A long time ago, when I was still training horses, I discovered a serious obstacle to communication. I had several horses in training, and each of my clients wanted regular updates about how their horses were doing. This meant that my phone was ringing off the hook.
Yesterday, I talked about how horse business owners can build trust with their clients by writing things down. If you submit written reports on the work you do, your word is taken more seriously.
Today I want to talk about how you can translate that philosophy to horse training. You can communicate with your clients more effectively if you write it down.
The Horse Training Progress Report
In junior high and high school, kids receive regular progress reports and report cards so their parents know how they are doing in class. A horse training progress report accomplishes exactly the same goal.
Believe me, I understand that most horse business owners abhor the idea of more paperwork. I sympathize. But as a professional, you have a duty to keep your clients informed.
A horse training progress report shows that you are committed to your goals as a trainer and that you care about your clients’ wishes. It details how you have been training each horse and what steps you have taken to further your goals.
Furthermore, a horse training progress report gives your client the opportunity to participate. Most clients cannot attend every training session (or even most of them), and as a result often feel left out. Giving them a tangible evaluation of your progress helps to bridge that gap.
Win-Win.
Make It Easy On Yourself
Filling out a horse training progress report doesn’t have to add three hours to your work day. Even if you have twenty horses in training, this task should only take fifteen minutes or so.
You might want to adjust your horse training progress report template based on the type of horse training you offer. Or on the schedule you keep as a trainer. The format doesn’t matter as long as you communicate.
Below you will find a link to a horse training progress report template. You can use this or create one of your own. Print out several copies (enough to last a month, for example) and keep them in a binder at the barn.
Every time you finish a training session, fill out the progress report for that specific day. One report lasts one week. At the end of the week, remove the progress reports from your binder, seal them in envelopes and mail them to your clients. Or, if it’s easier, hand them out when you see your clients at the barn.
I promise that, if you take the time to fill out a horse training progress report for each of the horses in your training program, your relationship with your clients will improve and you will develop a better understanding of your goals as a trainer. Guaranteed.
Download the Horse Training Progress Report Template
A free template created for horse business owners to help them communicate with their clients about horses in training.
About the Author: Laura Jane Thompson is the Editor in Chief of Riding Instructor University and the Feature writer for the horses section at Suite101. Follow her EquiTips on Twitter.
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About the Author: Laura Jane Thompson is the Chief Equestrian Officer of Riding Instructor University and the Feature writer for the horses section at Suite101. She believes that any horse business can succeed provided its owner practices smart strategy.
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The suggestion given was good. making a work done report and communicating with a client with a work done report is a very good way to communicate with the client. Thanks for the information.
I totally agree with you that it is very important to stay connected and communicate regularly with customers. This is becoming the trend in all businesses now and in the future. Those of us that run a business need to acknowledge this movement and begin using communication in all ways that we can. You will keep customers happier, board fees have a higher chance of getting paid regularly and your boarders will want to stay with you and tell other potential customers.
I think this is a great suggestion! I currently train a pony and teach lessons for the owners, and I keep a notebook in his tack locker where I write down when I ride him, what we did, how he was, and how much they owe me after each ride. I also will either call or shoot off a text message to the owner if he was really fabulous, or if anything was unusual- cough, lame, etc. If he acts up, I’ll let the owner know too, so they know what to expect if they ride. I end up talking to the owners a few times per week anyways, so I can give them more info, and so they can tell me if there are any specific things he needs work on.
It’s wonderful that so many horse business owners are communicating with their clients! Keep it up, you guys, and look for more tips on this subject in the near future.
Hi Laura Jane,
This is such a great article and so very important for horse farms that board and train horses. I actually have a product that provides that opportunity for everyone to stay connected (farm owner, boarder/customer and farm staff). It is called laraedo – http://www.laraedo.com
This is a great tool to improve customer communication, track horse maintenance and provide an itemized invoice all in one. I highly recommend it for all farms that want to grow their business and attract new customers.