January 2010

Screening Applicants in the
Horse Boarding Business

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Review these tips for screening boarders who might be moving into your barn. This will protect your horse boarding business and ensure a smooth transition.

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The Worst Mistake in the
Horse Boarding Business

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What is the worst mistake you can make in the horse boarding business? And how can you avoid it? This tip will help you maintain the integrity of your business.

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On Whips and Spurs

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All horse business owners have a position on whips, spurs and other artificial aids. Learn how to develop a policy for your business.

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How to Minimize Liability
in the Horse Business

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Horse business owners need to protect themselves and their businesses from legal action. Use these tips to cover your bases and ensure you are legally sound.

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John Lyons
Lyons on Horses

Lyons on Horses

Review of John Lyons’s book LYONS ON HORSES. Learn why I gave John Lyons a shot and how you can use this book to benefit your horse training business.

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Lesson Horse Wellness Check-Ups

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Learn to evaluate your lesson horses on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Checking for problems will protect your beloved school horses as well as your investment.

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Kiss Unpaid Bills Goodbye

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Tired of staring at unpaid invoices? There are ways to collect payment for your horse business that won’t feel sleazy or desperate.

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The Horse Business Guide to
Getting Paid

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Are you tired of waiting three months to get paid? Horse business owners can improve their collection efforts with these tips.

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How to Use Riding Lesson Plans

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Get your free riding lesson plan template and learn how to use it! There is no reason why you can’t get organized and give your students a better riding lesson experience.

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The Book Riding Instructors Can’t Live Without

Learning to Ride, Hunt, and Show

Review of Learn to Ride, Hunt, and Show by Gordon Wright. Learn why this timeless classic is a must-read for riding instructors.

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Organize Your Horse Business
with Riding Lesson Plans

horse business

Use this riding lesson plan template to make your riding instruction business stronger, more efficient and more organized. Riding lesson plans are excellent tools for all riding instructors.

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Ten Slam Dunk Ways to
Make Riding Lessons More Fun

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Games, contests and other creative endeavors can spice up riding lessons and ensure students come back for more. These ideas should get you started.

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How Much Money Does a
Riding Instructor Earn?

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Have you ever wondered about riding lesson wages? If you’re thinking of becoming a riding instructor, it might help to understand your income possibilities.

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Age Limits in the Horse Business

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Age is just a number, but it’s a very important number in the horse business. From riding lessons to horse boarding, you can expect to deal with clients of all ages unless you decide to set limits. For example, I never work with students under ten years of age. This might seem extreme for most [...]

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Why Faking It is Dangerous

horse business

The world is full of phonies. You’ve got C-list actors who blog about their A-list lives, supposed real estate gurus selling how-to guides for ninety-nine bucks, and eighteen-year-old college students trying to get into night clubs with false identification. What they don’t seem to realize—but will one day discover—is that faking it is dangerous. This [...]

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How to Partner with Other Horse Business Owners

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If you’re ready to partner up with other horse business owners, follow these tips to help get everything on the right track.

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Teaming Up
in the Horse Business

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Have you considered teaming up with your competitors in the horse business? If so, this might be the perfect time.

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Price

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How much should you pay for a lesson horse? This is the question on every riding instructor’s mind, and it can have an enormous impact on the bottom line. After all, the amount of money you pay for lesson horses comes right out of your profits from teaching riding lessons. I hate to be the [...]

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Disposition

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Before buying a lesson horse, make sure his disposition is appropriate for your program. Although not necessarily a deal-breaker, a bad disposition can cause you to lose students.

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Vet Check

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An equine vet check is a necessary step in buying a lesson horse. Before you agree to take the horse home and put him to work, have a professional conduct a pre-purchase exam. This is the only way to protect yourself.

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Equine History

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Every horse has a history, and you should learn it before buying lesson horses. This will tell you if there are any problems in the animal’s past.

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Student Compatibility

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Ready for a bold suggestion on how to evaluate lesson horses? A school horse must be compatible with the students who ride him, at least to a certain degree. This article will help you gauge student compatibility to find the right lesson horses.

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Physical Ability

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You never want to buy a lesson horse that doesn’t fit the criteria you need in physical ability. Use these tips to narrow down your search and find the perfect horse.

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Lesson Horse Evaluation:
Behavioral Suitability

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When searching for lesson horses, consider behavioral suitability first. Read on to learn about the fundamentals of ideal lesson horse behavior.

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Lesson Horse Evaluation

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Part One of an eight-part series on lesson horse evaluation. Learn how to choose the best school horses for your horse business.

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Organize the Barn

horse business

Clean, declutter and organize the barn for greater productivity and renewed dedication. You’ll feel better about your horse business and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can find what you need.

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When Your Horse Business
Just Isn’t Working

horse business

Your horse business has a better chance of succeeding if you fix problems early on. Use these tips to diagnose issues that might be stopping you from achieving your dreams.

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