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Hi Ragnhild-
Congrats on your new property!
I've been a barn manager for the past 8 months at a brand-new place here in my
neck of the woods. I've learned a whole lot about what to do and not do.
Very smart to not plan on doing the physical work yourself; at first it seems
doable, even fun, but believe me, after three months you will sell your soul to
the devil to avoid mucking another stall. Hire competant staff and pay them
fairly. It's tempting to hire someone on the cheap because they need a helping
hand or whatever, but you will regret it when they don't show up, use drugs, or
move their 19 cousins on to your property.
Make a manure plan, now, before it piles up and you don't know what do to.
Hauling it away is the best, but also the most expensive, route. Research the
options in your area and decide what is best for you.
Check with local authorities to make sure you do everything legally. There are
many rules about keeping equines and many permits to be applied for. Doing your
homework will save you a lot of trouble and expense later.
Having a resident trainer is a great idea. Try to find out what people in your
area need in the way of instruction. Make sure the trainer has appropriate
insurance and lists you as an additional insured. Having a barn manager is also
a great idea, but remember to give him/her the authority they need to run the
place. From personal experience, I'll tell you it's frustrating to have a
facility owner who makes decisions contrary to what the boarders might want,
because the heat falls on the manager.
The upside of having boarders is the social aspect. Under good circumstances,
people will make friends, help eachother, and ride together. Screen your
boarders carefully, and do ask for references. I found out the hard way that
some of our new boarders had been kicked out of their previous facilities, for
good reason!
Have fun and keep us posted,
Brigid Wasson
SF Bay Area, CA
