Digital Products for Your Horseback Riding Business
Digital products let you earn revenue beyond lesson fees and boarding costs. Once created, they sell repeatedly with minimal overhead—a video course sells the same way to your 10th customer as your first. For a horseback riding business, digital products solve real problems your clients and other instructors face: training uncertainty, liability questions, horse care specifics, and business startup challenges.
Unlike physical products, digital offerings scale instantly. You’re not limited by facility capacity, instructor availability, or geography. Someone in rural Montana can buy your training guide just as easily as someone in your local market.
Horsemanship Training Course
What it is: A video or PDF course teaching specific riding skills—jumping, dressage basics, trail riding safety, or groundwork fundamentals. Breaking this into modules (beginner, intermediate, advanced) makes it more valuable.
Who buys it: Beginner riders wanting self-paced instruction, adult riders who feel embarrassed learning in a group, and horse owners in areas without quality instructors.
How to create it: Film yourself or your instructors demonstrating techniques on your property. Keep videos under 10 minutes each for easier consumption. Write companion PDFs with checklists and reminders. Use simple equipment—a smartphone on a tripod works fine initially. Edit with free software like CapCut or DaVinci Resolve.
Where to sell it: Host on Teachable, Kajabi, or your own website using a service like SendOwl. You can also sell through Etsy (for PDF-only versions) or Gumroad for simplicity.
Realistic income: $15–$49 per course. With 50 sales monthly at $29, you’re earning $1,450/month. Established instructors with strong email lists can reach $3,000–$5,000 monthly.
Horse Care and Health Guides
What it is: Comprehensive PDFs or short ebooks covering specific topics: hoof care basics, recognizing lameness, winter shelter setup, nutrition for different disciplines, or dental health red flags.
Who buys it: Horse owners (especially new ones), barn managers, and people buying their first horse who need practical, trusted information.
How to create it: Write from your expertise and experience. Include photos from your own horses and facility. Reference reputable sources (veterinary schools, breed associations) to build credibility. Use Canva templates for professional-looking PDFs without design skills. Aim for 15–30 pages depending on depth.
Where to sell it: Gumroad works well for straightforward downloads. You can also sell through your website or bundle multiple guides for a higher price point on Etsy.
Realistic income: $7–$17 per guide. A guide priced at $12 with 40 monthly sales generates $480. Many sellers offer bundles (3–5 guides for $35), increasing average order value to $20–$30.
Lesson Planning Templates and Curriculum
What it is: Ready-made lesson plans organized by skill level, discipline, or age group. Include warm-up sequences, skill progressions, safety checkpoints, and assessment rubrics other instructors can customize.
Who buys it: Riding instructors (especially newer ones), barn owners adding lessons to their services, and educators using equine therapy who need structure.
How to create it: Document your existing lesson sequences in a simple format. Use a spreadsheet or Google Docs template showing timing, goals, exercises, and modifications. Create separate versions for English, Western, trail, or therapeutic disciplines. Test them with a few instructors first to refine the language and flow.
Where to sell it: Sell on your own website or through Gumroad. Teacher-focused marketplaces like Teachers Pay Teachers accept equine education materials.
Realistic income: $18–$40 per template set. A $29 curriculum bundle might sell 25–35 times monthly ($725–$1,015). Some instructors buy multiple versions, lifting repeat purchase rates.
Liability and Business Waiver Templates
What it is: Customizable legal templates for riding businesses: liability waivers, boarding contracts, lesson agreement forms, and emergency contact procedures. Clearly state these are not legal advice and recommend consulting an attorney.
Who buys it: New riding instructors, small boarding facilities, and lesson barn owners who can’t afford a lawyer for basic documents.
How to create it: Use your own business documents as a starting point. Research standard equine liability language and industry best practices. Format them as Word documents so buyers can edit easily. Create state-specific versions if you understand regional liability differences, or stick to general language that works everywhere. Include a disclaimer that these are templates only.
Where to sell it: Sell on Etsy (very popular for business templates) or your website. Gumroad works for simple downloads. Price higher since these serve a specific business need.
Realistic income: $25–$67 per template pack. A $39 bundle with 4–5 documents might sell 15–25 times monthly ($585–$975). These have strong repeat demand during peak riding season.
