Another Road Trip Episode
I'm freshly back from a road trip to the west side of Lake Tahoe--some 780 miles, and about 15 hours of car time, door to door, from where I live in northern Idaho.
Purpose: brainstorming session, with fellow editor, for planning future issues of Horse&Rider.
Accommodations: Her cabin, on the American River, in the Sierra Nevada.
Reason for driving: It beats modern-day flying, and doesn't take much longer when all is said and done. Plus, it affords a lot more in the way of trip control. Not to mention, offers some good think-time.
Best part of the drive: A chance to cross the Great Basin, and be reminded of just how BIG (and empty, in some parts) the American West really is.
Central question: What do readers really WANT in a horse magazine for today's times?
Feel free to chime in on that one--especially since it's fresh on my mind, after thinking about it for many hours of windshield time.
posted by Juli Thorson @ 4:53 PM
20 comments
20 Comments:
Being a novice, I appreciate the simpler "how-to" articles. Using the August issue as an example, "What's the Rush," and "5 Ways to be a Better Horseman Now" are 2 good examples. I was also fascinated by the article about how horses see. I also enjoy your "Horses We'd Like to Own" and the "Conformation Clinic." I feel really good when I pick the right one!
When I come to articles that are beyond my level or are specifically about showing and stuff that I don't do (and likely never will), I still read them, because I find I can always pick up some tidbit of knowledge or a tip. I like the Q&As too.
Maybe H&R could have more feature articles on horse keeping on a small place? It would be fun (for me anyway) to see how horse people house themselves and their horses.
This is not to say I want H&R to become "Horse Styles of the Rich and Famous" -- not at all.
I'm talking about photo articles (more photos than text!) about ordinary small acreage horse operations. Maybe an occasional piece on the 'dream place' we'd sll like to own would be fun occasionally, but not every issue, certainly.
A HHG (Horse Home Garden) segment would perhaps inspire us to make our horse places as nice as our budgets allow. Sometimes it's just a major clean up, a coat of paint, a bucket with bright flowers...etc.
We all want time to ride and each part of the country has its seasons for that. For instance the trail riding in your part of the country is spectacular -- but not all year long. Everywhere has a season when weather discourages riding. During those seasons some of us like to think about making our homes, barns, and landscaping more attractive.
H&R could address that too. Maybe the off riding season is a good time to put the vaccination schedules onto the computer (do some people have computers in the barn? And is one program better than another?)
Off season is a good time to oil and clean our tack (articles on that too would be welcome), and the tack room often needs a face lift as well. How do other people organize their tack areas and keep them clean? Do some people have a washing machine in their barn?
PHOTO articles that provide a peek as to how places around the nation are laid out, landscaped, and organized would be of interest to me, as would be an international one from time to time.
If you eventually do such photo articles, they should show that little things matter: Is there a view of the horse pastue from the kitchen sink window? What kind of fencing is used here there or wherever, and why? Barns in warmer climates will be different from those where the snow flies, as will houses ...i.e., the 'mud room' at the back of the house in ND would look decidedly different from from one in LA.
Are you sorry you asked! :-)
Your good work is appreciated here in the SW -- keep it up.
Personally I would like to see more business- and marketing-oriented articles (or maybe a new magazine oriented more toward that), but I really do appreciate the basic skills articles (great for introducing and keeping folks involved in horses, plus don't we all need to brush up no matter how experienced we are?) and the horse-keeping articles. It wouldn't hurt, IMO, to have a little more breed show hunter/jumper and speed event coverage, too.
Juli- so glad I found your board. I've been following your editing career for quite awhile- but had to forgo the H&R this time around because the articles seemed to-dare I say" trite". (Sorry)Of course I dropped other mags for the same reason.I like to read articles with a little more advanced advice- with judges and trainers letting us know what they look for in a ride, a horse, a show. And more diverse events- Competitive trail riding, versitility classes, and updates in medicine. I DO not want to see articles on breeding ( there are too many BY breeders now!)
