People are waking up to major crises throughout the horse industry and wondering how to handle them.
You read it on social media; you hear about it when you’re at the horse show, or getting coffee at spots in Wellington, Ocala, or Lexington; anywhere near locations that attract riders, trainers, horse owners, grooms and others associated with horse sport.
The cost of showing and horse-keeping is not sustainable across the board these days. Are there solutions for those who aren’t wealthy or sponsored?
And in the bigger picture, are there places to go for those who yearn to start riding? Many facilities offering programs for beginners and non-horse owners have shut down under economic or land development pressure. Where will the base of the sport come from now?
Canadian stable owner Jenna Rogerson has been well aware of the situation, not only from her personal experience, but also from what others are going through.
“In our area, there’s been numerous farms that are shutting their riding schools down completely. I’ve been getting two and three times as many calls weekly as I used to for lessons,” the Ontario resident said.
At her Skyland Stables, she noted, “I don’t offer a riding school. We have a competitive show program. So unfortunately, it’s not a service I provide. People ask me where they should go. It’s difficult to refer them, Even places currently operating have long waiting lists.
“With the current economic climate in Canada and the U.S. I think it’s going to become worse,” she predicted.
So Jenna turned to Facebook in late December, starting a post called Equine Industry Solutions that seeks answers from those actively involved, rather than people sitting behind a desk in an office somewhere.
The photo accompanying Jenna’s post makes a powerful statement about a major problem. The picture came from a friend of Jenna’s who had a riding school for more than 20 years, and also runs a show program. The shot (featured above) shows a bunch of empty saddle racks that are for sale.
“At first, I thought nothing of it,” said Jenna about her initial glance when her friend put the photo on line. Then she noticed each saddle rack was leaning against a wall beneath labels that read “school horse number three” and “school horse number 4.”
“I realized it was all the racks from her riding school closing down,” Jenna recounted.
She felt prompted to share that photo
“It did have a big impact for sure,” she said.
Thousands of people now are paying attention to her posting that seeks solutions. Trainers, barn operators and riding school instructors from across Canada and the U.S. are telling their stories, either on the Facebook site or in emails to Jenna, who has worked as a professional with her own business since 2008. A nationally certified coach who has managed horse shows and clinics, she’s a 39-year-old mother of two girls who is reaching out to help.
Those posting often are offering ideas and suggestions for how they try to solve their challenges. People give advice about ways of handling the problems they face as they attempt to keep their businesses going.
The process involves members of the industry relying on each other, rather than large organizations or governing bodies, to find ways that can make their businesses work.
“Ideas can get shared and hopefully, help each other out. I don’t know how far we’ll go with it, but we can try. It’s a little bit organic at the moment,” said Jenna.
Jenna Rogerson
She has some sessions pending with lawyers who are lobbying for different tax strategies that can help horsemen and women.
“I don’t exactly know what will come of it yet and maybe nothing; but maybe great things. But it’s a step in the right direction (rather than) doing nothing.”
There has been discussion about riding schools like those overseas with a club structure. However, in that regard, “too many cooks in the kitchen was one phrase that came up. It’s not a common way that we applied in North America previously,” Jenna pointed out.
“I don’t know if that’s something that would come to fruition in regard to more of a community-based program.”
She noted, “There were discussions about turning to more non-profit organizations so that donations are possible; school horses can be donated, a little more access to affordable horses than we have traditionally found.”
Jenna has a virtual-based side business called The Next Stride. She has worked with professionals and done business reviews for them. She also helps riders virtually if they are located in more remote areas where coaching is harder to find.
“The Next Stride bridges the gap between where clients are now and where they want to be next—providing clarity, accountability and a proven framework to achieve sustainable improvement. It’s applicable to riders or equine business owners,” Jenna explains.
In the process of doing that, she noted, “The same weaknesses seemed to come up with every equine business owner I helped. They were under-charging and operating in the red every month, while losing money in areas they didn’t even know about. Some (are) even considering selling or closing.”
As she pointed out, “If businesses close down and there’s suddenly a mass of available horses, what’s going to happen to them? That’s going to be a big problem.”
Here’s part of the issue: “There’s a lack of business education within our industry for people operating businesses.”
On the plus side, the Facebook site also includes “people who do have businesses, who are certified accountants. They’re providing spreadsheets They’re providing different financial insights. It’s allowing more access to education and resources. I think that in itself is going to be very helpful.”
She mentioned someone on Facebook who offered a spreadsheet for a businessperson to enter profit and loss.
“You can put your own numbers throughout it and see where your business is sitting. Where are you making money, where are you losing money? As simple as that sounds, many people don’t do that.”
Simply pinning down the numbers “can start educating people on where their businesses need to change.”
Looking at other Facebook postings from professionals, under-charging seems to be a constant theme that puts professional stable operators at a huge disadvantage in terms of keeping their operations going.
The cost per lesson has to go up in order for many of the businesses to survive. From Jenna’s perspective, she has found what she called two conflicting sides; one involves those making a living and supporting their families with a horse business, while others are creating access to horses and more availability for people of varying economic status to be able to ride.
“That’s a goal for their business, even if it’s a loss to themselves,” said Jenna.
Ontario Equestrian reached out to her to try to understand some of the key talking points people have mentioned on her page, in case there are any initiatives with which they can help.
Her eventual plan, which she has yet to formally announce, is to create a panel for the U.S. and Canada. It would have representatives from various disciplines, including western and hunter/jumper, as well as riding for the disabled, non-profits and trainers from show barns. Then people who are within the group can go to those representatives to bring up concerns.
As things get more organized over the next month, Jenna envisions, “those panels could move forward and speak to the larger governing bodies, like Equestrian Canada and USEF. It’s important to me that it’s people who are willing to work as a group and ideally have some business background.”
Although she has yet to formally announce it, the approach would be more person to person, than person to organization. As Jenna noted, “the organizations have so much red tape.” That can make it difficult for them to react quickly. And she noted that since Equestrian Canada has government funding, it can’t lobby the government for changes.
“So we can be more forward-moving and in your face if we want change, especially if we’re representing a large chunk of the industry who need changes.”
Jenna added, “I don’t know how open the organizations will be to hearing us,” but she’s optimistic. The trainer pointed out that the organizations don’t have the ability to speak to these people “the same way we can openly in our groups.”
She is forthright about her effort, noting, “I’ve never started up some type of organization on my own.”
There really isn’t a choice for Jenna, though.
“If I’m not going to do it, who is at this point? I’m hoping I get somewhere with it and can make some meaningful change, or at least provide avenues that will down the road lead to some changes that people need.”
Here is a link to the Facebook post.
