We’ve been talking this week about getting to know your riding lesson students, but you also need to know as much as you can about your adult employees and clients. Keeping kids safe at the barn means putting them in a secure, threat-free environment.
I don’t know if it’s going too far to ask to ask horse business owners to run background checks on their clients, but you should definitely be running them on employees. If your new horse trainer has been convicted of assault in six states, he shouldn’t be working at your farm. Period.
We live in a scary world, you guys, and I encourage you to remember that the horse business isn’t run in a bubble. We like to think of the barn as a security blanket, a safe place where people are nice to one another and horses are the top priority, but this isn’t always the case.
Bad people can own, train, and compete horses, just like they can teach high school Algebra and work at the local pharmacy.
More important than running background checks, however, is getting to know the people you see every day. Keep your finger on the pulse of your horse business, listening to what your clients talk about and responding to any potential threats.
Your clients and/or employees will tell you if they see or hear about someone acting inappropriately. It’s what you do with that information that counts.
I’m not inviting you to start a witch hunt, nor am I suggesting that the horse business is a magnet for criminals and psychopaths. What I’m telling you is that you can’t be too careful, especially if you’ve got kids at your barn.
There are several things you can do to keep kids (and adults) safe:
- Run background checks on all employees;
- Check references for employees and clients;
- Communicate with the people at your horse business on a regular basis;
- Make sure kids are supervised at all times;
- Create a zero-tolerance policy for violence against animals and humans; and
- Watch how people at your barn interact.
The worst thing you can do is stop paying attention. Stay vigilant, and keep the safety of kids in your top priorities.
You might also like:
- You Tell Me:
Who are your favorite kids to teach? - Keeping Students in Line
- 5 Barn Safety Tips You
Can’t Survive Without - Farm Freebies: Barn Rules
- When You’re Away: Leaving the Barn in Good Hands
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.
