Setting the Standard
The North American Riding for the Handicapped Association has specific guidelines for therapeutic facilities that are common-sense ideas for any barn.
Take a Number
The federal government has proposed a national animal identification program, which will include horses.
Learning Made Easy
If you have clients that have problems memorizing dressage tests, Equitest from Equitech Software introduces a fully interactive Dressage CD for your PC. Equitest has a virtual reality arena in which users can watch and ride the chosen test as many times as they'd like. With three view settings, users can watch the test as if they were riding it, or from the arena or from the judges box. The program also comes with a test caller option that calls the test out and an option to have test diagrams visible beside the arena.
The USEF Test CD includes all the training and first level tests, together with a freestyle option that allows the user to practice moves and construct schooling plans.
Colorful Awards
When it comes to horse show awards, Hodges Badge Company has invested in new technologies to improve its customization services, allowing the company to introduce a colorful Symbols of Success line. According to the company, customers can now print their multi-color logo on a variety of awards, gifts or supplies, such as towels, glass plaques, clip boards and coasters.
Hodges has also expanded its line of engraveable silver awards to include stainless steel flasks and trays, silver-plated picture frames and clocks, mint julep cups and more.
For more information, contact Hodges Badge Company at
1-800-556-2440 or check out their website at www.hodgesbadge.com.
Show Ready
Hoofpicks.com introduces a website designed to help organize horse shows. An event organizer registers with Hoofpicks.com, which in turn creates a website dedicated to the event. The site can generatge scheudles, assign entry numbers, manage class lists, print score sheets, create prize lists, send email updates and, after the show, photos and results can be posted. Participants can register on-line for the event, as well as pay for it using a credit card. The web service is free to event organizers.
For more information, contact Hoofpicks.com at 802-436-1910 or check out their website at www.hoofpicks.com.
Re: Boarding Security Deposits/1st & Last I have required first and last in the past, but currently have a purposely very small boarding population. If a prospective boarder seems at all iffy or noncommittal, I will ask for first and last. I think one of the most surprising industry "standards" is the lack of boarding contract in place at all. My motto is to do whatever works best for the individual business. I try to stay flexible to benefit both my business and the client (and of course the horse).
9/2/2010
Re: Boarders with Lack of Horsemanship This is exactly the type of boarder who calls me after they get run over and complains that they've been telling the barn owner the situation is "unsafe" and they "finally got hurt." When I tell them they have no case, they go and find some bottom-feeder personal injury lawyer who will take their case, and the poor barn owner will have to make a claim on their insurance. :(
While you can encourage these "Timid Tina" folks to seek guidance (and even offer your own help in teaching them), some people are just too fearful (or unwilling to admit they don't know everything) for help to work. For those folks, I agree with DeeAnn that you should accommodate them by assisting them in catching their horse (or doing it for them), but charging them accordingly. Or, charging extra for private turnout...
9/2/2010
Re: Horse trailer parking The vast majority of my boarding stable clients charge for trailer parking. Erik is right - think about it not only as occupying space on your property, but also creating risk for you - who do you think the boarder will come to first if her trailer is damaged while it's parked at your place...
(And many people don't insure their trailers, thinking, erroneously that their auto insurance covers it, or that the trailer isn't worth insuring)
STABLE MANAGEMENT
