In the current economic climate some horse owners are having to think about selling their beloved horses and ponies.

It’s a tough decision to make but if you really can’t afford to keep a horse then you need to consider whether it would be better off with someone else.

Many horses suffer through because their owners don’t have the funds to pay for vets, farriers, correct feeding etc. If you are in this position then do a favour for both of you and find your horse a good home.

There are many websites out there with horses for sale advertising starting from free.

Following on from our advice regarding having promotional material created for your equestrian business, I thought I would take the time to extol the virtues of direct mail marketing.

Firstly you obviously need someone to market your products or services to of course. Once you have decided on your target market you will need to create a mailing list. If you don’t have a database of your own then you can purchase a list from one of the many specialist companies out there.

So now you have your target market organised you will require something to send to them. A professionally designed and produced mailshot is a must. The leaflet needs to grip its recipient as soon as they scan it or it is likely to go straight in the bin.

There are alternatives to direct mail marketing. One of the most commonly used these days is email marketing. These can also get deleted before they have even been read so the same principles apply such as choosing your recipient carefully.

With email marketing one of the hardest but most important factors to get right is choosing the wording for the email subject line. If this doesn’t get the attention of the viewer then the main content is highly unlikely to get read.

The marketing of your equestrian business is crucial to its success therefore if you are unsure about creating your own campaign I would recommend using a professional company to do it for you.

When running an equestrian business you need to make sure that as many people as possible are aware of your presence. One way to do this is to have promotional material that you can hand out at trade fairs, horse shows etc.

Promotional clothing is also an excellent way of getting your brand recognized. Why walk around displaying some equestrian designers name when you can show off your own?

In the current recession all businesses need to try everything they can to win customers. Apart from promotional clothing you could also consider having your car, horse trailer or horsebox branded with your company logo.

Make sure that you include your website address on any promotional products that you invest in. It’s amazing how many people don’t do this and they are missing out on a lot of traffic to their sites. Urls are a lot easier for people to remember that phone numbers or addresses.

Examples of promotional products that you could consider are:

• T-shirts and jackets
• Saddle cloths
• Horse rugs
• Car window stickers
• Key rings
• Pens
• Mugs
• Mouse mats

Whatever you decide to have done ensure that you use a quality provider. Having your name printed on cheap goods will not enhance your reputation.

If you’ve always wanted to commission a portrait of your horse but can’t afford it then you’ll be pleased to know that there is an alternative choice.

Just choose your favourite horse photographs then send them away to a photos to canvas company where they will be transformed into fantastic works of art.

Why not dig out those great pictures of you showjumping, doing dressage, cross country, beach riding or just having fun with your equines.

You just send your images off to the print company (usually in a .jpg format) and they will be enlarged then printed onto artist grade canvas using a high quality printer.

You can request special effects such as black and white, sepia or even colour splashes if you want to create an impact.

Any imperfections such as red eye and small blemishes will be removed and images will be cropped to ensure a perfect picture.

Photos on canvas look great when hung in any room in the house. Why not start your own gallery of your best equestrian moments?

Photos printed on canvas make brilliant gifts for your horse loving friends. They also make great prizes at horse shows and other equestrian events or why not just order one for yourself?

The financial down turn may not be good news for most but it is a great time to take advantage of all the sales that shops are having.

Joules Clothing is a favourite of many horse riders and with up to 50 percent off at the moment it’s a great time to buy all those items of horsey clothing you’ve been coveting.

You can choose from a wide selection such as horse numnahs, riding breeches, polo shirts, riding jackets and sweatshirts.

Joules Equestrian also plenty of items to keep you snug in the cold weather. Their base layers come in a range of funky colours and will keep you warm when out riding.

Check out the Joules Sale today!