When it comes to marketing your horse farm or equine business, facts and features just don’t cut it anymore. What does? Stories. And one of the most powerful—and easy to use—storytelling tools is the “Feel, Felt, Found” framework.

Used correctly, this strategy can help your riding school, training program, or tack shop stand out online, build emotional trust with your audience, and generate real conversions—from booked lessons and training clients to new sales and walk-in traffic.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹, 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝘁, 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱” 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸?

This three-part formula helps you guide a customer from a problem they’re experiencing to the solution you offer—all through an emotionally resonant story.

Feel: Acknowledge how the customer feels. (You get them.)

Felt: Share how you or someone else felt the same way. (You’ve been there.)

Found: Reveal what you or they discovered that helped. (You have the solution.)

It’s marketing through empathy and relatability.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀—𝗘𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱

Horse people are relationship-driven. Whether it’s bonding with their horse or finding a trainer they trust, emotions are central. “Feel, Felt, Found” helps you connect with potential customers on that emotional level—right where decisions are actually made.

Stories are more memorable than straight-up promotion.

Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook reward storytelling with better visibility.

Trust builds faster when customers feel seen and understood.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀

1. Riding Academy

Feel: “Worried your child might not stick with horseback riding?”

Felt: “One mom told us her daughter had quit every other sport because she felt out of place.”

Found: “She found that horseback riding gave her child a confidence boost, a sense of belonging, and a whole barn family to grow up with.”

Tip: Use photos of that child at their first show or in the barn with friends.

2. Show Barn

Feel: “Frustrated your horse shines at home but flounders at shows?”

Felt: “We’ve had show clients feel exactly the same way—even with very talented horses.”

Found: “With our pre-show desensitization program and mock show practice, they saw dramatic improvements in consistency and confidence.”

Tip: Include a before/after video montage of the horse.

3. Sales Barn

Feel: “Nervous about buying the wrong horse?”

Felt: “So many of our clients felt overwhelmed—there’s just too much info and too many risks.”

Found: “Our try-before-you-buy program and transparent vetting process helped them buy with confidence—and find their perfect match.”

Tip: Photo or video of the happy new horse owner.

4. Tack Shop

Feel: “Confused about which helmet is actually safest?”

Felt: “We’ve all felt like we needed a degree just to compare helmet brands.”

Found: “We created a Helmet Guide to help riders pick the right gear for their discipline, climate, and budget.”

Tip: Link to the guide in the post description.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗨𝘀𝗲 “𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹, 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝘁, 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱” 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀

• Instagram Reels or TikTok (short, punchy videos)
• Facebook Posts (great for parent-targeted content)
• Email Newsletters (tell a story to warm up your readers)
• Your Website (add testimonials or success stories to each service page)

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀

• Ask clients or parents for testimonials in this format
• Use ChatGPT to turn a quick quote into a polished story
• Keep a weekly story log with your staff and trainers
• Schedule time to record your own stories (you’ve got them!)

𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀? 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀

Ask yourself:

• What worries people before buying or booking?
• What objections stop them from moving forward?
• What do they usually misunderstand?

Then write out “Feel, Felt, Found” scripts for each one.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀

If your farm or equine business wants to stand out and build lasting customer loyalty, don’t just promote your programs—tell stories. The “Feel, Felt, Found” formula is simple, powerful, and highly effective in the horse world.

Start using it this week and watch your engagement—and your conversions—grow.

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For more helpful tips & tricks for horse-related businesses, go to: https://kristinaderby.com

Elevate your brand with the power of prestige. Watch now to see how elite storytelling captivates top equestrians and commands attention in the luxury horse world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS28kpoLcqg