Your Magazine Ideas: Keep 'em Coming, Please
I've appreciated everyone's comments to my previous post, in which I asked for thoughts and ideas related to horse-magazine content.
Now, I'll take it another step and ask for your reactions to/comments on the newest issue (September 08) of Horse & Rider.
* What's your immediate reaction to this cover image? * Would this issue catch your attention from a rack of other magazines for sale? Why or why not?
* Which of the cover-blurbed stories (if any) would prompt you to pick this issue up for a closer look?
* Any further thoughts or comments?
As one my parents' ranching neighbors would have said, at the end of a contributed-labor project (like helping to round up his cattle): "Thanks, until you're better paid."
posted by Juli Thorson @ 1:01 PM
22 comments
22 Comments:
Julie- the cover wouldn't grab me first- however the series of articles would make me take another look and buy the magazine too! I'd have to look at the inside format to see the way the articles were written before I would 'commit' but the headlines would grab me!
Regarding the articles, it is always safest to cover topics that would affect the majority of horse owners, which H&R does a pretty good job of doing. I cancelled subscriptions to other magazines because they spent too much time talking about rare equine diseases that had nothing to do with whatever I was going through with my horses at the time.
"Buying a Weanling" interested me because I've bought a few yearlings and considered weanlings at one time.
"Horse Psychics" was a fresh topic I enjoyed, though I wish there were some more case studies.
"Clinton Teaches Stand-Still Manners" is something every horse needs to learn.
"Your Guide to Winter Blankets" did not interest me, because I buy my blankets in the summer to get a big discount, so the article came after I already bought them.
"Crooked Tail" was interesting, as I have a gelding with one.
"Reiner Errors" - I'm not into that.
"Teach Tots to Ride" - No tots at home for me.
"Start Neck Reining" - Something I'm doing at the moment, so the timing was good.
So, the majority of the articles were relevant to information I needed. The more there is about training and riding, the more articles I read. Problem-solving angles are great, as nothing ever goes smoothly with horses. ;)
Julie -
The cover would definitely catch my attention - I mean com'on, its a cute flashy baby appy, you can't not look at it. Whether you'd want to read about it is another question but it sure does get your attention.
My first reaction of course was HOW CUTE IS THAT?!! But I had hoped it was an article on the Appaloosa breed maybe filling us in on what they are up to nowadays.
Then I will read the slightly bigger text trying to figure out with the picture is for - Although I am not interested in how to pick out a good yearling (because I've given up on doing the baby thing)- I am however very interested in winter blankets and teaching tots to ride!
I may have bought the issue just to sit down and read those articles or the Clinton Anderson Standing Still article.
I wasn't really interested in the tails article and wouldn't have purchased the issue to read about that. I already know what can cause that and if its fixable - plus when I buy a horse the "tail set" is factored in my buying process so I know exact what kind of a tail I am getting when I buy a new horse.
As far as the other cover bullets: I don't rein and while I am not against learning about something I am not "in" to, I just don't have time to make myself read an article about an event I don't compete in. If I had more time then maybe, you never know when you'll pick up some training tidbit that you can use for pleasure or hunt seat.
I am really familiar with transitioning a horse to neck reining so that bullet wasn't real interesting to me.
But I am now very interested in teaching children to ride - so the Teaching Tots to Ride article was very interesting to me. I would've picked the issue up and thumbed through it to see if that was a real article or just a little highlight box - looking to see if there is enough info to warrant a purchase.
This is kinda off topic but: Last night while thumbing through the issue I spotted the article about head carriage in Reining and Cutting and i while I haven't finished it yet
I am just super impressed that H&R covered that!!
For several years now being part of the WP community I have felt rather picked on by folks who go on and on about the "WP Peanut Rollers" even though we haven't had one of those in like 15 years in the QH shows....
Besides I frequently see Reiners and Cutters carrying their heads lower than pleasure horses carry their heads today. Not saying its right or wrong - just saying that pleasure folks aren't the only ones that encourage a lower head set. But until recently it has seemed that WP folks are the only ones called out for it.
Its stuff like that I like - equine news, maybe stuff that "we" (the horse community) don't want to talk about - in a adult informational manner of course. But hey its out there, we all know it so lets talk about it?
Juli:
Thanks for putting the cover photo on here so we can see. Baby Ap is cute and would slow me down but isn't enough to make me stop and buy the magazine. Nor is the horse psychic article, the tail carriage one, or any of several others.
The blurb that DID interest me was the 'teaching tots to ride'one and that one would have sold the magazine better had the photo cover carried the theme.
i.e... I have a lovely little bronze statue called "The Babysitter" which shows a perhaps five year old boy boosting his smaller sister onto the back of a beautifully patient mare -- this while the mare tries to remove the feather from his hat. Something like THAT, or even a photo of a cute child on a babysitter horse or pony would have made me -- mind you FORCED me -- to buy the magazine!
