Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Adrienne Rubin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Adrienne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
Someone asked me once, if you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing instead? I really had to give it some thought, and I still don’t entirely have an answer.
It all began with horses, when I was a child. A love for horses is just something some people seem to be born with – it didn’t come from any family member, or any exposure to horses at an especially young age, or anything anyone can put their finger on. It was just something I always loved and always wanted, something I pursued passionately. So much so that I started my first business, offering riding lessons and training horses, which gave me a taste for entrepreneurship and being my own boss.
When I left the professional riding world to start Equescapes Equestrian Adventures, a horseback travel company offering riding adventures around the world, going from one business of my own to another seemed like a natural progression. I actually applied to other equestrian travel agencies, but they all wanted someone with more experience – but how can you get any experience if no one will hire you without any? So I just started my own instead, using the business acumen I had gained from my previous venture.
Even if I hadn’t started my own business and just had a regular job, I think it would still be something related to the things I’m passionate about – horses, travel, adventure, nature, the outdoors.
Even if I hadn’t started THIS business, I think one way or another I still would have started something of my own, perhaps guiding in another outdoor activity, or organizing trips in a different kind of capacity.
Do I think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Sure. Actually, I do have a regular job, sort of – I guide hikes, hiking and backpacking, and llama pack trips, and I teach skiing, rock climbing, mountain biking, and yoga. I work for several different companies in different places during different times of the year when I’m less busy with horses and traveling, and I love it. Getting to just show up and do my job without having to worry about making the tough decisions and doing all the back-end work, not to mention knowing exactly where my next paycheck is coming from, is refreshing compared to the pressure of running my own business, and it lets me really relax and get into the work. I really enjoy the balance of both – if I turned my own business into a completely full-time operation, I think it could really grow and thrive more than it’s doing already, but it would compromise my work-life balance.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Travel, adventure, and horseback riding have all shaped my life for as long as I can remember, but founding Equescapes Equestrian Adventures tied all three of these elements together. A lifelong rider, I trained horses, taught riding lessons, and rode competitively growing up in Denver, and this is where the seed of entrepreneurship was planted. In order to pay for my own riding and competing in high school, I began teaching younger riders and riding difficult horses, and eventually built my program into a business and riding school which also offered summer horse camps, show coaching and riding, schooling shows, clinics, and internships. I traveled as much as I could, spending winters abroad when it was too cold to ride regularly in Colorado, riding and training horses in warm, sunny places like Brazil, Argentina, France, and South Africa.
Following a bad fall off a young horse one winter, I took a step back from riding for a while as I put myself back together, physically and emotionally, and realized that rather than ride all year in order to travel and ride for a few weeks, what I really wanted was to focus more on travel, exploring riding and equestrian culture around the world. More than just sharing my knowledge of riding methodology, I wanted to share my passion for travel and adventure. I wanted to keep doing what I loved, but not in a way that was breaking my back (literally) and burning me out. I wanted to give more riders the opportunity to see the world beyond the arena rail, as I had.
Today, Equescapes offers horseback riding trips in over a dozen countries worldwide. Ranging from wildlife safaris on horseback in Africa, to rounding up bison in Utah, to exploring medieval castles and village by horse in Europe, to practicing yoga with horses, to trekking across Iceland on gaited ponies, to riding the Rocky Mountains right here in Colorado, Equescapes has an adventure to offer for every intrepid equestrian and avid traveler.
While I still train horses, the focus these days is more on the adventure on the horizon than on the show ring. Running my own business also gives me the flexibility to explore other passions, such as woodworking, a hobby that always played second fiddle to riding. During the pandemic, I was able to finally dedicate time to my craft, which I had always said I would do more of when I had more time. Suddenly, with nothing but time on my hands, I dove in, learning in the capable hands of my dad. We build artistic pieces as well as custom furniture with an artistic twist, and it’s a way for me to pursue my creative passions as well as spend quality time with my dad.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Covid was a huge pivot point for both my businesses. Up until then, Equescapes was only offering international trips to select places, and suddenly that became a complete non-option as international travel came to a grinding halt. I looked around (figuratively speaking, on the internet, from lockdown) and saw horse owners who couldn’t travel or go to horse shows, but still wanted to get out and explore with their horses. I started offering local riding retreats for horse owners to bring their own horses, in a way that allowed them to have a unique experience and adventure with their horse while still social distancing from other people. These trips were immensely popular and now, 3 years later, they continue to be some of our best-selling trips. Many of the riders from these trips then later come on international riding trips with us as well.
Covid was also a pivot point for my artwork. Before that, I did occasional projects for fun and custom commissioned pieces, but never had the time or opportunity to really dive into learning more about the work, the tools, the possibilities. I wish I could say that I’ve kept up with the creative momentum I gained during Covid, but I haven’t, as the world has started moving again. But, my artwork has certainly improved in quality and is definitely reaching more people.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Facebook is a huge resource for equestrians – Facebook groups and communities are a great way for equestrians to meet fellow riders in their areas, ask questions, search for suggestions and recommendations for products, trails, trainers, barns, trips, and so much more. The first step I took was to become a resource in these communities – answering questions people had about traveling with horses, traveling abroad to ride, recommendations for riding trips around the world, etc. and then eventually started marketing my trips in these groups where I had already established some expertise. By becoming a resource myself, I was able to tap into social media as a resource.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.equescapes.com
- Instagram: @equescapes
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/equescapes