Week 1, Post 2: Interview
First, sorry this is so late... I had a bunch of conflicts come up this week.
I interviewed the manager of Jackson Bloodstock, a Thoroughbred (the breed used for racing) horse farm near Ocala, Florida.
For background and understanding why writing is so important to the operation, it's good to know what the routine is on a horse farm. Some of the farm's activities include caring for horses brought in by outside customers, breeding horses, selling foals, and buying new horses for the breeding program--all things that require good communication skills.
Mr. Jackson uses technical writing most often to communicate effectively with his customers and with his employees. Since many of his workers have a high school education or less, it's imperative he uses writing that's straightforward and easy to understand. Writing is also important for contacting clients and prospective buyers. He estimates he spends at least 25% of a normal day in his office writing to his customers, outlining directions for his employees, and contacting fellow equine professionals.
One example of technical writing Mr. Jackson uses is a breeding contract. He has to write a contract for every single mating that takes place on his farm. In the contract, he has to stipulate payment conditions, state which mare will be bred to which stallion, say when the breeding will occur, and state the type of care each horse will receive while it resides on the farm.
Mr. Jackson said that although he studied equine sciences while he was in school, he had to take many business classes (including business writing) to help him be a successful manager. Some of his writing skills he picked up "on the job"; that is, the only way he could learn some of his writing was by being a manager for a while. Mr. Jackson pointed out that although a college education is good, the best way to learn the skills needed to run a horse farm is to have a lot of hands-on experience and to work with employees and clients on a day-to-day basis in order to communicate with them effectively.
One final thing Mr. Jackson discussed is the importance of the Internet and websites. He said that websites and the writing they entail have helped streamline the horse industry and bring customers and sellers together.
I interviewed the manager of Jackson Bloodstock, a Thoroughbred (the breed used for racing) horse farm near Ocala, Florida.
For background and understanding why writing is so important to the operation, it's good to know what the routine is on a horse farm. Some of the farm's activities include caring for horses brought in by outside customers, breeding horses, selling foals, and buying new horses for the breeding program--all things that require good communication skills.
Mr. Jackson uses technical writing most often to communicate effectively with his customers and with his employees. Since many of his workers have a high school education or less, it's imperative he uses writing that's straightforward and easy to understand. Writing is also important for contacting clients and prospective buyers. He estimates he spends at least 25% of a normal day in his office writing to his customers, outlining directions for his employees, and contacting fellow equine professionals.
One example of technical writing Mr. Jackson uses is a breeding contract. He has to write a contract for every single mating that takes place on his farm. In the contract, he has to stipulate payment conditions, state which mare will be bred to which stallion, say when the breeding will occur, and state the type of care each horse will receive while it resides on the farm.
Mr. Jackson said that although he studied equine sciences while he was in school, he had to take many business classes (including business writing) to help him be a successful manager. Some of his writing skills he picked up "on the job"; that is, the only way he could learn some of his writing was by being a manager for a while. Mr. Jackson pointed out that although a college education is good, the best way to learn the skills needed to run a horse farm is to have a lot of hands-on experience and to work with employees and clients on a day-to-day basis in order to communicate with them effectively.
One final thing Mr. Jackson discussed is the importance of the Internet and websites. He said that websites and the writing they entail have helped streamline the horse industry and bring customers and sellers together.
posted by Anonymous at 7/17/2006 01:28:00 PM
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