Lessons From Helping Riders Who Asked for Sponsorship Advice
This year, I opened my calendar to offer free calls to young professionals seeking sponsorship advice. The response blew me away.
Most of these calls happened the same way.
They didn’t use my calendar link to book a video meeting during work hours. They reached out directly via DM and requested phone calls. They were busy. And far away from a computer for most of the week.
When we connected, it was usually late. After chores, after lessons, after a full day of trying to make this sport work. More than once, it was 9 pm, and they were calling from the car on the way home from the barn after a 15-hour day.
And then, silence. Not because they didn’t care. Because they didn’t know what to ask.
This means talented professionals are missing opportunities that could help support their dreams, just because they haven’t gotten the right help yet.
I know for every rider I talk to, there are hundreds more in need of the same guidance. So I’m sharing what I learned from dozens of calls to help make successful sponsorships more accessible–for riders and brands.
The Most Common Sponsorship Challenges
I expected to spend most of my calls answering questions about marketing and social media.
We did some of that.
But the recurring issues weren’t about strategies or trends. The real pattern was a missing foundation:
Riders weren’t sure where to start.
They didn’t know how to reach out.
They weren’t sure what brands actually want.
They were overwhelmed by content creation.
They assumed they needed more ribbons or followers.
And many were genuinely nervous to post at all.
If any of that feels familiar, you’re not alone. Riders from all backgrounds repeatedly raised these concerns again and again.
Most professional riders already balance training, teaching, competing, managing their horses, and running a business. The last thing they need is yet another “job” that feels impossible.
But successful sponsorships don’t have to be complicated. And the solutions to many of the biggest sponsorship challenges riders face are surprisingly simple.
1. They aren’t sure where to start (but all you need is a little guidance)
Many riders booked a call knowing they wanted help with sponsorships, but were unsure which questions to ask to get there.
One rider said it best, “I know everyone wants sponsorships. But I don’t actually know how it all works. No one seems to be willing to share what happens behind the scenes.”
All it takes is better awareness about how sponsorships benefit everyone–riders, brands, and customers.
Sponsorships aren’t just about riders getting free stuff. Brands partner with riders to build visibility and authority within the equestrian community, allowing them to connect with new audiences and help more customers.
When riders don’t understand that, they default to the most common (and least effective) approach, seeking support without understanding what they can offer in return.
Which brings me to the next theme.
2. They don’t know how to reach out (but you just have to share the right message with the right people)
This came up constantly.
Many riders are reaching out via DM to a brand’s general account or by emailing the generic inbox. Then they stare at the screen, trying to write something other than “Please, please, please sponsor me.”
One rider told me she’d reached out to dozens of brands and had not received a response from any of them.
That’s not a reflection of her value. It’s usually a channel and messaging problem:
The message isn’t reaching the right person.
There’s no proof of value attached.
The person who needs your help isn’t the customer service team. It’s overwhelmed marketing managers trying to create content and connect with customers while juggling multiple campaigns, launches, and promotions.
Doing the extra digging to find a marketing or sponsorship contact can make the difference between your message being ignored or arriving exactly where it's needed most. That is, if your message makes the right offer.
Brands don’t want riders who just want free products. They want riders who already love their brand and can share insights that help their customers. When you reach out, you’ll drastically increase your likelihood of hearing back if you lead with the value you can provide.
And the good news? That’s learnable.
3. They aren’t sure what brands want (but standing out has never been easier)
I asked several riders who already had sponsors: “What are you doing for your sponsors right now?”
A standard answer was: “I tag them in posts.”
Sometimes it was a single post tagging every sponsor at once. Generic caption. Generic photo. You know, the kind most riders share after every show.
That kind of post doesn’t give a brand much to work with, because it doesn’t help a customer understand why you use their products and how their products helped you at that event.
Your value is your unique expertise and real-world insight. If you can consistently turn that into assets your partners can actually use, you’ll stand out as the top choice for better opportunities and even more support.
