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Managing a Horse with Computer Software
No matter how many horses you have it can be a continuous challenge to keep
track of vaccinations, deworming, vet bills, farrier appointments, breeding
schedules and feeds. Even if you are good at scheduling it can be a difficult
process. Most of the time owners aren’t very organized and may jot down
information on a calendar or on a piece of paper that can be forgotten and lost. |
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If you have a computer then you can have help with your
scheduling. There is computer software that allows you to
keep stable records as well as pedigree and breeding
records. You can even get computer software from England
that is for jump-course design. There are other computer
software that are specifically formatted for the equine
business and provides inventory and billing capabilities.
When considering buying horse software it is no different
than buying any other type of computer software.
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It is always important to check out the software before
you buy them. So you should check to see what pre-sale
support the company gives you. Look at the company’s website
if they have one or judge the company’s response time to
your questions by phoning or emailing them. During business
hours and beyond the company should be reasonably available
to customers.
Another important area to cover is support. If you are a
horse owner and you’re having difficulty with something you
often don’t have the time to sit down and spend hours trying
to figure something out. There will be people available to
help you with any problems if the software company is a good
one.
The best companies will get back to you within an hour if
you require immediate help. Some will even work over the
weekend responding to emails queries for help from horse
owners. Most products should have free tech support and
especially if they are over a hundred dollars. Online help
is another good measure of support.
There should be a search and an index for help in the
program itself. This section of the program should be able
to help you answer any question you have regarding the
software use.
Seeing how the program is written is another important and
critical factor to include when making your choice so you
should look at the application. Without getting into
difficult technical details it is important to have a
software application that is at least a 32 bit program. This
means it will be supported by Windows 95 or Windows 98.
There are still some software programs that have an old
“language” and won’t be accepted by a 32 bit application.
Be sure to get opinions by either looking for product
reviews, advertisements in magazines and by asking around
for someone who has used the software and can offer up an
opinion. If the product has a following then there is a good
chance it is a smart option to go with.
Flexibility is important if you are looking into purchasing
an equine management product. Having a program that works
with one to a hundred horses is a good idea. You want a
program that will grow with you. The program should be easy
to navigate around while using it. It should also be
efficient so you won’t have to type in the same info several
times such as a horse’s name.
Another good idea is to look for a company that provides
regular updates to their software. The best companies will
provide you with the option of receive the update online or
in the mail. Generally you should expect to pay around
ninety dollars for most equine management software.
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Read the next horse care article on Choosing a boarding stable. |
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