Horse Training and Behavior Problem Guide
What it is: A video or written guide tackling common behavioral issues: spooking, bucking, barn sourness, trailer loading difficulties, or arena anxiety. Include step-by-step solutions and when to call a professional.
Who buys it: Horse owners frustrated with specific behavioral challenges, riders wanting to understand horse psychology, and people considering buying a horse with known issues.
How to create it: Record yourself (or a trainer) demonstrating solutions with actual horses, if possible. Show the problem, explain the underlying cause, then demonstrate the fix over multiple sessions. Keep it realistic—don’t promise overnight transformations. Write companion PDFs with troubleshooting trees and safety warnings.
Where to sell it: Video courses work well on Teachable or your website. Horse forums and Facebook groups are good promotion channels for this type of product.
Realistic income: $19–$49 per course. A $34 course with 35 monthly sales generates $1,190. Behavioral guides have high perceived value since owners are often desperate for solutions.
Trail Riding Route Maps and Guides
What it is: Digital maps with GPS coordinates, difficulty ratings, seasonal notes, hazard warnings, and riding time estimates for local trails. Include photos, parking information, and water source locations.
Who buys it: Visiting riders, local horse owners exploring new terrain, trail riding vacation planners, and people relocating to your area.
How to create it: Use mapping software like AllTrails or Komoot to document routes. Add your own photos and notes. Create a PDF guide or interactive map using Canva. If you offer guided trail rides, this leverages existing knowledge and encourages people to book your services too.
Where to sell it: Sell on Gumroad or your website. Market heavily to local riders and vacation rental sites. Regional tourism boards sometimes promote these.
Realistic income: $9–$22 per guide. A $15 local trail map might sell 20–50 times yearly ($300–$750 annually). These have seasonal peaks during tourist season.
Rider Fitness and Conditioning Program
What it is: A video or PDF program showing exercises that improve balance, core strength, leg stability, and posture for better riding. Include routines for different fitness levels and time commitments (10-minute vs. 30-minute workouts).
Who buys it: Riders wanting to improve independently, people with limited access to trainers, older riders rebuilding fitness, and competitive riders seeking an edge.
How to create it: Film yourself or a fitness-knowledgeable instructor demonstrating exercises at your barn or home. Explain how each exercise improves riding-specific muscles. Create 4–8 week progression plans. Partner with a physical therapist or certified trainer if you want stronger credibility.
Where to sell it: Sell on Teachable, your website, or Gumroad. Promote in equestrian Facebook groups and on Instagram.
Realistic income: $17–$47 per program. A $29 eight-week program selling 30 times monthly generates $870. Fitness products have recurring interest year-round.
Getting Started With Digital Products
- Start with what you already have. Choose a horse care topic or lesson plan you’ve documented repeatedly. You’re not creating from scratch—you’re packaging existing knowledge.
- Create your first product quickly. Don’t aim for perfection. A $12 guide created in two weeks and live beats a $49 course delayed six months. You’ll refine it based on buyer feedback.
- Pick a platform. For beginners, Gumroad is simplest (no technical setup). Your own website via Shopify or WordPress takes more time but builds brand authority.
- Price affordably. Your first products should sell at $12–$29. This attracts buyers and generates reviews that help the next product sell better.
- Promote to existing clients. Email your lesson students and boarders first. They know your expertise and are your easiest sales. Offer a small discount for being early buyers.
- Gather reviews and testimonials. Ask buyers for honest feedback. Feature positive reviews prominently on your sales page. Social proof drives conversions more than marketing copy.
- Expand once one product works. Wait until your first product has made $500–$1,000 and has solid reviews. Then create the next one, using lessons learned from the first.
Pricing Your Digital Products
Horse owners and instructors expect to pay $15–$50 for digital products because they solve specific problems. Price too low ($3–$7) and buyers question quality. Price too high ($79–$99) without a strong email list or reputation, and you’ll struggle to find buyers. Start at the lower end and raise prices as you gather reviews and sales.
Bundle products strategically. Three individual guides at $12 each feel expensive. Three guides bundled at $29 feel like a bargain and increase average order value. Most of your digital product revenue will come from 5–10 core offerings that you refine and reprice over time based on demand.