maybe even the summer off as a teacher, you could become a groom during horse show season. A good groom is hard to find, but you can make extra cash AND hang around with horses all day. Some people make this their full time profession, so starting with a part time gig would be a great way to get your foot in the door.
10. Become an exercise rider.
If you are at a big barn or have a race track nearby it is possible to exercise horses in exchange for cash. Make sure you are doing well by the horse and many people will ask you to ride for them. As a teenager, I was approached by a racetrack trainer asking if I would like to ride racehorses (side note – I did not do it as I would have been the youngest and only female in our tiny town track). BUT if you are in a more populated area and have a desire to ride – there are great opportunities out there. You can approach trainers at your barn, post a listing at the local tack/feed store, ask horse owners at your barn, or go inquire at your local racetrack to see if you can pick up some rides.
11. “Flip” horses.
If you have a skills and desire, you could make a side hustle of “flipping” horses. Taking free or cheap horses and making them rideable and well behaved can generate a decent income (if you don’t have to pay too much to keep the horse for that timeframe). Horses off the track, neglect situations or from an auction can be acquired at a low price and after training them, you could generate a few thousand dollars by re-selling them. We all know that maintenance is generally the most expensive part of a horse though, so keep that in mind when you consider how much you can make doing this.
12. Work at Horse Shows.
You would probably need to get started as a volunteer at horse shows to get your foot in the door. But there are paid opportunities if you are willing to work. Start by deciding what types of shows you want to learn about and then volunteer. Once you have worked hard and volunteered for a little while, you can inquire about paid opportunities.
13. Barn laborer.
Fixing up barns, fences or arenas are all maintenance that barn owners need done. Many people will also pay quick cash for loading and unloading bales of hay. And you get a free workout while getting paid. You could also move household belongings or clean up barns for people. But in general, horse people need their horse lives made easier by doing less work, or spending less time working on the stuff they don’t want to do.
14. Give riding lessons.
Depending on your riding level, and teaching ability, you could give lessons to children or adults. There are always people wanting riding lessons and it’s an easy way to make some extra cash when you are already at the barn. If you have the insurance to do so, you could also use your own horse(s) for lessons, which can turn into a pretty big side hustle if you get multiple clients.
15. Babysit kids at the barn.
I’m guessing your boarding facility has at least one frazzled mom, and if she’s coming to the barn with her kid, chances are that she wishes to have some free time with her horse. Tell these busy moms that you are available to watch their kids (for a fee) so they can have some one on one time with their horse. You earn some extra money, and they get to ride in peace!
16. House sit for horse people.
People who own horses or barns at home want to go on vacation too. And when they do, they want someone very trustworthy who knows horses to take care of their precious “kids”. People will pay good money for someone reliable to watch their animals and house while they are gone. Here in the Denver area, I typically see feeding 2x a day and cleaning 1x a day going for $100 per day. If someone goes on a 10 day vacation, you’ve just made $1,000! If clients have more horses or a more labor intensive routine, you can charge even more.
Now that you’ve learned about some side hustles for equestrians, decide what you’d like to do and get to it! The options are endless. Find what makes you money and makes you happy. I personally sell on Amazon as a FBA seller as well as write this blog (but I don’t actually make money doing it). I also enjoy sitting around and doing surveys in my free time while watching TV – it’s simple and mindless and I get to earn free gift cards!
Which of these side hustles appeals to you? See how much extra money you can make each month!
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