What It Really Takes to Start and Run a Horse Business ― And How to Do It Right the First Time

Revised edition as of March, 2015. Building a large barn and starting a horse boarding business was my dream but it turned out to be a lot harder than I imagined. What was even harder for me was learning to become the business owner I needed to be to run a successful boarding stable. This book is about what it takes to work in the horse industry and what barn management is really all about. This is the story of Vinland Stables in Neenah Wisconsin. My name is Sheri Grunska and I wrote this book to show you how we built our barn from nothing and what it took to get our business off the ground. It is really about what it takes to become the business person you need to be to run a boarding facility efficiently and with confidence. This is the most honest total barn management book you will ever read and it is really two books in one. The first few chapters of this book is about my family's journey of building our barn and all that it took to get the loan and get the barn up and open for business. The reason I wrote the first part of the book is to help others that want to build a barn and show them all that goes with the building process both good and bad. We made a lot of mistakes in the building process so now I hope to help others so they don't end up with the mess we did. The rest of the book is about actually running a barn on a day to day basis with clients and horses. It is the most complete barn management you will ever read. In this book, I will show you how to write a business plan if you are applying for a loan and give you examples of what our business plan looked like ten years ago and what it should look like now. I will show you what my boarding contract looks like and what you should have in your contract.Running a horse boarding facility is about so much more than feeding and cleaning stalls. In fact that is the easy part. In this book I will discuss subjects like:- herd management and the boarder- What do you do when two horses don't get along and how do you know when it's time to move a horse- How do you give a 30 day notice to a boarder- When do you raise your rates and how much? - What are the boundaries between the barn owner and the client?- How to write a business plan for the equine industry- Boarding contracts and barn rules- No drama policy at the barn- How to find the right trainer for your facility - Are you willing to ask a boarder to leave- barn hours and why they are important- What do you do when a horse gets hurt on your property and the owner wants to blame someone.- Special request and when to say "Sorry but we do not offer that here." You will not find another book on the market that addresses these real situations in the horse business. I will share with you what we have learned over the years through many trials and errors. I will give you the tools to handle the most stressful situations. If you feel sometimes like you are alone in running your farm and no one else would understand the problems you are having, than read this book. You will find out very quickly that what you are dealing with is very common in most barns. Let me teach you how to become a leader and take control of your business. To this day, I love going out to the barn every morning for work. It wasn't like that the first couple of years. Learning to become a barn owner and business person takes time and sometimes a few years. I will share all that we have learned over the years with our business. This book will educate and inspire you and I hope to help you in your day to day life of running your barn. We made many mistakes in the beginning and it was because we didn't go to anyone for advice. I tried to find the answers in books but was not able to. Let me help you start off with the tools you need to become a successful business person in the equine industry. It is a great life when I step into my office and hear nickers every morning. It can be a great life for you too.