Hey Everyone!

This month's topic will be on aspects of "Spring Cleaning" your business, getting ready for what is usually a busy summer season for many of us.

Elizabeth, Mike, Brenda and Lisa will all chime in from their area of specialization on ways to get your house (and barn!) in order. Today I'm going to talk a bit about some Spring Barn Chores that are regulars for us here, and might be for you, too!

Shedding: When it finally gets and stays warm enough, we begin the process of shedding out all the horses (and building lots of minis with all the leftover hair!).

Washing: We wash all the horses on the farm at least twice a year, giving them a good scrubbing! Some love it, some aren't so fond, but...hey, it's gotta be done! During that washing, we soak all that horses' grooming utensils in a tea tree oil mix to get them nice and clean, too.

Stall Art: Although our horses don't spend much time in stalls, we still pull out all the floor mats and hose 'em down, and scrub the walls free of what I affectionately call "Stall Art." You may have a Stall Artist in your barn, too. You know, the one who backs up to the wall of the stall and....voila! Stall Art!

Barn Cleaning: At this time of year, we also move all our winter equipment into storage (like any heaters we use in the barn), and bring out all our fans. As we do this, we walk through the barn and arenas looking for anything that needs repairing, making a note of it and a plan to get it done.

Hope this short list of must-do items helps you get ready for a busy summer!

Happy Trails!