Stall and Stable: Advice for Barn and Business

If you're running a boarding or training business and struggling to stay afloat, you need to listen to this episode.  If you're a professional competitor, you need to listen to this episode. If you're an equine chiropractor, hoofcare provider, veterinarian, or hauler, you need to listen to this episode.  If you are NOT a business person but you are in the equine industry, this episode will inspire you to make a change and get the kind of help that can turn a tough job into a much, much easier one. Horse people have a unique skillset that does not typically include business planning or crunching numbers, that's why a bookkeeper who understands your profession can lead to the way to your salvation. For real! Listen in... This episode is brought to you by AMERICAN STALLS, makers of fine quality stable components and accessories.

We have a powerhouse episode this week, featuring our monthly Triple Crown Nutrition Spotlight, where we answer questions submitted by listeners about how to best feed their horses. Plus, an exclusive audio excerpt from the life-changing book, HORSE BRAIN, HUMAN BRAIN-The Neuroscience of Horsemanship, by Janet Jones, PhD.  Yes, listeners, feeding your horse can be fun! And, if you have ever asked yourself, "Why does my horse do that?", you will be so relieved to know that science has some very helpful answers for you... so listen in!  This episode is possible with the support of AMERICAN STALLS, makers of premium quality stall accessories and components. 

In this episode, Helena shares some big news from Hoo Too in South Carolina, and we welcome back equine nutrition specialist from Triple Crown, Stacy Andersen, to answer listener questions about flax allergies, anti-inflammatory ingredients, healthy versus unhealthy manure, and much more. Do your horse a big favor today and listen in! This episode is made possible with the support of our sponsor, American Stalls.

A few key elements are necessary to call oneself a professional. Those are: education, experience, and wisdom. And possibly one more: enthusiasm. Today's guest is a horse professional, entrepreneur, and host of The Equestrian Entrepreneur podcast. Samantha Baer is based in the Aiken horse community, develops lovely performance horses, and makes horse and rider matches that are appropriate and long-lasting. Her “next-generation” view of horsemanship, business, and sustainability in our industry is refreshing. Her enthusiasm for supporting her profession is what prompted her to launch the podcast and bring thoughtful discussion to those who need it most. We may not have all the answers in this episode, but we do bring up key questions all equine professionals need to consider these days… so listen in!  This episode is brought to you by AMERICAN STALLS.

In this second episode of our new Triple Crown Nutrition Series, Helena is joined by Dr. Clair Thunes, a Ph.D. and equine nutrition expert, to answer questions submitted by our listeners. Deciding what to feed our horses can be daunting. Some horse owners rely on their trainers for guidance, others rely on the barn manager, or even random tidbits from the Internet. Thankfully, there are people and companies for whom equine nutrition is a speciality. In this episode we discuss feed bag labels and how to interpret them, which supplements are necessary in winter, why salt is important, and more. LISTEN IN! This episode is made possible with the support of American Stalls and Triple Crown Nutrition.

This episode features an in-depth, personal conversation with Tik Maynard, an elite-level eventer, trainer, clinician, and author. Tik's balanced and artful approach to horsemanship is changing the way trainers prepare sport horses for their work, in many different disciplines. His first book, "IN THE MIDDLE ARE THE HORSEMEN", is a favorite among horse owners across the globe. In this episode, Tik talks with Helena about competing in this year’s Road to the Horse colt-starting contest (a somewhat unusual goal for an eventer), what he expects to get out of the experience, his competitive career, his horses, the growth of Liberty training, and how all of it will fit into the pages of his next book. Listen in!  This episode is brought to you by: AMERICAN STALLS Feature photo credit: Shannon Brinkman

Deciding what to feed our horses can be daunting. Some horse owners rely on their trainers for guidance, others rely on the barn manager, or even random tidbits from the Internet. Thankfully, there are people and companies for whom equine nutrition is a speciality. In this first episode of our new Triple Crown Nutrition Series, Helena is joined by Stacy Andersen, Nutrition Consultant with Triple Crown, to answer some key questions about feeding forage. It’s a Q&A session that can help make those feed decisions a lot easier for everyone, so listen in!

