Lessons In TR

I’ve had several people ask about how to start a therapeutic riding program – where to start and get help. While I have never done this myself, I’ve taken business classes and collected resources. So I have some recommendations, and I am sure a few of you readers have some advice to share!

How to Start a Therapeutic Riding Program

1. See if it’s what you really want to do.

Volunteer at a Program

If you have never done anything with therapeutic riding before, volunteer at a program – or several!!! This way you can see how programs run and if it’s what you expected. By experiencing several different programs, you discover how you will want (and not want) to run yours.

You can find a center near you by googling “therapeutic riding center nearby”, or by using PATH Intl’s “find a center” page. I recommend you make sure the instructors are PATH Intl Certified,because if you decide to get certified yourself you can study under them.

Consider the Pros and Cons of Running a Business

You may envision yourself teaching all day, but running a business involves behind-the-scenes management too. Are you up for it?

• Pros
  • Control of your own destiny
  • Visibly make a difference
  • Opportunity to reach your full potential
  • Opportunity to make profit
  • Do what you enjoy
• Cons
  • Uncertainty of income
  • Risk losing your entire investment
  • Long hours and hard work
  • Until business is established: long hours and hard work, often without pay, lower quality of life, high stress level
  • Complete responsibility
  • Discouragement

Consider Yourself

You will essentially be an entrepreneur: starting a business yourself. Are you that type of person?

• Intense obsessive interest that spurs passion.
• Willing to take the initiative.
• Optimistic and confident.
• Perseveres.
• Self reliant, takes responsibility.
• Will work long hours.
• Future oriented, dreams big and makes plans.
• Organizational skills of people and resources.
• Values achievement over money.
• Knowledgable, learns about the field.
• Humility, willingness to learn and change.

 2. Educate yourself.

Get Certified

I would definitely recommend getting certified. Then you know all the safety standards, have some credit, and can get support through PATH Intl. If you’re not sure whether you should get certified or not, read my post “Should I Get Certified”. If you want to get certified, read about the process at my post “How to Get Certified“.

Read the PATH Intl. Standards

Whether you get certified or not, the PATH Intl Standards is a great resource for the safety recommendations when running a therapeutic riding program, most of which you will want to implement to start a safe program.

Learn About Business Management

So many people start programs because they love helping kids with disabilities ride horses, yet have very little business experience, which is why so many programs fall apart when they get bigger. It’s common in the whole non-profit industry, not just TR. And the truth is, doing what you love (instructing) is only half of it – the other half is RUNNING A BUSINESS. So, please learn how to run a business. Gain skills in administration, program planning, and people management. Here are some recommendations:

• Take classes in business management and entrepreneurship. Check out your local community college or continued education program.
• Read or listen up. There are links to resources throughout this post.
• Work, intern, or shadow in a management position at your current job or at the program you are volunteering at.
• Business Planning for EAAT (recorded webinar)
• Strategic Planning for EAAT (recorded webinar)
• Small Centers, Big Dreams (recorded 2015 conference session video)
• The Right Team, Right Now (recorded 2014 conference session video)
• Capacity Building: Growing Time, Treasure and Talent at Your Center (recorded 2015 conference session video)
• When to Build? Capital Campaigns and Building Fundraising Capacity (recorded 2014 conference session video)

3. Get a mentor.

Don’t try to do it all on your own – why try to reinvent the wheel? Many centers help each other out with advice and resources, and some will even mentor you throughout the process. Ask a nearby barn or a PATH Intl Mentor if they will help you. Find PATH Intl Mentors on their website. Ask your regional representatives if they have ideas. Some states have a very supportive network that help new start up programs.

4. Create a business plan.

Business plans are the best!!! A business plan is a guide for your business that outlines your goals and how you will get there, like a road map. It details how you plan to achieve these goals, and in doing so you discover whether your plan is even viable – and if it’s not viable, then you can change it so it is.

Why make a business plan

• IT IS YOUR BEST POSSIBLE ASSURANCE AGAINST FAILURE. Because you are planning for everything.
• It helps you make smart decisions to help your business succeed.
• It teaches you about the field and how your business fits in.
• It is a tool to attract capital and startup funding. Many lenders, investors, and grants won’t even look at you if you don’t have it.
• It is a systematic evaluation of the whole idea. It highlights things you may need to change or reconsider to make your venture more likely to succeed.
• It is a tool to evaluate results. If your business is not progressing like you planned, you may need to make some changes to the business plan.

Business plans can protect you from failure, because most failure comes from not planning thoroughly.

Why most small businesses fail

• Manager’s incompetence or inexperience
• Limited resources
• Lack of financial stability
• Lack of differentiation from others in the market
• Doesn’t seek legal and accounting help from the start
• Lacks skills and knowledge

(These lists are from the small business class I took at DeVry/Keller University.)

As you can see, many of the reasons small businesses fail could have been avoided by making a business plan, which would have pointed out these issues long before they started. Of course, there’s always the unexpected, but at least you can minimize it.

