I run three different businesses out of the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, with two different Boards of Directors–one for The Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center and one for the Buffalo Equestrian Center–plus I run SBS Farms, which leases the property.

Our directors work non-stop to help make both businesses a success. I’ve seen the board members come and go, and the ones who stay are the workers. They take their positions seriously and are dedicated to our mission. We run a therapeutic riding program, along with six horse shows and one clinic a year.

With these three enterprises, I see all types of workers come and go through these barn doors, and I’m wondering, do people all over the country have the same problems with their employees? Is it the norm to have employees who work hard to get better, or is it the norm to have employees who don’t want to work but expect to get more?

I’ve learned that work ethic when it comes to riding is something that cannot be learned. You simply have to have the passion for the horses. Most of my good riders have learned early on that in order to succeed, they must learn every aspect of the horse and their equipment while balancing their schedule at school. And that requires a strong work ethic and strong organizational skills.

The children with the passion for riding, winning and making this sport a stepping stone for other life lessons are the ones who ask questions constantly. They want to know why the blacksmith changes shoes from steel to aluminum. They want to know why the dentist is so important twice a year. Most of my riders have learned to braid.

Three of them have even learned they can make a nice bit of extra money by braiding other riders’ horses.

One of my best riders graduated from John Hopkins University (Md.), then came back to Buffalo and works at the barn part-time. Her work ethic has made her a very good rider. She teaches beginners through advanced riders of all ages quite well, and she can step into the office and do the paperwork. She’s had this drive since she was 10, and she’s now 25. Why aren’t others like her?

I have other riders who’ve gone on to have their own barns or joined the work force in jobs outside the horse world, all over the country. They all believe that their start with horses at an early age gave them the tools to be very good at their current jobs. They have learned to balance hard work with an outside activity they enjoy.

Every year I see children who cannot organize their own schedules, who never learn about their horse’s well-being. They ride and show but have no interest in working at it. I think they feel it’s our job as teachers to make them better riders and that it doesn’t require them to put forth any effort. They just rely on their parents to pay the expenses while they go along for the ride. And most of the time this carries through in their adult life.

Jennifer Alfano, our manager and rider trainer, has been with me for 15 years and is now a part-owner. From day 1 Jennifer has run a tight ship, because her work ethic is like none I’ve ever seen. All of the horses in the barn come first. She can tell the veterinarian about every horse in the barn. She organizes the blacksmith lists, the deworming schedule, the entries, the lessons, and the day-to-day running of the barn, at home and at the shows. She can even drive the van!

Still, the employees she has working for her come and go. Sometimes they seem to believe they have no obligation to get any better, that all they have to do is just stay the same. But they still want more and more from us as employers. Some even want to end up with Jennifer’s job, but they want to skip the steps that Jennifer took to get where she is now. They don’t learn their job from the ground up.

I’ve certainly had some outstanding employees, and they’ve been the ones who learn from everyone involved in running any barn. They work tirelessly for the benefit of the horse. They’re able to stay ahead of the long days. And they’re the ones who have gone on to start successful businesses of their own.

I’ve been very lucky to have wonderful blacksmiths, veterinarians and dentists. They call you back when you need them. They come at odd hours when a situation arises that cannot wait. They keep up with new techniques. They never stop learning. And they listen to our concerns as professionals. They go the extra mile because they have a great work ethic.

On the other side are the ones who cannot be bothered helping you out. They want to charge more while they just complicate every situation. Usually, that eventually catches up with them and their business declines.

I have a man who has worked at the BTRC for 40 years. His name is Jimmie Hudson, and he’s never missed a day of work. He always knows exactly which new worker will be able to cut it, because he’s seen many, many workers come and go. He respects our equipment and works hard to make it work all of the time. If we need him on his days off, he’s there without a complaint.

Libby Mc-Nabb, who’s my head instructor, came to me five years ago. She teaches beginners through advanced riders, and she’s dedicated to each rider and to all of her lesson horses. Her work ethic drove her to become accredited to teach therapeutic riding. She’s even learned sign language, and she knows exactly which horses will work for these special students. She’s always open to new ideas, and she learns more by watching Jennifer and me teach.

It’s no different at the horse shows. Watch the managers who are hands-on. Usually their crew follows suit. You can tell the employees who work and move up the ladder from the ones who constantly complain and never improve. Likewise, the shows that improve each year are the ones whose staff has that work ethic and choose to make their shows better.

Compare them to the shows whose staff members do little, if anything, to improve the show from year to year and just hope to reap the financial rewards. I think we exhibitors are choosing the ones who show us they work hard and care to enhance our showing experience.

If the top of any organization has a great work ethic, you can be pretty sure the rest will follow. But I still wonder, how do we instill work ethic at an early age? And how do we make it stay for a lifetime?

Susie Schoellkopf