The senior principal of Blackburn Architects kindly took the time to answer some questions regarding the architectural design of equine facilities. “Blackburn Architects, P.C. is a full-service architectural planning and design firm specializing in equestrian architecture, commercial interiors, residential design, and renovation and adaptive reuse.”
If you have an interest in this area, why not check out their employment opportunities.

Have you always been interested in horses and when starting out in architectural design, was this horse related or something that developed later?
I first became interested in horses when I was a child. I had a twin sister who rode and showed but I had no interest in showing at the time. I didn’t have the patience. As a young boy, I just loved to play around the barn, build “houses” out of hay bales in the loft, and swing on a rope out of the hayloft door. Through my teenage years as my sister grew away from horses, our family moved and we no longer had the neighbor’s barn for our horse or for me to play.

I didn’t get back into horses until I started my own architectural practice in Washington, DC in 1983 when my first project was designing a thoroughbred breeding farm. With that project I was able to reconnect with my equine past–which was really more of a connection with the barn than the actual riding of horses.

How much of your day/week is related to horses?
Since 75 to 80% of my practice is involved with equestrian design I suppose I spend easily 40 hours per week with equestrian-related work.

In the architecture field – focusing on horse related designs, is it possible for someone to be a full time professional, earning a livable income?
Yes, though that depends on your definition of “livable.” I think the architectural field is a lot tougher, requires more time, and is much less lucrative than those not connected with the profession may think it is.

Success in this field requires a love of architecture, a talent, an appreciation for good design, knowledge and interest in horses, and a lot of luck.

What are the general steps taken to be an architect of these sorts of projects?
Become an architect and learn as much about horses as you can. But, if you don’t have the interest, you can’t force it. Having an interest in horses or having grown up with horses does not necessarily make you a successful equestrian architect.

I have seen a number of barns designed by architects that look great on the surface or as an idea but are not designed for the health and safety of the horse. On the other hand, I have seen barns that do respond to the needs of the horse but are terrible designs. My goal is to balance the goals of the owner and their horses with the demands of the site, but the needs of the horse and its health and safety are what must remain paramount.

Any advice for those interested in pursuing a similar career?
There are a lot of different areas in architecture of which one can specialize; find the one that has the right balance for you. For me, I enjoy designing buildings that are environmentally sensitive and “fit” with their surroundings. Horse barns perfectly match my interests.

Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
I’m always interested in learning as much as I can about horses. I read articles all the time, but I learn the most from just talking or working with barn managers, farm managers, trainers, riders, etc. Each one is different and has their way they like to do things, whether it has to do with the layout of the barn, the farm, riding, showing, etc. I have often said that for every 100 farm-managers in a room, you will find 101 different ways of running that farm. There is a bottomless pool of information and experience out there—some good and some bad—but you learn something from all of it.

Every time I learn something new, which is often, I file it in a place in my head so I can recall it some day. I’ve been practicing equestrian design for 25 years and, having completed over a hundred equestrian projects, I feel I have a lot of experience filed away up there. My staff tells me they would like to find a way to plug in a cable and just download all that experience.

Favourite horse memory?
As a 10- or 12-year-old kid, getting on a horse bareback with just a halter and a lead rope and racing my friends across the fields as fast as we could until one of us fell off. Luckily, we never had a broken bone—just a lot of bumps and bruises—and some great memories.

Future goals?
Continue to produce the best designs I can, to continue to make clients happy with the result, and do work that I am proud of… and try to make a living at the same time.

We have designed equestrian projects in 30 states and two foreign countries. But I would like to expand my practice overseas so I can design for new environments and different contexts. The needs and caring for the horse remain constant, but the site and clients always change. With that, I am always looking for new environments and different client experiences. That brings more challenges—and more experience to gain—with every project.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
The satisfaction received from seeing a design become a reality and a satisfied client. I got into architecture because I enjoy construction and the greatest satisfaction is seeing one of your own designs become a reality and to see that it works and the client is happy. No project is perfect and, like any creative profession, there is always room for improvement. However, I learn something from every project and always strive for perfection in each project despite knowing that you can only get close. But the process is exciting and the reward is a successfully completed project.

I enjoy designing buildings that are natural and respond to their environment, whether it is the climate, the site, or the architectural context. I enjoy the traveling to all parts of the country, designing for a variety of locations and climates, and working with different people and a variety of equine sports.

