Management. Tips from the Professionals. Teaching Techniques. Herd Health Planning Tips. The #1 Resource for Farm/Stable Owners and Managers Stable

Transcription

1 The #1 Resource for Farm/Stable Owners and Managers Stable Management BUSINESS ISSUE SPRING 2014 Tips from the Professionals Creating a Business Plan Herd Health Planning Tips Teaching Techniques

2 Stainless steel throughout, Nelson Automatic Waterers are durable, easy to clean and available with optional heaters for freeze protection. Call or Visit for a Free Quote: nelsonmfg.com Official Equine Waterer and Feeder of the USEF

3 Table of Contents Spring Business 2014 Stable Management Associate Publisher/Editor Kimberly S. Brown Associate Publisher Michelle Adaway Designer Adam Purvis EQUINE NETWORK Group Publisher David Andrick Editorial Director Cathy Laws Senior Editor Laurel Scott Group Production Director Barbara B. VanSickle Production Manager Hillary Kerrick Advertising Coordinator Judy Geesaman Chairman and CEO President & COO Senior Vice President & CFO Executive Vice President, Operations Vice President, Equine Group Vice President, Controller Vice President, Research Efrem Zimbalist lll Andrew W. Clurman Brian Sellstrom Patricia B. Fox Tom Winsor Joseph Cohen Kristy Kaus Copyright 2014 Cruz Bay Publishing 2 From the Stable Office 4 Accept the Challenge! After years of financial hunkering down and declines in the number of horses and owners, it is time for the horse industry to take charge of its future and bring a love affair with horses back to the general public. By Kimberly S. Brown 6 Tips from Professionals: Starting or Expanding a Boarding Operation This year might be a good time to start or expand a boarding facility, but make sure you have done your homework before diving in. By Katie Navarra 12 Creating a Business Plan It is important to clearly define goals for your business. By Katie Navarra 18 Herd Health Planning Enforcing good herd health for your facility is good for business. By Heather Smith Thomas 22 Teaching Techniques: Your Student s First Canter Many farm and stable owners also give lessons. Here are some tips from a Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) Master Instructor to help your students succeed during their first canter lessons. By Julie Goodnight 27 Let s Give Thought to Balance Here are some thoughts on balance and how it affects horses and riders from a CHA lifetime member. By Donald L. Klechner 30 5 Steps for Better Time Management in the Stable Prioritizing your week can help you find more time to do the things you really need and want to do. By Kimberly S. Brown 32 Your Cafeteria Plan for Boarding Costs Know your services and rates, and share them with your boarders. By Charlene Strickland 35 Stable and Farm Marketing 101 There are a lot of ways to market your farm or stable, and many of them don t require large expenditures of dollars; however, they do require your involvement. By Audrey Pavia 38 All Customers Aren t Created Equal While you need to treat all of your customers fairly, you can encourage best customer behavior by using perks in your program. By Kimberly S. Brown 40 StableManagement.com Editor s Picks Cover photo by Mallory Beinborn StableManagement.com Stable Management Spring

4 From the Stable Office Welcome to the new Stable Management magazine! When Active Interest Media purchased this brand last summer, we wanted to breathe new life into the magazine and website. Both have been important sources of information specifically for those who own/ manage farms and stables. These also are the people who house and educate the current and next generation of horse owners. With this issue, we are happy to include members of the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) in our family of readers! Once we completed the transition of ownership, we conducted a couple of surveys of people active on StableManagement.com to determine their areas of focus, the information they wanted and how they wanted to receive it. The results showed that we were, indeed, a trusted source of information for those professionals and influencers who provide homes to many horses and guidance to the owners. More than 80% of StableManagement.com readers own farms with five acres or more (35% own more than 25 acres). Nearly 85% own two or more horses, with nearly 40% owning six or more horses. Boarding as a profit center is done by nearly 60% of readers, and nearly 70% manage horses they don t own. Readers said that they wanted us to address a wide variety of topics, including business, health, pasture management, feeds and bedding, footing, client management, legal areas and feed/nutrition. They also told us that industry news, product information and forums were important. Nearly 92% of those surveyed were readers of Stable Management magazine in past years, and a vast majority said they wanted that magazine to return! We plan to publish two Stable Management magazines this year: the Spring Business issue and the Fall Resource Guide. We will make these magazines available to all who register for them on StableManagement.com and to all members of the Certified Horsemanship Association. Please tell your friends and other farm/stable owners how to receive these free magazines. As we gauge the success and reception of these print magazines, we will determine the future frequency of the product. Please let us know what you prefer! Between issues, we invite you to visit StableManagement.com. We add new content to the website on a daily basis, including feature articles, industry news and product information. Make sure you sign up to receive our weekly and monthly electronic newsletters so you are keeping up with all the information on StableManagement.com. And follow us on Facebook and Twitter for news, information and fun horse stuff! As always, I welcome your feedback on the new Stable Management magazine and StableManagement.com. Feel free to contact me at KBrown@aimmedia.com. Caution Federal (USA) law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. Storage Conditions Store at 68 F 77 F (20-25 C). Excursions between 59 F 86 F (15-30 C) are permitted. Indications For treatment and prevention of recurrence of gastric ulcers in horses and foals 4 weeks of age and older. Dosage Regimen For treatment of gastric ulcers, GastroGard Paste should be administered orally once-a-day for 4 weeks at the recommended dosage of 1.8 mg omeprazole/lb body weight (4 mg/kg). For the prevention of recurrence of gastric ulcers, continue treatment for at least an additional 4 weeks by administering GastroGard Paste at the recommended daily maintenance dose of 0.9 mg/lb (2 mg/kg). Directions For Use GastroGard Paste for horses is recommended for use in horses and foals 4 weeks of age and older. The contents of one syringe will dose a 1250 lb (568 kg) horse at the rate of 1.8 mg omeprazole/lb body weight (4 mg/kg). For treatment of gastric ulcers, each weight marking on the syringe plunger will deliver sufficient omeprazole to treat 250 lb (114 kg) body weight. For prevention of recurrence of gastric ulcers, each weight marking will deliver sufficient omeprazole to dose 500 lb (227 kg) body weight. To deliver GastroGard Paste at the treatment dose rate of 1.8 mg omeprazole/ lb body weight (4 mg/kg), set the syringe plunger to the appropriate weight marking according to the horse s weight in pounds. To deliver GastroGard Paste at the dose rate of 0.9 mg/lb (2 mg/kg) to prevent recurrence of ulcers, set the syringe plunger to the weight marking corresponding to half of the horse s weight in pounds. To set the syringe plunger, unlock the knurled ring by rotating it 1/4 turn. Slide the knurled ring along the plunger shaft so that the side nearest the barrel is at the appropriate notch. Rotate the plunger ring 1/4 turn to lock it in place and ensure it is locked. Make sure the horse s mouth contains no feed. Remove the cover from the tip of the syringe, and insert the syringe into the horse s mouth at the interdental space. Depress the plunger until stopped by the knurled ring. The dose should be deposited on the back of the tongue or deep into the cheek pouch. Care should be taken to ensure that the horse consumes the complete dose. Treated animals should be observed briefly after administration to ensure that part of the dose is not lost or rejected. If any of the dose is lost, redosing is recommended. If, after dosing, the syringe is not completely empty, it may be reused on following days until emptied. Replace the cap after each use. Warning Do not use in horses intended for human consumption. Keep this and all drugs out of the reach of children. In case of ingestion, contact a physician. Physicians may contact a poison control center for advice concerning accidental ingestion. Adverse Reactions In efficacy trials, when the drug was administered at 1.8 mg omeprazole/lb (4 mg/kg) body weight daily for 28 days and 0.9 mg omeprazole/lb (2 mg/kg) body weight daily for 30 additional days, no adverse reactions were observed. Precautions The safety of GastroGard Paste has not been determined in pregnant or lactating mares. Efficacy Dose Confirmation: GastroGard (omeprazole) Paste, administered to provide omeprazole at 1.8 mg/lb (4 mg/kg) daily for 28 days, effectively healed or reduced the severity of gastric ulcers in 92% of omeprazole-treated horses. In comparison, 32% of controls exhibited healed or less severe ulcers. Horses enrolled in this study were healthy animals confirmed to have gastric ulcers by gastroscopy. Subsequent daily administration of GastroGard Paste to provide omeprazole at 0.9 mg/lb (2 mg/kg) for 30 days prevented recurrence of gastric ulcers in 84% of treated horses, whereas ulcers recurred or became more severe in horses removed from omeprazole treatment. Clinical Field Trials: GastroGard Paste administered at 1.8 mg/lb (4 mg/kg) daily for 28 days healed or reduced the severity of gastric ulcers in 99% of omeprazole-treated horses. In comparison, 32.4% of control horses had healed ulcers or ulcers which were reduced in severity. These trials included horses of various breeds and under different management conditions, and included horses in race or show training, pleasure horses, and foals as young as one month. Horses enrolled in the efficacy trials were healthy animals confirmed to have gastric ulcers by gastroscopy. In these field trials, horses readily accepted GastroGard Paste. There were no drug related adverse reactions. In the clinical trials, GastroGard Paste was used concomitantly with other therapies, which included: anthelmintics, antibiotics, non-steroidal and steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, diuretics, tranquilizers and vaccines. Diagnostic and Management Considerations: The following clinical signs may be associated with gastric ulceration in adult horses:inappetence or decreased appetite, recurrent colic, intermittent loose stools or chronic diarrhea, poor hair coat, poor body condition, or poor performance. Clinical signs in foals may include: bruxism (grinding of teeth), excessive salivation, colic, cranial abdominal tenderness, anorexia, diarrhea, sternal recumbency or weakness. A more accurate diagnosis of gastric ulceration in horses and foals may be made if ulcers are visualized directly by endoscopic examination of the gastric mucosa Gastric ulcers may recur in horses if therapy to prevent recurrence is not administered after the initial treatment is completed. Use GastroGard Paste at 0.9 mg omeprazole/lb body weight (2 mg/kg) for control of gastric ulcers following treatment. The safety of administration of GastroGard Paste for longer than 91 days has not been determined. Maximal acid suppression occurs after three to five days of treatment with omeprazole. Safety GastroGard Paste was well tolerated in the following controlled efficacy and safety studies. In field trials involving 139 horses, including foals as young as one month of age, no adverse reactions attributable to omeprazole treatment were noted. In a placebo controlled adult horse safety study, horses received 20 mg/kg/day omeprazole (5x the recommended dose) for 90 days. No treatment related adverse effects were observed. In a placebo controlled tolerance study, adult horses were treated with GastroGard Paste at a dosage of 40 mg/kg/day (10x the recommended dose) for 21 days. No treatment related adverse effects were observed. A placebo controlled foal safety study evaluated the safety of omeprazole at doses of 4, 12 or 20 mg/kg (1, 3 or 5x) once daily for 91 days. Foals ranged in age from 66 to 110 days at study initiation. Gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels were significantly elevated in horses treated at exaggerated doses of 20 mg/kg (5x the recommended dose). Mean stomach to body weight ratio was higher for foals in the 3x and 5x groups than for controls; however, no abnormalities of the stomach were evident on histological examination. Reproductive Safety In a male reproductive safety study, 10 stallions received GastroGard Paste at 12 mg/kg/day (3x the recommended dose) for 70 days. No treatment related adverse effects on semen quality or breeding behavior were observed. A safety study in breeding mares has not been conducted. For More Information Please call Marketed by: Merial Limited, Duluth, GA , U.S.A. Made in Brazil GASTRoGARD is a registered trademark of Merial Merial. All rights reserved. Rev Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

