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Summary: Praise for Starting & Running Your Own Horse Business:
Review: "[This book] is a great guide for horse care and management on a cost-effective basis. It can be a reference for all horse owners as well as a text for business management. Excellent!"
-Dr. Arden Huff, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Extension Horse Specialist, Emeritus
Whether you are a seasoned professional or an aspiring entrepreneur, Starting & Running Your Own Horse Business puts you on the inside track to making money and cutting expenses. An experienced stable manager, author Mary Ashby McDonald knows exactly what works (and what doesn't) in the business of horses. Now she shares her profitable ideas and techniques with you.
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Summary: Putting it all into words
Review: As I went through the process of building a barn I kept thinking of things I wanted to do and getting really good ideas, but then inevitably I would forget them. This book contains them all plus hundreds of other great ideas!!
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Summary: Great Business Ideas
Review: Great book!! Great ideas, gives you alot of things to think about, ways to improve business, ways to save money with things that are easy to accomplish! I recommened it to anyone thinking of starting or that has a horse business.
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Summary: Starting & running your own horse business
Review: Great book!! Great ideas, gives you alot of things to think about, ways to improve business, ways to save money with things that are easy to accomplish! I recommened it to anyone thinking of starting or that has a horse business.
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Summary: Horse business skimmed over
Review: I felt this book covered marketing of a boarding facility. It offers simple ideas on how to make extra money but I felt this was too superficial. If you need help with marketing, advertising, and promoting this book gives you that but it does not give you the basics of running a horse business. I would reccommend instead, something written by a CPA or lawyer. There are certain things I expected like; layout and design to the best advantage, things to consider when starting a horse business, laws and taxes related to a horse business....this covers none of that so if you are looking for something in depth, this is not it.
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Summary: Not for professionals
Review: I had high hopes for this book, but found it nearly useless in terms of providing practical information. My husband and I are in the process of converting a run-down former Standardbred training facility into a boarding operation, and we were looking for advise on fencing, building materials, safety issues, suggested rules for boarders, etc. What we got in this book was a list of puns for promotional bumper stickers and advise on planning a tea party (I'm not joking). The author seems to be much more interested in the marketing aspects of running a stable (choosing stable colors, for example) than in the actual horse-care aspects. Her advise on things like getting the best prices on feed are basically common sense ("Buy in bulk."). If you are a pre-teen who wants to dream about the "fun" aspects of having your own stable some day, this book might suit your needs. Unfortunately, if you are an adult interested in professional advice, you won't find it here.
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Summary: Quite helpful but....
Review: I have read most of this book and am hoping to manage a horse farm in years to come. It is mostly revolving around a schooling and boarding stable. It has many good ideas about saving money and advertizing. I am not very experienced in running businesses and a horse business, as a loyal friend said, can make you or break you. This would help many people on a budget. It does not however tell you the approx. expenses for building and owning a stable including feed, the farrier and vet bills, and the beddings, probably to the varying prices of these items. I would recommend this book but would get a few more references on right after you build the barn and get it running.
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Summary: Excellent Ideas
Review: I think Mary McDonald's book is full of sound and useful advice. I have boarded horses, bought and sold horses, and taught riding lessons off and on for 20 years. Recently I decided to begin teaching lessons again, having taken about 8 years off. I referred to this book for ideas on organizing, planning and implementing my new riding program. I borrowed from it liberally and feel much more goal-directed and organized than in the past. I recommend this book as a starting point for anyone considering becoming involved in the horse business.
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Summary: Not very useful
Review: I was hoping this book would offer more in-depth ideas and business solutions. It kind of skimmed the surface. I didn't really find it to have a lot of unique or stunning ideas on how to run a stable. It wasn't very helpful at all.
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Summary: Not very useful
Review: I was hoping this book would offer more in-depth ideas and business solutions. It kind of skimmed the surface. I didn't really find it to have a lot of unique or stunning ideas on how to run a stable. It wasn't very helpful at all.
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