Shop Talk is a weekly column featuring locally owned and operated businesses. This week, we talk to Sarah Casey of Waltzing Horse Farm, a boarding, breeding and training stable in New Berlin.
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Tell me about your business:
We took over from a business that had shut down. I acquired the horses and started up my own business. It's essentially a breeding and training center for Lipizzans and Friesians, but I train all breeds of horses in dressage. I also teach dressage lessons, I do breeding, and sell horses.
Describe a typical day in your business:
I work my training horses; I give lessons every day, seven days a week; and I make sure that chores get done.
Right now, it's the beginning of the show season. I have students who are just starting out competing, so I'm working with them to get them ready. I'm also preparing for a clinic in July; I'm bringing over one of the trainers from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria.
How did you get started in this line of work?
I've been working with horses for 20 years. I started when I was a kid, and I just never wanted to do anything else. When I finished college, this herd of horses that I have now kind of fell in my lap. This woman that I knew was getting to the point where she needed to retire, so she kind of wanted me to step in.
Where do you see this business in five years?
I'd like to have a smaller core herd of my own. When we came here, we had about 70 horses. It was crazy. We're down to 32 for the core herd; the rest are in training or are boarders, so they're paying customers. I'd like to get down to maybe a dozen, and have more here for training. I think it's important to host these clinics to get people interested in dressage, and to go out and show every year. I have to promote the stallions; they have to be out there as ambassadors of the breed.
Describe a memorable moment in your workplace:
When we brought our brood mares here, and I put them in the pasture, it was really cool to see them react. These mares had not seen a pasture in years _ we got them from was kind of a rescue situation, where they had been kept indoors all the time.
Every day, they would run over to this really big hill in the pasture, but they weren't very strong yet. Then they started going up a little bit, and coming back. After a couple of weeks, they finally went all the way up and just disappeared.
In Austria, these horses live out in mountain pastures for the first three years of their life, so they develop strong bones and muscles. It was cool to see them recognize this as being someplace like home.
What have you learned from your work?
I knew it would take years to get the business really up and running; I knew what was involved in running a farm, because I had worked on so many breeding and training operations. It seems unbelievable, but I don't think there were really any surprises. I kind of knew what I was getting into.
What is the hardest thing you have to do?
Fitting it all in.
The most enjoyable?
I like watching the progress of the horses and the riders. I love it when a rider gets the feel for something and says, "Oh, that's how it's supposed to be done." The horses, too, are a lot of fun to work with. I get to see them come around and learn how to do things correctly _ it's a lot of fun.
What are some advantages/drawbacks of doing business in this area?
We are in an area where dressage is not very widespread. There are a good number of people here who are curious about it, but the training is pretty limited. It's good that I can offer this to people, but at the same time, it can be a disadvantage, because if we're going to compete, we have to travel hours out of our way. That's part of the reason I have clinics here. So it works both ways.
What sets you apart from your competitors?
I have the Spanish Riding School connection. My Friesian stallion is one of a small number that's an approved FPVZ breeding stallion, which is an abbreviation for a German stud book for the Friesian horse. And the Lippizans, there's only between 4,000 and 5,000 worldwide. I have mares that have scored higher in their inspection scores than some of the best in the country.
What advice would you give to someone trying to enter your field of work?
If you're going to get horses to do this kind of breeding operation, you need to buy the best that you're able to afford. Don't buy cheap if you're going to breed. Especially with rare breeds, breeding mediocre quality has a big impact on future generations.
As far as training, do your research. Know what you're getting into. Be able to make wise decisions. If you're doing it wrong, you can have a permanent impact on the horse's life. Correct training prolongs their useful life, their soundness, their sanity. Improper training can actually shorten their usable lifespan.
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To suggest a business for Shop Talk, contact Emily F. Popek at 432-1000, ext. 255, or epopek@thedailystar.com.
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