Where women working in the horse industry connect!
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
COLLEEN PACE
Colleen Pace -Founder
The American Association of Riding Schools® a Great Connector
Mix together one riding instructor who has worked with novices for over thirty years, one senior-level university secretary who has served academic instructors and deans for twenty years, one child who grew up working in five of her parents’ small businesses, and one university graduate with an honors degree in business. What do you get? One woman. Colleen Pace developed the American Association of Riding Schools® with three missions: The first is to provide riding lesson program owners a better opportunity to own a profitable business. The second is to provide non-horse-owning beginners a comprehensive and enjoyable introduction to the entire U.S. horse industry. And, the third is to provide a viable method for moving those riders further into the incredibly diverse sport and hobby of horses. This innovative project is designed to offer both riding instructors and advanced industry providers a revenue-neutral way to work together in a beautifully crafted non-breed-nor-discipline-biased environment. The AARS website, www.ucanride.com, has five distinct areas. The first provides information for first time riders looking for lessons. The second provides information for instructors interested in owning their own business. The third provides opportunities for horse breed and discipline associations, and horse product and services providers, to get their message in front of first-timers. The fourth is a retail store that provides novice level products, including the AARS Welcome Pack. And, the fifth a password protected Member Resources area, includes a 250-page riding school operating manual, free business forms, free classroom handouts, an instructors’ general store, a best practices guide, an easy-to-administer national senior and junior ribbon and certificate program for non-horse-owning novice riders, and direct access to one-on-one personal counseling including advertising, insurances, payroll, and taxes. This well-conceived program deserves a close look by any horse industry professional.
Colleen Pace holds a bachelor of business administration from the University of Michigan-Flint. She has owned and operated riding schools in Owosso and Davison for 33 years; and is the innovator of The American Association of Riding Schools®. The AARS garnered the ‘best new product’ award from the Western and English Trade Association. She is also a counselor for S.C.O.R.E., the volunteer arm of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
