It was a love and compassion for horses that drove Jessica Perez to form her horseback riding tour company, Sand n’ Saddle, in 2021. She was working for Braco Stables, a Trelawny-based horseback riding operation owned by her aunt Moyra Fitzroy, when it closed its doors as the COVID-19 pandemic surged across Jamaica in March of 2020 forcing a situation in which the company’s 42 horses would have to be sold as the funds needed to maintain them rapidly evaporated.

Sand n’ Saddle became the unexpected final phase of Perez’ personal rescue mission to prevent the horses from finding themselves in the hands of new owners. She set about raising money to buy them.

“It was a labour of love to prevent these horses from being sold to people I don’t know,” she related. “I purchased what I could with my savings. Then I got a loan from a friend and then Aunt Moyra and the other shareholders gave me time.”

But it wasn’t enough time to acquire all the horses as people began approaching shareholders with offers for the animals.

A desperate Perez put out an appeal for donations online and the call was answered by the owner of Turtles’ Nest Villa, Lucy Atherton, who contributed funds on two conditions — that the horses remain at Braco and that they remain under the care of Perez.

“And that is literally how Sand n’ Saddle started,” Perez revealed. “I didn’t have a company name back then or anything. I didn’t quite know what was going to happen. But I had all these horses.”

Suddenly, Perez had to change her mindset from a labour of love to the business of making money if the rescue mission was to succeed in the long term.

The company officially began its operations in November 2021 and the unexpected entrepreneur would have to draw on her previous experience working with Braco Stables to develop a business plan that would survive the ongoing pandemic and its aftermath.

The plan was executed with a leaner team which would be more economical.

“When we were starting out I had to save on costs and I had taken out a loan already,” Perez explained. “So my whole team was basically myself and three other staff members whereas Braco Stables sometimes had four of us in the office including myself, my aunt, the office manager and a secretary. Then four tour guides, two staff for the stables and someone to clean, so our team was much, much smaller.”

For her next trick, she restructured the tour to make it more adaptable to the market.

“I remembered that when Braco Stables was open quite a few drivers and companies had requested a shorter tour,” she disclosed. “They thought it was a bit too long because they liked to sell combo tours and packages for the guests. Having only two available times per day for check-in, it was really restrictive for people to sell more in a day, really.”

Perez shortened the tour to offer three different tour times instead of two while still keeping its strongest selling points which included the most important highlights, the beach and the swim with the horses.

She also grounded her marketing strategy in frugality.

“Social media and word of mouth because when we were starting out I didn’t have the finances to go and do a big advertisement and ads and get signs,” the entrepreneur disclosed. “What I had done was I contacted some of the tour companies and tour operators that Braco Stables used to do business with.”

“And also a lot of drivers,” she added. “Drivers have been a huge help and motivation because you get these freelance drivers across the island who bring you the guests. They are parked at hotels or at villas or they meet guests coming off the ship and bring them to you and that’s been a help. If they have a good experience they tell other drivers about it, so that’s how I would say drivers were a big help in networking and getting the word out quickly.”

Perez kept her rates reasonable even though it was a difficult proposition in the pandemic but this kept the drivers coming and maintained a steady volume of guests.

She also leveraged the reputation of Braco Stables in the market while promoting the novelty of a new, restructured tour.

The results of these business and marketing strategies were better than could have been imagined in the dark days of the global health crisis when Braco Stables closed and made way for Sand n’ Saddle.

“We are covering our expenses and covering our costs so we are actually growing and things are going well now,” Perez affirmed. “We are not in a position where we need to take out a loan.”

The entrepreneur expresses gratitude for her experience of previously working for her aunt.

“I learned a lot from Braco Stables,” she said. “Because we are such a small company, basically every person on the team matters and plays a crucial role. The tour guides don’t just take horses out. They help with the grooming of the horses and feeding the horses so that way we are not overspending. There is a lot of multitasking in it but a good balance where the guides can get their rest days and rotate.”

This working knowledge of the business has combined with a unique tour to carve out a special niche in the tourism market.

“Feedback from guests suggest our tour is more of an experience,” said Perez. “That is the word I hear from guests — experience.”

As the tourism business is influenced by trends demanding more immersive experiences, the Sand n’ Saddle tour is quite literally immersive as it ends with the horses swimming in the sea with the guests still riding them.

More experienced riders can also go on private excursions where they can ride a little faster. And being a small company, Sand n’ Saddle can quickly adapt to create unique experiences and accommodate special requests such as a couple doing a ride alone on their anniversary.

“I think overall we offer a more intimate experience with the horses,” stated Perez. “That sets us apart from being a really big commercialised operation.”

In this way, the businesswoman is continuing the legacy of her aunt, Moyra Fitzroy, who ran the small but reputable Braco Stables for over 20 years and who recently passed away this year.

The importance of family is not lost on Perez who is thankful to her mother who is a partner in the business, and her father, for their enduring support.

According to the entrepreneur, her long-term goal is “creating a brand that people love, educating people about horses, giving back, making connections and having magical experiences.”

“I’ve had some heartbreaking moments but also some magical ones,” she shared. “I am so grateful. It’s been one heck of a ride.”