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The face of the average horse owner in the United States belongs to a middle-aged married woman, who also has dogs, cats and children. That trend was among the topics during the Kentucky International Equine Summit held in Lexington, Kentucky, April 28 and 29.<\/p>\n
John Volk, senior consultant with Brakke Consulting in Chicago, said his company\u2019s marketing survey gives the horse industry more information than ever before.\u201cWe found that horse owners are more involved in their vocation than just about any other group. They read equine publications, they use the web, and they are impulse buyers. Horsemanship defines horse owners. It\u2019s very much a lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sponsored by the University of Louisville\u2019s Equine Industry Program, in cooperation with the University of Kentucky\u2019s Equine Initiative, the summit drew speakers from every facet of the equine industry. Two main areas of interest were fragmentation of the equine industry and\u00a0 the need to attract and educate new owners.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of growth, a lot of times we think taller, bigger, better,\u201d said John Long, CEO of the United State Equestrian Federation (USEF). \u201cBut another level we have to consider is horizontal. We have to learn to connect all the silos in the business. (Right now) we have no central voice, and we don\u2019t even have the ability to talk to each other. We share the same interests and concerns, but there is no vehicle to connect us.\u201d<\/p>\n
“The challenge is to combine the power and resources of the smaller groups,” noted Martin Concannon, with Lafayette Associates of Lexington. “The key of any business is information, and our fragmentation is holding us back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of the issues have been the same the last 30 years,\u201d added John Della Volpe, founder and managing partner for SocialSphere, which works with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). \u201cThe difference is that technology can assist us now. It has reach and\u00a0 is affordable.”<\/p>\n
Technology is changing the horse world,\u201d agreed Tim Capps of the University of Louisville, who moderated the sessions. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to connect with our customers, and connect customers with the horse. We have to reshape our mindset. We\u2019re all marketers and ambassadors and we all have to reach out.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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