“I live in a house but my home is in the stable.”

tag: horse stalls, architecture, stable design, property design

uShip is an online marketplace that connects horse transportation providers with customers who need their horses transported. uShip makes it easy for service providers to find profitable loads and gives customers access to affordable and reliable shipping options. The uShip marketplace is built on user feedback which helps both service providers and customers. Here’s how it works:

– A customer needs a horse moved across the country, so they list it on uShip.
– A service provider who services the necessary route and has some extra cargo space finds this shipment and places a bid.
– The customer reviews the bid and feedback left by the service provider’s past customers.
– The customer accepts the bid, contact information is exchanged, and the service provider services the shipment.
– Upon completion of the transaction, both parties leave feedback to help future users.
– Now the horse is at its destination, the customer has saved a little money, and the service provider was able to fill empty cargo space and make some extra money on a trip they were already making anyway.

uShip is always seeking to improve its services with new technology and features to make horse transportation as easy as possible. Christine Nguyen of uShip.com took the time to answer some questions regarding this online service.

When did uship.com start?
uShip.com launched in January of 2003 and since then, has been leading the online shipping revolution. Our mission is to create the most efficient marketplace for shipping that has ever existed by reducing shipping costs for customers and giving Transportation Service Providers the marketing scale, technology, and credibility they need to grow their business.

How much of your day/week is related to horses?
Most of my day is related to horses. We are trying to reach out to horse owners and lovers who cannot transport their horse cross-country to find an affordable and reliable transportation service provider who can do it for them. In addition, we try to help horse carriers and transporters earn money (especially with the rising cost of gas) by making it easy to find these readily available jobs through our online marketplace.

In this field of providing a place online where people can search for transport for their horses, how is an income made by the provider? Is it the sort of income that could be considered livable?
Service providers generate income by placing winning bids and completing transportation jobs. Some service providers get a large portion of their business through uShip, while others may simply supplement their already substantial business with occasional loads from our marketplace. The great part is, this works for both of these functions.

What are the general steps taken to be able to provide this service to others for their livestock?
First of all, the service providers need to have a USDOT and MC number which ensures that they are a legitimate transporter. They also need to have a license to transport live animals. Finally, they would need to have good knowledge of interstate and intrastate transportation laws, as these laws differ from state to state.

Any advice for those interested in providing a similar service by means of the internet?
If you are looking to get into horse transportation – or any type of transportation service – the internet now offers a wealth of resources and tools, and uShip is a great place to get started. Make sure you know exactly what this job entails and that you can handle the often demanding schedule. The best way to do this is by talking to others who have been doing this for a while. They can give you a better idea of what life as a horse transporter will be like. uShip’s Community forums actually provide a great place for you to connect with other horse transporters.

Future goals?
We would like to expand awareness of the affordable, reliable horse transportation services available on uShip. As riding is becoming more popular, horses have become an important part of many peoples’ lives and are bought, sold, and transported more than ever. We want to be a resource to help service providers pursue a career in horse transportation and make a living being around horses.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
The best thing is helping to rescue horses. Many times unwanted horses are sent to slaughter houses and taken down by their owners. There are many horse lovers and enthusiasts who want to help, but cannot afford the expensive costs of getting these horses shipped from across the country. With the uShip marketplace, we are able to help people avoid the high costs and get horses hauled home at a reasonable and affordable price.

“We gaze upon their quiet beauty, their natural elegance, and we are captivated. They see us softly, in gentle light… rewarding human companionship with strength, grace and intelligence. As they run through arenas and open fields, past mountains and seas, moving like the wind toward heaven, we travel with them, if only in our hearts.”

tag: horse transport, shipping horses, transport services, auction, online horse business, driving license

Dedicated to giving every horse person the chance to test themselves and their mounts in events like horseback sword techniques, lancing rings and horse archery, the Warhorse Challenge Association offers venues where you and your horse can put on armor or perhaps war paint and compete against like-minded equestrians.

Dameon Willich of the WCA kindly answered some questions regarding this intriguing association.

Have you always been interested in horses and when did the Warhorse Challenge Association start? Is it open to anyone?
I have been riding for 50 years, started as a young boy and have been doing it ever since. The WCA started as an idea 5 years ago, but did not actually come to exist until 2 years back. It is open to anyone 6 years old and up.

How much of your day/week is related to horses?
Seems like that is all I do any more :).

