Episode 57: Selling a Dream: How Marketing Promotes All Avenues of the Horse Industry

We have a nice long episode for you today! Kate and Abigail discuss their hectic recent weeks, including a fun story-gathering trip and Freelance Remuda retreat together in South Dakota, then we chat with Solo Select Horses founder Melanie Smith about how she uses marketing to promote her multiple equine businesses. Lastly, fellow equine media pro Jennifer Denison joined us during our Freelance Remuda retreat to recap the American Horse Publications conference.

SEGMENT 1: 00:37 - ABIGAIL & KATE

Jennifer Denison, Abigail & Kate at the Mackabben branding in Montana

SEGMENT 2: 13:32 - Melanie Smith

Since founding Solo Select Horses, Melanie Smith has turned the equine sales market on its head. She’s sold thousands of horses—all Western performers or breeding the next great performers. In addition to managing The Select Online Sale, which began in 2020, she manages Select Genes, which has nearly 1,300 recip mares, and Select Reproduction, which also stands well-known stallions in the roping and cow horse industries. Additionally, she co-owns Woody Be Tuff. As if that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, alongside Solo Select CEO Ty Smith, she manages a portfolio of real estate, a trucking company, and a number of separate businesses within the equine sector of the brand. including full-service reproduction services, mare management, sales fitting, and more. But that isn’t why we are visiting with her today; we want to pick her brain on the marketing and media side of the magnetic Solo Select ventures.