5 Prevents ulcers Treats and heals ulcers DON T BE A STATISTIC. GET THE ONLY PROVEN AND FDA-APPROVED TREATMENT AND PREVENTION *. Think all omeprazole products are the same? Compounded omeprazoles have been shown to be ineffective in promoting healing of stomach ulcers in horses. 1 With GASTROGARD (omeprazole) and ULCERGARD (omeprazole) you can be confi dent you re getting the omeprazole you ve paid for plus a patented formulation that is proven to work. TALK TO YOUR VETERINARIAN TODAY. Or visit ulcergard.com for more information. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: ULCERGARD can be used in horses that weigh at least 600 pounds. Safety in pregnant mares has not been determined. CAUTION: Safety of GASTROGARD in pregnant or lactating mares has not been determined. *When administered for 8 or 28 days, ULCERGARD is proven to effectively prevent gastric ulcers in horses exposed to stressful conditions. 1 Nieto JE, et al. Comparison of paste and suspension formulations of omeprazole in the healing of gastric ulcers in racehorses in active training. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2002;8:1-5. ULCERGARD and GASTROGARD are registered trademarks of Merial Merial Limited, Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. EQUIUGD1304-B (05/13)

6 Accept the Challenge! After years of financial hunkering down and declines in the number of horses and owners, the 100 Day Horse Challenge can help us bring a love affair with horses back to the general public. By Kimberly S. Brown We have missed a generation of horse owners, maybe two. My generation (the end of the Baby Boomers) was filled with the cries of women seeking equality and proving they could bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan. There were many of us in that generation who loved horses, and we had parents or grandparents who had farms, raised livestock and rode horses. Horses were around us, and we had opportunities as children to ride either for pleasure or formally (taking lessons and showing). Many of us in that generation gave up our passion for horses while we were busy building successful careers and raising families. Some of us infected our children with the love of horses and gave them opportunities to develop that love. I m happy to say that both of my daughters are horse owners. But I was an empty-nester before I owned my first horse since childhood, and many of my contemporaries didn t return to horses until after the kids were raised and our disposable incomes allowed us to venture into adult horse ownership. And there are many others who only dream about it. Unfortunately, the second generation we missed infecting with the horse bug was that of our children s peers. Most of them did not grow up with any type of horses within reach. And the children of those children are another generation farther from the farm. Their lives are filled with urban recreation and digital pastimes. If we don t take action, yet another generation will never know the joy of horses. The Beginning I feel fortunate that I was in the room when equine industry leaders from businesses, organizations and publications decided that if we wanted the horse industry to grow, then it was up to us to take horses to the people. A coalition was formed, funding was raised and the American Horse Council was tapped to be the official body to lead the charge. First came the need for research to determine how to laser-focus our efforts. Next came the need to walk among those targeted non-horse people and determine whether our messages were on target. Finally, we needed a rallying point for the industry to help it reach out to non-horse folks and help them find the right path to equine involvement. Your Challenge Those of us who make a living with horses are the key to turning the tide of horse involvement in this country. We have to make horses accessible to those who would like to become involved, and invite those who never thought about horses to see how lifechanging they can be to children and young adults (and maybe even to us more mature women). Whether you are a stable owner, a veterinarian, a horse business owner, someone who stages horse shows or rodeos, part of a horse organization or an enthusiastic horse owner with friends, you need to take part in the 100 Days of Horses Challenge. Step 1 is registering on TimetoRide.com to get more information. Step 2 is deciding to become a host. For the 100 Days of Horses Challenge, the group is looking for hosts who are willing to put on events that will connect 100 non-horse people with horses over a 100-day period this summer. Step 3 is determining what kind of event(s) you will host. The activities can include many types of interactions with horses, including open houses at farms; horse petting or grooming opportunities at schools, clubs or businesses; test rides at equine events, shows or farms; or bring-a-friend opportunities at lesson stables. Step 4 is to win cash and prizes for yourself, your group or your equine business while helping grow the interest in horses and the equine industry. The Rewards! The 100 Days of Horses Challenge is offering $100,000 in cash and prizes. Depending on the size of your stable, business or organization, you can win $10,000, $15,000 or $25,000 in cash, plus prizes such as equine products, horse supplies and possibly even having a name clinician give an event at your facility! Hosts will receive marketing support and inclusion on a national database and a map promoting horses in your region, underscoring your status as a trusted resource for the equine industry in your area. Take-Home Message If you love horses, if you want to share that love and if you want to win part of $100,000 in cash and prizes this summer, now is the time to register on TimetoRide.com. Get information on becoming a host, talk to your staff, friends, local equine organizations and shows about what type of event(s) you could host, then sign up to be a host! The future of our industry is in your hands! SM 4 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

7 Keepsafe V-Mesh Horse Fence FENCE IS FENCE, RIGHT? WRONG. You sacrifice every day so your horse can have the best life possible. You spend countless hours researching everything from saddles to supplements. So why purchase just any fence? Red Brand s Keepsafe with its unique design protects your horse from predators and injury, providing the ultimate in safety and security. The most trusted name in fencing. The one. The only. Red Brand. Strong 12½ gauge twisted cable keeps predators out and horses in Heavy zinc coating stands up to harsh weather Unique v-mesh spacing prevents stepping through and flexes on impact Sturdy construction using recycled steel respects the environment Continuous weave pattern means no cut wire ends to harm animals Find dealers, expert advice and installation videos at redbrand.com Official Education Sponsor of P ny Club

8 6 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

9 Tips From the Pros Starting or Expanding a Boarding Operation This year might be a good time to start or expand on a boarding facility, but make sure you have done your homework before diving in. By Katie Navarra You have years of knowledge and experience caring for, training and riding horses. Lately, you ve noticed there are not enough stalls or training facilities available to serve the horse owners in your area. So you ve decided it s time to capitalize on the opportunity. Regardless of whether your goals are to establish a new stable or to expand your current facility to grow an existing customer base, there s a lot to consider before advertising for clients. THINKSTOCK PHOTO The Groundwork Begin by creating a business plan, said Jill Paxton, Director of Equestrian Studies and Equine Management at the University of Findlay in Ohio. A business plan allows you to identify short- and long-term goals and requires you to develop a strategy to achieve those goals. A well-developed business plan will account for all of the costs associated with running a barn and ultimately its profitability. (See Creating a Business Plan on page 12 for more information.) A business plan is indicative of an operation having a profit motive, which is important to the IRS and it is essential for securing funding. Lenders will want to see one with any type of business loan application, said Amy E. Sherrick-von Schiller, associate professor of Equine Business Management at Cazenovia College in New York. During the process of developing a business plan, investigate which types of insurances are required for the services you plan to offer. Typically some form of commercial general liability policy is required, as well as a Care, Custody and Control policy, since the facility will have other people s horses in its care, noted Sherrickvon Schiller. If you already operate a stable, but you are planning to offer new services such as clinics or shows, additional insurance might be required in addition to the policy you already have. Inviting outside StableManagement.com Stable Management Spring

10 trainers or instructors to use the facility might also require additional or different insurance coverage. Policy rates vary by discipline and by the level of risk associated with the discipline. Depending on the insurance carrier, a perimeter fence to prevent a loose horse from exiting the property might also be required. Insurance policies will protect to an extent, but further safeguard your investments with liability release forms. Require each client to sign liability release forms. Arrange it so that clients sign a standard release form for riding their own or another s horse on the property, Paxton said. A release should also address what happens if the horse is injured. Establish detailed contracts for all of your services and require that clients sign a contract prior to any services being provided. Contracts may be needed for the boarding agreement, training agreement, shipping, sales or anything else the farm may offer, Sherrick-von Schiller said. Ask your attorney to write or review the contracts so they are effective and follow the applicable state laws. Numbers Game The reality is that boarding facilities operate on slim profit margins. By the time costs are considered for hay, grain, bedding, labor for feeding, cleaning stalls, doing turnout, etc., the board fees typically do not leave a lot left over, Sherrick-von Schiller said. Maximize profits by calculating expected expenses. Feed, hay and bedding are substantial expenses; however, depending on the size of the facility, there can be opportunities to negotiate savings based on buying bulk bedding or grain, which can increase overall profit margins. Labor costs are also significant. A small barn with a couple of horses may not need extra labor, Paxton said. When a facility reaches 10 or 20 boarders, the question becomes: How much labor will you need to hire to get the job done? There is a magic number (which varies, but often occurs around 10 horses) that a facility can handle so many horses at a minimum staffing level, Paxton added. Often people think adding two to three stalls will increase profits, when it actually increases the need for labor and may not pay for itself. Maintenance expenses are often overlooked. Consider the costs associated with mowing/plowing, arena maintenance, utilities and manure storage/removal. In large part, your rates will depend on the amenities offered. A boarding stable that provides good care, but limited facilities, is unable to charge as much as neighboring barns with arenas, jumps, lights, trails, etc. Facilities that offer conveniences such as heated wash stalls, bathrooms, heated viewing areas, indoor arenas, etc., are in a position to command higher rates. Not only do the higher rates cover the expenses associated with those luxuries, but the additional fees create an opportunity for increasing profit margins. Depending on your geographic location and target market, clients are willing to pay significantly more to have access to those comforts. The number of horses your facility can support will largely depend on land for turnout and how you choose to utilize available paddocks. Are you planning on sustaining horses nutritionally on turnout, or will the paddocks primarily be used for exercise? Labor costs are significant at a boarding facility. Figure out how much labor you actually need to get the jobs done. Your answer to those questions will contribute to your expenses and the rate you define. Turnout might be an amenity that clients are willing to pay for, especially in areas where land prices are at a premium. All of these can be included or charged as additional fees, Paxton said. Do a market survey and see what the barns around you are charging so you re not out of the ballpark. If rough board (24/7 turnout) is an option for clients, will there be times in extreme weather the horse will need to come in out of the elements? Spell it all out ahead of time, so the owner is aware that the horse will be brought in for its own protection and that it will cost extra, she emphasized. Fees for Service Look for opportunities to expand your facility through fees for additional services. Lessons, training, sales, trailering and/or hosting events offer opportunities for growth. Before advertising new services, decide what you expect from your clients and what you will include in regular boarding services. Will you require all clients to follow the same deworming regiment? If so, the cost of medication and your time to administer the dewormer is calculated in the monthly board fee; however, if a regimented deworming program is not mandatory, offer to administer the medication for a nominal fee. Fees for services add up. Holding clients horses for the vet or farrier, medicating, grooming, etc. add up and do make a big DUSTY PERIN PHOTO 8 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

