Employee Challenges

Employee Challenges

I’m sitting here this morning with my coffee, and I’ve just gotten a text that two of my employees aren’t coming in. One is sick, and the other… well, we’re not quite sure yet.

When I started my business 26 years ago, it was just me. Only responsible for me. Luckily, I show up early, I work hard, and I’m rarely sick. I’ve always been able to depend on myself.

As the business grew, I had to start hiring. First someone to help with the horses, then an assistant. For the first 20 years, I stabled at a facility where my clients boarded, which made management a bit easier. For the longest time, I had one assistant trainer and one groom. If that groom didn’t show up, the whole day shifted.

Fast forward to 2026, and now I have a property of my own. I have six guys mucking, grooming, doing turnout, and handling property maintenance. I have a Barn Manager, a full-time assistant trainer, a full-time Academy Trainer, and a few part-time people who help fill the gaps.

When your business is small, one employee taking a day off can completely derail your day. As the business grows, the stress is a little less intense—but it never fully disappears.

Hiring is always a numbers game. Every new person affects your bottom line. There’s a balance: maybe start part-time, then move to full-time if it works out. And then the big question—how much do I pay them? In the beginning, that conversation was hard. Paying them more meant paying myself less. And of course, part of me wondered, don’t I deserve more? But owners sacrifice for growth. I knew that if I wanted my business to expand, I had to be willing to give a little.

So here I am, sipping my coffee and thinking through the day. A trainer’s work never ends. One of my employees is new—only been here a week—and has already taken three days off. Time to replace him. I’ll start reaching out to my contacts and see what connections I can find. I’ll text my staff with an update and let my trainers know we’ll need to work a little harder today.

Thankfully, I really do have a great crew, and when we’re down an employee or two, we manage. I’m definitely calmer now than I was when I was younger and these things would happen.

I remind myself to breathe, stay calm, and get to work.

Have an awesome day!