Therapeutic Riding survival guide.

Simple Survival Guide

No one can deny that times are tough. When most of us operate on a shoe string budget to begin with, things can get tight. Just like horses, humans are incredibly adaptable and usually come out stronger on the other side of hard times. It’s all a matter of balance between operating the way we usually do and tough changes we have to make to survive. There are simple but effective actions you can take to get over the hump.

When we work in the field of Equine Assisted Activities, we tend to put so much of ourselves into it that we can’t help but be personally connected. We cannot forget to take care of ourselves as well as we care for our furry friends. Any survival guide should include ways to help us de-stress as well as protect our business. So first let’s look at ways we can keep our sanity:
1. Remember that this too shall pass. – That old saying should be plastered on everyone’s wall in the barn and in their office. In good times and bad, nothing lasts and the one thing we can count on is change. Nature teaches us that everything cycles and it is because of that cycle we exist. Just shifting your perspective towards some optimism will give us hope to keep moving down the trail toward the sunrise.
2. Don’t linger on the media. – We all know that the media will slant and hype up the news to peak our interest and snare us into watching. Even though we all know this, we still get sucked in and can’t help but have a response to the images and words that surround us on a daily basis. Turn off the news every once and a while and give yourself a break. The economic drama will still be there tomorrow. A good old fashioned distraction can shift your thinking.
3. Take a break- Just take a few minutes each day for yourself. We all hear this often but you would be surprised how few people actually do. Taking even 2 minutes to just sit and breathe, somewhere away from the computer can lower your blood pressure, create a more positive mood and shift your thinking.

Now on to the nitty gritty. How do we keep our centers afloat? Just by focusing on a few key actions can keep us moving forward. Make it a mantra to only work on one thing at a time. Trying to do it all at once will make it seem overwhelming and undoable. Break tasks into smaller bits and it won’t be as hard.
1. Get organized- Getting organized and taking an honest look at where you are right now will lay the foundation for a survival plan. There is a great program out there called Simpleology. It is a free software that helps you get your day organized and takes you through a simple process to recognize what things are really important and helps prioritize. www.simpleology.com. There are a ton of other free programs like this: www.jott.com, and www.evernote.com.
2. Barter- This is the most ancient form of business. No money is exchanged but rather services for the mutual benefit of both. Seek out other businesses that provide services you need and find out how you can trade a service in exchange. Providing a free open house to employees and families of a business might be a great way to get IT services, catering, t-shirts or signage. Be creative! If you’re doing your job right it’s also free marketing. Word of mouth is still your best friend and it costs nothing. And don’t forget to partner. Collaborate with other similar centers or agencies and pool your resources. Helping each other helps the industry.
3. Be smart about marketing- People are using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to get the word out. Spend some time surfing the internet for ways you can use these sites to promote your center. You never know who has money or services to give. Simply by expanding your reach you increase your odds of reaching the right people. It can be time consuming but it is free. There are tons of sites offering free trials to try their software or basic services for free. Sites like Survey Monkey offer a basic free service to gather information. (You can easily modify it to track volunteer hours.) Others like Constant Contact and Glooq offer a low cost email marketing software. Just search for free email marketing newsletters, free advertising, affiliate programs, link backs, web rings, community calendars , discussion groups and press release lists. If you’re not sure what all of that is, just type it into Google and start your education. It’s all very easy and can yield some good help.
4. Trimming the budget- Most centers have had to cut staff or reduce hours. Put the word out that you need more help from volunteers to replace those hours. You would be surprised how much people are stepping up to help out. Most staff volunteer more that they get paid for and they are no good if they are burnt out. Use your volunteer force to help fill the gaps. Offer incentives like free lessons for so many hours worked or free tickets to events you are holding. A lot of volunteers will work for chocolate! Look for free education opportunities. We all need continuing education hours and there are companies offering free teleseminars or cheap online courses. Local horse fairs and events also have free clinics. If you’re not sure which hours will count, check with NARHA or your professional organization.
5. Diversify your programs- Now might be a great time to offer some new programs to the community. Collaborate with a parks and recreation department or girl scout group. You can offer one time educational, badge or field trip programs and supplement the bottom line. Revisit the classic school programs and hosting specialty clinics. Think about what your community might need and get creative. Horses are great that way. You can create a program on anything and relate it back to horses. Create a class on jewelry making with horse hair through an arts organization or do a physics project related to the force and momentum of a jump (call a physics teacher for that one). Search the internet for local social and cause based organizations and create custom on site or outreach programs for them. Have mini will travel! Some of these programs require other insurance and training so due diligence on your part.
6. Keep asking- Even though donors aren’t giving as much, they are still giving. If you don’t ask, they won’t give. Keep going forward with grants and remember that proposals that include multiple agencies collaborating will have a better chance.

No matter how bad things get you don’t have to give up. Walt Disney had a great saying:
"Around Here, However, We Don't Look Backwards Very Long,
We Keep Moving Forward, Opening Up New Doors And
Doing New Things, Because We're Curious...
And Curiosity Keeps Leading Us Down New Paths."
He was a master at innovation and creativity. His ability to reinvent and push past barriers is a lesson we can all learn from. Lastly but most important we can’t forget what drives us to sacrifice so much of our lives to do this work. The horse intrigues us, it guides us, inspires us and challenges us. Above all else, it provides hope. Sometimes tough circumstances have a way of stripping away the muck and revealing what is really important.


Blair McKissock MSEd,
Blair has been a therapeutic riding instructor for over 10 years and is the co-founder of ehorseducation.com. You can also find information on her coaching business at resourcegoddess.com. Check out the web site for more free resources and information.