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ClientsAdding Clients

Adding Clients

Create client profiles to manage relationships, track horse ownership, and provide portal access to keep clients informed and engaged.

Adding clients to EquineOps is quick and straightforward. This guide shows you how to create comprehensive client profiles, link clients to horses, and set up portal access for seamless communication.

Why Add Clients?

Client profiles help you:

Track relationships:

  • Know who owns which horses
  • Maintain accurate contact information
  • Document client preferences and notes
  • Support co-ownership scenarios

Enable portal access:

  • Give clients 24/7 access to their horses’ information
  • Share photos, videos, and updates automatically
  • Reduce phone calls and emails
  • Improve client satisfaction

Simplify billing:

  • Associate expenses with clients
  • Track client-specific costs
  • Generate accurate invoices
  • Link to QuickBooks customers (when integrated)

Better communication:

  • Store emergency contact information
  • Document communication preferences
  • Track client history and interactions
  • Maintain professional relationships

QuickBooks users: If you use QuickBooks, customers can sync automatically to EquineOps as clients. See QuickBooks Customer Sync for details.

Quick Client Creation

The fastest way to add a client:

Click “Clients” in the main navigation menu.

Click “Add Client”

Look for the ”+ Add Client” button in the top right corner.

Enter Essential Information

Fill in the required fields:

Name (required)

  • Client’s full name
  • Example: “Jane Smith”
  • Or company name: “Oak Hill Stables LLC”

Email (required for portal access)

  • Primary email address
  • Used for portal login and notifications
  • Example: “jane@example.com”

Email is required for portal access. If a client needs to view their horses through the portal, they must have a valid email address.

Save the Client

Click “Save” to create the client profile.

Done! The client is now in your system and can be linked to horses.

Complete Client Profile

For detailed client management, fill in all available fields:

Go to Clients page and click ”+ Add Client”.

Required Information

Full Name: Client’s complete name (or business name)

Email Address: Primary contact email

  • Required for portal access
  • Used for account login
  • Receives notifications and updates

Phone Number: Primary phone

  • Mobile preferred for text notifications
  • Include area code
  • Format: (555) 123-4567 or 555-123-4567

Secondary Phone (optional): Alternate contact number

  • Home phone
  • Work phone
  • Emergency contact

Address (optional but recommended):

  • Street address
  • City, State, ZIP
  • Helpful for emergency contacts
  • Used for billing (if applicable)

Business Information (If Applicable)

Company Name: Business name if client is a company

  • Example: “Smith Training LLC”
  • Leave blank for individual clients

Business Type (optional):

  • Training facility
  • Boarding stable
  • Individual owner
  • Veterinary clinic
  • Other

Client Preferences

Communication Preferences:

  • Email preferred
  • Phone preferred
  • Text messages OK
  • Portal notifications only

Portal Access:

Internal Notes (Staff Only)

Staff Notes: Private notes visible only to staff

  • Special requirements or preferences
  • Billing arrangements
  • Emergency instructions
  • Important dates or reminders

Example notes:

"Prefers morning updates. Wants photos daily.
Payment due 1st of month. Emergency contact: John Smith (spouse) 555-123-4567."

Save Complete Profile

Click “Save” to create the full client profile.

Complete profiles make client management easier! The more information you add now, the less you’ll need to track down later.

Adding a New Client - Step-by-Step Example

Here’s a realistic walkthrough:

Scenario

New client Jane Smith just joined your facility. She owns a horse named “Star” and wants portal access to view updates.

Open Add Client Form

  1. Click “Clients” in main navigation
  2. Click ”+ Add Client” button

Enter Name

Name field: Type “Jane Smith”

Enter Email for Portal Access

Email field: Type “jane.smith@email.com”

This email will be used for Jane’s portal login. Make sure it’s correct!

Add Phone Number

Phone field: Type “(555) 123-4567”

This is Jane’s mobile number for urgent communications.

Add Address

Address fields:

  • Street: “123 Main Street”
  • City: “Lexington”
  • State: “KY”
  • ZIP: “40502”

Helpful for emergency contacts and billing.

Set Communication Preferences

Select:

  • Email: Checked (primary)
  • Portal notifications: Checked
  • Text messages: Checked (for urgent updates)

Jane wants email updates daily and texts for emergencies only.

Enable Portal Access

Toggle “Enable Portal Access” to ON.

This allows Jane to log in and view Star’s information, photos, and updates.

Add Staff Notes

In Staff Notes field, type:

"New client as of 11/2024. Owns Star (bay mare).
Prefers daily photo updates. Payment via auto-pay on 1st of month.
Emergency contact: John Smith (spouse) 555-987-6543."

