You built something
worth protecting.
Right Lead Equine exists to make sure the business side of your operation is as solid as the work you put into it every day.
Most people who start equine businesses do it because they love horses — the work, the animals, the community. What they didn't sign up for is employment law, HR compliance, payroll systems, and the paperwork that comes with having a team. And yet, that back-end operational work is exactly what can unravel everything they've built.
One employment lawsuit. One misclassified contractor. One handbook that hasn't been updated since 2015. These aren't hypothetical risks — they're the kinds of things that damage reputations and end dreams. Right Lead Equine was founded to close that gap.
If putting the right systems in place saves just one equine business owner from that outcome, every bit of this work is worth it.
"I saw that HR is largely missing from the equine industry — and that gap puts these businesses at real risk. One employment lawsuit could destroy the reputation and dream an owner has spent years building. People start equine businesses because they love the work. No one loves the operational compliance that comes with it. With my unique blend of HR expertise and horse industry experience, I felt I could bridge that gap. If I save just one equine business by putting these systems in place, it will all be worth it."
— Heather Thoele, Founder
Meet Heather
Heather Thoele is the founder of Right Lead Equine and brings a unique combination of credentials: over 20 years of corporate HR experience and 30 years as a horse person.
On the HR side, Heather holds PHR, SPHR, and SHRM-SCP credentials; the field's most recognized professional certifications. Her career has spanned manufacturing, staffing, adult disability services, and third-party logistics. She has been the first HR hire at multiple organizations, building people systems from scratch, and has guided companies through major transitions. She has served as a true HR department of one, which means she knows how to do meaningful, practical work without a large team or unlimited resources. That experience translates directly to the equine businesses she serves.
As for the horse side, Heather has been a horse owner, a PATH International Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRI) with River Valley Riders, and a former Special Olympics Equestrian coach. She has been part of the equine community in Minnesota for over three decades; not as an outsider looking in, but as someone who has mucked stalls, managed lesson programs, navigated the realities of barn life, and understood the deep personal investment that goes into building an equine operation.
She is an active board member of North Star SHRM and keeps current memberships with SHRM, TCSHRM, and MRA to keep her practice connected to the latest developments in HR law, compliance, and best practices so that her clients don't have to track it themselves.
Who Right Lead Equine serves
Right Lead Equine works with equine and equine-adjacent businesses including but not limited to boarding facilities, lesson programs, therapeutic riding centers, equine veterinary practices, and equipment manufacturers. Whether you're a small operation trying to get organized or a growing facility that needs real HR infrastructure, the work is tailored to where you are and what you actually need.
Services include HR and hiring support, employee handbooks and policy development, onboarding systems, scheduling and operations, and accounts receivable and payable workflows.
Ready to talk?
A discovery call is a no-pressure conversation about where your business is, what's keeping you up at night, and whether Right Lead Equine is a good fit.
Reach out below to get started.