What You Need to Start a Horse Stable

If you love working with horses, then you might have thought at one time or another that it could be a great career for you. You might be interested in riding professionally, training horses or teaching new riders. One way you could do all of these things in one is to open your own horse stable. You could offer boarding services so you get to help take care of the animals every day, have riding lessons for new owners, and even help members sign up for competitions.

Size

The first thing to consider if you’re interested in starting a stable isn’t finding jumps for sale or what your barn will look like, it’s the size of the horse you intend to cater to. Obviously, accommodations for a Clydesdale will differ greatly from a Shetland pony’s. Things like the size of the stalls, durability of equipment, and size of extra tack and supplies all depend on what size horse you intend to work with. Most people work with standard riding horses because that’s what’s most horse riders own.

Space

When you know what size horse you’ll be catering to, it’ll be much easier to determine how much space you need. You want to make sure you decide on a maximum capacity for your stable so you know how much space to purchase and how many horses can fit comfortably on your property. Things to consider include how big of a barn you can build and how much land there is to purchase. Horses should have plenty of room to graze during the day in order for them to stay healthy and happy.

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Staff

When you’re in charge of the care of multiple horses, you’ll probably need help. Again, knowing your maximum capacity can help greatly in this area. Ideally, each staff member will be responsible for three or four horses. This allows them the time they need to properly groom and exercise a horse to avoid any health issues. It also gives them time to make sure the feed and watering stations are regularly cleaned and replenished. You’ll have some help from the owners as they come out to check on their animals, but remember you and your staff will be the people with the daily responsibilities.

Starting a stable can be a great career move for horse lovers, just remember to consider the size, space and staff before you open up shop.