How To Be A Good Stable Manager/Owner

My last 2 blogs addressed how to be a good boarder. This week, the table is turned, and just as I promised, I am going to talk about what makes a good barn owner or manager!

Just like I turned to social media to find out what makes a good boarder, I also asked the same question as to what makes a good barn owner or manager. I received lots of really good answers, that include:

• Always put the horse first

• You are being paid to care for someone’s horse, which may mean more to them than anything else in the world. You are being paid to feed, stable, and keep a watchful eye on their horse

• There will be delicate/pain-in-the-butt horses, and there will be rugged/easy horses to care for. In the end, it averages out

• This is not a get-rich career; it is a labor of love (my husband calls it a form of slavery)

• Common sense is to provide clean and safe shelter, clean and fresh water, adequate turnout, and good quality hay and grain

• Horses have needs, including blanketing, fly spray, fly masks, clean water and medication. You cannot expect to run a barn and not have to perform any of these duties. It is all part of horse keeping

• You are probably in the wrong business if you constantly bash your boarders, their horses, or your business

• COMMUNICATE!

• Hold monthly meetings to communicate updates and introduce new boarders

• Everyone should work together for the well-being of the horse and others

• Respect and kindness

• Talk to your boarder privately regarding any issues

• Remember that the client’s horses is considered a family member and that clients worry about their horses

• Be patient and answer questions, especially if the horse owner is new to horse ownership

• Communicate any changes that impact the schedule of the boarder’s horse, such as changes in turnout or feed

• Respect the owner’s right to self-determination of their horse

• Stay out of barn drama, unless it is a safety issue. Let boarders work it out for themselves

• You are not a door mat

• Just as boarders set the tone for the barn environment, so do barn owners. If you are unhappy, gossip or are resentful, you will attract the same in boarders

• Keep an open mind! You may learn something from a boarder

• Hire only knowledgeable staff

• Don’t cut corners at the expense of the horse

• The barn should be clean and safe

• Don’t stop learning. Learn the latest about feed and nutrition, first aid and anything else related to horses

• It is not your responsibility to make horse ownership affordable for others. You should never be operating at a loss. You should not be subsidizing someone else’s hobby!

That last point cannot be stressed enough! Unfortunately, the boarding business has gotten the reputation that it is not a business in which owners are entitled to earn a living! Boarders often don’t understand that the barn owner must pay not only for hay and feed and bedding, but taxes, insurance and of course, the never-ending list of maintenance and the equipment required to run a boarding stable. These are costs which should be factored into your board fee.

As one who has been on both sides of the fence, as both boarder and barn owner/manager, I understand the frustrations of both sides. Sadly, I have been a boarder at far too many barns where the horse is not put first. Corners are cut, often at the expense of the horse. One barn substituted the good quality feed I was promised and fed an “All-Stock” grain and when the boarders were not around, the horses were given a cheap quality hay. My horse began to lose weight immediately and after some sleuthing, my daughter discovered the reason why.

Running a boarding stable is not for everyone! You need to have good people skills, and that is hard! Especially when you have a barn full of boarders who don’t understand boundaries! You have to have equine experience! You would be surprised how many people get into the boarding business and know nothing about horses…I speak from experience, having boarded at several such places (it never lasted, both me as a boarder and the owners eventually quit the business!) I know several barn owners who have kicked out all of their boarders and found other ways to pay the bills that were less stressful!

Here is the link to a previous blog I wrote about my last barn that I boarded at before purchasing my farm:

In other news…

Our hearts are aching for the loss of the 21 horses in the Robert’s barn fire in Ocala. The Roberts family are the founders of the World Equestrian Center. One of their personal barns caught fire in the early hours of April 8. This fire proves that nobody can escape a fire. What measures have you taken to prevent a barn fire? Please read my blog on fire safety here: Fire Prevention In Barns This blog provides the links to the entire series, as it was written in 4 parts.

May 10 is Buy A Horse Book Day! Common Sense Horse Keeping has teamed up with thirty other horse book authors to award one lucky winner a bundle of horse books…..over 40 books in total! And if that weren’t enough, the winner gets to choose a charity of their choice to also win a bundle! For more details, check out Enter to win the ULTIMATE HORSE LIBRARY

May is my month! I was born on Mothers Day on May 12, my husband celebrates his birthday in May, I share a birthday with a cousin, and my beloved Tucker, my draft/cross who has crossed the rainbow bridge, was born in May. To celebrate all of these events, in addition to Buy A Horse Book Day, I will be donating my earnings from my Etsy shop, Two Donkeys And A Horse to equine charity. This virtual event is going to coincide with an Open House at my farm in DeLeon Springs, Florida, on May 10, where I will have books and the laminated resource guide available for purchase, as well as items from my Etsy shop. This event on Etsy will run from now until May 10. If you are in the area and would like to attend my Open House, please message me for the address. In the meantime, please visit TwoDonkeysandAHorse - Etsy 

Don’t forget to hug your horse!

Lori