If you don’t have a list of barn rules posted at your facility, you’re opening the door to a world of hurt.
It’s such a simple thing, such an easy task to accomplish, but I’ve been to numerous barns and stables where no barn rules are posted at all. Or, if they are posted, they are located in an area where they are unlikely to be seen or read.
Barn rules serve three very important purposes:
- Setting policies, prohibitions and requirements for everyone at your equestrian facility to follow.
- Making visitors, employees and clients aware of the consequences if they break a barn rule.
- Minimizing liability in the event someone at your equestrian facility breaks a rule and is injured as a result
Establishing Barn Rules
I’ve worked with many horse business owners, and one common theme I’ve observed in the equine industry is the family-oriented business model. Many barns and stables across the U.S. (and probably the world) view their clients as friends and family rather than customers.
I see this primarily as an asset rather than as a burden on the horse industry at large, but it does present a few problems. Unfortunately, when you view your clients as friends, you open the door to pandemonium.
Horse business owners must be willing to find a healthy balance between friendliness and professionalism. It’s fine to joke around with your clients, talk about your personal lives, offer one another encouragement and provide support where needed. However, you must also earn the respect of your clients by setting barn rules and policing behavior.
By establishing barn rules and requiring that your clients follow them, you are not jeopardizing your relationships. If your customers are good people, they will recognize the need for barn rules and respect your decisions. Those who do not are probably not the best friends (or customers) anyway.
Finding a Balance
I’ve seen horse business owners establish a laundry list of barn rules that make no sense and anger their clients. I’ve also seen barn owners fail to establish any rules, and subsequently lose their businesses.
This is a process that all barn employees should work on together. Sit down at dinner or over a cup of coffee and ask for suggestions about barn rules. What rules are most important? How should they be worded? In what order should they be presented?
Ask for input, as well, from your clients. Have they witnessed any dangerous behavior that needs to be addressed? Horse business owners can’t be at the barn 24/7, so rely on other eyes and ears to tell you where the problems lie.
Once you have a list of barn rules you think are important, ask yourself these questions about each of them:
- Will this rule help restore safety and order to the barn?
- Does this rule infringe on my clients’ rights in any way?
- Would leaving this rule out cause harm?
- Is this rule sufficiently clear and succinct to be understood?
- Could I word this in another way to help my clients understand better?
Your goal is to refine and enhance barn rules to the extent that anyone—adult, child, beginner, professional—will be able to comprehend and follow them. If you aren’t sure, ask a client at the barn to read them over.
Spreading the Word
Creating a list of barn rules is a great first step, but your job isn’t over yet. In order for your barn rules to be effective, your clients must know about them.
There are several times at which you can make your clients aware of the rules. The first is to give every new client a copy as soon as they sign up for one of your services, be it riding instruction, horse training, boarding or anything else.
The second is to post them in obvious and convenient places. I recommend having a copy posted in the barn office, the tack room, the break/rec room (if any) and by all arenas. Simple lamination should protect the rules from the elements, though outdoor copies can also be printed on signs for a small fee.
When you revise your barn rules, make sure all clients receive a copy of the new edition. The easiest way to do this is to e-mail your clients the new rules as a PDF or .DOC attachment. Send a copy by postal mail to clients for whom you do not have an e-mail address.
I also recommend having each of your clients sign a copy of the barn rules for your records. This leaves no question as to whether your customers have read and understood the rules, and it will protect both you and your facility from any litigation that might arise from breaking the rules.
Blowing the Whistle
Just because you’ve created a list of barn rules, distributed them to your clients and posted them at your facility does not mean they will be followed. In fact, anticipate a broken rule at least once a week.
It is your job to police your customers and enforce the barn rules at every turn. Consistency is key; if you call one customer out for breaking the rules but let another customer slide, you are breeding animosity in your horse business.
The precise consequences are entirely up to you. For small infractions, a warning might suffice. If larger rules are broken, you might need to ask customers to leave. Remember that children who break barn rules should be dealt with differently than adults who transgress.
Barn rules are an essential part of your horse business model, and you shouldn’t neglect them if you don’t already have a system in place. Not only will this protect your barn from liability and legal action, but it will also make your environment safer and more fun.
If you don’t know where to begin, download the barn rules template to get you started.
Barn Rules (DOC, Word 2007)
Barn Rules (DOC)
You can edit these barn rules to suit your own needs. Customize it however you wish with the name and logo for your barn or any other information.
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- Farm Freebies: Horse Boarding Equine Evaluation Template
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Payment Record template
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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Thank You!! This is great. I’m opening an indoor arena with some boarding. These forms are great.