with Equestrian Industry School · Equestrian Industry School
LenderHawk analysis. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Acquisitions Anonymous.
The listing economics are attractive on paper because the deal asks $3.5M against $1.1M of revenue and about $477K of cash flow, with real estate reportedly included.
The business appears to monetize farrier training and horse-hoof care instruction rather than ordinary boarding or riding lessons.
The founders’ audience matters: the listing claims roughly 740,000 Facebook followers, and the hosts treat that media channel as a major part of the asset.
The business likely depends on the current owner’s reputation as a master craftsman and content creator, not just on the physical property.
A buyer without horse-industry credibility would struggle to inherit the trust needed to sell training to this audience.
The cleanest structure may be a leaseback or continuation agreement where the founder keeps the real estate or stays economically tied to the brand.
The business is more plausible as a lifestyle acquisition than a rapid-rollup growth story because the core demand is durable but niche.
The hosts think the founder’s role in Mexico and the Idaho operation can be separated only if the brand, content, and clinics continue after closing.
A hands-on trade school can be supported by social media attention when the owner turns instructional expertise into recurring inbound demand and uses content as the top-of-funnel engine.
When to use: Useful when evaluating niche training businesses where the instructor's reputation and online audience are core assets.
If buyers are really purchasing a person’s reputation, the deal becomes much riskier than a normal operating business and needs contractual continuity from the seller.
When to use: Use when a listing’s marketing power, customer trust, or pricing power is tied to a celebrity operator or expert.
The asking price is $3.5 million, with roughly $1.1 million in revenue and about $477,000 in cash flow.
The hosts open by reading the BizBuySell teaser and computing the implied multiple.
The listing says real estate is worth $2.2 million and is included in the asking price.
The hosts subtract the claimed property value to estimate what the business itself is being priced at.
The implied operating multiple is about 2.5x seller cash flow after adjusting for the real estate value.
The hosts describe the business as relatively cheap given the assets included.
Tuition ranges from $4,900 to $20,000 depending on the program length.
Heather finds the school’s public site and uses those prices to explain the revenue model.
The school offers programs from 3 weeks to 36 weeks and operates year-round.
The hosts connect the schedule to cash-flow stability.
The listing claims 20-plus students per class cycle and nearly 7,000 square feet of custom home space on 25 acres.
They review the real estate and capacity details from the teaser.
One version of the listing cites 740,000 Facebook followers, while another reference mentions 228,000 followers on Facebook and YouTube combined.
The hosts note inconsistent audience counts but agree the social presence is large.
The property includes a 5,000-square-foot heated barn and two smaller homes for instructors.
They use the site layout to discuss operating fit and lifestyle value.
Keep the founder involved after closing through a consulting, licensing, or clinic agreement.
Why: The brand and customer trust appear tied to the founder's expertise and online persona.
Structure the deal so the seller remains economically connected, such as through rollover equity or a retained real-estate interest.
Why: That preserves continuity and reduces the risk of the owner disengaging immediately after the sale.
Treat the social-media audience as a core operating asset and verify who actually controls the accounts.
Why: The school’s inbound demand may disappear if the audience is not transferable.
Only pursue the deal if you understand the horse industry and can speak the language of the customer base.
Why: The hosts think an outsider would lose credibility quickly in this niche market.
Assume the real estate value needs validation before underwriting the purchase price.
Why: The seller-claimed property value drives the implied bargain price for the business.
Use a leaseback if the seller wants to keep owning the property but exit day-to-day operations.
Why: That can make the acquisition cheaper while preserving access to the operating location.
The hosts infer that the seller wants to stop traveling back and forth and keep making content from Mexico while handing the Idaho school to a buyer. They think that arrangement could work if the founder keeps appearing in clinics and the brand stays linked to him.
Lesson: Founder continuity can be the difference between a transferable brand and a broken funnel.
Bill describes watching hoof-care videos as unexpectedly compelling because each episode follows a visible problem, an intervention, and a resolution. He uses that example to explain why the business could have powerful social-media marketing even though the niche is unusual.
Lesson: Visual, problem-solution content can become a durable lead engine for an otherwise local service business.