When Deborah Borra embarked on her journey into equine reproduction at Cornell University in 1994, even the esteemed equine reproduction specialists, Dr. Chris Schweizer and Dr. Michelle Kutzler, admitted they didn’t expect her to stay in the venture for long. Yet, over a decade later, Deborah’s Normandy Manor Farm stands as a testament to her dedication, strategic business acumen, and a genuine passion for horses. What began with an 18-year-old Swedish Warmblood stallion named Brando and three broodmares has blossomed into a thriving 230-acre operation in western New York, housing 30 horses, including Swedish stallions Kardinal and Falcon.
Deborah’s transition from a successful real-estate agent and professional harpist to a respected figure in the breeding industry is a story of continuous learning and meticulous planning. Her initial foray into breeding, despite being a seasoned rider, lacked experience with stallions and mares. This knowledge gap fueled her commitment to self-education, leading her to pursue courses at Cornell and study with frozen-semen specialist Paul Loomis. This dedication to understanding the veterinary and technical intricacies of equine reproduction, coupled with her established business skills, has been the cornerstone of Normandy Manor’s success.
Mastering the Art and Science of Equine Reproduction
Deborah’s learning curve began with artificial insemination, a process that became more complex when she discovered Brando’s low sperm motility and concentration. “These are the things I needed to learn: To increase his chances of settling his mares, I had to know about motility and concentration from the bottom up,” she explained. To manage this, she equipped her Normandy Manor lab with essential tools: a microscope, hemocytometer, centrifuge, refrigerator, and incubator. While disposable shipping containers are now common, Deborah prefers the reliability of the Equitainer for transported semen, ensuring product quality.
The practicalities of stallion collection also demanded new skills, particularly safe handling techniques. “It takes a three-person team to collect a stallion, and you need to know what you’re doing. We wear hard hats,” she noted, a safety measure adopted from Cornell to prevent injuries from hooves. This hands-on approach and commitment to safety underscore the operational philosophy at Normandy Manor.
Key Business Practices for Breeding Success
Beyond the technical aspects of reproduction, Deborah emphasizes the critical role of sound business practices in managing a successful horse farm. Her approach is built on several pillars:
- A Realistic Business Plan: “I had to sit down and figure out what I’d be investing in the project,” Deborah stated. This involved a thorough assessment of costs, including feed, hay, insurance, and labor. Crucially, she sought property that offered diverse potential uses, providing a safety net should the primary breeding venture not meet expectations. Ample personal savings were also essential for the startup phase.
- Consistent Organization: Every tool and supply has a designated place in each of the farm’s eight barns. This uniformity simplifies operations for staff and visiting veterinarians, especially during emergencies. For feeding, Deborah uses precisely labeled paint buckets of specific sizes, ensuring accuracy. Feed containing medication is distinctly marked in yellow buckets to prevent errors.
- Retaining Good Help: Recognizing that “Getting good help is the most difficult part of the business,” Deborah offers competitive compensation and on-site housing. She seeks employees eager to learn and dedicated to the horses’ well-being, even during nighttime foaling. To foster loyalty and hard work, she applies principles learned in real estate, offering rewards such as massages, extra days off, or restaurant certificates, particularly during demanding periods like foaling season.
- Regular Follow-Up and Supervision: Deborah actively participates in daily farm operations, working alongside her staff to ensure programs are followed. She makes it a point to observe every horse daily.
- Unwavering Honesty: “The horse business is a tough one, and you better be honest or you won’t have a good reputation,” Deborah asserts. As a breeder, she prioritizes understanding mare owners’ goals and assessing mare suitability before agreeing to a breeding. In instances where a stallion might not be the best match, she has confidently referred owners to other farms. This integrity extends to selling horses, where she believes in full disclosure of an animal’s strengths and weaknesses to ensure optimal care by the new owner.
Deborah Borra’s approach to selling a breeding reflects her commitment to client success: “When we sell a breeding, mare owners need enough information to give them the best chance of success,” she says. “Cooled transported semen should come with a form (as ours does) telling the mare owner the motility and concentration of the sperm and how many motile sperm the shipment contains. If you contact a stallion owner who doesn’t want to answer questions about these details ahead of time, don’t go any further.”
Continued Growth and Future Endeavors
Ten years after her initial visit to Cornell, Deborah’s business is thriving, with young horses now available for sale. Normandy Manor boasts a broodmare band featuring “diploma mares” imported from Sweden, recognized for their high quality by the Swedish Warmblood registry. Ever the learner, Deborah is collaborating with Dr. Dietrich Volkmann at Cornell on semen-freezing techniques, with plans to implement this process on-farm in the near future.
Despite the demanding nature of the horse business, Deborah’s enthusiasm remains undimmed. She recounts sleeping in her SUV in the barn during foaling season after a lightning strike disabled the farm’s CCTV system, highlighting her hands-on dedication. Her ability to successfully manage challenging births, such as a foal presenting with dystocia, is a direct result of her extensive education. “If I hadn’t spent all that time at Cornell, I would have lost the mare and foal,” she reflects.
This article originally appeared in the January 2003 issue of Practical Horseman magazine. For more detailed guidance from Deborah Borra on preparing for a foal’s arrival, readers can refer to her article “Get Ready for Baby” in the January 2005 issue of Practical Horseman.
