Are you ready to turn your passion for horses into your own equine business?  Then my step-by-step guide is the book for you.  How do you know what I have to say will work for you? I know because the methodology I developed has worked for me time and time again.  I’ve combined my 20 year corporate career in the information systems industry with owning and operating Pendleton Farm for 25 years.  The methods I’ve developed have evolved over time through many iterations and could benefit you and your business.  Work with me to decide if your horses are a hobby or a business.  

As an Equine Business Consultant, you can benefit from my firsthand experience without recreating the wheel.  While my book is written for the horse business, the concepts apply to all businesses that might be considered a hobby by the IRS.  The most important thing is your intent to make a profit along with the demonstration of actually doing so over time.  “Horse Hobby or Equine Business” is an easy to read explanation of a complex subject.  This is the only book that I'm aware of showing you how to create an effective business plan, and then how to tie it to specific equine practices and processes.  Work with me to transform your hobby into a business.

"If you don’t have dreams, you can’t get there"

"Horse Hobby or Equine Business" is a business book for the horse industry including trainers, horse and horse farm owners, CPAs, Tax Attorneys and Academic Institutions with Equine Programs.  The methodology provides the Plans, Practices and Processes needed to establish Intent for Profit as defined by the IRS.

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Meet Cindy

Cindy McCarthy is the owner of Pendleton Farm in Davis, California, an equine business that focuses on hunters and jumpers. Developing hunters and jumpers includes purchasing or breeding horses, riding, schooling, competing and managing the equine athlete. In addition, Cindy consults with clients who value her expertise. Before starting her business, she worked for companies like IBM, Unitech Systems (now Infogix) and Visa International. During her corporate years, Cindy won many awards for her outstanding leadership in sales and marketing, growth in revenues and profit, and customer service.

She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Cal Poly in Pomona, California.

Equine Business Planning: 

This step-by-step guide can help you create your own equine business plan without starting from scratch.  I bought every equine business book that I could get my hands on when I purchased Pendleton Farm.  None provided the detail that I craved.  So over time, I developed my own methodology.  I utilized the most effective business planning process that I had used in the corporate world which connects the strategic with the tactical.  It’s easy to update and the Practices and Processes flow directly from it.

Developing Practices and Processes supporting your custom Business Plan:

Practices = the systematic way you run your business on a daily basis

Processes = a particular method of doing something involving a number of steps or operation.

The methodology I have developed is based on the cost per Horse Day instead of averages.  You ask, so what?  The cost per Horse Day methodology saved me thousands of dollars on a mare retired from showing and breeding. The actual information was already documented in an Excel spreadsheet which was easily extractable in a matter of minutes.  Do you know what it really costs to keep a horse daily, monthly and annually?  Horse Days is the common denominator for the methodology.

Identifying Intent for Profit by Line of Business (LOB): 

“Work” is the differentiator between a hobby and a business.  How do you know if your equine business is profitable by category?  Do you document the successes and failures of your business?  Do you know where your time is spent?  What do you know about the IRS Treasury Regulation Section 1.183-2(b) Activity Engaged in Not for Profit?

Process:

• The first step is to contact me to schedule an appointment to discuss your needs.

• The next step is our initial consultation.
• If we decide to work together, you will order a copy of “Horse Hobby or Equine Business” and I will give you your first assignment. 
• We will use the book to ascertain if horses are truly a hobby or business for you.  Then, we will begin to create own your custom Business Plan.
• From that Plan, we will establish the Practices and Processes supporting Intent for Profit and apply the “Horse Days” methodology to your business.
• Consulting is available in person or on the phone

FAQs

• Mission:  What business are you in?
• Vision:  Where do you want to be in the future?
• Values:  How do you and those working for you respond consistently to situations?
• Key Result Areas:  What categories combine to define your business?
• Objectives:  What are your long-term objectives for these categories?
• Goals:  What do you expect to accomplish in the next 12 months?
• Actions:  What tasks support your desired results?
• Profit:  How do you know if your business is actually profitable?
• Time Tracking:  How do you know your time is spent on the right activities?
• IRS:  Are you prepared if the IRS audits your business?

Terree Castanias, C.P.A., Retired Partner, KPMG LLP

“It’s always an education process to understand the IRS requirements.  In some cases,
I have to say, you can’t do this.  But if you have the kind of business plan and documentation that this book describes, then it is a very different story.  If you are a trainer, boarding farm owner/manager, or really anyone else in any type of hobby/business, this book is for you.  The book not only gives you a framework for evaluating your business plans, but also explains in detail how to go about developing a business model that can be used by you, a banker, an IRS agent, etc. to show how you intend to run your business and ultimately make a profit.  The most important thing is your intent to make a profit along with the demonstration of actually doing so over time.”

Julie Winkel, Maplewood Stables

“This book is a great resource for my ‘Horse Industry Training Program’ as well as for any young professional interested in the horse business!”

Jenny Young, In and Around Horse Country Publication “Jenny’s Picks"

"I was very impressed by the author's attention to detail and the enormous amount of work that obviously went into her tables and information...if you're serious about a horse business, she's serious about telling you how to survive the IRS audit... Highly recommended — and take the time to read it thoroughly!  (You might even want to get one for your accountant!"
Read the review here. (PDF)