That's an article that many of us 'horse keepers' can relate to, be it with children or grandchildren.
I'd also like tips on how to buy a kid's horse, as well as where to find one. (you can use my cover photo idea for that one). My own horses are not inclined along those lines, but some love it ...(the smarter ones, perhaps, the ones that realize kids don't weigh as much nor do they demand as much?).
Thanks for asking.
Yellow Rose.
The cover is very attractive. The appie foal is well photographed and cute. The articles that would cause me to pick it up and open it are "Buying a Weanling", "Guide to Winter Blankets", and "Horse Psychics". I like the controversial topics like horse slaughter, SPB competition, etc. I also like info on horse world trends. Articles on buying things, like chaps, hats, blankets, saddle pads, boots, etc. are always of interest. Your magazine just keeps getting better and better!
The cover would grab me.....the photo of the Appaloosa weanling would stand out! I attended the ApHC in Jackson, MS, as a vendor and really enjoyed what I watched of the show....I also owned an Appaloosa years ago and thought he was great!
The cover blurbs that would catch my attention would be Clinton Anderson and Guide to Winter Blankets. I enjoy reading "every day use" training articles and product reviews, so those two would be my choices from the front cover. Since there's only two of interest, I would have to scan the articles for content/pictures/presentation
before buying the magazine.
Glenda
Yep! The cover would grab me as on are the listed articles which peak my interest. Especially the winter blanket guide. Yep!Definately!
* What's your immediate reaction to this cover image?
cute cute cute baby.
* Would this issue catch your attention from a rack of other magazines for sale? Why or why not?
yes, the baby would draw me for a closer look.
* Which of the cover-blurbed stories (if any) would prompt you to pick this issue up for a closer look?
I already subscribe, so this may or may not fit, but here goes.
I do not buy babies. Yearlings maybe if the deal is right, but weanlings...no.
1. teaching tots to ride, big yes
2. beginning neck reining, big yes
3. blankets, so so, maybe
4. stand still manners, big yes
5. psychics....no. big no.
6. avoiding reiner errors...so so
7. crooked tail....probably simply because it is a big deal right now and I would want to avoid that.
suggestions: get in touch with some product manufacturers and have members or readership use that product for 30 days then write in a review and get to keep the product.
shampoos, conditioners, tail bags, boots, fly spray, horse toys, blankets, special buckets or feeders, boot socks, masks, etc.
I am certain there would be readership that would be happy to help test products and if the product is new, it's a great way to advertise for the manufacturer.
Juli, I'm fascinated by the subject of animal psychics, so that's a definite read (I just got this issue today). Stand-still Manners and Start Neck Reining are both very timely for me right now. I, too, bought my blankets 2 months ago to get the best deal. Maybe they should have slanted the article that way: shop in the summer for the best deals.
And yeah, I'm a sap for a baby App!
Yes that cover would grab me, but only because of the colours. Too often magazines try to put every bright colour of the rainbow on the cover and I just want to look away, not go further.
So the colours are what caught my interest.
The main reason I'm not a regular buyer of this magazine is because it's so English based. I'm a Stock rider (Australian Stock Horses in Stock saddles), and I've never had lessons...so a lot of the things in here go over my head. I'd like it if the magazine was broader, there's a lot of horse people around but not all of us ride English.
The main thing that would rope me in is more articles on current issues. You hear and see things on TV and in newspapers, but it's so broad...and doesn't explain things in depth. E.g The Hendra Virus...
I love that baby, very cute, and the pasture ties in well as far as colors.
The issue would probably catch my eye b/c anytime I see horse stuff among other things I look.
The Clinton Anderson and weanling tips are what are most interesting to me in that issue. What I always want to see more of are articles in-depth about training, coverage of the extremely idiotic and invasive NAIS program, and articles on how to help introduce people to horses so that they become responsible horse people. I also love Conformation Clinic - very useful!
We have a subscription to the magazine so I guess the pics etc don't matter a whole lot to us. However, it is a cute picture and I liked the articles.
Always love Clinton Anderson and Bobby Avila. The Physic article I really liked and will use the one for riding for tots. The neck reining article was very good as a reminder because I need to start that with one of my horses.
One thing I would like to see for all of us that don't show any more is some articles on Trail Riding. Maybe feature some nice ranches, places to see, etc.
I have bought H&R for many years while showing and it is still my favorite magazine. Thanks for the good work.
Hi, Juli. Sorry, but this cover wouldn't do it for me. The colors don't pop (I think the'd be lost in a newstand environment) and the psychic article (occupying the cover el primo real estate) isn't going to have universal appeal (I'd pass). Why an App for the cover? In the western world, AQHA is more universal and therefore likely to grab a bigger audience. Perhaps this is just me (I raise AQHA and APHA and love to sell weanlings--just sold one to Bob Laporta, owner of Mr Boomerjac, 2 weeks ago) but everything I hear (and experience) is that the market for weanlings is SMALL.... so a more universally interesting slant might be, "should you buy a weanling?" The upside? If you are indeed fortunate, you'll have a very valuable 2 or 3 year old old. Most likely scenario (IMHO)? Assuming you make good decisions, you'll make a little $ or break even, have a nice horse to ride and show, and have had the pleasure of being part of the whole process.
