Do the horse shows that you attend operate as a part of the larger community or do they go their own way without regard to what is happening in the horse world around them? If you are a horse show manager for your stable or breed club, you may want to look at the world around your show as you plan your next event instead of operating in isolation. If your goal is to bring in competitors and spectators, and promote your breed in the process, then you need to look at the bigger picture.

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An acquaintance that owns a boarding facility is experiencing financial difficulties. Due to the fact that I burned up some aging brain cells while trying to explain where they had made mistakes and how to possibly correct them, this article was produced. Please remember that I live in the northeast and have based much of my research on what I see for costs in this area. You need to do your own research in your area and determine if boarding is even a worthwhile business endeavor for you to start or remain in. When hired as a consultant I attempt to give businesses sound economic guidance. Unfortunately, when I am contacted, I usually find that there are major problems already existing. There isn’t any miracle formula that will turn bad management practices around. Solutions do exist if management is willing to take the steps to get control of their unique situation.

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Spring is here for most of us — time to take a break from the daily grind, clean up, and start anew. The tradition of spring cleaning is just as important around the barn as it is around the house, and horsemen can benefit from making the major effort to clean up and start the season right.

Start with your barn — there may be a lot of work to do but it is easy to identify. Of course you groom your horses, and keep their stalls clean but the start of warm weather is also a good time to scrub stall walls and give those stall mats a good cleaning.

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