11 DUBIOUS CLAIMS VS. 85 YEARS OF RESEARCH Introducing Purina IMPACT horse feed. There are plenty of claims out there. But Purina IMPACT is based on 85 years of research and formulated by Purina Ph.D. Equine Nutritionists to contain the essentials your horse needs. So you can get a truly premium feed at a not-so-premium price. And every bag comes with your independent dealer s expertise. Learn more at purinamills.com/horse-feed/impact Purina Animal Nutrition LLC. All rights reserved.

12 difference, Sherrick-von Schiller added. Before jumping in and expanding your list of offerings, ask horse owners which services they would be willing to pay for if the services were offered at their facility. Depending on the approach you take, the cost of additional services can be included in monthly board or can be outlined on a separate fee schedule. Such services include, but are not limited to: changing blankets wrapping/unwrapping legs poulticing caring for injuries soaking legs/hooves videotaping a sales horse administering medications accommodating special turn-out requests... and more. Ask Questions Although the services offered at your facility in large part are determined by your expertise and available staff, find out what services clients want, but can t find. Explore similar barns and find out what services are offered at those facilities. Decide which group of horse owners you can best serve. Recreational riders will likely demand fewer extras than upper-level competitors, but highly competitive riders and those who keep their horses in regular training are also willing to pay for more services. Once you have determined which services you can offer, explore what the going rate is in your area. The going rate is only part of the equation. Clients are willing to pay for facilities with which they are satisfied, so don t be afraid to charge a premium for premium facilities and services. Ask around and see why local boarders are happy where they are, or why they are not, Sherrick-von Schiller suggested. Talk to tack shop owners, farriers and other people who regularly deal with horse owners to see what is needed in an area. She went on to say that many times, People (barn owners) do not do their homework to figure out what it will cost them to build/operate a boarding facility before diving in. Poor management can lead to unhappy horse owners who will leave, and a higher turnover rate with unhappy employees neither of which are good for business. Time for Expansion If your barn is full, you have a waiting list, or you simply have a desire to expand, it is possible. There can be significant costs associated with expansion, so first discuss your plans with your financial advisor or CPA. Your motivation for expansion may include a desire for diversification to include other disciplines or as a response to clients requests for additional services. Maybe you ve noticed the equestrian community in your area is growing due to external market conditions. In any of those scenarios, don t forget to consider the impact of each additional horse on the facility as a whole. Will your feed and hay supplier be able to supply the increase? Paxton questioned. A second supplier may be required to account for more horses. Additionally, will you need more paddocks or arenas to accommodate more riders and horses? If plans do not include construction of new spaces, operating hours might need to be expanded and/or a schedule might be needed to ensure riders receive ample time in the arenas or covered pens. Likely, you will need additional staff. Adding too many extra responsibilities to existing barn staff can lead to overworked employees and burnout as well as low morale, all of which are bad for business, Sherrick-von Schiller added. Finally, don t overlook how the addition of horses impacts insurance and maintenance costs. Plans for expansion might look good on paper, but be sure your current clients are happy with the services provided and are an advocate for your business. Networking and word of mouth is the most effective means of getting the information out there in the horse industry, Sherrick von- Schiller emphasized, If current boarders are having a positive experience, they will share it. If current boarders are unhappy, they will most definitely share that, too. So before expansion begins, make sure your exiting boarders are happy. Good Business Operating a successful boarding operation is a delicate balance between equine expertise and honed business skills. Cultivating an expertise in both areas can be challenging; however, it is necessary for long-term sustainability. Clearly define the barn rules associated with ring use, turnout, maintenance and any service that might result in an additional fee. The more specific you are ahead of time, the happier everyone will be because they know the expectations, Paxton said. When you are vague or the rules are undefined, people assume things from their own perspective and can become unhappy. Communicate clearly with your clients. At the first of January each year, send a list of charges for the year and that should remain consistent for 12 months, she said. Include any mid-year increases in fuel or feed costs you anticipate to avoid raising prices part-way through the season. Clients will budget on those costs, she added. Share your plans for expansion with existing boarders. Inform them about changes in turnout or the need to relocate their equipment. Allow them to be a part of the changes; don t simply move their personal belongings and allow them to find out when they show up for their next ride. Most importantly, Be sure the existing boarders aren t losing anything they are paying for and are happy with the new boarders when they come in, Sherrick-von Schiller concluded. Take-Home Message Starting or expanding a boarding operation can be a pleasurable, fulfilling and profitable undertaking. However, if not handled as a business, it can result in dissatisfaction for the boarders and employees, and possible financial ruin for the owner. Don t take these steps lightly; seek out professional advice and include your CPA, insurance agent and attorney in all of your discussions to start or expand an equine boarding facility. SM 10 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

13 THE INDUSTRY LEADERS IN HORSE PRODUCTS AND WATERING HAVE TEAMED UP TO BRING YOU... A FRESH IDEA ON WATERING Classic Equine knows horses and horse people. Ritchie invented automatic watering. Together they have designed the watering solutions you ve been waiting for. Classic Equine by Ritchie makes automatic watering the only way to go for the ease of horse owners and the health of horses. Visit for additional information.

14 THINKSTOCK PHOTO Creating a By Katie Navarra Business Plan It is important to clearly define business goals for your business. Running a profitable boarding stable is challenging. Increasing feed, grain, fuel and land costs combined with rising client expectations require stable owners to maintain a delicate balance between client satisfaction and profitability. For stable managers, keeping the doors open can be a day-to-day struggle between the labor demands and the finances required simply to keep the facility afloat. However, a business plan can provide stable owners with guidance while allowing them to anticipate and prepare the business for change, both expected and unexpected. If you speak with many business owners, they will tell you they started their business without a business plan, said Johanna Mather, instructor for Accounting, Entrepre- 12 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

15 SAFE-GUARD YOUR HORSE GET THE RIGHT WEAPONS TO COMBAT THE MOST DANGEROUS VILLAINS THE TARGET: INTESTINAL PARASITES THE USUAL SUSPECTS (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:) LARGE STRONGYLES, PINWORMS, ENCYSTED SMALL STRONGYLES, and ROUNDWORMS THE SAFE-GUARD EQUI-BITS Palatable alfalfa-based pellets let you feed and deworm in a single step. ARSENAL: SAFE-GUARD PASTE TUBES Great apple-cinnamon flavor ensures less waste. Is safe in horses, even foals and pregnant mares. SAFE-GUARD POWER-DOSE The only compound FDA approved to treat ALL STAGES of the encysted small strongyle. GET A FECAL EXAM TO BE SURE IT S RIGHT FOR YOU! Learn more about all your horse s intestinal parasite enemies and how to fight both them and resistance at GETROTATIONRIGHT.COM. See the ALL NEW age based Safe-Guard Deworming Guide to Get Rotation Right at all the life stages of the horse. Consult your veterinarian for assistance in the diagnosis, treatment, and control of parasitism Copyright 2014 Intervet Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved Intervet Inc. (d/b/a Merck Animal Health)

16 Available Resources If your head is spinning from the details required in a business plan, don t despair; you re not alone. Fortunately, there are numerous resources available to help you get started. Use one or several of the free or low-cost resources listed below: The U.S. Small Business Administration ( provides detailed information and support for new and existing small business owners, also offering templates to help you begin your business plan. SCORE ( is a non-profit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. The website provides advice and templates for drafting your first business plan. Local Chambers of Commerce provide excellent advice on getting a business plan drafted. Local community colleges with an entrepreneur or business program can also provide resources. The Ice House Entrepreneurial Program ( org/what-we-do/programs/entrepreneurship/ice-house-entrepreneurship-program) makes resources easily accessible on its website. Entrepreneur Magazine s website ( provides free access to a wealth of knowledge. Simply enter Business Plans in the search bar and advice on how to create a business plan, what information to include and templates for getting started are available at no charge. neurship and Marketing at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York. Some will tell you that is a fine line between taking action and planning. Others will tell you that they didn t think about planning until after they immersed themselves in the business, but it is essential to think about what the entrepreneur wants as an end result or exit strategy. Though most people tend to consider a business plan only at start-up, a well-crafted business plan is an important component to a business at any stage. A business plan forces the business owner to take a deep dive into the intricacies of running the business, said Erin Boggan, vice president, Community Reinvestment Officer at Berkshire Bank. This way, the business owner knows exactly what the product will be and who the targeted demographic audience [is that] he/she will serve. Business plans are living documents that can be updated and modified over time and as realities change. They take into account what you would like your stable to look like in the present day, as well as three and five years into the future. If the time is taken to correctly develop a business plan, it also outlines the path to achieving your goals. Once created, update the plan so that it truly supports your stable s development over time. Finding Support It is easy to be overwhelmed by the details included in a formal business plan. The best advice would be to find a mentor with entrepreneurial experience to help you, Mather said. Even if you use consulting services, mentors will serve you throughout the life of your business. The most difficult part of creating a business plan is getting started. I usually tell people to just get their idea down on paper, Mather continued. Business plans vary in length, but typically contain similar parts. It is important to clearly define the goals that the entrepreneur has for the business, she added. If you don t have a business plan drafted for your stable, read on to learn more about the important components of any formal business plan. Drafting a Plan A business plan doesn t have to be a spe- 14 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