In this “historical genre” of riding, is it possible for someone to make a living, carrying out a full time job?
This is not historical genre riding, because we also allow fantasy costumes, or no costumes at all. However the riding techniques are historical, at least in the main. Anyone can make a living doing anything they love to do, maybe not a good living, but a living all the same.

As a full time job, yes one could do that, but why? Training horses and people to do this sort of thing could take all your days! IF you wanted to do that.

What are the general steps taken to be able to run such an association?
Strange question. You just have to know what you are doing. Setting up an organization is not easy, especially with so many diverse personalities and disciplines. But it can be done.

People management is the hardest part. So many folks want things their way so that they do not have to give up any advantages they think they have. The legal side of things is easy, just follow the paper work: a lot of paper work.

Any advice for those interested in pursuing this line of riding and perhaps teaching others?
Learn how to do everything well yourself so that you can teach others how to do it correctly. Always study history, and then be ready to learn from anyone that will teach you something, even if you already know how to do it. Remain humble and listen as well as talk. That is why you have two ears and only one mouth.

There is always something more to learn, and there are always people out there that will teach you, so try to learn from them as you teach them. HAVE FUN!!! Too many folks get too serious about winning. it has to stay fun or it is not worth doing. Keep that in mind while training others and you will instill the same values in them.

Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
Everything. I have been riding for a long tie and have learned many disciplines, but there is always more. I want to learn how to dance with my horse like the Spanish /Mexican riders do.

I want to learn more training techniques for teaching horses better, and I want to learn how to be better at vaulting, cause it has been a long time since I learned that.

Favourite horse memory?
Too many to recount. I have been doing this a long time and there have been so many great times and memories I can not pick just one. I just had to put down another of my horses yesterday at the tender young age of 38.

He was a good friend and we did a lot of things together that no one else has ever done before or since. I had a mare that I put down 5 years ago and she was 33 at the time, and she was magnificent. It is hard to say goodbye to old friends, but you have to do what is necessary for them. Most of my best memories have those two in them.

Future goals?
To be a judge at the International WCA show at least once.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
It is always changing and always fun. Each new horse you train to do this is another new experience, and that is all we really have are the experiences and the memories. I love it! Training and teaching others to do this sort of thing is so much fun, just watching them have fun is great, but it is more fun when you do it too!

“The Way to Heaven is on Horseback.”

tag: horse association, horseriding, roleplaying, training, jousting, horse events

I stumbled across Thomas L. Croce Architects not too long ago and was absolutely blown away by the gorgeous designs of stables and other equestrian facilities. Tom kindly took the time to answer some questions about this line of work and for those interested, how you may go about getting into designing such facilities.

Have you always been interested in horses and when starting out in architectural design, was this horse related or something that developed later?
I got started in horses as an Adult. I had graduated from architectural school and was practicing when I started to ride, as I became more involved in riding dressage, and jumping I decided to try and combine the two.

How much of your day/week is related to horses?
My work day is spent on the design of equestrian facilities, I have two horses that I care for and ride, so the majority of my time is spent on horse related items.

In the architecture field – focusing on horse related designs, is it possible for someone to be a full time professional, earning a livable income?
Yes. For the past couple of years the majority of my work has been in the equestrian design field, and as the number of horses in this country continues to increase, and as horse owners continue to become more educated about the care of the animals, I believe the demand for facilities that meet the needs of the animals will continue to increase.

What are the general steps taken to be an architect of these sorts of projects?
There are no specific programs in equestrian design. The best advise I can give to someone interested in working in the field of equestrian facility design would be to focus on getting a strong background in design and construction, then try to work with someone who is already working in the field to obtain the specific experience.

Any advice for those interested in pursuing a similar career?
Be patient, but persistent.

Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
I have always wanted to ride a cutting horse.

Favourite horse memory?
My first dressage show, I was riding my horse a hunt horse, we got to the corner where we were supposed to canter, but rather than canter he saw those white rails and thought “JUMP” and we exited over the arena.

Future goals?
Stay in the ring.
Continue to inform the horse owning public about the need and benefits of meeting both the physical and the physiological need of the animals

Best thing about your sport/profession?
Getting to spend time with such majestic animals and the feeling I can give something back to these animals who give so much to us.

“A horse in the barn is worth two in the pasture.”

tag: horse stalls, architecture, stable design, property design

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Soon we will be having space shuttle flights for those who love to travel. The vacations will be perfect with more time saved on flying. The hotels culture will be given up in favor of temporary apartments.