Sunday, June 9, 2013

Find Out How To Run A Successful Equestrian Center

By Rena Hudson


Should you be in the possession of a couple of acres of good land, a few schooled horses, great horsemanship skills and a love for people, you may want to try running your own equestrian center. A passion for horses is a must and goes without saying. Running a yard is a satisfying job and if done correctly can bring in a good amount of money.

One would need to put up stables and decide if you would take in other people's horses as boarders. You would need to make sure that the animals have adequate accommodation, as well as a sick bay for when they get ill and are in need of special attention. Remember that the horses will also have to be fed in their stables, so you would want to make them big enough to accommodate a feeding trough and a place for a water bucket as well.

If you are going to offer a livery service, many people will want to leave their riding equipment at your center and you will need to have a secure place to store it. Each client will be expected to have his own tack box and you will have to provide a safe, lockable room in which items can be stored. As saddles, bridals and other gear is very expensive, you will need to ensue that it is always kept safe.

One would be able to offer many different services to people and their horses. You will find that most riders are looking for the full service of a livery yard. They want you to look after their animals completely. Sometimes this will even include riding them. It all depends on what your agreement is with each client that comes to your center.

If you decide to run a fairly large concern, you would be advised to get grooms in to do the cleaning up of the stables and the grooming of the horses. They would be responsible for the general upkeep of the stable area as well as the grasslands and paddocks. They would also have the job of turning the horses out in the mornings, bringing them in for lessons and then making sure they are hosed and cooled down afterwards.

One will also have to employ the services of a good equine hoof care specialist. Farriers are vital to the good care of your horse's feet. A stable yard cannot be without a good farrier. There are many such people available to do the work and you would be well advised to get some references when looking for someone to do your horse's feet, as it is known that no feet equal no horse.

When it comes to running an equestrian facility, it is important to remember that horse owners tend to be a little fussy. Most people will have their own private vet which they call out in an emergency. It is up to you to make sure that owners provide you with all the necessary information and telephone numbers for their chosen veterinarian.

Running a successful equestrian center is a full time job and does not come easy. Once you have a routine and everyone knows what is expected of them you can generally run a comfortable yard with quite a few clients. Do not expect to make your fortunes in this type of business. It should rather be a labor of love than a money making business.




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