Horse Illustrated Magazine

Have you ever had a great idea for an item of barn or riding gear? Had the inspiration to create a book or film about some aspect of the horse world that goes largely ignored? One way innovators in the horse world are turning their ideas into reality is through crowdfunding.

Sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo offer a platform for inventors, authors, filmmakers and others to appeal directly to their potential audience to fund the initial production of their product or artwork. Supporters can contribute as much or as little as they want—sometimes as low as a dollar—to back a project that appeals to them. In some cases, the people behind the campaign may offer incentives for contributions at certain levels.

Other sites, most notably Gofundme, gives people the opportunity to fund worthy causes not typically tied to a product. For example, in the aftermath of a recent barn fire, a Gofundme page was set up for New Vintage Farm to help the barn owners recover and rebuild their business.

Backing a crowdfunding campaign is not the same as investing—you won’t get a cut of the company’s proceeds if it becomes a huge success. It’s also not the same as a charitable donation. In general, contributions are not tax-deductible and the organizations are not necessarily non-profit organizations. Crowdfunding is simply a way for consumers to help products they want to see succeed make it to market.

These platforms offer a unique opportunity for horse people. Equestrian products appeal to a very specific market, and for that reason they might not have the same shot at earning potential investors as, for example, a software programmer developing the next Instagram would. By using crowdfunding sites, horse people can go directly to other horse people to kickstart their products. But this only works if horse people know about the campaigns.

We’ve compiled a list of some current horse-related campaigns from Kickstarter, Indiegogo and Gofundme. There are undoubtedly lots of other worthy campaigns running that aren’t on this list. Likewise, inclusion on this list doesn’t indicate endorsement—we simply wanted to show some of what’s out there. If crowdfunding appeals to you, search these sites, and do your due diligence to make sure your dollars are going to a campaign that deserves them.

Tapestry Comfort Girth
Fundraising Deadline: December 4, 2014
What is it?
Equestrian Linda Hauck designed this girth to be more comfortable for horses. Elastic webbing allows for ribcage expansion as the horse breathes. A neoprene sternum pad is designed to prevent the girth from slipping. A prototype of the girth has been created and tested. The Kickstarter campaign will fund an initial production run.
Learn more on Kickstarter >>

SuperScooter the Invincible Horse
Fundraising Deadline: December 5, 2014
What is it?
SuperScooter the Invincible Horse is the name of a proposed children’s book that aims to inspire kids to follow their dreams while instilling values of love and kidness. The inspiration is Scooter, an aged Peruvian Horse. Funds raised through indiegogo will be used to produce and print the book.
Learn more on Indiegogo >>

GluShu – Glue-on Horse Shoes
Fundraising Deadline: December 13, 2014
What is it?
As the name implies, GluShus are an alternative to traditional nail-on shoes. The inventor suggests they can be used for horses with brittle hooves, chronic hoof soreness, damaged hoof walls or in any case when the horse needs shoes, but the owner prefers not to use nails. The shoes are being used in a test market in the UK. Funds raised through Kickstarter will be used to manufacture the shoes on a larger scale so they can be available at an affordable price to a wider market.
Learn more on Kickstarter >>

Copperfox Model Horses
Fundraising Deadline: January 5, 2015
What is it?
Many horse owners enjoy collecting model horses, and enjoy finding models that resemble their real-life horses or represent their favorite breeds. A model-horse enthusiast in Great Britain discovered that she was unable to find her favorite native British breeds in the existing model horse market. Donations to this campaign will help fund the initial production of models, beginning with Welsh Cobs, Exmoor and Connemara Ponies.
Learn more on Kickstarter >>

Central Utah Cross-Country Course
Fundraising Deadline: N/A
What is it?
Equestrian competitors in the more sparsely populated regions of the country have to put a lot of miles on their trucks to participate in their sport. Eventers in Utah are working on building a cross-country course in a new equestrian park in the city of Mt. Pleasant, which would allow for more recognized events in that region. The facility already has riding rings that can be used for dressage and show jumping (as well as other, non-eventing equestrian events). Donations received through this gofundme campaign will help fund the construction of cross-country obstacles.
Learn more on Gofundme >>

Leslie Potter is Sr. Associate Web Editor of HorseChannel.com. Follow her on Twitter: @LeslieInLex.