| Subject: |
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Sulphur Promotion |
| Name: |
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Rob Martin |
| Date Posted: |
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Apr 23, 06 - 5:31 PM |
| Email: |
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Utahoss@msn.com |
| Message: |
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One of the biggest challenges facing us as Sulphur Horse owners and fans is getting the word out about our horses. We know how special these horses are, of course, but the vast majority of horse folks residing in places other than Milford, Utah, still have never heard of “Sulphur Horses”. It’s true. When I mention “Sulphur Horses” to most folks at any eqine activity that I attend, the response I usually get is either “A what? What’s a ‘Sulphur Horse’?” or just a blank expression. However, I can mention “Spanish Mustang” or “Spanish Barb” or even “Kiger” to those same people and the response I get is “Oh, yeah. Sure, I’ve heard of them.” Now, perhaps they wouldn’t know a Spanish Mustang or Kiger horse if one stepped on their foot, but at least they are familiar with the name. Surprisingly, even editors of equine publications are largely unfamiliar with Sulphur Horses. Promotion is everybody’s business, and it’s not too early to start planning ways to spread the word about our horses this year.
So what, exactly, do we mean by “promotion”? Usually the first thing that comes to mind, of course, is horse shows or exhibitions, and these are certainly excellent ways of showing off our horses to the public. These events are usually well-attended and can provide good exposure for our horses. I realize that showing can become fairly expensive, and not every Sulphur Horse is ready to hit the showring. Remember, the idea is to make a good impression. So what might be a good alternative to showing? Well, if the crowd is already there, take the horse anyway. Most locations that host equine events, even at the local level, have stalls available. Set up your own “Sulphur Horse information booth” with a table to hold flyers or brochures that tell about what the Sulphur Horse is and where he came from. Copies of photos to hand out are always popular for folks to take home. What if the facility doesn’t have stalls available? Set up a portable stall for your horse, or use your stock trailer. The main thing is for people to get to see what a Sulphur Horse looks like and learn that we exist. Trail rides are a wonderful way to expose the public to our horses. These are generally a lot of fun and other riders will remember your horse. Suppose your Sulphur Horse isn’t saddle-trained yet, or perhaps you don’t even have a Sulphur Horse but want to promote them anyway. Great, no problem. Contact folks you know who do have Sulphurs and get some good-quality photographs of their best horses. You can still set up your own Sulphur Horse information booth, just without the horse. Take some printed information and photos to post at the local tack shop or feed store. Is there a local or regional livestock or horse publication in your area? Contact them to print an article about the Sulphur Horse. If you want them to run an article about our horses, but you don’t want to be the one to write it, send them to our Secretary’s address and we’ll provide them with everything they need.
The bottom line here is that we need to let folks in on our well-kept secret-- Sulphur Horses: what they are, where they came from, why they are special, and what they can do. The expression “To see one is to want one” sure seems to be true for these horses. Once people learn “what” Sulphurs are, the next thing they’ll want to know is “where” they are. “Who has Sulphur Horses and how can I get one?” is the next question. Right now Sulphur owners are scattered all around the country, but for the most part are few and far between. It’s important to identify who you are and where you are. Do you have horses for sale? Great, post them on the Association website, but don’t just stop there. Post adds in those livestock and horse publications that you provided the Sulphur Horse articles for. Immediately following publication of a special-interest article is when curiosity and interest are highest. Keep in mind that most horse sales will not be made to current Sulphur Horse owners, but to people newly introduced to these horses. We already have Sulphur Horses and love them, but we can’t keep them all to ourselves. Awhile back I was told that someone said the Sulphur Horse market is ‘saturated’. I laughed so hard my ribs hurt. Folks, the Sulphur Horse market hasn’t even started. I’m reminded of a conversation that I overheard back last Fall at the area Tractor Supply, which I’ll relate here. Three local farmers, Jimmy Setzer, Paul Huffman, and Bill Ledford, were talking about cattle prices when Jimmy made a comment:
“Boys, I’m getting out of the Simmental business.”
Paul spoke up “Jimmy, when were you ever in the Simmental business?”
“Why, Paul, I’ve been breeding Simmentals on my place for three years now, and there ain’t no market for ‘em.”
Bill commented “Jimmy, we’ve been knowing you for nearly twenty-five years and this is the first time you ever said anything to us about what kind of cows you’re raising. Does anybody know you’ve got Simmentals to sell?”
Paul commented, “You are trying to sell ‘em, ain’t ya?”
“What are you talking about? Of course I’m tryin’ to sell ‘em! I haul calves to the auction ever’ Spring and Fall, and those Simmental calves don’t bring any more than anybody else’s calves do.”
Bill again: “Is that what you call advertising? Taking calves to the sale twice a year?”
“Oh come on! Advertising? Everbody knows I got cows! Shoot, you can see em’ from the road! Besides, the Simmental Association knows I got ‘em ‘cause I send in the papers ever’ year.”
Paul then remarked “Jimmy, we’re your neighbors and we didn’t even know you had Simmentals. If your own neighbors don’t know it, how’s anybody else going to know you got ‘em! Besides that, the only thing you can see from the road at your place is that rusty John Deere you been meanin’ to fix for four years. For all we know, you got a pasture full of goats back there!”
“Jimmy, if your expecting the wind to blow business your way you might be waiting a long time! You’d be better off planting trees in that pasture, if you’re wanting something that can be seen from the road!”
The conversation continued, but became rather heated as further comments were made from Bill and Paul regarding their friend’s marketing strategy.
So, what does any of this have to do with Sulphur Horses? I think it’s clear enough. Promotion. Those who are raising colts to sell, and are wondering why people aren’t beating a path to their door, could greatly improve their chances of success (and the prices they receive) by putting some effort into the kind of promotion we’re talking about.
Another resource that seems relatively untapped is: kids. All of the effort we put into our organization, and these wonderful horses, won’t amount to much if there is no one in the next generation interested in carrying on what we’ve begun. The passion I feel for these horses is alive within me largely due to the fact that a man took the time to share his knowledge of Spanish Mustangs with a gangly kid who wanted to learn more. Get involved with young people and encourage, or develop, their interest in these horses. Provide them with an opportunity to learn about Sulphurs. These kids are our future and time spent introducing them to out horses is not time wasted, but time invested. Think about it.
These are just a few ideas. I’m sure there are any number of ways, besides what has been mentioned here, that we can promote our Sulphur Horses. It won’t happen by itself. It’s up to each of us to step up to the plate and take action. It doesn’t have to take a lot of money, it can be a lot of fun, but it is something we all need to do for the Sulphur Horses. They deserve it, after all, and they’re certainly worth it, don’t you think? |
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