Meet Erica Juergensen | Farrier, boarding barn owner, & riding instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Erica Juergensen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erica, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I am naturally an overthinker, like many other people are, and have learned a huge amount of the benefits from taking risks. Not allowing myself to overthink nor over analyze and just go for it. No one is going to do it for you and no one’s going to be there to hold your hand. You’ll never become the greatness that you want to be IF you do not take the risk that are necessary.

Taking the risks that I have in my career and my life have changed everything for the better! It was the best decision I have ever made!

Before I would have never imagined how strong I could be, how powerful of an impact I could make, and what a massive influence I could be to men, women, and children thru horses. I have watched people, of all ages, come to me, not have any real confidence, and then watch these people flourish as I teach them how to ride and handle horses.
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7 years ago when I got laid off from oil and gas is when I decided to become a farrier. For those of you that don’t know that is a person that trims and shoes horses. I had a round of where farriers weren’t showing up, then the one came out, and lamed all six of my horses. After that I got on the internet and start looking for schools, so I could become a farrier, take care of my own, and help others not have to go through what I went through. The school was only 6 weeks, but it was intense for 6 weeks. We worked on horses daily and by the end of the 6 weeks I was the only one that graduated. Everyone else had dropped out. They couldn’t handle it. I opened Big E Professional Farrier Service October of 2016.

7 years ago is when I took the risk to start boarding horses. I knew nothing about a boarding barn. I mean absolutely nothing! I had only ever had horses at home and on pasture. Things were a little bit of a whirlwind at that time, I had just gotten laid off April 2016, I was working in the oil field, and I had decided to go to horseshoeing school August of 2016 to become a farrier. I just gotten out of horseshoeing school in the end of September of 2016 when I found out that the pasture I was leasing was going to be sold in a very short time frame. I was driving around when I found a barn that said stalls for rent. I called the number, the guy told me that he was going to close the facility at the end of October if he couldn’t get somebody to take it over. He asked me if I wanted to take it over! I sat and I thought about it for about a week because I was afraid. I had just gone on my own with one business and now two?! I didn’t know if I could do it, again I overthought it. Finally I was like all right it’s a do or die situation you can jump, take the opportunity at hand, and do your best. Live and learn! I’m glad I took that jump; that leap of faith! I have been successfully boarding horses and I’ve met some of the nicest people since then. I’ve learned a lot about people to top it off. It has made me grow as an individual not only in business, but in personal life as well.

I took a risk 6 years ago to start teaching people how to ride, how to care for, and how to handle horses. I honestly didn’t think I could do it. I didn’t know if I could teach another person. Then I finally was like all right let me give it a try. I had someone that had kept asking for quite some time. Then one day I finally said okay let’s give it a whirl! Let’s see how this is going to work out. From that day forward I knew that I could teach and this is something I wanted to continue doing. To watch every individual build the confidence that they were lacking and watch that confidence over spill into their day-to-day lives makes teaching so much more satisfying!

I have since moved facilities at the beginning of this year 2023. I took a huge jump and a risk because I knew it was time for me to move on to bigger and better things. I opened Bar Rose Stables in Tomball, TX January of 2023. I moved my entire operation because I wanted it to thrive even more! I knew it was time for a better facility and all around a better way of life! Since opening Bar Rose Stables my lesson program is flourished even more with new students, my farrier business has flourished, my boarding business is flourished, and in my personal life has definitely taking a turn for the better to be able to handle everything that I have on my personal end. I even have time now to take a day off at least once a week to handle whatever I need to take care of where before I was working 15-20 hour days, 7 days a week.( I’m not exaggerating about the hours in a day I would work before, believe it or not.)

This is why I tell people that you just need to take the risks to become something great! Just jump and you’ll be thankful you did! It is hard work to go on your own. No one is there to hold your hand. There are no books to help guide you through whatever ups and downs life is going to throw at you. You have to learn to navigate it yourself. Learn from your mistakes because you will have them. Always be willing to change, accept, be teachable, have an open mind, and know yourself worth! I promise at the end it’ll all be well, well worth it.
 

