EQUINE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
ADVS 5910 | FALL 2012
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Instructor
David K. Price DVM
david.price@usu.edu
Teaching Assistant
.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Deciding to turn your passion for horses into a profitable business requires planning. This course teaches
principles of business plans, risk management, facility design, marketing and communication plans, event
planning and journalism tools both general and unique to small equine businesses.
.
(3 credits)
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this course students should be able to:

Understand the broad scope of the equine industry

Research, develop, and implement an equine specific business plan.

Understand the basic principles of equine business finance and risk management

Develop successful marketing and communications strategies for an equine business

Understand the requirements of running a horse housing establishment

Develop some simple journalism tools and techniques used in the equine publishing market

Create an equine event plan and identify the aspects of managing and organizing an equine event
Course Resources:
Canvas
Canvas is the Learning Management System that we will use for our course. You can login to Canvas at
https://learn-usu.uen.org/login your user name is your A# and your password is your global password.
Textbook
There will be no required text book but there will be required readings from the books on reserve at the library.
Additional Readings
Readings will be taken from peer-reviewed journals and education magazines. Most readings will be available in
Canvas in PDF format. Other readings will be available online, with a hyperlink provided in Canvas.
COURSE ACTIVITIES:
Readings
Weekly readings will be from the class notes and the assigned journal articles. These readings will cover topics
necessary to the principles discussed in the daily lectures.
Presentations
This course is focused on teaching correct principles of equine business management. The format includes daily
lectures. Often lecture topics will be immediately practiced in an applied setting... You are expected to complete
all readings before the corresponding class period.
Quizzes
You will be required to complete a weekly quiz. These quizzes will consist of five to ten multiple-choice, short
answer, matching and/or true/false questions based on the readings and presentations. You are expected to
complete all readings before you take the quiz. You must get ALL the quiz questions correct to receive ANY quiz
points, but you may RETAKE one time. Additional discussion may be required to retake. See grading policy for
point values. Missed quizzes may be made up but only within 3 class periods of the original given date.
Assignments
There will be five assignments for this course. They are 1) Business Plan 2) Facility Design 3)Marketing Plan 4)
Journalism Submission 5) Event Plan Complete information on these activities is available on Canvas. Please
refer to the “Grading” section for the Assignment point values. Late submission may be accepted only with
prior permission. See Course schedule for due dates.
Class Presentations
Each of the above assignments will be presented in the classroom in an abbreviated form not to exceed 10-15
minutes
Special Topic
.
Tests
There will be no exams in this class
COURSE POLICIES:
Office Hours
By appointment only.
Student Feedback/Communication
I welcome all feedback on the course. My preferred method of communication with individual students is via
email. Please send your email to david.price@usu.edu.
If you experience a legitimate emergency (according to my standards) that will prevent you from completing
required coursework on time, I expect you to communicate with me at the earliest reasonable opportunity. Please
state the nature of the emergency, and when you expect to turn in the coursework.
Syllabus Changes
This syllabus is subject to change. I will notify the class regarding all changes. In the event of any discrepancy
between this syllabus and Canvas, the information in CANVAS WILL TAKE PRECENDENCE.
Submitting Electronic Files
All electronic files must be submitted in PDF format. Please name your file in the using the following convention:
Assignmentname_Yourname.doc. Thus, if my name where Alex Noteworthy and I was submitting the “Syllabus
Draft” assignment, I would rename the “SyllabusDraft.pdf” file as “SyllabusDraft_AlexNoteworthy.pdf”.
Files in formats other than PDF and/or without the proper naming convention (or at least a reasonable attempt)
will be returned to the student and additional handling charges (lost points) may apply.
Course Fees
None
Late Work
Late work due to procrastination will not be accepted. Late work due to legitimate emergency may be accepted.
The due date and time associated with each quiz, discussion, exam and assignment are stated clearly in Canvas
and on the Course Schedule.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES:
Honor Pledge
