For school I have to build a business plan for a hypothetical (or maybe not) rehab facility. I am doing all my research from other rehab facilities but nothing beats ideas from actual horse owners so I branching out to a few other places, here being one of them

If individual turnout was an option what size would you like?

What services would you like offered? Beamer? Back on track? Solariums? Indoor water treadmill? Therapy vibration plate?

Anything else as a horse owner would you be looking for in a facility? Either as a rehab case or just a "spa get away" for your horse?

Thank you!

Sunset Mt Training said:

So as a person who sees a lot of horses that need extensive rehab, we turn each horse out with other horses. However if the horse has special needs for example is skinny or needs a lot of extra feed we separate them. As for size at least 1 acre per horse is prefered. round bales 24/7 if possible. Massage therapy can be really good for horses.

She also uses a Track System (Paddock Paradise) to help horses with feet problems. There's a lot of research on the benefits to having a track system with rehabilitation situations. It offers movement, various terrains, safe herd dynamics, various browse/forage options.

It's easy to go through a Catalog and circle all of the awesomely expensive Therapeutic Options - but that's not always reasonable expenses for a business.

I had to do a Business Plan for my Equine Business class in college. Mine was on a youth therapeutic equestrian center.

What types of rehabilitation cases are you expecting/will treat?
- Leg injuries (Broken Bones?)
- Muscle, Tendon/Ligament Strains
- Lacerations, Punctures
- Surgery Recovery (Colic, Cryptorchid)
- Illnesses? Recovery after an illness - will you have a Quarantine/Isolation Barn? Or accept those that are currently sick? Or recently been sick?
- Heaves, Wobblers, Stifle Problems, Kissing Spine
- Extremely Stressed Horses? Strerotypic Behaviors (Cribbing, Self Mutalating)
- Hoof problems - corrective shoeing, Abscesses, Glue-on Shoes, Hoof Boots

What won't you do?
- Do you Diagnos or only Treat?
- Will you train or work with the horse?
- If a horse had trauma in a trailer and was injured - would you rehab the injury AND work the horse through the trauma associated with trailering?
- What if the Rider/Owner is part of the Problem? Do you 'Rehab' People too? (The rider is crooked, causing the horse to be crooked - do you assess the Rider and/or Handler?)

What's an average stay?

How many therapies do the horses get a day?