If it seems to you that Attention Deficit / Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD) is everywhere these days, you're not wrong. There are a variety of reasons as to why this particular neurodivergency is diagnosed with greater frequency than ever before. Most of those reasons have to do with advances in research and technology. ADHD seems to function an awful lot like "Lizard Brain", a term used by today’s guest– author, eventer, and former psychotherapist, Andrea Monsarrat Waldo. Andrea and Helena talk about the similarities between the brain of a horse and the brain of a human with ADHD. Why? Because the comparisons offer an opportunity for greater understanding (and hopefully appreciation) of your horse’s behavior, as well as your own. And the more we understand our horses, the more effective and compassionate trainers we can be. This is super cool stuff, so listen in! This episode is brought to you by AMERICAN STALLS

Understanding is the key to success and contentment with horses, no matter what you do with them. If you're a backyarder who treasures the minutiae of horsekeeping, or a champion reiner, understanding the nature of all horses, as well as the unique temperament and experiences of the individual horse, makes a huge difference in how well a horse feels and performs in our care. In this episode, Helena shares some insights from her first 30 days at Hoo Too with Brody, Clarabelle, and Siouxsie. There's also an interesting discussion with horse behaviorist and author, Mary Ann Simonds, whose new book, A Horse By Nature: Managing Emotional and Mental Stress in Horses for Improved Welfare, offers insight to the everyday behaviors of domestic horses that can help us enjoy their company while ensuring that their welfare remains front and center. There's some really good stuff in this episode, so listen in! This episode is brought to you by: AMERICAN STALLS

Wowie! We are finally here, in our southern home for the winter. Helena, Buck, Siouxsie, Brody, Clarabelle, Jack, Lola, and Cheeto. We drove 18 hours with a trailer full of hay and a truck full of cats to land safely at our farm in Aiken, South Carolina. Well, technically, we are in Windsor, a little hamlet within the Aiken community. It took a lot of planning to get here, and there are already so many interesting observations, so listen in! This episode is brought to you by: AMERICAN STALLS - premium quality stable components and accessories.

In this episode, brought to you by our friends at American Stalls, Helena chats with Hannah Ely, proprietor of the Cornish Ranch Track Livery in Cornwall, England. The Cornish Ranch has an interesting track system that includes lots and lots of hay, water buckets that are full of delightful suprises, and an approach to horsekeeping that honors the horses's freedom of choice, as well as their deep-seated nomadic tendencies. This is one conversation that may open your mind and inspire you to try something new for your herd. Listen in! 

A new, totally tricked out software program for barn owners that's unlike anything else on the market today. EC Pro put out a press release, and it piqued Helena's interest. After digging in to the features of the program, a lightbulb went off in her mind as she realized the potential of this platform to revolutionize the boarding business. EC Pro isn't just an app that tracks horses, vaccines, and tasks, instead it is an enterprise-wide customer relationship management (CRM) tool that can digitize a ton of administrative work in every barn across America.  If you are serious about running a boarding, training, or other equine service business, you'll be interested to hear this episode's discussion with the folks at EC Pro. Listen in! This episode is sponsored by AMERICAN STALLS, makers of exceptional quality barn components and accessories.

This episode is brought to you by: AMERICAN STALLS, makers of premium quality stall components and barn accessories. Do you know how much water your horse drinks each day? Can you be sure they are getting enough? One of the primary causes of equine colic is an insufficiently hydrated digestive system. What if we could monitor exactly how much water our horses drink and ensure they always have fresh water when they need it most? Well, apparently now we can. My guests today are Kelly and Dan Munro, the brilliant duo behind the popular Lighthoof Mud Management Panels. The Munros have a new solution to the old problem of too much time and stress around making sure horses have adequate water. Kelly, Dan, and Helena discuss their new high-tech product, the Cascada Automatic Waterer, and how it’s different than any other automatic waterer brought to market thus far. If your horses eat or sleep indoors, this is an episode you won’t want to miss, so listen in!

