What it really takes to start and run a horse business: and how to do it right the first time

This book is a MUST READ for anyone considering going into the horse boarding business, especially in the Midwest area of the country that experiences changes in climate and the struggles of brutal winters dealing with snow and ice and then the resulting melting and flooding in spring. Even if you have only ever dreamed of owning a farm, it will offer guidance to the financial aspects of all that it entails as well as the intangibles in dealing with the customer service side of working with different horse owner's personalities and requests.I have a B.S. in Business Administration and grew up on a dairy farm w/horses but boarding as an adult was a change and a large boarding stable can have disadvantages and advantages. In running a farm as a business, sometimes there aren't answers that are "right vs wrong" but you have to figure out what works in your business to make it a success financially as well as emotionally! I did enjoy the end of where the author discusses what she would have done differently too. She is willing to admit she made mistakes along the way and the candor and down-to-earth tone of her writing style make you feel as you are there with her as she struggles with building her barn and managing it once they are in business while working full-time and raising a family.I think people who board should read it as well as it gives a better understanding of how much work it is running a farm and will give boarders a better sense of respect for the hard decisions the farm owners face.

The information was honest and straight from the heart. A very good book packed with topics that the non-boarding barn owner would not readily think about. Thank you for making me NOT want a traditional boarding business on my beautiful farm; after reading your book I know it would be a disaster for me. I am developing a plan for my own horse business and will develop the teaching, training and riding aspects in my life instead of boarding. And I really appreciated the parts about building the barn, drainage, arena footage, outdoor water placement, fencing, and parking. The business plan development and boarding contracts were technical and informative. When I am ready to build a barn or arena, I will come back to your book for practical, sound, life-experience-based advice. Nice job, Sheri. The only reason I subtracted one star was because the stream of consciousness writing style that needed a good edit, and a few misspelled words. But overall, a great book to read and have in the horse library.

I bought this book as a present for my sister two birthdays back because she has been interested in horses since her adolescent years and had expressed interest in starting a horse business. The material covered is good and honest. No horse business from my sister yet though (so far as I know).

Arrived on time and undamaged. I’m still in the process of reading it but it has been very enlightening and has really opened my mind as well as answered questions that I never thought I would need to ask.

Sheri is totally right on, there is no other Horse Management book out there. This book has a ton of great tips for someone that is wanting to know more about starting a horse boarding business or what goes into running a horse business especially in boarding.If your looking for details for contracts, how to setup/run clinics and details of how to market your boarding facility then this isn't the book. This just covers the surface and gives you an idea.I really enjoyed reading this book & learned a lot of tips for myself with our boarding facility which has been opened almost just as long as Sheri's facility.Easy reading and worth checking out if your looking to start from scratch to build or start opening up a boarding facility.

Great book with very helpful insight into the horse business.

I have read this book twice and can relate to almost every page of this honest and heartfelt journey. We have a large boarding facility and this is a must read if you are considering establishing your own boarding facility. It really can be this challenging and the amount of hard worked required is an accurate interpretation. The book is very affordable for the knowledge you will gain! There is a lot of emotion embedded in this business and Sheri portrays the complexities involved and how to find balance.

This book has some really great perspective on starting a business without knowing exactly what to do. Most business books are written for the business savvy reader rather than the average person and portray the process in a way that makes it seem like you need to have everything figured out before you actually start. I like that this book shows a more realistic picture. I would have given this book a higher rating, but it does need a good deal of editing as some sentences were hard to read and follow. For the price, the content is well worth it!

Daughter has been enjoying it

A great book full of advice on how to avoid the pitfalls and problems of building and running a boarding barn.