A website nowadays has become a standard for all businesses, including equine businesses, which opens the company to a broader audience and boosts its online presence and reputation. Fortunately, with tools like WordPress, you don’t have to know how to code to build a beautiful website.
The beauty of WordPress as a platform is that you can use pre-built Themes and Plugins that allow your website to have multiple features. So, instead of coding the website features yourself, you install a plugin and drag & drop the pre-made layout.
But don’t let the simplicity fool you. There are plenty of traps, even in a simple platform like WordPress. So, if you want to build a professional-looking website for an equine business, you’ll need the right tools. After all, not all plugins and themes are good for your site. Some have a terrible user experience, others are not optimized for mobile, and some plugins will slow down your site, resulting in many lost clicks.
So, what are the best plugins and themes to consider when building an equine business website?
Choosing the Right Theme
This is the foundation of your website, and choosing the best theme isn’t about finding the “prettiest” design. Yes, the user interface is important, but it’s more about finding a lightweight theme that’s easily editable, functional, and responsive.
A good theme should load fast, look clean, and feel like it belongs to the industry. You can either go for a basic theme like Astra, Kadence, or Blocksy, which are popular choices because they are very lightweight and customizable. But you can also go with specifically equestrian-inspired designs like
Picking a theme for an equine business isn’t about choosing the “prettiest” design. It’s really about finding one that communicates trust, professionalism, and the spirit of the equine world.
A good theme should load fast (no one wants to wait), look clean, and feel like it belongs in your industry. Themes like Astra, Kadence, and Blocksy are popular choices because they’re lightweight and customizable. For specifically equestrian-inspired designs, you’ll find themes like Horse Club, Equestrian, or Equestrian Centre. Many of these come with pre-built layouts that are specific to their horse racing venue, riding lessons, equipped with trainer bios, horse profiles, and booking forms.
The difference is how easily you can edit it. Even basic themes like Astra can have equestrian designs, but it requires more time and thinking about the layout.
There are some websites or plugins with specific and unique coding features.
For example, if you are building a website about horse racing betting, you’d need a theme or a plugin that tracks all the important horse races with live results. Handicapping is a big part of horse racing betting, so the accuracy of this information is very important. Experienced handicappers who wage in the horse racing best bets by TwinSpires.com rely on sensitive data points, and the API connection with the platform where the data is sourced should work without any mistakes.
Building Horse Profiles or Listings
If you need a website for an equestrian business that needs to create horse profiles, then you should install a plugin like Custom Post Type UI or JetEngine. These plugins allow you to create beautifully structured horse profiles with photos, pedigree, training levels, and temperament notes.
They also allow you to build a horse catalog that looks professional, and it is automated.
Booking Systems
Most equestrian businesses rely on bookings, so plugins like Amelia and Bookly can really help. You’ll need a booking system that doesn’t force customers to call, text, and wait. These plugins will allow you to build a booking system where customers can pick a time, pay online, and get confirmations automatically.
WooCommerce for Tack Shops and Equine Merch
Of course, if you are selling merchandise, there is no other plugin for WordPress than WooCommerce. It is quite simple to use, and can manage products, stock levels, shipping, coupons, and even digital downloads.
For equine businesses, even selling a few branded items a month means an extra income.
SEO Tools
Let’s face it, there are plenty of equine blogs on the market. Ranking higher requires special tools that will analyze your website and give you suggestions on how to appear higher in the SERPs.
I’d start with Yoast SEO, since it is the most beginner-friendly option that’s free. This plugin will help you create a sitemap, remind you to add keywords, and give you suggestions on how to write better content that will rank higher.
Organic traffic is quite important for equine businesses, and the best place to start is local SEO or articles targeted to your city.
Adding Maps, Directions, and Safety Info
Since equine facilities are often rural, customers appreciate clear directions. WP Go Maps is a simple tool that lets you embed a custom route or mark your exact riding-school entrance, so no one ends up circling nearby farms in frustration.
A bonus tip: dedicate a small section of your site to safety rules, barn etiquette, what to wear for lessons, or arrival instructions. It saves you from repeating the same information over and over, and customers arrive more prepared.
Security Plugins to Protect Your Business
Equine businesses are just as vulnerable to hacks as any other company, especially if you take payments or store client data. On top of that, 88% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error.
That’s why a plugin like Wordfence or Solid Security gives you a layer of protection without needing a cybersecurity degree.
It’s like putting a strong lock on the barn door. You may not think about it every day, but you’ll be glad it’s there.
These are the essentials. Building an equine website shouldn’t require more than 3-4 plugins and a lightweight and responsive theme. Make sure you are not overcomplicating things and try to look for plugins and themes with frequent updates and positive reviews.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s build your first equine website.