I have always enjoyed your editorials- It seems like your horse life and mine follow along similar paths. I've thought about you as an inspiration many times. Good luck!
I also have followed your writing career for a long time as a fellow professional and enjoy reading your stuff.
I like alot of the ideas that the first anonymous posted.
I also think that types/hints from readers are great, from everyday little things such as storage for grooming items on up to how to organize for shows.
Articles that apply to those of us that show at a lower level or that "just" trail ride.
I love road trips too! Way better than flying most of the time.
As a horse owner that shows - I like to to kept up to date on what going on in the show world, who's winning? What shows are popular? Any major rule changes that will effect us? New classes? What's hot at the breed shows - what's not?
I also like to see DIY training articles that relate to the show-pen, those are nice.
Equine product information is always nice - like the blanket article, and the bit series those were great! This can include barns and other horse related products. Break it all down and laying the information out there - providing shopping tips, its all great!
You are already doing a lot of this so you're doing a great job! I would mainly like to see more news. Maybe some coverage of major shows? Also some more "in-depth" articles on what the judges are looking for in specific events - then maybe in the same article feature an DIY Amateur and a professional describe how they would or do achieve that.
I would like to see H&R drop the on-going Western Pleasure argument from the Mail Call section (I know its not in there every month - but it pops up every once in a awhile) and it the same stuff anyways - the reason why I don't read that section any more - mostly people who don't know a whole about WP vs people who do and no one ever changes anyone's mind.
Confirmation Clinic is awesome please don't drop that.
How about a "Horse Gear" section - where you guy pick out a category of products like fly spray or boots, then select 4 or 5 specific products that the staff thinks are hip, good buys, and long lasting and do a short write up about each - including price, always including price?
Oh! while I like the Q&A sections, I find myself not reading them hardly at all - I can't relate to many of the problems featured - and half of the article is spent explaining the many physical aliments that could cause such a problem, when maybe what needs to happen is the horse needs some re-training by a professional.
Honestly the way it is now I could do with out the Q&A. Or maybe continue with it in a different form.
Have read your articles of years hither and yonder. Lots of great suggestions here.
With today's economy, I'd like to see something each month on how to retain keeping your horses in these tough times...pros/cons on leasing, boarding, trailer sharing, how to write contracts that cover you, etc.
Also, articles providing some guidance on what to do if you find abandoned horses in your pasture or come back from a trail ride to find 3 tied to your trailer with a note saying, "Please take good care of our horses. We can no longer afford to keep them." These are two events that have happened to friends in the past 60 days and neither knew how to proceed.
Maybe some general ideas on ways to reduce your property taxes or how can you support your barn so they stay in business.
I too would like to see articles on horse keeping in hard economic times. It used to cost me 10 per day to feed 6 head now it's costing double, while my wages have declined, so simple tips like buy in bulk are even out of the question at this point. I have to feed year round 24/7 because there are no options for pasture where I live. Any solid tip at this point would be a bonus.
I've always enjoyed the confirmation clinics although rarely agree with the judges...lol I wonder sometimes if they see the same 'form to function' that I do? No wonder halter classes bored me from the get go.
I've always enjoyed articles on famous horses from various disciplines and breeds. Tack tips and product comparisons are always good.
Over views of some of the major events, clinics and trail riding places are good too i.e. what to expect when one goes either to participate or spectate.Things like the lay out of the facility, weather and conviences near by, class scheduling and event or specific information. all the stuff that if one was going to pack and go you would need to know before hand on what to bring besides yourself or your horse. For example if attending the SBF in Reno, it's generally hot and you have to buy tickets for finals if your not showing. If you were going to do an over night camp trip in the rockies or a bed and breakfast on the coast. I'm envious Julie, sounds like you could have a blast 'researching' these articles!
I dropped H&R a several years ago and opted to spend my money on more advanced and event specific rags like Performance horse and the Reiner. I got a year subscription this time around because they made me an offer I couldn't refuse, but if I had to pay full price I wouldn't because most of it doesn't offer much for the experienced horse person.
