Entrepreneur???

Ok. So I have been thinking about what I wanted to do when I get older. I finally have come up with a plan that might just work...but I need opinions. I want to start my own recue and training center. We bring in rescue horses. We would do lessons where more experienced riders could jion the barn and come train/ride these horses. I think it is a very rewarding experience, and strengthens an equestrians riding skill and knowledge. Then, once these horses were trained, and sound again, they could be put up for sale to go to a nice home. There would be a leasing program, and volunteer program. My dad and I were talking, and we came up with the idea that my barn could hire a vet to permanetley work at the barn (since rescue horses often have illneses along with arrival). What do you guys think????

*Please no one steal my idea*

I think it would be a great idea, as long as you've got a substantial trust fund to pay the bills.

It's interesting that you say for no one to steal your idea for two reasons-

One, people already have barns that do that. It's pretty common to see regular barns take one on as a project to sell later.

Two...why wouldn't you want more rescue horses helped? The more people that help give homes to unwanted horses the better.

Other than that, sure if you have the money, go for it.

In order to make a few dollars working in the horse business you need to start with a few milion... if you become a doctor or a lawyer first it may be realistic ... but training horses is not a money making job.

Tell that to my trainer and many many other trainers I know. However non of them take in rescues or project horses to resale. They have clients with really good horses.

As to the OP idea. That is not a new idea and I have yet to see anyone who does that make money. Rescue horses are such b/c for the most part they are unmarketable at least at that point. By the time you get them back to the point that you can start working them you have a lot into them. Then the time to get them riding again. Most never do. Then if you try and sell them they are no longer rescues they are training projects. If you do re home them as rescues you will not get much. Most legit rescues only ask a few hundred for their horses even though they have thousands into them. Most of the money is either donated or comes from the rescues personal pockets.

It would be great if there was enough money for people to be able to do this as a business but sadly there is not. At least that I have seen.

I think there is a lot of money and resources involved.

In addition to hiring this vet, you'd have to hire a nutritionist or keep one on file, or make sure your vet has experience and knowledge in equine nutrition. You'd also have to hire a trainer, or two, to work with these horses and assess their riding skill level, if any, and also re-acclimate them to normal horse life. You'd have to find other barn helpers with rescue horse experience, because a lot of them would get aggressive with their food and possibly with people as well. You'd have to have enough space for nice big turnouts, preferably with grass, which grass land can be expensive in places where there are droughts or water shortages. You'd also have to study up on the intricacies of contract writing and local equine law.

In addition to all of that, you'd also have to have LOTS of money to pay for the things that you might not think of besides the hay, feed, and shavings for stalls: wormer, brushes for each horse, halters and leads, etc.


And that's of course on top of the power bills, farrier bills, water bills, mortgage.....

I think it's an illusion.

True rescue facilities do exactly what you're proposing to do and they rely HEAVILY on donations. They are registered as charities and even with the tax breaks for them, most of them wind up going out of business. Rescue horses are rescues for a reason - you may luck out once in awhile, but 99.9% of the time the horse you're rescuing is going to cost substantially more then you'll be getting for him on the re-sale.

As nhreiner pointed out, the only way to make a living training horses is to make a DARN good name for yourself and be able to start clamouring aboard the money makers. I'm not even talking rescue - even trying to buy cheap 2 year olds and sell them for money is a lark. You MAY break even, you may even make a bit of cash if you're good enough to flip them in 30 days for a decent profit, but again, you have to be so good it hurts.

It's great to want to "help", but good intentions don't pay the bills. If you want to be helpful, you'd be better off picking up one rescue at a time and making it a personal project. You won't make any money, but at least you can feel good.

I agree. It'd be way easy to get ahead of yourself. While your intentions may be very good, it may end up with people and horses hurt.

I think if you put your mind to it, do some research, etc than it's extremely possible that you will have your own facility one day! What you could also do is call around to places that DO have a rescue facility and get some information. As for keeping up the barn, you will need to apply for loans like crazy!!!

To the person who said you need millions...Why would you say that? This is not true at all! My aunt has a theraputic riding program, and when she started out, she had NO money. You know how she keeps the barn up and running...LOANS!!! You do not need millions for this.

But those loans need to be paid off some time..