In plain terms, brands want:
Content they can share on their channels (UGC)
Feedback and insights from your real experiences
Focused visibility with your audience
Not just a tag.
Yet many riders feel they can’t do more than that. Here’s why they’re wrong.
4. They are overwhelmed by content creation (but all you need is 5 minutes and your phone)
You don’t need to spend hours at your computer or buy expensive equipment to consistently create content that will help you stand out to brands.
Because, let’s be honest, no rider has the time or money for that.
One rider shared a frustrating experience: she organized a professional photoshoot for one of her sponsors. The shoot was expensive, took an entire day, and it still didn’t move the partnership forward in a meaningful way.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions I heard on calls: riders think they need fancy cameras, pro shoots, heavy editing, and perfectly curated feeds. But pretty pictures aren’t why your sponsors work with you.
In reality, real content wins. Consistent content wins. Content that tells a clear story wins.
Customers and followers want to see relatable content that helps them solve their problems. Brands need content that showcases their products in real-world settings, featuring real riders.
Forget about trying to mimic the influencer aesthetic. Most influencers don’t have twelve stalls to clean, eight horses to ride, and four lessons to teach before the vet arrives this afternoon.
The next time you’re tacking up that 8th horse of the day, pull out your phone and share why you use a certain girth after trying countless others. Take a picture of your dirty young horse in turnout and write about the one brand of turnout blankets that survives his shenanigans.
If you’re waiting to create content until it’s perfect, you’re going to stay stuck.
And guess what? You don’t need the perfect competition results or follower count either.
5. They assume they need more ribbons and followers (but authenticity and consistency matter most)
Many young professionals introduced themselves apologetically.
They’d say they wanted sponsors, but they didn’t have a competitive resume or a large follower count, so they didn’t feel they had much to offer.
Here’s what I told them:
While credibility is important, that doesn’t mean you need a cabinet full of medals or millions of followers to be valuable. Brands often seek up-and-coming riders they can grow with who deserve support on their journey.
If a brand can help you reach your goals, that’s one heck of a story for them to share.
In fact, riders who perform best for brands are rarely the ones with the highest numbers or most impressive careers. Many top competitors actually make the worst sponsored riders.
The best sponsored riders are the ones who:
Follow through
Communicate clearly
Create consistent, helpful content
Genuinely believe in the products
Are easy to work with
Reliability, communication, and consistency are some of the biggest challenges brands face when working with sponsored riders.
You may not yet be able to compete with top riders in the show arena. But if you can double down on being easy to work with, you may earn the support you need to get there.
Sometimes, all it takes is being willing to take the first step.
6. They are too nervous to post at all (but taking a chance could lead to unexpected opportunities)
This might be one of the most common fears holding riders back.
Several riders admitted they hesitate to share anything online because they’re afraid of what other people will think. They worry they’ll look cringe. Or annoying. Or like they’re trying too hard.
I get it. Equestrian circles can feel small.
But here’s the pattern you can’t ignore: riders who show up consistently get more opportunities. Full stop.
The industry already has plenty of ads from influencers. It needs more input from real professionals.
If professionals don’t share their stories and recommendations, someone else will fill that space—often someone with less expertise, less experience, and less real-world insight.
You have to be visible for brands to find you. And you have to show up consistently for them to want to work with you.
Publish the website. Set up the social media page. Shoot the video. Make the post.
It’s not about you, it’s about helping people just like you.
Together, we can make the equestrian community more authentic and create more opportunities for the industry to reinvest in the people and horses at its heart.
My top tips from dozens of calls
This is the advice I kept repeating over and over again.
1. Start with the brands you already use and love
Make a list of the products you use every day, and the brands you genuinely believe in.
Sponsorships only work if you actually use the products. Brands want to work with honest advocates, and customers want authentic recommendations.
(Want to learn more? Read our guide, How to Become an Equestrian Brand Ambassador.)
