Marketing im Pferdesport (English shop)

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The reasons for pursuing the hobby of “equestrian sport” are manifold. For most riders, the idea of competition is no longer the sole focus (Haring, 1999). The emergence of a plurality of values in our society has also taken hold in equestrian sport and shapes its participants. The boom of recent years is now being slowed by current doping scandals in equestrian sport, the change of values in society as a whole, and the presently poor financial situation (Schade, 2009). Fewer and fewer riders join local riding clubs and more and more riders pursue their hobby independently of institutional facilities. It is not only organised equestrian sport that is faced with declining membership figures. It is generally becoming increasingly difficult to inspire young people to take up this sport and to retain active riders in the establishments and clubs. As competition on the leisure and entertainment market intensifies further, the equine sector finds itself compelled to market its services and products more effectively.

The starting point of any marketing activity is precise knowledge of the target groups to be served. On the German riding horse market it is becoming increasingly difficult, particularly for breeders, to market their breeding products and to meet the requirements of the market (Tietze, 2004). However, the described change among riders on the demand side is not yet sufficiently taken into account in warmblood horse breeding. In the hope of achieving top prices, many breeders want to place their horses on the top-end market, which nevertheless accounts for only a fraction of total demand (Miesner, 2003).

The upswing in the equestrian sport sector also made itself felt in the associated service areas. In recent years, livery yards have recorded strong demand, so that the number of service-providing establishments grew enormously within a short time. By now, the pressure of competition and rivalry is clearly noticeable in these businesses (Baey-Ernsten, 2004). Owing to the wide variety of livery yards on offer, customers display ever weaker ties and are more readily prepared to change establishments in the event of disagreements. A similar picture emerges in riding school businesses, which find it ever harder to inspire young people to take up equestrian sport and to bind customers in the long term to the respective establishment and to equestrian sport as a whole.

The problems briefly outlined here provide the basis of the present dissertation. The focus of the work is in particular the investigation of the sportspeople operating on the market (riders and horse owners). On the basis of specific research questions, the characteristics of the various target groups in equestrian sport are examined in greater detail.