17 THINKSTOCK PHOTO cific length, Mather said. The quality of the plan is important, and the type of business will also determine the length. Many plans are long, but say nothing. Every business plan opens with an Executive Summary, a concise explanation of your expectations for the stable or farm. The Executive Summary is a one-page synopsis that highlights the major points that will follow later in the business plan. This is the place where you share your goals for the operation, the disciplines that you plan to serve and the services (training, boarding, breeding, etc.) that you would like to provide. A Company Description follows the Executive Summary. In this section, you will fully explain why you were motivated to open your stable and how you first became involved in the industry. Include any milestones or awards the stable has earned, your mission statement and the type of horse owner you plan to serve. Essentially, the Company Description provides information on what you do, what differentiates your business from others, and the markets your business serves, notes the Small Business Administration website ( company-description). Next you ll need an Industry and Market Analysis. This is especially important for new stables, but it also can make a big difference in the success of existing barns. Research the local horse market to find out how much horse owners are willing to pay, which services they are looking for and what other stables are offering; in other words, find out who your competition is and what they are doing right or wrong. You will need to describe your client base. Are you serving recreational horse owners? Hunter/jumper competitors? Looking for Quality Bandages for your Practice? Western performance riders? The rates you establish and the services rendered will be specific to each demographic. Take the time to understand and explain how your facility will differ from others. Will you provide access to alternative therapeutic services, extra turnout, training, trails or an indoor arena? Figure out how you are different or special and include that in your business plan. Predict future sales for the next three years minimum, Mather urged. Most entrepreneurs will tell you that this is impossible, but it does give people a reality check as they usually grossly overestimate sales. A Marketing Plan is an important section in the business plan, as it details why clients will choose your stable over another, as well as highlighting how you plan to introduce your stable to new clients. It will include your pricing structure and plans for advertising, marketing materials, use of digital marketing tools and general promotional strategy. Regardless of the size of your facility, a Steriroll Sterile leg bandage in several lengths rediroll Nonsterile leg bandage in several lengths Combiroll Bulk cotton combine roll preferred by veterinarians, 10-yard rolls All products available in 8, 12, 14 and 16 widths Endorsed by leading equine veterinarians and used by hospitals, clinics and schools of veterinary medicine across the U.S. the franklin-williams company Lexington, Kentucky StableManagement.com Stable Management Spring

18 business plan will require a management team and company structure section. Within this section, explain whether you will be the sole owner and employee, or whether you will have additional owners and staff. It is also helpful to describe your stable, the amenities it includes and any equipment, such as tractors, manure spreaders, trucks, trailers, etc., that are necessary to run the business. A formal business plan also addresses financial projections. If your stable is an established business, outline all income generated by each service offered. Expenses should be acknowledged and be inclusive of every cost associated with doing business. Provide between three and five years worth of information, if available, especially if you are seeking a line of credit. Income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements for at least three to five years provide supporting documentation. New stables, on the other hand, will prepare Prospective Financial Data, often called a Pro-forma. A pro-forma highlights anticipated expenses and income in year one, year three and year five to demonstrate growth and viability of the business. To visualize what should be included in a pro-forma, I usually have students close their eyes and picture walking through the front door of their business, Mather explained. Everything they see and touch, they have to purchase, lease, make or hire. And there is a cost associated with that. Close your eyes and picture the stable you plan to operate. Does the barn have heated wash stalls? Outlets in front of every stall? Will you be providing alternative therapies such as treadmills, cold compression systems or plate-vibration therapy? Each of those items and many more have associated costs. Account for those up front and consider whether there are ways to provide board or training services that can be more efficient while providing the same or better outcomes. Make sure that your projections match your funding requests; creditors will be on the lookout for inconsistencies. It s much better if you catch mistakes before they do, notes the Small Business Association ( Securing funding for first-time businesses is difficult in our present economic times. However, a solid business plan highlights the consumer need for the product and the opportunity for this business to have a monetary significance when considering the supply and demand of the current market, Boggan said. An appendix is not required, but it is an ideal place to attach additional information such as photos of your facility, snapshots of your website or other marketing materials, contracts for boarding, training or a lesson program, insurance, letters of reference and any awards or recognition your stable may have achieved. You must treat your business like a business in order to be successful. That means creating a business plan and keeping appropriate financial records. Take-Home Message Your business plan is just that, a plan; it is a roadmap designed to help you achieve your goals. It was created by you and can be changed by you if you think it needs adjusting. It will never play out exactly as you have planned; even though you plan a straight path, it ends up looking more like a zigzag, Mather said. You have to try implementing your plan to see what works and what doesn t, and keep changing accordingly. Sometimes your biggest failures later become lessons for your greatest successes. SM THINKSTOCK PHOTO 16 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

19 Deworming strategies have changed, so talk to your veterinarian. You could learn that your current dewormer is no longer effective on your farm and that some horses may not need to be dewormed as often. 1,2 If you re going to be deworming less, you need a dewormer that does more, like ZIMECTERIN Gold (ivermectin/praziquantel). ZIMECTERIN Gold controls more species and stages of parasites than any other dewormer, including tapeworms. *1,2 And ZIMECTERIN Gold controls small strongyles that have become resistant to the active ingredient in other common dewormers. 1,3 Why would you trust your horse s health to any dewormer that does less? It s time to RethinkDeworming.com Scan for valuable rebate offers. Or visit MerialEquineRebates.com IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: Not for use in humans. Keep this and all drugs out of reach of children. In horses, there have been rare reports of swelling and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue following administration of ZIMECTERIN Gold. These reactions have been transitory in nature. Do not use in other animal species as severe adverse reactions, including fatalities in dogs, may result. * A. perfoliata 1 Based on data provided on the ZIMECTERIN Gold product label. 2 Based on data provided in FDA Freedom of Information summaries. 3 Kaplan RM, et al. Prevalence of anthelmintic-resistant cyathostomes on horse farms. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2004;225(6): ZIMECTERIN is a registered trademark, and the Horse Head Logo is a trademark, of Merial Merial Limited, Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. EQUIZIM1304-F (03/13)

20 THINKSTOCK PHOTO 18 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

21 Herd Health Planning Enforcing good herd health for your facility is good for business. By Heather Smith Thomas A farm or boarding facility with multiple horses always needs a good herd health plan. This involves more than just vaccinations and deworming. Often the way you handle preventive medicine on your farm or at your facility will depend on where you are, what the horses on your farm do and whether they travel on and off the farm. Amy Burk, PhD, an associate professor and Extension Horse Specialist at the University of Maryland, said this type of scenario can be challenging when there are different types and uses of horses on one property. It is imperative to have good records, she noted. I encourage preventative health care, such as keeping vaccinations up to date, good dental and hoof care, and a good feeding program. Biosecurity An important key to good herd health is trying to keep disease from coming onto the farm in the first place. If disease appears, then it becomes crucial to prevent spread, said Burk. One of the most important things on a farm or boarding facility is a quarantine stall/paddock that also can double as an isolation stall/paddock. It should be at least 50 to 100 feet away from other horses. A paddock can have a run-in shed for shelter. New horses should be quarantined at least two weeks before entering the herd so you can keep an eye on the horse to make sure it doesn t have a runny nose, fever, go off feed or show any other signs of a disease it was exposed to before arrival, she added. Many farms have an isolation area of sorts; if a horse gets sick they put it at the end of the barn aisle, but often that s still too close. It pays to invest in a quarantine paddock away from everything else. It could be used for other horses, but when new horses come in, whatever horse is out there could be put somewhere else temporarily, she explained. The isolation or quarantine area should have signage to let people know not to enter unless authorized, said Burk. Employees should be trained how to use it (the facility). All resident horses that are healthy should be fed and cared for first and the potentially sick or currently sick horses should be cared for last, so as not to expose the healthy horses. Vaccinations One challenge with a boarding operation is that often boarders are allowed to make decisions about which vaccinations will be given to their horses, when they are given and by whom, said Burk. The boarding manager should very involved in keeping track of which horses have been vaccinated, and perhaps establish more stringent rules about required vaccinations, she said. I advise a StableManagement.com Stable Management Spring

