Equine Center Management Duties

Managing an equine center is a full time job that requires an individual to have a wide variety of skills. The ideal equestrian center manager is an experienced horse person who is comfortable and confidant making decisions on a large scale while taking responsibility for the well-being of horses, people and the facility as a whole.

  1. Planning and Scheduling

    • Barn managers decide which horses are turned out where, which horses would work well together in a herd and which needs to be separated from the group, when deliveries should be made as well as when basic tasks should be performed. For example, you do not want to have the hay truck pulling in for a major delivery during the busiest lesson time of the day when there are people coming and going.

    Leadership

    • The manager of an equine center is responsible for making good decisions and upholding them. Conflicts and problems may arise over time during the normal operating process of an equine center. The manager has to be able to handle these problems. The center manager is also responsible for hiring employees and making sure all tasks get done, such as feedings and cleaning stalls. If these tasks are not being completed satisfactorily, the manager has to step in and get them done. In some small facilities, the center manager is actually responsible for these tasks.

    Safety

    • Equine center managers are first and foremost responsible for the safety of everyone and everything involved in the facility. The larger the barn, the more horses, riders, owners, students and employees there will be coming through the facility and interacting. The barn manager is responsible for making sure that everyone comes and goes from the facility without incident. This takes skill and coordination because it involves creating schedules for the use of facilities, the placement of fences and equipment, the use of equipment as well as individual interactions.

    Business Sense

    • The center manager is also responsible for making business decisions for the facility. For example, the manager decides which feeds and hays to buy, as well as where to buy them and what price to pay for them. Center managers are responsible for marketing the facility, keeping customers happy and coming in as well as making sure all bills are paid and the facility is making a profit.