How can we set up our private farms to operate more efficiently? Saving time is such an important consideration when it comes to running a horse farm. In this episode, Helena offers a detailed explanation of a horse farm layout that provides the kind of convenience needed for a busy lifestyle, the physical space needed for healthy horsekeeping, and the features that support the emotional wellbeing of both horses and humans. The Stall and Stable Inspired Farm Design is one of principle, not necessarily a blueprint. But the design can be incorporated into just about any property with the help of some professionals. Whether you are starting from scratch or doing so major remodeling, this is an episode that will help you understand how all the parts of a horse farm work together. Listen in!

"Any training can be done poorly and cause problems … it is not R+ that is causing the problem. It is the lack of understanding of how to properly apply the science." -Shawna Karrasch In this episode, Helena is joined by the equine clicker OG, Shawna Karrasch, to discuss the recent trend of horse training experts on social media (often with thousands of followers), who scoff at positive reinforcement (aka clicker) training. It is clear that these particular experts are missing at least one of the three KEY elements required for success with R+, and it’s the missing element, or elements, that is the source of their trouble. If you struggle with clicker training, or if you have dabbled in it with poor results, this episode may change your perspective (and help create a more cooperative horse). Listen in! This episode is brought to you by American Stalls and Barn Pros.

In this episode, we are talking simplicity, and how it can help you streamline your barn work and your business. There are several ways to simplify your workflow. Today we’re going to discuss three key strategies that will help you streamline, free up energy, and remov blocking entities in your barn. Joining Helena as co-host once again, is Buck Harris. As a small business champion in his industry, Buck works with entrepreneurs of all kinds; he and Helena often work together to help business owners figure out where they are stuck, and make suggestions for how they can move forward, all while taking into consideration the small business budget and typically scant resources. It is possible! Plus we welcome Sara Zwolenick, developer of the Barn Book, a genius product in its powerful simplicity. Listen in!  This episode is made possible with the support of AMERICAN STALLS

If you recall Helena’s Arena From Hell project, you may remember that she put a 140′ x 80′ sand ring in at Hoo Hollow back in 2021. While the arena is just about perfect today, it took a lot of tears, sweat, and money to get it that way. The hardest part about that whole debacle, however, was that it didn’t have to be so horrible. If only Dickie Osborne was in the picture back then, sharing the inside scoop on how to build a sand arena the right way. This is gonna be one of those key episodes for farm owners, so listen in! This is episode is brought to you by: AMERICAN STALLS and BarnPros.

The road we travel to success with horses can be a long and arduous one. And when we turn a corner, it feels like we are getting closer to success. This is part 2 of 'Turning the Corner with Tik', a success story that follows Helena's journey with Siouxise. From struggling as a DIY horse trainer, to finding confidence as both a leader and a friend to horses, when you surround yourself with people who share your values as a horseman and a human being, magical things happen. Listen in!  This podcast is made possible with the generous support of AMERICAN STALLS.

The road we travel to success with horses can be a long and arduous one. Sometimes it is full of twists and turns, and when we turn a corner, it feels like we’re actually getting closer to success. In this special 2-part episode, Buck Harris once again serves as host, helping Helena share her experiences with Siouxsie, and explain how turning a corner on their journey together represents a very special kind of success. In part 1 of this episode, Buck takes us back to the beginning of Siouxsie’s journey to learn how Helena managed the ups and the downs of their early partnership, and how a random call from Horse and Rider Books changed everything. Listen in!

Here we are again, discussing why horses are dying on the track, either racing or preparing to race in some of the biggest events in the equine world. With all of the money, effort, and time invested in these horses, why does the national spotlight keep finding something awful to shine on at the racetrack? In this episode, I welcome back our favorite veterinarian, Dr. Madison Seamans, to talk about why it is just so darn hard to find the root cause (or causes) of racehorse deaths. It's a fascinating conversation, and one that may open your mind, so listen in! This episode is proudly brought to you by: AMERICAN STALLS, makers of premium quality barn components and accessories.