22 rule that states all horses at this barn must have X set of vaccinations by such-and-such date in the spring and by such-and-such date in the fall, and please submit a copy of your veterinarian s bill or record that states when and what was given. She said some boarding managers have a specific veterinarian do all of the vaccinations for the farm, and the managers ask their boarders to sign their horses up to be done at that time, said Burk. The herd is not truly protected if only part of the group receives vaccinations for diseases that might be contagious horse-to-horse, or even for diseases such as West Nile virus or Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis, which are spread by mosquitoes. Burk recommended using the AAEP list of core vaccines (which can be found on aaep.org), or what their local veterinarian recommends. Some groups of horses need a different set of vaccinations. The horses that travel frequently to shows and competitions might need to be protected against more diseases than the lesson horses that stay home. Broodmares have their own set of vaccination needs. Group Horses According to Disease Risk Keep horses of similar disease risk together, advised Burk. The horses that don t leave the farm are at lower risk than those that are going in and out and being exposed to other horses and situations. The latter group should be on the same side of the barn (or in a separate barn) and not mixed with horses that usually stay home, said Burk. Horses Are Meant to Graze! Slow Feeder Treat Dispenser Breaks Boredom Reduces Stress Intuitive Design Easy to Clean A Toy with Purpose Super Strong & Durable! PATENTED MADE IN THE USA Management Challenges Every horse needs to be managed as an individual, and this is difficult. You can try to manage your farm as if all the horses are the same, but generally this doesn t work very well, said Amy Burk, PhD, an associate professor and Extension Horse Specialist at the University of Maryland. Horses need individual care, and that means keeping them all on a good program for hoof and dental care. Usually when the veterinarian comes in the spring and fall to give vaccinations, the horses should also get a general wellness check and have their teeth checked, said Burk. The farrier visits are a bit different because this can vary with the individual horse how fast the feet grow, whether it is competing and whether it needs to be shod or is barefoot. Caring for a group of horses is always a juggling act. You have to manage herd health and at the same time give each horse (and owner) the attention needed. When horses return from a show or outside ride where they mixed with other horses, they should be considered at risk for spreading disease to your stable and monitored more closely. Pay close attention to horses that travel, she said. They should have their temperatures checked daily as a routine precaution; fever is often the first sign of disease. This is quick and easy to do with a digital thermometer. Control Human Traffic Older barns funnel visitors through the barn aisle, with access to all the horses, noted Burk. I prefer barns constructed with an office in the front where all visitors come to. Then if they have authorization, they can go back with the horses. In the old-style barn, you don t know what your visitors might be bringing in or feeding to the horses. Also have some control over contracted personnel who come into the barn, and when they come. Many barns have lesson instructors who come periodically, said Burk. Have good communication with them to know if they are coming from a farm that has a disease outbreak, or have been in contact with a horse that s running a fever. You need to know where your staff or crew is coming from. If those outside folks come from other farms to your facility, do they change shoes? Wash their hands? Have a different set of clothing? Another example is hiring a stall-cleaning crew. You d want that crew to come to your farm first, said Burk. Then you know they are always coming in with clean clothes and hopefully clean equipment, with less chance of bringing something you don t want from some other farm. The same can be true of service providers such as your farrier and veterinarian. With our farrier and veterinarian, we always try to be first on the list that day, she explained. That might mean an early morning for you, but more safety for your horses. 20 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

23 DUSTY PERIN PHOTO Have a good rapport with your employees and service providers so you know if they have been around sick horses. Deworming Rotating dewormers on a certain schedule is no longer recommended because of parasites increasing resistance to deworming drugs, stressed Burk. Now we recommend that all horses on the farm or a certain sub-sample be tested (fecal egg counts). If the deworming program is adequate and fecal egg count is low or zero, the horse or horses do not need (to be) dewormed. Only horses with a moderate or high load of parasites require deworming. A bonus to this is because a small percentage of any herd will shed the most parasite eggs, the amount of chemicals given to the group of horses is reduced, and overall owners save money. Here at the University of Maryland, we do a fecal egg count once a semester to see which horses have a heavy parasite load and which ones don t, said Burk. In our group, we generally find very low parasite load or zero. If we have a horse with a moderate or high parasite level, we deworm that one and not the others. When new horses come in, we quarantine them to make sure they aren t bringing disease, and we also do fecal parasite counts to see which parasites they have. If a horse has a heavy parasite load, we deworm that horse twice while it is in quarantine to make sure we get those parasites knocked down before that horse goes into our paddocks, where it might spread parasites to resident horses. Take-Home Message Planning your herd health management routine can make a difference in not only the health of your boarders horses, but in the success of your business. While some owners might resist some of the quarantine, vaccination or other measures, it is your farm, your business and your responsibility. SM StableManagement.com Stable Management Spring

24 Sometimes the mere mention of the C word is enough to send riding students into a panic and cause a high blood pressure event in the instructor. And it usually isn t much fun for the school horses either. But there is a great allure to cantering; whether or not it mortifies a rider, it is the stuff of his or her dreams cantering off into the sunset with a trusted steed. For the purpose of this article, we ll call the gait canter, even though the preparatory process is the same for the lope in Western disciplines. Trot Before You Canter Before even thinking about introducing your students to the canter, consider this age-old wisdom of classical horsemanship: The best way to improve the canter is to improve the trot. Don t get in a hurry to canter; keep working at the trot until the student is ready. When the rider can ride the trot well posting, sitting and standing while circling and going straight, and making effortless transitions up and down it is time to introduce the canter. There are many different opinions on how to teach the first canter, and there is no one right way (although there are many wrong ways, like starting them all at the same time). After 30 years of teaching and working with thousands of riders, I have come up with some dos and don ts that have served me well over the years.» Teaching Techniques: Your Student s First Canter Many farm and stable owners give lessons. Here are some tips from a Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) Master Instructor to help your students succeed during their first canter lessons. By Julie Goodnight THINKSTOCK PHOTO 22 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

25

26 It is critically important. Goodnight believes, for students to have a good demonstration of what it looks like to ride the canter before they do it. THINKSTOCK PHOTO Starting the Teaching Process The first and most important DO is to always check the cinch or girth before starting any canter work. In normal circumstances at the canter (with an experienced rider), the rider s weight shifts into the outside stirrup (when the horse is on the correct lead) and the saddle can get crooked. Add to that equation a loose cinch and an off-balance rider, and it is highly likely someone is going to eat dirt. Although I know of instructors who have had success teaching the canter on a longe line, personally I would never do it that way. Learning to ride the canter on a straight line is much easier than turning. Where you tend to lose riders is in the corners or on the turns. Even on a straight line at the canter, the rider s weight is shifting to the outside if the horse is on the correct lead. The centrifugal energy created by putting the horse on a longe line exacerbates his problem. Many beginner school horses don t have the training and conformation to canter a small circle in a balanced way, making it ever harder for the rider to learn. It s not to say that it can t be done safely; it can with the right horse and a suitable environment. But for me, I like to keep them on the straightaway at first. I think it is really important to prepare your students well before their first canter. I like to talk about how it is different from the walk and trot, talk about what suspension is and how the gait feels and how your body moves at each gait, particularly the differences between the trot and canter (more vertical, up-and-down movement at the trot and more pumping/circular motion at the canter). The single biggest mistake beginner riders make is leaning forward and closing the pelvis at the canter, causing them to get thrown up and out of the saddle in a posting motion each time the horse comes into suspension. So I really emphasize sitting back, even slightly behind the vertical. This is why pushing the swing is such an effective analogy for the canter. Show What You Are Describing I think it is critically important for students to have a good demonstration of what it looks like to ride the canter before they do it, so they have a good visual image of how to ride the canter. I also think it is important in the demonstration to show what happens to the horse s head as he canters (moving down with each stride) and especially how far he drops his head on the very first stride as he is launching his entire body weight off the ground. I spend a lot of time explaining what happens to the horse if the rider does not give an adequate release and causes the horse to slam his mouth into the bridle. This is a particular concern for fearful riders who may flinch and suck up on the reins when the horse first starts to canter. When this happens, the rider is punishing the horse for doing something he or she asked the horse to do. That is very unfair to the horse and at best will prevent the horse from cantering and at worst will 24 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

27 Julie Goodnight (pictured here) is a Master Instructor with the Certified Horsemanship Association. HEIDI NYLAND MELOCCO PHOTO make the horse fear the canter departure and distrust the rider. Group Lesson Canter Recommendations How you set up your riders for the first canter depends a lot on the number of riders in the group, the horses, the size of arena and how much help, if any, that you have. There are many acceptable ways to do it each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Do you keep the horses in the middle and put riders out to the rail one or two at a time? Do you line them up on the rail and proceed around one at a time to the end of the line? Do you keep the line moving and play catch-up? For me, since I teach in the clinic setting with 15 riders of varying ability levels, some very advanced and some having never cantered, I have certain parameters I must work within to keep all the riders active and happy. I like to keep all the horses on the rail, moving at a walk or trot, and ask two or three horses at a time to canter, coming to the inside track while all the other horses stay glued to the rail. I start with the advanced riders first so that the newbies can watch and so that their horses can see that horses are cantering and start thinking about it. I like the beginner riders to only canter the long straight line of the arena and to bring the horse back to trot before the corner. This helps them stay better balanced and in control. Trying to canter the turn rarely works for the first time anyway because the rider tends to pull back with both reins to turn, causing the horse to break gait. Cantering around the turn is a great next goal, once the rider is getting the feel of the canter. Cantering short distances seems to work well at first. Often you ll see riders sit the canter pretty well for the first few strides, then they gradually tense up and start bouncing, which leads to more tension and a downward spiral. Instead, I have them just go a few strides down the long side, then come back to trot and get their composure back before trying it again. Besides, another important classical wisdom is that all of training occurs in transitions, so with more transitions they are learning greater control at the same time. Non-Rider Assistance for Horses Riders that are nervous about cantering have a hard time convincing the horse that is what they really want. Their hesitancy and ambivalence is clear to the horse, and since the horse probably doesn t want to canter anyway, he ll side with the part of the rider who says she doesn t really want to canter. Also, most horses that are teaching beginner riders have been hit in the mouth by the rider at the canter, so they aren t all that enthusiastic about it, anyway. To mitigate this problem, I often set up the horses the first couple of times at the opposite end from the barn or gate, so at least the horse is headed in a direction he wants to go. If the horse is more energetic and eager to canter or might go too fast, I set them up to canter away from the gate. Always use gate gravity to your advantage. When the horse is really struggling to canter with a fearful rider, often I will ride alongside the horse, snugging it to the rail almost as if I were ponying, so that I can cue the horse to canter by cueing my horse. Monkey see monkey do. This gives greater security to both the horse and rider. Or I might have one of my advanced riders ride directly in front of the fearful rider and synchronize when they cue for canter. If a horse has not been asked to canter in a while, he has long since stopped thinking about it and it might be difficult to transition into the canter. In this instance, and in the instance of a fearful rider, it often helps if I get on the horse and ask it to canter a few times. This puts the cue and the thought of cantering fresh in the horse s mind and is often reassuring to the fearful rider that the horse can indeed canter without running off or pitching a bucking fit. StableManagement.com Stable Management Spring

