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

by Sheri Grunska (Author)

A very real and honest look at the mistakes and triumphs that are part of starting a horse business.

Building a large barn and starting a horse boarding business was my dream, but it was a lot harder than I imagined. In fact, It was a nightmare often in the early years! What was even more difficult for me was learning to become the business owner I needed to be to run a successful boarding stable. This book is about what it takes to work in the horse industry and what barn management is really all about.

This is our story. The true story of Vinland Stables in Neenah, Wisconsin. My name is Sheri Grunska, and I wrote this book to show you how we built our barn from nothing and what it took to get our business off the ground. It is about what it takes to become the business person you need to be to run a boarding facility efficiently and confidently. This is the most honest barn management book you will ever read, and it is really two books in one. This book is about my family's journey of building our barn and all that it took to get the loan and get the barn up and open for business. The reason I wrote the first part of the book is to help others that want to build a barn and show them all that goes with the building process, both good and bad. We made a lot of mistakes in the building process, and now I hope to help others, so they don't end up with the mess like we did. The rest of the book is about actually running a barn on a day-to-day basis with clients and horses.

In this book, I will show you how to

• Write a business plan if you are applying for a loan and give you examples of what our business plan looked like fifteen years ago and what it should look like now.
• Included is a sample of a boarding contract and what each section means for your business.
• Learn to set up barn rules that fit your stable and personal needs for you and your family. So important!
• Create healthy herd combinations and improve your herd management skills. Also, learn how to talk with your clients about issues that will arise when dealing with the herds of horses and their owners.
• You will learn how to give a thirty-day notice.
• Learn healthy boundaries between the barn owner, barn manager, and the client.
• Learn how to work through struggles with your day-to-day operations.
• Learn how to handle sensitive situations regarding bad horse behavior, and try to create positive outcomes for the horse owner and horse.
• Plus, so much more!

You will not find another book on the market that addresses these real situations in the horse business. I will share with you what we have learned over the years through many trials and errors. I will give you the tools to handle the most stressful situations. If you feel sometimes like you are alone in running your farm and no one else would understand the problems you are having then read this book. You will find out very quickly that what you are dealing with is very common in most barns, and you are definitely not alone. The good news is you can correct the issues you are having and create a sound profitable horse business.

Author Biography

My name is Sheri Grunska and my husband David and I own and run Vinland Stables in Neenah Wisconsin. We have the honor of taking care of forty horses on our property. I grew up in Los Angeles California and moved here to Wisconsin in 1990. I have been around horses my whole life but it took on a whole new meaning when we decided to open our boarding facility. I have learned so much over the years with our business and with each mistake I chose to learn and make every situation a learning opportunity with the goal to make our barn better and more efficient. Coming from California to Wisconsin was an entirely new experience when it came to owning and caring for horses. My goal now is to help others in the horse industry with barn management and all that goes with it.