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The seminar series covers Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties in upstate New York.

Kara Lynn Dunn

June 21, 2019

4 Min Read
Alissa Donnell and Cassandra Sue Shambo at Twisted Tree Stables
EXPANDING HORSE EDUCATION: Alissa Donnell (left), Jefferson Community College, recruited Twisted Tree Stables owner Cassandra Sue Shambo to host the Equine Operations Business Management Seminar Series her stables. Brian P. Whattam

A new Equine Operations Business Management Seminar Series has inspired a veteran equestrian to expand her business.

“I was pleased to be asked to use my facility as an example of good practices, but I also wanted to learn from the sessions as well,” says Cassandra Sue Shambo, owner of Twisted Tree Stables.

In response to Cornell Cooperative Extension receiving requests for horse-related business education, and with a New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI) grant, Alissa Donnell, agribusiness coordinator of Jefferson Community College, has developed a seminar series for equine business owners in a three-county region of upstate New York.

“There are almost 5,000 horses in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties on nearly 700 farms, representing a significant farm-based business sector,” Donnell says. “We aimed our series at equine boarding operations charging approximately $350 per month or less as an estimate of 75% of our regional market.”

Shambo, a lifelong horseperson, opened her stables business in 2005. She offers boarding, training for horses and riders in multiple disciplines, transportation, and turnout. Her barn has expanded from four stalls to 24 stalls on 14 acres. In the past five years, five other boarding barns have opened in the nearby area.

“The equine business is highly competitive with a limited market base and, as a result, owners can be seclusive about our business practices,” Shambo says. “This seminar series allowed the industry to be open-minded about learning ways to help everyone advance.”

Local growth opportunities

Donnell says that creating an opportunity for equine industry representatives to come together in an unthreatening atmosphere was a key to its success.

“By learning about one another’s businesses, participants could see opportunities to network,” Donnell says. “For example, a trainer with expertise in starting young riders now has a fellow equine professional of known reputation for referring those young riders for more training and, likewise, those trainers who prefer to work with older students can first refer younger riders to another professional for startup.”

The seminar series focused on local priorities as identified by an advisory committee that included area Extension representatives, a county agricultural development program coordinator and the college’s dean of continuing education.

Topics included business structure and plan development, marketing, liability insurance, record-keeping, safety and risk assessment, animal care best practices, and barn management. Expert speakers made classroom and on-farm presentations, with horses provided by Shambo for demonstrations.

“Some presentations reinforced my current practices for managing horses, which I consider one of my strengths. The business management topics were what I needed to shore up my weaknesses as a businesswoman,” Shambo says. “The presentations that broke the business practices down step-by-step helped me see my business in a more financially minded way and made financial best practices’ success seem more attainable.”

Confidence to expand

For Shambo, the training prompted her to act on an idea she had been waiting to develop.

“I have built a business plan, have begun clearing land to expand the arena, and by this time next year I expect to have financial backing to diversify my operation into horse show and equine clinic management,” she says.

Meanwhile, Donnell is working on developing a knowledge-based equine education program that incorporates horse showmanship and events to continue to unite the tri-county region’s horse businesses.

“According to the American Horse Council’s 2017 National Impact Study, ‘the horse industry contributes $50 billion in direct economic impact to the US economy … with an estimate of the total contribution of the horse industry to the national economy of $122 billion.’” Donnell says. “Here in New York state, the economic impact and potential of the equine industry is second only to dairy, according to the New York Horse Council, and yet the equine industry still can be considered a hidden industry, vastly underserved.

Twisted Tree Stables owner Cassandra Sue Shambo
GALLOPING FORWARD: Cassandra Sue Shambo is now expanding her equine business thanks in part to participating in the seminar series.

“With thanks to the Farm Viability Institute for funding, our seminar series allowed local equine business owners to grab the reins to help grow their industry through continued education and investment. We hope our example will encourage other areas to follow suit.”

“New York’s equine industry continues to grow,” says David Grusenmeyer, executive director of the New York Farm Viability Institute. “By some estimates, employment in horse-related businesses have expanded 28% from 2012 to 2018. The institute is pleased to have supported educational outreach that encourages business planning and attention to best practices for business owners, clients and the horses.”

For more information, contact Donnell at [email protected] or 315-786-2503.

Dunn writes from her farm in Mannsville, N.Y.

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