In all aspects, becoming a professional can be a very difficult journey, especially without a financial backing. Ambitious and hardworking riders can have a difficult time working towards becoming a professional.
How do you build a name for yourself if you don’t have a horse to compete on? How do you get experience training and riding horses if you aren’t an experienced amateur? We all know that in this sport, you aren’t born a talented rider. Horseback riding and horse training can take 100’s of hours of experience and not to mention the falls, injuries and heartache. Plus, we all know that, most of the time, spending many hours in the saddle can cost you a lot of money, as most trainers aren’t willing to put beginners or even intermediate riders on their fancy horses, so you usually end up catch riding or riding lame or dull lesson horses for a price. Plus learning on such lesson horses and getting better in these circumstances has a limit, and eventually you won’t be learning anymore, so the question is.
How can we do it?
How does someone without the financial and emotional support hit the ranks, compete at a high level and become something? How can we change the dynamic of who becomes successful in this sport? How do we become the Hilda Gurney’s of the world?

Well, I may not have the answer but I’m sure gonna try to help get you there.

My goal is to help such riders showcase their abilities and goals, get featured, get your name out there and connect you with someone who is willing to support your career in anyway shape or form.

  • What are your goals? In order to get support you must first plan out your needs and wants. Do you need financial support to lease or purchase a horse to win you medals? Do you need support for lessons, clinics and/or show fees to achieve your goals? These are all things to plan out, so when you speak with a donor or sponsor you already have a goal in mind. Like any business person, they want to think of you as an investment so you must think like an investor. Anything someone contributes must feel like a well managed share into your future, which means you need a thought out plan about where the money will go or how the person can benefit from contributing to your brand.

  • Build your brand. Your brand is your business, creating a firm social media platform to help associate yourself with your business is a great way to build retention and a community. Word of mouth is great but it must correspond with momentum so you can continue to build off of that.

  • Continue to build momentum. Meet people, learn from everyone and anyone, carry yourself with poise and professionalism. In this field, your name is all you have and people want to support good hearted and positive people who are true and kind. Never lose your purity. Growing isn’t always about growing your business, but growing as a person. When people see that, they will naturally want to support you.

Aysha Banos is a Dressage Rider who lives, works and rides in Los Angeles, CA while enduring her journey to becoming a Professional Horse Trainer.

Contact Aysha for more info.