28 Horse Housing How to Plan, Build, and Remodel Barns and Sheds But no good deed goes unpunished, because sometimes I end up being asked to canter almost every horse in the clinic, which is time-consuming, not to mention tiring! Don ts When Teaching the Canter The main things I don t do at the first canter is have everyone go all at once or push riders to canter when they are reluctant. Even when I know most of the riders in my clinic are experienced and comfortable at the canter, I want to watch them each closely the first time to make sure all is as it should be. Once I am comfortable that the riders and horses are in control, I ll let them canter as a group. I also don t worry too much about leads that comes later, as we work on control at the canter and better cueing. Like all things with horses, the more experience you have, the easier it becomes. An experienced instructor can even keep track of the horses behind her back, unconsciously listening to the footfalls to let her know when the horses are traveling at a slow steady speed or when the footfalls sound suspicious. Whether you re building a new barn or improving an existing one, Horse Housing is the perfect guide. From finding the best building site to choosing stall latches, this book is brimming with how to tips for every part of the process. It explains in detail which materials are good to use around horses, and how good lighting, flooring, and ventilation make a big difference to both horses and people. And it goes beyond theory offering information, like how to estimate concrete and shingle a new roof or replace an old one. The book contains 17 plans, an extensive directory for locating services needed for barn construction, and a glossary of more than 300 terms to help demystify the building process. ZF829, $29.95 Order online or call (shipping + tax addt l) Take-Home Message As Mark Twain said, Good judgment comes from experience, and a whole lot of that comes from bad judgment. Proceed cautiously when teaching the canter to beginners and learn from the mistakes of others, so you keep your bad judgments to a minimum. For more about Julie Goodnight s training, watch her whole library of training advice and topics with her new online video channel ( tv.juliegoodnight.com) or catch Horse Master broadcast on RFD-TV every Monday at 10:30 p.m. EST on Direct TV channel 345, Dish Network channel 231 and on many cable outlets (5:30 pm ET on FamilyNet). Visit for the clinic schedule. Sign up for the free monthly newsletter at Goodnight is the international spokesperson for the Certified Horsemanship Association. instructors.com. SM 26 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

29 Balance Here are some reflections on balance and how it affects horses and riders, from a CHA lifetime member. Let s Give Thought to THINKSTOCK PHOTO By Donald L. Kleckner BALANCE IS A MYSTERIOUS WORD USED BY TRAINERS, horsemen and horses. People use balance, although it is never taught by people to other people. Balance is also used by horses, but again, it is not taught to horses by other horses. Balance is learned in the natural course of maturing both by people and by horses and is learned on one s own. The human, as an infant, learns to walk by standing up on his feet, walks a step or two, and plops down. Then he gets up and tries again and again. When he learns to use his hands and keep his balance, he is soon walking using his arms and hands to maintain his upright balance. The StableManagement.com Stable Management Spring

30 Horses use their heads to change speed and direction; when we add a rider and saddle, we move the horse s true balance point back. THINKSTOCK PHOTO youngster is not taught by others to use the arms for balance, but in walking, the left leg step is counter-balanced by the movement of the right arm in unison; the same is true of the right leg and left arm. This is something that every individual learns as he matures. To demonstrate, try walking and swinging your right arm with your right leg movement and your left arm with your left leg notice how awkward and clumsy it feels. Without the counter-swing of the arms with the legs, the walk would be awkward and not a graceful or natural movement. The balance point of humans is centered around the navel or belly button area. Since the powering motivation in humans is in the legs, we will call the legs their motor. To jog, the human raises his arms from the walking position. It would be difficult to jog comfortably and in balance if you kept your arms down at your sides, as in the walking position. The right arm counter-balances the use of the left leg and the right leg is counter-balanced by the left arm. This is a natural movement that people learn automatically. To run faster, you take the weight off of your motor (your legs) by raising your arms. Equine Balance Let s look at the horse s balance. Remember, this isn t something that is taught; it is learned naturally by the horse. When you study the movements of a horse, you will soon notice that, since the horse has no hands, he uses his head for his balance. As the horse walks, he bobs his head a little bit to the left as the right hind leg moves, which is his motor. He naturally uses his head to counterbalance the movement of the back leg. He also uses his head to move faster or slower, just as people use their arms. The horse s balance point is located below the withers and slightly toward the back (an inch or two). If you poked a stick through the horse at that point, the weight of the forequarters and the hindquarters would balance perfectly. Normally, horses carry approximately two-thirds of their weight on their front two feet and only one-third of their weight on their back two feet. So if the horse wants to move faster, he sticks his nose out, thus taking weight off the hindquarters (which is the motor) and moving the balance point forward, allowing him to run more freely. If the horse wants to slow down, he flexes his head at the 28 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

31 poll, which is the area between the two ears, moving his natural balance back a little bit. When you watch horses running and playing in the pasture, you soon notice that they use their heads to change speeds and directions. That s their natural way to keep their balance and be able to do their different maneuvers, both in playing and in regular work. Now, all of a sudden, people get on that horse s back with a saddle that is placed back behind the horse s natural balance point, which we will call the true balance point. By placing weight farther back, we have now moved the horse s true balance point back a few inches. What adjustments must the rider make to allow for the movement of the horse s true balance point? Many trainers say the horse looks better by adjusting his head, but you must realize that what that trainer is doing is using the horse s head to make everything come together in the new true balance point. You will be using the horse s head to move his balance back to the new true balance point that you have created by sitting on his back. Since you have moved his true balance point back a little, you flex his head a little bit to adjust his balance; then he can become a more graceful horse and be able to move easily with the new true balance point, accommodating you sitting on his back. Rider and Horse Balance How is the rider s balance important to the horse? Basically, in this context, balance means the way that the rider uses his weight, either forward or back, or left or right. You can use your balance as a natural aid to which the horse will respond because he had been doing it all his life. The most classic example you can use is when you extend the trot, you move your balance forward and stand up into two points in the saddle in either English or Western riding. By changing your position, you move the natural true balance point forward, thus encouraging the horse to move faster. Then, if you want to slow the trot down, you move your balance back a little bit by sitting back (but never behind the true balance point), thus encouraging the horse to slow down. The horse s natural tendency is to stick his head forward to move the true balance point forward to where he is naturally used to having it. A green horse will stick his nose out to try to bring that balance point forward to where it was naturally before you got on its back. To have a balanced ride, the rider must flex the horse s head, through use of the reins, to bring the horse back to the NEW balance point created by adding saddle and rider. It is important to realize that balance can be a tremendously useful aid one that is often not consciously used. If we want to turn to the left, just think a little shift of weight to the left and that will help the horse to understand that we are going to the left; it s the same in the opposite direction. Balance is often misused and misunderstood, but it is part of how we communicate to the horse when riding. Take-Home Message In order to make your horse a graceful companion that will respond naturally to what he has learned while growing up and maturing, we must be aware of how we are using our balance as riders. How do we check our balance with the horse? To get on the true, new balance point we have created by flexing the horse s head, stand straight up in the stirrups and without holding onto the horn, cross your arms; then sit straight down into the saddle. The horse will respond to that position if you have flexed his head an inch or two and you have brought it all together to the new, true balance point with the horse working on the new, true balance point and you being in position on the balance point. When moving, if you tend to lean too far forward, you will tend to make the horse go faster, whether you want him to or not. If you tend to lean too far back, it is the horse s tendency to slow down whether you are telling him to do that or not. This is about learning what your balance your body position and movements communicates to the horse and what you must know to use your balance correctly. Your horse will move without you using your balance correctly, but to have a graceful, natural and smooth ride, use your BALANCE! Donald L. Kleckner is a lifetime member of the Certified Horsemanship Association. SHOWOFF RibbOn RackS (Patent # B1) jumper Wall Rack Reining Wall Rack AvAilAble in WAll or StAll ModelS Horses Dogs Mules Llamas Alpacas Donkeys Sports Providing customized training programs to match each horse and rider. (414) StableManagement.com Stable Management Spring

32 5 Steps for Better Time Management in the Stable Prioritizing your week can help you find more time to do the things you really need and want to do. By Kimberly S. Brown Sooner or later, everyone who has a farm or a horse laments: If I only had more time... Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day. Sure we can get up earlier or stay up later, but burning the candle at both ends will catch up with us eventually, and in the meantime it can make us grumpy, inefficient and possibly unsafe. Here are five steps you can take to better prioritize your tasks, maximize your efficiency in the stable and find more time for riding and the other fun stuff (that s why we have horses, remember?). Step 1: Think through your typical week. Yes, I know there is no typical day or week in the barn or on the farm, but there are tasks that you do every day and specific things that must be done during each week or month. Give yourself 10 minutes and mentally walk through what you have to do this week, jotting each item down on a piece of paper. (This will get easier and take less time as you make this part of your process.) Step 2: Admit that you can t (or won t) get it all done. The first step to recovery is recognizing you have a problem. While this isn t a 12-step program, there are bad habits you have to break. In order to do that, you have to recognize the problems. You might like to help Jennifer move hay this Thursday, but if you are going to get all your horses ridden and tuned up for the show next weekend, can you really afford that time? On the other hand, if you and Jennifer share hay and that s how you get your horse s feed cheaper, what else can you change in your schedule to allow you the two hours to get hay and get your horses ridden? Maybe you give up the movie with your girlfriends, or you decide you d rather ride than watch the new episode of a TV show. Step 3: Prioritize your list. Is it nice, or is it necessary? Ask yourself this question as you go through your list. It might be nice to give your horses a bath this week, but is it necessary? If it is a priority to spend some me time with your girlfriends at the movie, what else can you swap for that evening out? Step 4: Write your priority list down. It doesn t matter if it s tacked to your tack trunk, pinned to the cork board in your barn or punched into memos on your cell phone: Have a written priority list. This will help you avoid getting off track and wasting time. Step 5: Do this on Sunday night every week. YIKES! Every week? Until you get into the habit of prioritizing your week (and no two weeks are the same), then you will find yourself scurrying around trying to get everything done. Or you will get involved in something and forget to do that one task that has a deadline, such as entering the clinic by a certain date. Having that list to glance at will help you keep on track and ensure that you re not distracted by shiny objects that come into your life. It will also ensure that what you deemed the most important things to be done this week have been marked off your list. Once you start making your weekly priority list, you will find it takes less and less time to make your list and use it wisely. And understand that your list will change. If you have a horse that colics, or a friend who comes to town unexpectedly, or your load of hay comes in this week instead of next week, or you get a new boarder and have to clean out the stall and make room for her tack, you have to be flexible. And a last bonus tip for you: Mark off the items that you get done! It will make you feel really good when you can see your list dwindling. Plus, as you become more efficient, you will find your list getting completed and giving you more time for the fun things you want to do. SM THINKSTOCK PHOTO 30 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