I would love to see a series, on brining up baby, similar to the blog that was on equisearch. How to articles with training advice, advice on worming, and innoculations would be great!
Hey, that "bringing up baby" suggestion from Michelle would be a great follow-up to the buying a weanling article!
Re: Bringing Up Baby suggestion:
H&R has already done this exact series of articles, with John Lyons, and the results are available as a book from HorseBooksEtc.
Here's the info on it:
http://horsebooksetc.com/index.php?p=product&id=61&parent=0
Thanks for all this excellent feedback regarding horse-magazine wants for today's world.
Leaving the subject open for further comments!
Instead of "how to" articles, include stories about what people are doing with their horses. I belong to a list serv of about 200 local (to our state) riders. The best part of the day is signing on to the list and seeing what everyone is out doing. We have fox hunters, trail riders, competitive trail, 4H leaders, trainers & more. Novices to old hands. Don't know how this could translate to articles, but again, fun to read and learn about different disciplines from a riders point of view, not a "how to".
Wow - lots of good suggestions...I agree with a lot of them!
I like the confirmation clinic and the horse we'd love to own articles...
I'm interested in learning more about nutrition - how to evaluate hay, benefits of supplements (do they work?), extruded feeds - what is best to feed, when, etc.
- horse fitness programs - how to condition a horse after an illness/injury
- what about rider fitness? Might be good for the winter when some of us aren't riding as much
- product comparisons are always good
I'm sure H&R has run articles like this before - hard to keep track.
Thanks for asking us - it is really neat for readers to be able to hear/see how things at a popular magazine work!
I agree with lots of the comments already posted... but would agree with a lot of the comments about seeking more advanced training articles. As an amateur rider trying to maintain a show horse at home, seeing how other trainers achieve a certain level of performance is invaluable!!!
I'd also love to see more articles on horsekeeping at home. I would love to see barn tours of other facilities more often. Even in the most extravagant facilities, by looking closely we can pick up tips and ideas for more efficient use of space and layout ideas that are easily implemented at home. We just finished building our own barn and I spent hours and hours searching through issues of major horse magazines for ideas and found most woefully lacking on articles related to set up, layout and design. Sure, we may not all have a facility like some that grace the pages of H&R, but it sure is fun to see them more often!
I miss the section of the magazine that used to have tips for re-using items in the barn. I forget what it was called, but a reader could write in and ask for help with a problem, or there were others showing how they re-used common household items in the barn.
I commend you and H&R for trying to address such a broad readership. It must be tough to balance information for those who are new to horses and still keep those veterans reading as they ask for more detailed articles. I guess it boils down to where the main focus of the magazine is heading, which is something we have no say in. But thanks for the opportunity to voice our opinions!
Love your blog - keep up the great work!
As far as bringing up baby articles, you also did one before the John Lyons one, with Cathy Hanson. Maybe it's time for another featuring a diferent trainer, perhaps with a different focus such as sales prep.
I would love to see an emphasis on horses other than "modern" stock horses. It seems like H&R is super focused on Quarter Horses and the occasional Paint. What about other horses used for Western riding? Appaloosas - the "original" Appys, not a QH with spots ;) Mustangs, my personal soft spot... What about gaited horses? Arabians? Lesser known horses - Colorado Rangers, Kiger Mustangs, Florida Crackers, Akhal-Teke, even Brumbies?
Also, I've always valued Equus Magazine for their medical articles. I know that would be a lot to fit into H&R, but more frequent veterinary breakthroughs and news would be most welcome!
What I love are your editorials - your articles are always so insightful and honest. I love Clinton Anderson's series - I'd like to see more like that from a variety of trainers. The Conformation Clinic is very educational. H&R had one recently featuring Thoroughbreds - what a relief! Tips from readers are excellent.
If I can think of anything more, I will let you know ;)
I'd like to see articles on horse training. Also, articles on what new horse owners need. Having worked in horse rescue, something I've observed is many people don't know what they're getting into when getting a horse. So articles that laid this out for people would be helpful, farrier care, getting hay, costs etc.
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