Katie Navarra

Managing the schedule of when facilities are in use and when boarding clients have access is important to the success of having outside riding instructors.

Decide ahead of time if your horses will be used by outside instructors and what the fee structure will be.

Finding the right outside equine trainer or riding instructor is as important as having the right tax structure established.

Working with professionals who are not a part of your barn’s staff can have its drawbacks.

Hiring or allowing outside instructors or trainers to work at your barn has benefits for you and your clients.

If you run an equine business long enough you probably will have to terminate an employee at some point. Make sure you do it within the law.

Is an employee not working out because of his or her lack of work ethic or missing training from you?

You found the right person for your horse farm or stable job opening, now make sure you truly get them on your team.

Here are five tips to help you get the most out of a face-to-face interview with a potential horse farm or stable job applicant.

Calling references is a time-consuming, but important, part of the hiring process.

When sorting through resumes make sure you know the qualifications you are looking for and the keywords that indicate experience.

Make sure you are posting your job where the people who would be qualified and interested will be looking.

Take time in writing a job description to ensure you not only cover all the tasks, but that it fully defines the new employee's role.

Stable Management's Finding the Right Employee series is designed to give horse farm and stable owners tips on finding and keeping the right person for your equine operation.

Here are some ways to keep your boarding or lesson facility clients engaged with non-riding activities that will keep them connected with your equine business and their barn friends until spring arrives.

Winter can be a great time to introduce newcomers to horses, or to meet community leaders and businesses for spring equine outreach.

Winter might mean fewer riding opportunities, but it can also mean a chance for horse clients to learn more through clinics and seminars.

Just because it is winter doesn't mean you and your clients have to hibernate. If you live where there is winter and snow, then find some ways to keep clients coming out to the barn and enjoying your facility.

Take advantage of winter's less hectic time to help your equine business flourish throughout the year.

A good Facebook page engages the public, responds to followers' comments and is frequently updated.

If your stable or farm is looking for different way to reach the community, PATH Intl. might be able to help you get started.

Taking advantage of a slower time of year can help your business flourish throughout the year.

Plan now, in the winter months, for a more successful busy summer season at your horse facility.

Winter is a great time to think ahead to spring and summer. But go beyond thinking by planning and saving for projects that you want to get done!

The New Year is an opportunity set goals, create resolutions and move your horse business forward toward those objectives.

A spreadsheet is the simplest database you can create for your business. A well-planned spreadsheet can be used to track trends and can serve as a storage area for critical information about clients, finances, veterinary care for specific horses, training hours and more.

Here are 10 Tips to help you get a jump start on making your business more profitable in the new year.

The hustle and bustle of daily activity in a commercial stable provides ample opportunity for clutter to take hold. Here are five tips to help you bust the clutter.

Driving a horse trailer is significantly different than driving a passenger vehicle or sports car down the road. As a horse transporter, you have the responsibility to make sure the trip is safe and comfortable for the horses in tow as well as for the other vehicles on the road.

Cleaning your trailer isn’t a glorious job, but it’s a necessity. Cleaning keeps trailers looking great and extends its lifespan.

Before loading up your horse and heading down the road, include a horse trailer flooring check as part of your pre-trip inspection.

Trailers make it possible to get to the show, lesson or trail head. Safety and functionality are the most important features of any rig, but today’s horse trailers offer endless options to showcase your style and provide all the comforts (and maybe more) of home.

Now is the time to plan for repairs and upgrades to your fencing on your horse property.

Cribbing in horses appears to have a physiological or psychological basis and is not merely the result of boredom

There are some things you can do in the fall to get ready for the struggles of winter weather, especially as it comes to fencing and gates.

Autumn is a great time to prepare your horse farm and stable for winter.

It takes a small village to operate an equine-assisted activities and therapies facility. From providing basic care for the horses to helping with scheduled therapy sessions or completing special projects (putting up hay, fixing fences, building stalls), volunteers are central to a center’s success.

Warm summer days are drawing to a close and cooler, damper, snowy winter weather looms in the not-too-distant future. Use your time wisely as fall approaches to create a routine that offers “you” time while also prepping your barn for the cold months ahead.

The optimal “emergency fund” savings account should cover six months' to one year’s living expenses.

In honor of Labor Day, we are dedicating a series of articles in September to savings and retirement options for those who work in or own equine businesses. This is the first in the series.

Whether you’re building a new barn or renovating an existing stable, the flooring material you choose will have long-lasting implications for maintenance and horse comfort.

Failure to provide adequate ventilation is the most common mistake made in construction and management of modern horse facilities.

Consistency is key with inventory record keeping. Each item that is recorded into an inventory list must be identified.

Whether you’re building a new barn or renovating an existing stable, the flooring material you choose will have long-lasting implications for maintenance and horse comfort.

There are 1,001 (probably more) options for buckets and feeders. It can be time consuming to research each and every model. In this article, we’ve highlighted key considerations to keep in mind when you are researching buckets and feeders for your horses.

Mastering social media isn’t rocket science. Finding success online is more about mastering the fundamentals than about knowing the nuances of every tool available.

It’s nearly impossible to eliminate all opportunities for the spread of diseases. Careful planning and strategic implementation of a biosecurity plan reduces the opportunity for the transmission of contagious diseases.

As horses age, the need to consider end-of-life options increases, but results from the NAHMS survey indicate that a majority of horse owners are prepared to make that difficult decision.