Review and Save

  1. Review all information for accuracy
  2. Click “Save” button
  3. Success message appears: “Client created successfully”

Now link Jane to her horse:

  1. Navigate to “Horses”
  2. Click on “Star”
  3. Click “Edit”
  4. In “Client/Owner” field, select “Jane Smith”
  5. Click “Save”

Star is now linked to Jane! Jane can view Star’s information through the portal.

Linking Clients to Horses

Clients and horses are connected through horse profiles:

Linking When Adding a Horse

Create or Edit Horse

Go to horse profile and click “Edit”.

Select Client/Owner

In the “Client/Owner” dropdown:

  1. Type client name to search
  2. Select correct client from list
  3. Or click “Add New Client” to create on the spot

Save Horse Profile

Click “Save” to link horse to client.

Linking Multiple Horses to One Client

One client can own multiple horses:

  1. Create client profile once
  2. Link first horse to client
  3. Link additional horses to same client
  4. Client sees all their horses in portal

Example: Jane Smith owns both “Star” and “Buddy”

  • Both horses linked to Jane Smith client profile
  • Jane’s portal shows both horses
  • All updates for both horses visible to Jane

Co-Ownership Support

Multiple clients can own one horse:

Scenario: Star is co-owned by Jane Smith and Bob Jones

How to set up:

  1. Create client profile for Jane Smith
  2. Create client profile for Bob Jones
  3. Edit horse “Star”
  4. Add Jane as primary owner
  5. Add Bob as co-owner in “Additional Owners” field
  6. Both clients can view Star in portal

Co-ownership is perfect for leased horses, syndicated horses, or partnerships. Each owner gets portal access and sees the same information.

Client Notes: Staff vs. Shared

EquineOps supports two types of notes:

Staff Notes (Private)

Staff-only notes are visible only to your team:

  • Billing arrangements
  • Payment history
  • Internal concerns or flags
  • Personal preferences
  • Emergency protocols

Example staff notes:

"Payment frequently late - send reminder 5 days before due date.
Wants advance notice before any vet calls over $200.
Emergency contact is daughter: Mary Smith 555-444-3333."

Access: Staff members only, never visible to clients

Shared Notes (Client-Visible)

Shared notes are visible to both staff and clients:

  • General horse care instructions
  • Feeding preferences
  • Turnout schedules
  • Training goals
  • Show schedules

Example shared notes:

"Star gets 1/2 scoop grain AM/PM. Turnout with Buddy only.
Training focus: improving canter transitions.
Planning to show in June - needs clip in May."

Access: All staff and the client through portal

Be careful with shared notes! Anything in shared notes is visible to the client. Keep billing, payment issues, and internal concerns in staff-only notes.

Client Profile Management

After creating clients, manage their profiles:

Viewing Client Profiles

Click “Clients” in main navigation.

Find the Client

  • Scroll through client list
  • Or use search bar to find by name
  • Or filter by various criteria

Click Client Name

Click on client’s name to open their profile.

View Complete Information

Client profile shows:

  • Contact information
  • Associated horses
  • Recent activity and updates
  • Portal access status
  • Communication history
  • Document access

Editing Client Information

Open Client Profile

Navigate to client’s profile page.

Click “Edit”

Click the “Edit” button in top right corner.

Update Information

Change any field:

  • Contact details
  • Email address (affects portal login)
  • Phone numbers
  • Address
  • Preferences
  • Notes

Save Changes

Click “Save” to update the profile.

Email changes: If you change a client’s email address, their portal login email changes too. Notify the client of the new login email.

Archiving Clients

When a client leaves:

Open Client Profile

Navigate to client’s profile.

Click “Archive”

Click “Archive” button (usually in overflow menu).

Confirm Archive

Confirm you want to archive this client.

Client Archived

  • Client no longer appears in active client list
  • Portal access automatically disabled
  • Historical data preserved
  • Associated horses remain active (unless also archived)
  • Can be restored anytime

Portal Access for Clients

Enable clients to view their horses online:

Benefits of Portal Access

For clients:

  • View horse information 24/7
  • See photos and videos
  • Review program schedules
  • Check health records
  • Stay connected to their horses

For you:

  • Reduce repetitive phone calls
  • Provide automatic updates
  • Increase transparency
  • Improve client satisfaction
  • Save time on communications

Enabling Portal Access

Edit Client Profile

Open client’s profile and click “Edit”.

Toggle Portal Access

Find “Enable Portal Access” toggle and turn it ON.

Set Access Level (Optional)

Choose what client can see:

  • Horse information (always included)
  • Photos and videos
  • Program schedules
  • Health records
  • Documents
  • Activity feed

By default, costs and expenses are always hidden from clients. Clients see horse information but not financial details.

Save and Notify

  1. Click “Save”
  2. Client receives email invitation to portal
  3. Email includes login instructions
  4. Client creates password on first login

For complete details, see Client Portal Guide.

