Sustainable horse business

A sharper horse industry contributes to sustainable growth in southeast Skåne with more jobs, more permanent residents, more year-round visitors and a wider range of leisure activities.

The purpose of this project, which was a continuation of the Leader project ”Destination Horse Southeastern Skåne”, was to get several smaller businesses and hobby businesses to grow, become commercial and more profitable. The previous project focused on tourism entrepreneurs in the horse industry, but in this project all entrepreneurs who can in some way attract people interested in horses were included. The goal was to strengthen the horse industry as a whole and to increase the range and quality of services to and for horses and their owners, throughout the year.

The project began with a kick-off meeting, where horse stakeholders were invited to take stock of the need for knowledge and support. Based on this, a plan was developed for training, networking meetings and coaching, on themes such as bed & box, collaboration and increased profitability, horse law as well as sustainability, entrepreneurship and economics. The pandemic unfortunately meant that a couple of meetings had to be cancelled in 2020 and more individual coaching was carried out instead. In the individual coaching, stakeholders requested support regarding, among other things, digital media, marketing, price calculation and packaging.

In order to market the region in a positive and resource-efficient way, production was carried out a 20-minute film where the viewer gets to meet horse profiles and horse entrepreneurs in the region who tell us why they chose southeast Skåne as their place in horse life and why you should come here for both vacation and accommodation. The project's final seminar was held digitally in November 2020, when the film also premiered.

The project contributed to a new community and a strong network within the horse industry in southeast Skåne. New cross-border collaborations were developed, also around facilities and service and product packaging. Through continuous marketing work, the appeal and attention of the Horse Tour and with the help of the film, the region's position as a clear horse destination was further strengthened.

Both quality and range generally increased with the help of skills development and coaching. Packages of products, services and nature experiences were created and sold through retailers and tour operators. Participating companies improved their online presence and gained better control of their digital whole. They also gained better knowledge in entrepreneurship with the right pricing and good upselling and breadth.

LAG board's justification for car accident

A developing horse industry with a business focus contributes to an attractive and competitive countryside. The project helps to achieve this by taking a broader approach to the horse industry and providing skills-building measures for companies and entrepreneurs.