Since then, I have applied to over 100 openings, and the only ones I hear back from are scams. How do I know that they are scams? Well, by now, I am pretty much adept at identifying them. If they are on Craig's List, they are more readily obvious, but they appear on more legit sights like Indeed and Monster. First off, the salary is a good giveaway..if it appears too good to be true, it is. But the clever scammers go into great detail about the opening, keeping the salary more in range. You don't know it is a scam until you receive an email that either 1) wants you to go to their website for further information, 2) needs your credit information or 3) starts off by saying that they are away in another country on a business trip, however, after reviewing your application, they are pretty confident that you are the right match for their company and they want you to begin employment right away.
Deep sigh here. It is pretty depressing.
So until I start playing the lottery and win big, or an unknown relative dies and leaves me their fortune, I need to get pretty creative to support Tucker and Imp.
First, I have become a Sales Rep for MDs Choice. They are the makers of the joint supplement that I have used for years. www.gluquestrian.com. Go to their testimonial page and we are their first one.
It is strictly commission, they haven't been around in Florida for a few years, so this means I have to continue getting creative.
I have decided to start heading to the horse shows as a vendor. Not only as a rep for Gluquestrian and their human and canine joint supplements, but also, to tap into my creativeness. While in Atlanta, visiting my son and his girlfriend over Memorial Day weekend, I happened upon a cute boutique that sold tile coasters that had images of Atlanta on them. Hmmm..I can do these, was my first impression. And so I have, incorporating my own photos of horses, wildlife, the Georgia mountains and eventually, scenes around Winter Park and Orlando.
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| Sample of wildlife and Ga. mountains |
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| Sample of horses |
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| Not photos, but from notecards. And a large trivet |
Next, I am applying the same technique to make custom stall name plates and brushes....geesh, why didn't I think of this years ago?
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| Sample stall name plate, Made of slate |
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| No more losing your brush at the barn! Can be customized with name and color |
And, my final offering at horseshows will be my fudge. Chocolate. Fudge. Incredibly fantastic fudge, if I do say so myself!
I have been making fudge at Christmas for years. People love it, they ask for it (my farrier threatened to kidnap my horses until I made him more) and they tell me I should sell it. This is my grandmother's recipe. It is pretty damn good, if I do say so myself.
I had a trial run last weekend at our Equine Education Day. I made fudge and coasters for our guest speakers. The feedback has been pretty encouraging. I actually have orders for both!
There is also one more area that I am exploring. I have another blog, www.smarthorsekeeping.blogspot.com
I write about how to best care for your horse without sacrificing quality. I have had several inquiries about consulting at farms. My inquiries have come from new farm/horse owners who need help in setting up their facility, learning how to feed and care for their horses and more. So, I am in the process of writing up a plan. I want to consult on barn safety, pasture management, nutrition, emergency planning, quarantine guidelines and aiding in the purchase of the first time horse. It is pretty exciting for me, I should have thought about it a long time ago. Is there a market for such a consultant? I will find out and report back! I think there should be, judging by some of the farms I drive by and people I meet. We'll see!
So starting next month, I will start heading out to shows to market my wares. I won't get rich, but I will be my own boss and hopefully, support those four legged money eating machines.
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