QuickBooks Customer Integration

If you use QuickBooks, customers can sync to EquineOps:

How It Works

When QuickBooks is connected:

  • QuickBooks customers automatically sync to EquineOps as clients
  • Sync happens daily at 2am (your timezone)
  • QB customers are read-only in EquineOps
  • Contact information stays in sync
  • Edit customers in QuickBooks, changes sync automatically

QB Customer vs. Manual Client

QuickBooks customers (read-only):

  • Imported from QuickBooks
  • Marked “From QuickBooks”
  • Contact info syncs from QB
  • Cannot edit directly in EquineOps
  • Must edit in QuickBooks

Manual clients (fully editable):

  • Created directly in EquineOps
  • Not linked to QuickBooks
  • Edit anytime in EquineOps
  • Won’t sync to QuickBooks

Mixed Client Management

You can have both:

  • QB customers (read-only, synced)
  • Manual clients (editable, local only)
  • Clear indicators show which is which
  • All clients work the same for horse linking and portal access

For complete details, see QuickBooks Customer Sync.

QuickBooks recommendation: If you use QuickBooks, create customers there first. They’ll sync to EquineOps automatically within 24 hours.

Best Practices

Collect Complete Information Upfront

When a new client joins:

  • Get full name and email immediately
  • Collect phone numbers (mobile preferred)
  • Ask for address (for emergency contacts)
  • Discuss portal access and communication preferences
  • Document special requirements

Complete profiles from the start prevent gaps later.

Keep Email Addresses Current

Email is critical for portal access:

  • Verify email address is correct
  • Update promptly when email changes
  • Test portal login after creating client
  • Have backup contact method (phone)

Use Staff Notes Liberally

Document important information:

  • Payment arrangements and history
  • Special care requests
  • Emergency contacts beyond standard fields
  • Communication preferences
  • Important dates or deadlines
  • Anything you’ll need to reference later

Good notes save time and prevent miscommunication.

Enable Portal Access for Most Clients

Portal access benefits nearly everyone:

  • Reduces your workload
  • Improves client satisfaction
  • Provides transparency
  • Builds trust
  • Modern expectation for service businesses

Only skip portal for clients without email or who specifically decline.

Don’t forget to link clients to their horses:

  • Link horses when creating client
  • Or immediately after
  • Prevents confusion and gaps
  • Enables portal access to work correctly
  • Allows expense tracking per client

Review Client List Periodically

Quarterly client review:

  • Update contact information
  • Archive clients who left
  • Verify portal access is working
  • Check for incomplete profiles
  • Consolidate duplicate clients

Common Scenarios

New Boarder Arrives

Workflow:

  1. Collect information: name, email, phone, address
  2. Create client profile in EquineOps
  3. Enable portal access
  4. Create or link horse profile
  5. Link horse to client
  6. Send welcome email with portal instructions
  7. Add any special notes to staff notes

Client Without Email

Some clients don’t use email:

  • Create profile with phone as primary contact
  • Portal access: Disabled
  • Communication: Phone calls and text messages
  • Updates: Manual (call weekly, etc.)
  • Alternative: Family member’s email for portal

Temporary Clients (Training Horses)

For short-term training clients:

  • Create regular client profile
  • Add “Training client - 90 days” to staff notes
  • Set end date reminder
  • Enable portal access for updates
  • Archive when training complete

Business/Company Clients

For facility or business clients:

  • Name: Use company name
  • Email: Use business/billing email
  • Contact person: Add in notes
  • Phone: Office number
  • Multiple users: Contact support for multi-user portal access

Troubleshooting

Client Can’t Log In to Portal

Common issues:

  • Email not verified: Check spam folder for invitation
  • Wrong email: Verify email address in profile is correct
  • Portal disabled: Check that portal access toggle is ON
  • Password issues: Use “Forgot Password” link
  • No horses linked: Portal only shows linked horses

Solution: Review client profile, check settings, resend invitation.

Duplicate Client Profiles

If you accidentally create duplicates:

  1. Choose which profile to keep (most complete)
  2. Update horse links to point to correct profile
  3. Archive or delete duplicate profile
  4. Contact support if horses are split across profiles

Can’t Edit Client Information

If fields are read-only:

  • Client likely from QuickBooks (check for “From QuickBooks” label)
  • Edit in QuickBooks instead
  • Changes sync within 24 hours

Email Bouncing

If emails to client are bouncing:

  1. Verify email address is correct
  2. Check for typos
  3. Ask client to check spam filters
  4. Update to working email address
  5. Use phone as backup contact method

Client Not Seeing Updates in Portal

Check:

  • Portal access is enabled
  • Horse is linked to client
  • Client is logged into correct account
  • Updates are being posted
  • No browser cache issues (try clearing cache)

Next Steps

Now that you know how to add clients:

Need Help?

Questions about adding clients? We’re here to help:

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