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
When I started, professionally, in the horse business I originally started as a farrier. I had been laid off, again due to the market, from the oil and gas industry. I couldn’t get anyone to show up and trim my horses hooves and when I did the one person lamed 6 of them. I was livid! I said no, not going threw this again and decided I was going to go to horseshoeing school. August 15th, 2016 I started school at Texas Horseshoeing School in Scurry, TX. In the midst of going to school I was told I needed to move my horses from the lease pasture because the property was being sold, so I needed to find another lease property or something for my horses fast. I graduated September 23rd, 2016 and started my journey. I called a phone number, my ex-husband gave me, and setup a time and date to view stalls at a barn to keep them. Little did I know my life was about to take huge dramatic change for the absolute best! I was offered the entire barn to lease and do as I pleased! I was hesitant and a week later, after some encouragement, I took the deal. I was now in the horse boarding business on top of being a farrier. 2 new businesses within weeks of each other. Scared and excited I took the reins and went for it. It wasn’t easy in any form! Hard work, dedication, long hours, outside all day in whatever degrees heat and cold, but it was all worth it. I educated myself any opportunity I had and spoke to as many people as I could in the industry. From other barn owners to trainers to breeders to feed store owners to hay growers and all the way to people who were just your average everyday horse owners. I learned valuable lessons along the way, some good and some bad. I definitely became a WAY better judge of character. People can be cynical and put on the mask of I’m someone else. Come 2017/2018 I was asked to start teaching lessons. To be honest, at first I didn’t want to. Then I finally caved and said well I’ll give it a try. I FEEL IN LOVE WITH IT! I was actually pretty good at it, which surprised me. Now fast forward to 2023. I opened Bar Rose Stables after the fall out with my ex husband. I have never been happier. My lessons program is one of the few that are actually affordable. I don’t teach for the money. I teach for the love of seeing people ride, learn, and enjoy themselves. The progress they make is amazing to me. Especially when I see it click with the rider and the horse. I’ve always been about my people. My boarders pay for board. We help each other out whenever and however we can. No charging for the nickel and dime things like feeding when they can’t make it, blanketing in the winter, ect. The energy at Bar Rose Stables is par to none out there. Always positive and up lifting! Horses happy being horses! We are just a whole different vibe to the average horse barn. It’s just something you have to experience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
For me it depends on which best friend. I have 3 of them and they are guys. 2 of them similar and one very different from the other 2. So we’ll go with the similar ones. 😅 I love my city, Houston! Bred, born, and raised here. My barn is located in Tomball, but you don’t find property like that in Houston anymore. Only the outskirts. The graffiti wall would be a neat place to go to, Cidercade for us video game enthusiasts (yes I like video games even as outdoorsy as I am). I am a big time foodie, so I got us on the dining end. Niko Niko’s and Christie’s is always an awesome spot if you like Greek food. Agora and Black Rifle Coffee Company for coffee, Empire Cafe and Chapultepec. The Spot in Galveston, Herrera’s in Sealy, Kelly’s just pick a location I haven’t had a bad one yet, Aguirre’s in Tomball. The art car museum is pretty awesome. I’m in love with the Natural Science Museum and the Houston Zoo, go figure right lol. If your into shooting the All American Shooting range in George Bush Park. I can randomly think of more as I go throughout the day.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My dad and my mom deserve the most credit. They were self-employed and opened their own businesses long,long ago. I learned from them. My mom’s side of the family I need to give big credit to you because if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have stuck in horses or agriculture as long as I have. I will give a shout out to my ex-husband as well. He helped encourage me to go open the boarding facility the first time. Shout out to my clients that have been a phenomenal group of people in my life. Also my real friends who have definitely encouraged me, and I know I have encouraged them, to take the risks that are necessary even when I start over thinking.

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