Students will be held accountable to the Honor Pledge which they have agreed to: “I pledge, on my honor, to
conduct myself with the foremost level of academic integrity.”
Academic Dishonesty
The Instructor of this course will take appropriate actions in response to Academic Dishonesty, as defined the
University’s Student Code:
Acts of academic dishonesty include but are not limited to:
1. Cheating: (1) using or attempting to use or providing others with any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes,
tests, examinations, or in any other academic exercise or activity, including working in a group when the instructor
has designated that the quiz, test, examination, or any other academic exercise or activity be done “individually”;
(2) depending on the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports,
solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; (3) substituting for another student, or permitting another
student to substitute for oneself, in taking an examination or preparing academic work; (4) acquiring tests or other
academic material belonging to a faculty member, staff member, or another student without express permission;
(5) continuing to write after time has been called on a quiz, test, examination, or any other academic exercise or
activity; (6) submitting substantially the same work for credit in more than one class, except with prior approval of
the instructor; or (7) engaging in any form of research fraud.
2. Falsification: altering or fabricating any information or citation in an academic exercise or activity.
3. Plagiarism: representing, by paraphrase or direct quotation, the published or unpublished work of another
person as one's own in any academic exercise or activity without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes
using materials prepared by another person or by an agency engaged in the sale of term papers or other
academic materials.
Full text of the Student Code available at available at available at
http://www.usu.edu/studentservices/pdf/StudentCode.pdf:
Students with Disabilities
Students with ADA-documented physical, sensory, emotional or medical impairments may be eligible for
reasonable accommodations. Veterans may also be eligible for services. All accommodations are coordinated
through the Disability Resource Center (DRC) in Room 101 of the University Inn, (435)797-2444 voice, (435)7970740 TTY, (435)797-2444 VP, or toll free at 1-800-259-2966. Please contact the DRC as early in the semester as
possible. Alternate format materials (Braille, large print or digital) are available with advance notice.
Class schedule
Tentative Course Schedule
Week 1 -5
Understanding the scope of the Equine Industry
Researching your business idea
Developing a Financial Plan
Reviewing Legal and Insurance requirements
Developing Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations Plan
Understanding Products and Pricing Theories
Organizing your business
Hiring staff
Hearing from the Experts
Implementing your business plan.
Introduction to marketing and communication in small businesses
The communications process
Marketing planning process
Identifying your audiences
Developing a marketing and communications plan
Your market position and developing your communications message
Development of your promotional mix
Investigate marketing tools including advertising, emarketing, public relations
Budgeting for marketing
Evaluating your marketing and communication performance
Keeping motivated and on track with your plan
Week 6-8
Understanding basic principles of financial management of small equine business
Preparing Balance sheets
Analyzing income statements
Understanding cash flow
Common risk and liability issues of equine business
Expand business plan created in weeks 1/2
.
Week 9-10
Introduction
Stable Design and Bedding
Forage
Arenas
Safety
Turnout for Your Horse: Pasture, Fencing, and Shelter
Environmental Responsibilities for Manure Management and Water Quality
Seasonal Considerations
Week 11-12
Introduction to the equine print media industry
Writing styles
How to write for the equine industry
Research
Editing
Queries
The business of writing
Ethics and code of conduct
The science of photography
The art of photography
The complete submission
Week 13-14
Developing an event plan
Evaluating facility requirements
Assessing environmental impacts, health and safety and risk management for horses and
humans
Marketing and communications for your event
Financial planning and reporting
Managing staff and volunteers
Sponsorship and funding for your event
Event logistics
Evaluating your event
Week 15
Review
Grading:
Your grade will be based on the following:
C OM P ONE NT S
P OI NT S
Accounting quizzes
150
Business Plan
200
Facility Design
150
Marketing Plan
200
Journalism Submission
150
Event Plan
150
Total Points
1000
Your grade will be calculated using the following scale:
G R AD E
P E RCE NT AG E R AN GE
P OI NT S
A
93 - 100%
930 - 1000
A-
90 - 92%
900 - 929
B+
87 - 89%
870 - 899
B
83 - 86%
830 - 869
B-
80 - 82%
800 - 829
C+
77 - 79%
770 - 799
C
73 - 76%
730 - 769
C-
70 - 72%
700 - 729
D+
67 - 69%
670 - 699
D
60 - 66%
600 - 669