Resources for business plans:

• Resources listed above in this post
• My blog post of an example business plan outline for a veterans program
• PATH Intl 2014 Conference Handout The Business Plan
• PATH Intl Standards – for paperwork templates, admin and barn set up
• PATH Intl. How to Start an EAAT Center/Program Book which can be purchased here
• Essentials of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, 8th Edition 8th Edition by Norman M. Scarborough, Jeffrey R. Cornwall – this was the textbook for the class I took and was GREAT. This links to the most recent edition, previous ones are much cheaper. I think this is the version I had.
• Business Planning Guide by Small Business BC
• Business plan resources at SBA.gov
• Business plan outline by Dick Stevenson
• Help for starting a business at SBA.gov
• Business planning tool at SBA.gov
• Business plan step by step guide at entrepreneur.com
• Elements of a business plan at entrepreneur.com

Additional Business Plan Considerations

Here are some additional considerations for the therapeutic riding program business plan that may not be mentioned in regular business plans. This is also a good list for taking stock of your resources to determine whether you are even able to start a program.

• Paperwork
  • Whether to become a PATH Intl. Certified Instructors or not
  • Whether to become a PATH Intl. Accredited Center or not
  • Whether to be a Non-profit or For-profit (LLC or Sole Proprietor)
    • For-profit = make money by selling a product directly to the customer (no access to grants and donations). Fees must be able to pay for services, preferably with a profit. Concerns are cash flow, financing, employees, and marketing.
    • Non-profit = make money from a variety of sources separate from the customer (grants, tax-deductible donations, etc). Concerns are the board, fundraising, volunteers, public relations, and staffing.
    • talk to your accountant or lawyer
    • talk to other directors of each kind about their experiences.
  • What state licenses you need
  • What insurance you need
  • What forms and signs you need – some states require specific warning signage and forms regarding equine liability
• Logistics
  • Facilities – own, lease, or partner with an established public or TR program; safety, accessibility, bathrooms, seating, stalls, turnout, shelter; whether it allows year round or seasonal programs
  • Equipment – mounting blocks, ramps, cones, poles, buckets, balls, toys, helmets, safety stirrups, gait belts
  • Horses – do you have them? How will you get them? How will you train them?
    • Owning – can cost more, have to find homes when they’re done with their job
    • Leasing – less overhead, goes back to the original owner when they’re one with their job, owner may be able to take the horse away whenever they want
  • Instructors – just you? Hire more? Requirements?
• Start up Costs & Continued Funding
  • Marketing – website, booths at equestrian events and volunteer fairs
  • Connections/Networking – meet with local equine groups and community members to gain support for your program
  • For non-profits: Grants, Sponsorships, Host special events, Donations and discounts
  • For for-profits: outside individuals can start a non-profit scholarship fund that accepts donations and pays the fees for accepted riders
  • Fundraising ideas from a PATH Conference Seminar
• Management
  • Rider recruitment – school leaders, doctor and therapy offices and practitioners, booths, flyers at supply stores, host and open house
  • Volunteer recruitment – are there enough capable volunteers in the area? (strong enough, fit enough, etc.) flyers at churches, schools, community centers; booth at volunteer fairs; friends and family; post an ad in the newspaper or local volunteer websites
  • Your capabilities – are you more a teacher than a manager? Can you handle running a business? Are you able to hire the right people or find the right volunteers to help you do the things you can’t do?

5. Get started!

Now that you have a plan, you should see what your first steps are. I’m not much help here, but I’d think it would be registering your business or non-profit. I would also say finding the right people and gathering them around you to help!

6. Start small then expand as able.

The Life Cycle of a Business

1. Start Up
2. Rapid Growth
3. Maturity
4. Grow, Sustain, or Decline

Start small and be smart. Maybe grow, or maybe don’t. When it’s time to grow, educate yourself, because growing is a very different thing than starting up a business. Some people are best at starting businesses, some people are best at growing them, and some people can do both. Know yourself and your limits. Maybe your program grows and you go back to teaching, letting someone with more business experience take over. Or maybe you stay small and within the limits of how much you can handle. Of course, you should have already thought about this in your business plan when you dreamed about the future, and determined exit strategies!

Lastly, check out my blog post about Program Sustainability Concepts and the presentation it’s based on, which I highly recommend watching if you’re starting a program!

The End!

Readers who have started your own programs – please share anything you’d like to add! What helped you most? Where did you find support?

Sources

• http://www.rtriding.org/how-to-get-a-program-started-in-your-area.php
• http://stablemanagement.com/article/starting-therapeutic-riding-center-28640
• http://www.equiworld.net/uk/services/systems.htm

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Note: This is not professional advice, this is a blog. I am not liable for what you do with or how you use this information. The activities explained in this blog may not be fit for every rider, riding instructor, or riding center depending on their current condition and resources. Use your best personal judgement!