2. Create proof before you pitch
You don’t need a contract to start sharing the products you love. Start today by sharing your opinion, telling the story, and tagging the brand.
Helpful content beats polished content. And taking the initiative will make brands more likely to pursue a formal partnership.
If you’re not sure what to post, think:
What problem does the product solve
How do you use it in real life
What you’d tell a client in the aisle at a show
(Need content ideas? Check out our free resources.)
3. Stop DMing the void—find the right contact
Most riders aren’t contacting the right person.
Your goal is to find the marketing contact (or the person responsible for partnerships) and send one clear message with:
a short intro
the content you already made
a simple question about partnership opportunities
Make it easy to respond.
(Need sponsor email scripts? Also in our free resources)
4. Consistency and communication are the differentiators
Landing a sponsorship is just the beginning. Strong partnerships require both the brand and the rider to follow through.
All it takes to stand out is to do the right things consistently:
Deliver content consistently
Send regular updates
Ask what the brand needs next
(Want to learn more? Read our Equestrian Sponsorship Guide for Riders.)
5) Stay visible
If your goal is sponsorship support, you have to be visible.
Not perfect. Visible.
Put yourself out there. You might be surprised by who notices you.
(Need a website? We’ve got a free template.)
Actionable next steps for riders
Here are actionable steps to overcome these challenges.
Write a list of 10 brands you already use and love.
Create one piece of helpful content about one brand.
Share the content with the brand via email and inquire about partnerships.
Take these steps in the next 7 days to build momentum you can maintain.
(Want more hands-on help with these steps? Work with us.)
Takeaways for Brands
If you manage sponsorships or ambassador programs, these calls highlighted a few fixes that would quickly improve outcomes.
Clear expectations & accessible support
Riders often don’t need motivation—they need direction.
Share clear expectations for deliverables and timelines with your sponsored riders and ambassadors. Content briefs are extremely helpful and can ensure content is aligned with your brand and goals.
If possible, designate one person, email address, and phone number as the program’s point of contact. Check in regularly to offer support and encourage riders to reach out with any questions.
(Want a Content Idea Bank you can share directly with riders? Check out our free resources.)
2. Meet riders where they are
Marketing managers and professional riders live in entirely different worlds and follow very different schedules.
Booking a video meeting on Teams at 10 am on a Thursday won’t work when your riders are in the middle of a full morning of lessons in an indoor arena with no Wi-Fi.
You need to meet riders where they are. And if my experience is any indication, sometimes that means scheduling phone calls at 9 pm when they’re finally headed home from the barn.
The point of contact for your riders should prioritize mobile-first communication, accessibility, and flexibility.
(Is your team too busy? We can help.)
3. Incentivize performance
When top performers stand out, invest more in them. It’s how you turn partnerships into measurable visibility, engagement, and revenue—not just logos on saddle pads.
It’s our mission to make these partnerships your brand’s strongest marketing asset, so you can reinvest in the industry and riders that make up your community.
Your marketing budget is better spent supporting real riders who can deliver better results than expensive events and publications that create similar deliverables with less impact.
(Want to know how to get better results from your sponsorships? Work with us.)
Why I keep having these conversations
Better partnerships can build a brighter future for equestrian sport.
I offered these free calls because I believe that by improving sponsorships, equine brands can invest more in the industry, riders can get the support they need, and the sport can become more sustainable.
Riders deserve support to succeed. Brands deserve partnerships that perform. And the sport benefits when we raise the standard of what good sponsorship actually looks like.
These calls also inspired me to keep giving back and launch our own ambassador program for riders. Interested? Learn more and apply here.
Free Resources
We share free resources to make sponsorship success more accessible for every rider and every brand.
Visit our resources page for free downloads, templates, and guides that help brands and riders create content, pitch sponsorships, and improve their partnerships.
Work With Us
Need more help? Work with us!
Our equestrian sponsorship agency builds partnerships that help professional riders, equine brands, and equestrian sport thrive.
We work with both brands and riders to ensure your sponsorships succeed.