33 ALL THE PROTECTION. NONE OF THE HASSLE. USRIDER is dedicated to the welfare and saftey of our members and their horses. Protecting your investment is both easy and affordable with USRider Protection Plus+, an equine insurance program underwritten and and administered by Markel Insurance. Products available: Horse Mortality Liability Farm & Ranch USRider Protection Plus+ An insurance program underwritten and administered by Markel Call for a quote: HORSE ( ) Or visit: for an online quote BECAUSE HORSES ARE EVERYTHING. SIGN UP TODAY AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE COVERED

34 Do you charge your boarders for all-inclusive care or for a la carte services? Or perhaps a combination of the two? Either way, when you develop your policy and rates, determine what is most agreeable to you and your clients. Charging a flat fee for set services stall, feed, water, stall cleaning, turnout, blanketing (on a specific schedule) makes it clear what owners get for their horses, and that all are treated the same. They also recognize that additional services would be each owner s responsibility. Or you can add a profit center by setting rates for extras supplied by you or your staff. These charges are for tasks that require time, expertise or specialized equipment. In your cafeteria plan, you set a profit margin for each task, then charge a fee as a revenueproducer on top of basic board. Negotiate the Partnership Make sure each boarder has a written copy of your service rates; you should also post rates at the barn and on your website so everyone knows the standard charges. Boarders can see that the boarding partnership is a tradeoff, where each one makes a choice about which tasks he or she can handle and which services he or she will pay for. You probably have some dedicated owners who are at your barn every day taking care of their horses. Others must juggle life commitments and can t devote so much time to horses, so they need help performing daily care. Janet Hischer of Twisted Tree Farm in Scottsdale, Arizona, said, I think the reason people have horses is that they want to wash them, groom them, graze them. I have two patches of grass as my grazing patches. I like them (the owners) to do that. Her boarders are amateurs and young riders, which means that their free time is minimal during the school week. I have a part-time groom service for them, she said. If the kids get here after school, the horse is saddled before the lesson. But that is not allowed on Saturday or Sunday. Your boarding policy should address negotiation points like these: Who provides and feed, supplements and sand-clear products (if needed)? Who provides and administers paste dewormers? Who holds the horse for the vet or farrier? While providing feed and hay and charging for them can be a profit center (buying feed in bulk, so your price is less), boarders might want a different product. These are things that need to be clear in your pricing and management policies. You might also decide to rent dry stalls. With that method, the client pays only the stall rent, which includes utilities. He or she is responsible for feed, bedding, cleaning and all other aspects of caring for 32 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

35 Your Cafeteria Plan for Boarding Costs Know your services and rates, and share them with your boarders. By Charlene Strickland DUSTY PERIN PHOTO his or her horse(s). This setup is often seen in show barns, such as those near winter show circuits. Time is Money Whether you do it yourself or pay employees to help you, boarding horses is laborintensive. You already know the time it takes for the daily basics of feeding and stall cleaning. Maintenance tasks like repairs, cleaning, sweeping, mowing and gardening add hours to the workload. Every business activity costs you time; some cost you more in equipment or support services. Hischer described how her husband, Larry, manages her two barns of 47 horses: He takes care of maintaining the farm as far as things that break. He keeps trucks and trailers running, and he manages the boys who clean the stalls and feed. The staff includes three young men, who are also grooms, and three young women. It is a group effort, said Hischer. One man is a carpenter and another is a gardener. StableManagement.com Stable Management Spring

36 Pricing Your Services Extra services increase your overhead, so offset the costs with fair pricing. Survey local barns for ideas about going rates. I would like to encourage other farm owners to not price yourself out of the normal, everyday people, for the good of the industry, said Hischer. We as horse professionals need to be aware of where the industry is going. What you charge depends on your area, the type of horse and time involved. Keep in mind that body clipping a horse that hates clippers might mean the cost of sedation has to be added into your fee. (Dormosedan Gel can be prescribed by the horse s veterinarian and administered by the owner or barn manager as needed for sedation at the farm.) Here are some example fees: Body clipping: $ Show trimming: I charge $15 to clip, which covers the cost of the time and the clipper blades going dull, Hischer said. Vacuuming: $10-15 Blanketing and unblanketing: $40 a month The girls also groom and teach lessons. Keep in mind that accounting is part of your overhead. To bill accurately, you need to jot down the jobs you do as you finish them each day. You can jot the jobs on the barn s whiteboard or chalkboard daily, then transfer information to your billing system. Or you can use a notebook or your smart phone to keep the information up-to-date. You are only as good as the head of the snake, and he (Larry) is the head of the snake, said Hischer. He marks all bills on a chart; then he sends it to a girl who writes it up. He tells her what to charge, and he takes care of collections. He s a good old cowboy but he is on top of it. You might consider a new option for the iphone and ipad: Horse Manager. This app lets you maintain current records for the horses on your property. Using a mobile app helps you record requests, schedule the jobs and track the costs while you are in the barn. There are specific costs associated with specific types of horsekeeping. For example, breeding farms have traditionally charged extra for a wet mare one with a foal at side. You feed the nursing mare more, and there are two horses instead of one in a stall and on your pasture. And there is the need to have two handlers for a time if you are training the foal to lead at an early age. Your Profit Center You need to sit down and calculate your labor costs for typical services. Remember to include all the ancillary time you must spend. The first item is written out to help you see how you can determine your time and resources. Blanketing and unblanketing: Figure out how long it takes you to catch and tie the horse, place or remove the blanket, and release the horse to where he is supposed to be. Don t forget that there is time and space involved in hanging out wet blankets to dry, or folding and hanging clean blankets. Do you hose off or send dirty blankets out to get cleaned? Fitting and removing horse boots before and after turnout Show trim Body clip Vacuuming Bathing Soaking a hoof or cold hosing legs Hand-walking Hand-grazing Longeing Holding the horse for the veterinarian or farrier Administering medications For each amount of time, you can use the employee s hourly wage and mark up your profit by 20-40%. And don t forget the extra effort and resources spent for jobs such as clipping and vacuuming that would include preparation, cleanup and equipment maintenance. Your markup covers overhead, too. Services that have short labor time, but include You should know what you want to charge for services such as body clipping, or whether you are willing to rent your clippers. the use of amenities, would include turnout and time on the horse walker or treadmill. Here are other occasional services to offer onsite (or contract out while still profiting): Trailering Halter training a foal Repair of saddlery, blankets, saddle pads and horse boots Alterations of riding clothes Tack cleaning Cold compression therapy Leg wrapping Display Good Will You can spend time educating horse owners to perform grooming chores themselves. They can watch you body clip to learn techniques and care of the machine. Some will be inspired to try the job, while others will see the amount of preparation, skill and cleanup, and decide it s worth the cost to pay you. I encourage owners to get clippers and to do it themselves, said Hischer. You might choose to rent your clipper, with the customer bringing his or her own blades. That strategy saves your blades and turns your clippers into a moneymaker. Similar tasks that horse owners can learn include wrapping legs, giving injections or administering paste dewormers. If you know a client prefers hands-on horse care, it s better for the horses if you to teach correct procedures. I am sensitive to people in today s financial world, explained Hischer. I want to have a barn that allows someone who loves horses to ride here. I believe what goes around comes around. SM CHARLENE STRICKLAND PHOTO 34 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

37 Stable and Farm Marketing 101 There are a lot of ways to market your farm or stable, and many of them don t require large expenditures of dollars; however, they do require your involvement. By Audrey Pavia THINKSTOCK PHOTO You can have one of the finest breeding or training facilities in the country, but if no one knows about your business, you won t get far. Getting the word out about your equine enterprise is crucial to finding new customers.. That s where marketing comes in. Of course you must have a good business to start with. Then you need to determine who your potential customers are and let them know about the services you offer. Fortunately, you don t need to hire an expensive marketing firm to get the word out to the public about your stable or farm (although you can do that if it s in your budget). Either way, marketing must be part of your annual business plan. Below we ll give you some tips from your peers about ways they handle their marketing. Using the Internet Many farms and stables don t have a lot of money to spend on advertising to call attention to their business, which is why creative marketing is so important. You can do a lot to get your business in the public eye without having to break the bank. One of the easiest and most necessary ways to market your business these days is via the Internet. Having a website is a must for every business in today s high-tech world, and the horse industry is no exception. You can hire an individual or a company to design and maintain your website, or you can do it yourself. A number of website design software programs are available for downloading, and they provide a simple, user-friendly way to create your own site. These programs have builtin templates to help you design a site that is pleasing to the eye. (An example of this StableManagement.com Stable Management Spring

38 are the easy-to-use templates available on GoDaddy.com or ones that you can build through Word Press.) You can also pay an expert to create a site for your equine business if you don t have the time or inclination. You need to do the ongoing content maintenance (posting news, photos, content, etc.), or provide that information to the person who is maintaining your website. Maintaining your site on a regular basis is important if you want to make it a quality marketing tool. Content you can use includes horses for sale, important wins (by the farm/stable owner, trainer or clients), boarding openings, shows and events at your facility, and other newsworthy events. If you have time, consider adding a blog to your site, which will allow you to write about the latest happenings on your ranch or farm. You must give people multiple ways to interact with you, including , phone, and surface mailing address. Since visitors are already on the Internet looking at your website, allowing those visitors to contact you via an address or a fillin form is essential. Be sure to check your daily so you can respond to those queries in a timely fashion. Many clients visit our website and recommend that their friends do, too, said Miriam Brooks, co-owner of Brooks Quarter Horse Ranch in Jamestown, California. The good word-of-mouth increases sales that way and leads people to our website. Brooks also utilizes social media to help promote her ranch s training, sales and breeding services. We have started using Facebook, which we hope will take us to another level, she said. Facebook provides a no- to little-cost way to market your equine business. A basic business page on Facebook is free, and it allows you to post photos and a variety of information about what s going on at your farm. For small fees, Facebook allows you to target your page to users with an interest in horses, or even specifically the type of horses you breed, sell or train. Our Facebook page is great because we can track sales directly, said Richard Johnson, owner of Diamond J Horses, a sale barn in Murieta, California. It also leads people to our website. We know Content you can use on your website or social media includes horses for sale, important wins (by the farm/stable owner, trainer or clients), boarding openings, shows and events at your facility, and other newsworthy events. that s the wave of the future, so we don t want to miss out. Again, regular sharing of information and responding to comments on your Facebook page are essential to make it a successful marketing tool. Facebook isn t the only social media site that can help you market your farm or stable. Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Vine and a number of other social networking sites allow you to promote your equine business using noto low-cost media. Tried-and-True Methods While the Internet allows you to utilize today s technology to reach new customers, traditional marketing methods are still valid and should be used to their utmost. Buying ads in both print and online equine publications is still a reliable way to attract new customers. We take a retro and modern approach to marketing, said Meghan Look, barn manager for Morningside Farms, an eventing training barn in The Plains, Virginia. It s important for us to do it that way. Retro marketing methods lead us directly to new clients and promote the good culture we work hard to have. Look explains that her barn uses both local magazines and newspapers, sends out a newsletter to clients, and has a Facebook page and a dedicated website. At Briggs Stable and Tack Shop, a training barn in Hanover, Massachusetts, partner John Dougherty explains that the more than 20 events per year hosted by his facility help get the word out to the community about their business. We sponsor fundraisers and are a partner with the Special Olympics because we have a therapeutic riding program, he said. The Boston Globe has featured us now THINKSTOCK PHOTO 36 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

