Alvin Smith, Nikki Articles

10 Tips To Help You Build A Better Barn Business

Updated:

January 26, 2024

running a horse barn, owning a horse farm, boarding horses, how to board horses, renting riding ring

Horse business owners everywhere know how difficult it is to make money in the horse world. Every equine industry entrepreneur strives to figure out how to build a better and more resilient enterprise that will generate a reliable revenue stream and provide an enjoyable equestrian lifestyle.

How To Be a Better Barn Boarder

Updated:

May 19, 2022

Nikki Alvin-Smith horse trainer, jobs of a horse boarder, how to run a horse barn, finding the right horse barn, finding a home horse

Being a popular and appreciative boarder at your barn ultimately benefits both you and your horse — your word will be better regarded, your disgruntlements better addressed, and you and your horse will be valued members of the barn community.

Teaching Children to Ride

Updated:

January 21, 2022

my child wants to ride horses, teaching children to ride horses, nikki alvin smith horse trainer, what does a beginner horse rider need

Teaching children to ride is extremely rewarding. Their enthusiasm, open hearts, and keen attitude to learn make children good students. Their fondness of ponies is a joy to behold. Most children are quite fearless when it comes to riding and it is the responsibility of the instructor to ensure their safety comes first and their exuberance to ride is carefully channeled. For the nervous rider, much patience is needed and allowing a child to sit on a pony and be led can work wonders for their self-confidence.

Solving Pony Problems

Updated:

January 20, 2022

evolution of ponies, riding ponies, training ponies, children and ponies, nikki alvin smith, what to look for in a pony, my pony bites

Sadly, ponies get a lot of bad press. Even so, their reputation as being lazy, stubborn, and difficult to train, plus their seemingly inherent displays of poor behaviour, have less to do with their innate nature and more to do with a lack of training.

7 Steps to Better Barn Leadership

Updated:

August 26, 2021

running a horse barn, hiring horse people, keeping an equestrian facility, managing horse boarders, taking care of horses, nikki alvin smith

Whether you run a large horse business or a small private barn, finding good employees to help with the daily duties of horse care, training, and lessons is usually a difficult task. Some horse owners freely admit that their “horse resources” acumen is better than their “human resources” insight. In reality, good management of both takes similar talent and is easier to achieve than you might think. Here are some tips to help you along the way.