Consulting (either in person or on the telephone) with your trainer, bloodstock agent, veterinarian, accountant, farm manager or any other persons assisting you in your business.
	Subscribing to and reading trade publications such as the Daily Racing Form, the Blood-Horse Magazine, etc.
	Reading/studying any other books, CD's, Internet sites, or other media related to the industry.
	Visiting the places where your horse or other horses are located.
	Attending horse sales.
	Attending the races.
	Attending any educational seminars.

It is advised to keep a business diary of these activities for each year. The diary should be used to jot down your horse activities such as those described above. Additionally it may be used to record deductible expenses such as amounts spent on programs at the races, relevant phone calls, meals purchased for your advisors, travel (vehicle mileage and/or cost of airfare) to and from the track, farms, sales, etc. Get receipts for cash purchases if possible but perhaps the easiest way to keep track of all the miscellaneous expenses is a credit card used just for your horse business with the bill paid from your equine checking account.

Showing a Profit

You also need to plan your purchases, sales, and other details so that your horse business can fit into the "two out of seven years" rule for showing a profit. The very real problem is that owners, even when trying by every means they can, may not be able to show a net income in 1, let alone 2 out of 7 years, especially if the years in question are their first 7 years. This makes maintaining your IRS status as a business more difficult--but certainly not impossible. In simple terms, there will be a heavy burden of proof on you to show that your actions and expenditures are founded in a "good-faith" profit motive.

There are nine factors the IRS must consider in determining whether an activity is a hobby or a legitimate business. These are:

1. The manner in which the taxpayer carries on the activity (the key words here being "in a businesslike fashion");

2. The expertise of the taxpayer or his/her advisors (i.e., you must be hiring people who know what they're doing and paying them accordingly);

3. The time and effort expended by the taxpayer in carrying on the activity;

4. The expectation that assets used in the activity may appreciate in value;

5. The success of the taxpayer in carrying on other similar or dissimilar (i.e., equally risky) activities;

6. The taxpayer's history of income or losses with respect to the activity (meaning the "2 out of 7 years" formula);

7. The amount of occasional profits, if any, which are earned;

8. The financial status of the taxpayer; and

9. The elements of personal pleasure and recreation (might they be a stronger motivation than profit?).

For more details on these rules read two articles written by Equine Tax Specialist Patrick J. Hurley. As mentioned above, the best "answer" to this daunting checklist is emphatically, recording keeping, record keeping, record keeping. A written business plan can also be an asset. Patrick J. Hurley has also written an in-depth article on record keeping. For other tax articles visit Mr. Hurley's website at www.equinetax.com.

Your horse also is eligible to be depreciated like other types of business equipment. The schedules can be tricky and when the horse is "put into" service can drastically affect the number of years it takes to fully depreciate your horse. 

The American Horse Council offers publications that explain the tax law and the benefits of consulting with a professional tax accountant that specializes in the Thoroughbred industry. These also are advisable reading.