39 THINKSTOCK PHOTO Word of mouth has long been the number-one method of attracting new clients to farms and boarding facilities. However, the many marketing and communication opportunities available today make it easy for farm and stable owners to reach even more potential customers. and again because of that. They came out recently to photograph our horses playing in the snow. According to Dougherty, different kinds of press are good for business. We market effectively by having a diversity of (outreach) methods, he said. We have a limited budget, but we do advertise in local and regional print journals and magazines. Combining both digital and print marketing methods proves to be the best strategy for many equine businesses. Sue Peterson, owner of Another Farm, a sale and training barn in Woodbury, Connecticut, has found success by using a variety of marketing outlets. We used to stick only with the traditional methods discounted lesson packages in circulars, advertising in local newspapers, horse shows, fundraisers, pony club and all of this has worked for us for a long time, she said. Now, we also have our website and Facebook page. Recently, we did a Groupon [a discount coupon available through com]. It worked so well that we plan on using other methods like this in the future. Take-Home Message Although word of mouth has long been the number-one method of bringing in new clients to farms and boarding facilities, the many marketing and communication opportunities available today make it easy for farm and stable owners to reach even more potential customers. Marketing is necessary, and we do the best we can within our budget, said Jennifer Kaiser, owner of Forest Hill Farm in Lafayette, Indiana. Having exposure through marketing helps get the word out. SM StableManagement.com Stable Management Spring

40 All Customers Aren t Created Equal While you need to treat all of your customers fairly, you can encourage best customer behavior by using perks in your program. By Kimberly S. Brown As a business owner, you want to treat all of your customers fairly, but should you treat them equally? Personality-wise, there will always be some people who are more compatible with certain individuals. But business-wise, should you treat boarders or students differently? In business, the answer is a resounding, YES! But business perks are not the same as personal friendships or liking someone more. And business perks can and should be given only to those clients who are best for your business. Keep in mind that you shouldn t discriminate against people, and it is illegal to do so in many cases, anyway. What we are talking about is using rewards to encourage your clients to become more like your ideal client or best customer. Let s talk about a few examples of how to pick out some of your best business boarders or students, why you should recognize those persons as special, and how to give them perks that should result in more of your customers rising to this top ranking. Who Are Your Best Customers? There are many ways to look at this category, but most often your best customers have several traits in common: They pay on time. They use a good portion of the services you offer. They properly care for their horses and equipment. They take care of your horses, facilities and equipment. They speak well of you to other boarders and potential boarders. They are honest and speak to you about things that they like and don t like about your facility. They are prompt for lessons or other times when you are providing services (such as hauling to a show). This list could go on depending on your type of facility or the services you offer. For example, you might consider best customers to be those who take lessons weekly or twice a week. Or those who hire you not only to house and train them and their horses, but to coach them at multiple shows each year, with good results that reflect well on your facility. Or you might consider your best customers those for whom you don t have to do anything except deposit their checks. The key here is to determine what makes a best customer in your equine business and strive to keep that person happy, communicating with you and reaching out to others who would also be best customers for you. Recognizing who your best customers are can help you recruit those types of people in the future, or perhaps help you upgrade current clients who don t make your best list. Who Are Your Worst Customers? In this instance, you can t always put personalities aside. A worst customer might have the opposites of the characteristics listed above, or have all of those going for her in spades, but she is just miserable to be around. Someone who makes you, your staff or your other boarders unhappy or angry is not good for business. In fact, a toxic personality can drive away your best customers. And it is up to you to provide the proper environment at your barn or facility for your best customers. To give you a list as a starting point for determining your worst customers, they are the people who: never pay on time, or their payments bounce; neglect daily care of their horses or equipment; are negligent in caring for your horses, facilities or equipment; do not treat you or others in your employ with courtesy and as professionals; speak badly of you or your employees to current or potential customers; talk behind your back rather than speaking directly to you if there is a problem or concern. 38 Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com

41 If riding Sandy makes your boarder or student happy, then knowing she can pick Sandy for one lesson a month or the quarterly schooling show will help her work to be a best client. THINKSTOCK PHOTO Again, this is just a brief list, and you should determine what makes your worst list in your situation. Rewarding the Best Once you have your criteria, you should let your best clients (and everyone else) know why you consider them your top boarders. Then offer them specific perks. Maybe they could have first choice of lesson times (or choice of school horse). If you have a sign-up sheet for your arenas or courses, they could get first pick on days and times. Or maybe they could have a special trail ride with you, or you could give a free clinic each quarter just for those clients. Or they could get a discount on your quarterly clinic or schooling show. If you run a lesson program, perhaps students who pay on time and/or make lessons on time could get their choice of school horse for one lesson a month. Or maybe they could have first pick of the lesson horses they want to ride in your quarterly schooling show. This is where your list comes in, because other boarders will want to know how to get the perks. You have to be tactful, but having something solid (your list) that is public, posted in the barn or available on your website, can help motivate your second-tier clients to want to move up. If Susie comes and asks why she isn t able to take the quarterly clinic for free or get a discount, you can remind her that she was late paying twice that quarter. That might motivate her to take paying on time more seriously and it will let her know that paying on time is important. Keep in mind that you and your clients must know what they get for what they are paying. If individual arena time is part of your boarding package, then you might not be able to use the choice arena time for perks. This is where having written rules and contracts will make your life much easier, and spell out exactly what your clients get for their money. Take-Home Message This is more the carrot rather than the stick approach to improving or modifying the behavior of your clients. Again, each farm or stable is different, and you must determine what is important in your situation. You also must be transparent with all rules, regulations and perks, and treat each client fairly in order for any perks program to work. SM StableManagement.com Stable Management Spring

42 Editor s Picks from StableManagement.com Choose from hundreds of online articles to learn more about barns/grounds, equine health, farm equipment, feed supplements, fly control, grooming/tack and stable management (business topics). By Kimberly S. Brown StableManagement.com provides new articles and industry/product news on a daily basis, free! The content is designed for farm/stable owners and managers to help you better manage your business. These articles come from our own staff, freelancers, universities and professionals in the industry. You also can post or answer questions and take part in the ongoing conversations among your peers in StableManagement.com s Finding Out Forum, or you can ask for advice or read others questions in our Ask the Expert forums. All of the recommended articles that you might have missed are available for free. Simply use the search box on StableManagement.com to find the article, or use our article topic drop-down list on any page to review articles under a specific topic. Here are my Editor s Picks: 1. Your Important Papers: What, Why and How Long to Keep 2. Five Steps to Better Time Management in the Stable 3. Expert Tips on Buying and Selling Horse Farms 4. Water Bucket Dangers for Horses 5. Strategic Planning Basics 6. Legal Trends in the Equine Industry 7. Tips to Buy Smart When Shopping for a Horse Trailer 8. Three Tips on Etiquette 9. Budgeting Basics for Farms and Stables 10. Tips on Raising Fees 11. How to Turn No into Yes 12. Best Environmental Practices for Your Horse Farm 13. Handling Complaints 14. Managing Client Expectations 15. Cash Flow Management Tips Clutter Busters for Spring 17. Unfrozen Water series (produced in January) 18. Planning for the Transition of Farm/Stable Ownership 19. Dispelling Myths About Strangles 20. Consider a Sacrifice Lot This Spring to Save Fields 21. Understanding Vitamins for Horses 22. Foal Milk Replacer Basics 23. Why Choose a Veterinarian Dentist 24. Design for Your Horse s Sense of Hearing 25. Encourage Boarders to Vaccinate Against Rabies 26. Learn How to Read the Tires on Your Horse Trailer 27. Shocking Energy Costs and How to Reduce Them at Your Stable 28. Boarding Contracts: Get it in Writing 29. Tips on What to Pay Stable Workers 30. Behavioral Considerations When Housing Horses Stable Management Spring 2014 StableManagement.com ALL PHOTOS FROM THINKSTOCK

43 As a trusted horse trainer for over 20 years, I know what works. Horse Health products work! ~ Toah H. Cave Creek, AZ FREE Horse Health TM Ivermectin Paste 1.87% * with the purchase of any Horse Health product. Download your coupon at horsehealthproducts.com * Up to a $4.00 value. Excludes B-Kalm, Canine Red Cell, Horse Health Ivermectin Paste 1.87% and Pine Tar. At Horse Health, we pride ourselves on providing honest, hardworking products that you can trust, like Red Cell supplement. Nothing more, nothing less. Visit horsehealthproducts.com today to learn more Farnam Companies, Inc D. Horse Health, the Horse Health purple, Icetight, the purple jug, the horseshoe design and Red Cell are trademarks of Farnam Companies, Inc.

44 BE REWARDED FOR HELPING GROW THE HORSE INDUSTRY! $100,000 IN CASH & PRIZES! Stables Clubs Instructors Feed Dealers Organizations Race Tracks Individuals Veterinarians LET A HORSE GROOM YOUR KID! Time To Ride wants 1,000 horse industry hosts to introduce 100 new people to horses in 100 days this summer for a chance at part of $100,000 in cash and prizes. FIND OUT MORE AT TIMETORIDE.COM