The American author and academic Joseph Campbell famously said, “Follow your bliss,” meaning if you do things you’re passionate about, doors will open and you will find satisfaction and fulfillment. Here are the stories of five Canadians who have done just that and turned their passion – their “bliss” – into a career revolving around horses.

Find a Niche and Fill it

Alberta’s Patty Kramps, 60, and her husband Kelly Miller, 58, owned and operated a successful flooring company for 15 years. With Patty’s woodworking acumen and Kelly’s ingenuity, they came to specialize in curved stair noses, serving the Edmonton-area million-dollar home market.

That was until a neglected miniature horse came into their lives, setting them on an unexpected course to become industry leaders in made-to-order carts and harnesses for small-statured horses. Patty vividly remembers the day everything changed – June 15, 2009. “My niece was coming from Quebec for a visit with her two kids and Kelly said, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to have a little horse here for the kids to ride?’ We had horses all along and still had two at the time, but hadn’t touched a little horse in 30 years. So off we went to a horse sale.”

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