For article ideas: Craig Johnson is about to crash through the NRHA $1M ceiling after a 30+ year career in which he's negotiated changing styles and a changing sport. Jeremy Gates is poised to win the NRHA Novice Horse World Championship--on a 7 year old stallion that he's shown since the horse's 3 year old year--first in futurities and derbies (demanding maximum effort every time out) and now in weekend-warrior shows which require year-long consistency and a focus on maintaining physical and metal soundness and longevity.
And amazingly both these riders are based in Campbell Hall, NY, in Orange County, NY, which used to be a hotbed of reining LLOONNGGG time ago. Craig trains out of Santa Hill Ranch and Jeremy at Stonyford Ranch. Ranch, of course, being an odd term in NY. To keep geography interesting, Santa Hill was where Hugh Jackman learned to look so western for his Australia movie.
The cute picture grabs me and I would probably pick it up and read the cover article list... I might not buy it for the cover picture and article because buying a young horse just isn't in my reach right now...
But I would buy it for the Clinton article and the winter blankets piece. I would then end up reading it cover to cover because I can't skip articles in a magazine even if I'm not 100% interested in the topic...
Thanks to all for the useful commentary. In the future, I'll put subsequent covers up for discussion as well. Your willlingness to act as sounding board is great!
I am a little perplexed by gecko's comment about "too much English." Why? Because H&R has a mandate to be WESTERN, and thus seldom goes into any kind of English territory. So, just curious about what's creating the impression of English-related editorial. Every now and then, we do an article on the English-type events at breed shows, but definitely not our main menu.
I'm a little late to the party, but here goes:
Cover: I like it. It's cute and having some family roots in apps I like to see a good looking, well colored appy. If I wasn't a subscriber, it wouldn't make me buy the magazine, but I would admire/appreciate the pic.
Featured stories: Not much there for me. I'm an information junky, so I do read the mag cover to cover, but those stories wouldn't make me buy it. I pretty much stay a subscriber to see what Bob Avila's article is every month. This month's was very good and should have been a cover teaser for folks beyond the teach a horse to stand and learning about winter blankets stages.
I was least impressed with the psychic article. So, there's people out there who claim they can talk to animals. Some believe they can, others don't and there's no way to prove it either way. Wasted space in the magazine, imo.
My other peeve from the issue was the "Love to Own" horse that, granted, was a very nice horse, but didn't show a single one of the characteristics that make his breed unique-- not even a striped foot or a white sclera. He looked like a Barpasser bred QH, which he basically was. I'm not saying he isn't a nice horse, just that maybe we should "Love to Own" a horse that looks like what their breed registry was designed to promote.
I think H & R needs another good series a la' "Bringing up Baby," "Going for Broke" and the Stacy Westfall series from last year (I think, maybe the year before?). Maybe you could get Bob to serialize a version of his newer DVDs like Body Control 101 or get Les Vogt to do some articles based on his Cowhorse U series or even get Cleve to advance beyond Going For Broke. Take a horse from well started to broke. I think there's a big information gap there for a lot of people. There's lots of information on colt starting out there, but not a ton on what you have to do every day to get one actually broke.
Re: In the Bridle's comment....good points. I agree that Bob Avila is great, but if H&R were to be looking at fresh (and universally applicable) commentary from a new source, the editors might want to take a hard look at Craig Johnson. I don't ride with him, but he is frequently at Jeremy's (where I do ride) and I am very impressed. His training insights are not reining-centric and he's very articulate and strategic in his thinking. Could be great for a series or ongoing commentary applicable to any discipline. He is an awesome clinician.
My immediate reaction is that it's another horse bred to modern standards, with huge hindquarters and a tiny head, but oh look, this one's supposed to be an Appy! He sure is cute though.
Yes, it would catch my attention, because it has a horse on the cover, and I know that magazine. Plus, it's a great picture.
The cover stories that would make me want the magazine: Clinton's training, teaching tots to ride (I have a 1 year old who I want to ride with me someday), and the start neck reining article, because training tips are always appreciated and only one of my horses truly neck reins well.
As an old commercial photographer and one-time Appy owner (as a result of undo influence from a one-time AHA queen) ... I'm not real fond of the photo angle. Yet, it can get tiresome always seeing the same old "best angle" shots. I like the cover.
DO you still have the article about Jeremy Gates? could you send it to me tigs915@gmail.com?
Jeremy Gates? Sorry, but that's not ringing a bell for me.
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