Orchard Creek Ranch

Name of business: Orchard Creek Ranch

Type of business: Horse ranch

Owners: Erin & Andrew Mathias

Founded: 2008

Address: 637 Honey Lane, Oakley

Phone number: 570-3929

Hours: Monday thru Sunday by appointment

Number of employees: 3

Products and services: Horse boarding services, horse training and horseback riding lessons.

How did you get into the business? “I was born into a horse family and started riding at age two and showing IAHA shows at age six,” Erin Mathias said. In 1997 during high school she started buying inexpensive untrained or problem horses, trained or fixed their problems and then sold them to help pay for her horse show bills and expenses.

Erin started working for trainers in 1997. “I worked side-by-side with four well known top trainers over a six year period and studied the art of horse training,” she said. Two years ago she started training on her own at a small local ranch until they closed this year. That is when she decided to open up her own place.

Best part about the business: “Horses and teaching are my passions and I get to do both with this business,” Mathias said. “I love to see the transformation take place in my students riding abilities and the horses training levels as I work with them.” She said it is magical for her to know she is a part of such a positive progression for so many.

Worst part about the business: “I wouldn’t say there is a worst part but there are drawbacks. I work everyday, all day long, all year and for most of the hours I spend working it is pro bono,” Mathias said.

Key to success: Mathias explained that there are many keys to success as she sees it. For one thing extreme day-in day-out dedication to the business and the horses; to continually seek new material, technique and information about her field; paying attention to the customer’s interests and goals, as well as their horse’s needs; making people feel achievement and success in the progression of their riding abilities; and last but certainly not least as far as she is concerned making sure her ranch is a positive uplifting place for people to enjoy spending time at.

Biggest misperception about the business: “That you make a profit off of boarding horses. That is just not the case,” she said. “I remember in 1990 when my family moved onto our old ranch we boarded our horses out for about six months before the ranch was ready for the horses to move in and we paid $300 a month for board per horse back then.” Mathias said that was 18 years ago when hay was $6 a bale, the minimum wage was under $5 per hour, utilities were cheap and liability insurance was affordable. Like everything else in life, Mathias said that everything has gone way up and the cost of doing business is much higher.

“A lot of ranches have not raised board rates to fully compensate their rising feed and overhead costs. It forces other ranches to stay competitive with their rates sometimes with a detrimental effect to the businesses trying to compete,” she said.

Future plans: “It is my desire to give back and support the community. We plan on doing some fundraising to build a classroom at the ranch and open an after school care program for grades K-12,” Mathias said. She would also like to open the ranch in the summer to offer riding lessons to the disabled and underprivileged youths in our area. She is also currently working on a format for both a school assembly and field trip program, as well.