I am always interested in learning about new ways to use technology to help make life a little easier. So when I found a website that offered those that love to ride horses a techy way to improve their riding techniques, I had to find out more.
Here is an short interview with Rhonda Malone who talks about how she and her business partner, Shelly Morita, came up with a couple of great mobile based equestrian apps. These apps are fun, informative, interactive and they will help you and your horse become better partners. You can download them from iTunes and they run on iPhone, iPad and iTouch.
These two ladies don’t waste any time either. They have plans for several more equestrian type apps that should we available soon. Keep an eye on their website at Hollywood Horse Clubfor more details.
A newsletter from Catherine Masters – President of WHIA -
We are just a week away from our conference and looks like there is going to be a really wonderful group of people attending. We have people coming from all over the U.S. and Canada. Our exhibitors this year are fantastic and are going to showcase some incredible products and services. Our speakers are going to give everyone in attendance a lot to think about and learn. And, again, we have a ton of super door prizes to give away including a half share in a thoroughbred race horse (compliments of Kate Richards Wilt and Pocket Aces Racing). Thanks to everyone who is donating door prizes. A list of them is on out website.
I had a couple of cancellations this morning and so I have two FREE tickets to give away. If you are attending the event and want to bring a friend, please email me right away or better yet, call me at 615-730-7833. These reservations have already been paid for and I don’t want the lunches to go to waste!!!
We will also again have our OPEN NETWORKING sessions where you will get to promote your business and meet a lot of people in the room.Like last year, the dress is casual and jeans are fine. If you haven’t signed up to attend but still want to come, please call us at 615-730-7833 so we can get you registered. Everyone who attends receives a directory with contact listings all of the attendees. This is a really great resource tool. Finally, the Kentucky governor’s wife, Jane Brashear can’t make it because of scheduling conflicts but she is sending someone very special in her place. We will send out a press release about this exciting speaker later today or tomorrow. All I know is that you will really enjoy her luncheon speech a great deal.
We have some other exciting projects and events in the works and after the conference we will start sharing them with you. We are moving along on our TV projects and should have some news for you very soon. Our email blasts are becoming quite popular and if you want to send one out, please wait until after the conference. And, we are going to start taking ads for our 2nd WOMEN YOU SHOULD KNOW IN THE HORSE INDUSTRY directory October 1st. We hope to have this one out by mid-January. This year’s directory will include member spotlights, ads and coupons from some of the advertisers. Information on advertising in this really cool source book will be on our website in the next day or two.
Finally, we have again brought in some outstanding new members and will send out a new members listing later today. Remember, we are a networking business group and if you want to have your membership really pay off, then you have to do some work. I suggest calling all of the new members each time we send the listings out and welcoming them to our group. It’s a great way to let others know about your business, find out about their business and who knows…make a few new friends.
In other news:
From Jan Meerdink@Horseinfo.com. After over 25 years working to establish our publishing, direct marketing and web commerce book company, I have decided to retire. Thus, the copyrights and publishing rights to books, videos and proprietary software programs are for sale. An active website, National & International wholesale and retail customer lists – all are available. If you love books, horses and marketing, this is the perfect business…it can be managed from virtually any location and is set up, ready to go. For more information, contact me at (920) 725-0955 or jmeerdink@horseinfo.com.
Poppet Press is pleased to announce the release of “The Sweet Running Filly” and the other four books in the classic series known as “The Bonnie Books.” The stories written by veteran horsewoman, Barbara Van Tuyl, tell about life on the farm and at the track, a life full of characters, some good and some not so good. With a lifetime of experience with horses and a profound affection and respect for the animal, Barbara weaves her practical knowledge of horsemanship into stories that will enchant all young horse lovers (and some older horse people as well). Poppet Press (a division of Somerset SportArt) and CEO Susan Benson are excited about reviving the “Bonnie” series of young adult books for three reasons. Poppet Press will be partnering with charities at events and by providing books at deep discounts for fundraising programs. The Bonnie books are now available on www.poppetpress.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.amazon.com and in booksellers and retail outlets in the US and the UK. Please contact Susan Benson to get involved or for further information about carrying the books in your store or website. 352-528-4763, ssportart1@mac.com
Pulitzer prize winning author Jane Smiley and her trainer, Ellen Eckstein, shared information with Equine VIP about their books and commitment to horses. Don’t miss Jane’s comments about the thoroughbred research involved in writing “Horse Heaven”. Ellen’s book “Bringing It Together” is a fascinating approach to a lighter and happier Dressage horse – something we strive for in all disciplines of riding.This installment kicks off Equine VIP’s contest series with sponsor Kerrits Performance Equestrian Apparel. Both Jane and Ellen are equestrians who embody the Kerrits spirit. The contest begins September 1st by watching Jane & Ellen’s Equine VIP video. Three winners will get a Kerrits Cargo Jacket and autographed copy of Jane Smiley’s book “The Georges and The Jewels”. Be sure to register to win at mary@kerrits.com by naming the three books mentioned in the video. www.EquineVIP.com covers all disciplines of riding and horses, because “If It’s About Horses, We Cover It.”For more information: Susan@equineVIP.com. 310-953-1745
Teri Rehkopf’s HorsesintheSouth.com and AHorseBlog.com. The tag line for HorsesintheSouth.com is “Your Southern Source for Everything Horse!” It originally was meant as a regional website, but we have grown far and wide in over 10 years online since we began in 1997 as NorthFloridaHorse.com. As a news aggregator, on a daily basis we receive news and press releases from all over the US, the UK and from the FEI, bringing us thousands of views to our site (over 500,000 hits a month, averaging 8,000 visitor views a day). This gives our banner advertisers a large audience. We have a large member-driven equine directory now offering Lifetime listings. Members can change Premium and Basic Directory listings any time they want. We are always offering banner advertising specials with a package of “freebies” that includes a free Premium listing, a listing in our email newsletter, and more. Our strategy is to improve user experience to improve effectiveness for advertisers. See our current Special on our Sales & Specials page at HorsesintheSouth.com/Sales-Specials. On top of our current special, we are offering ALL WHIA MEMBERS AN ADDITIONAL 15% OFF ADVERTISING. Jump on board with us now; this is the time of year when we really get the views for the WEG news as well as all of the shows in the South that are starting. We also have a free member Calendar of Events. Last, but not least, we have been designing websites since 2000 for equine and non-equine businesses. We are CMS/database/blog developers. Your website can be designed so that you can update it yourself. See the newest redesign of SuncoastBedding.com – they have a full-blown Content Management System.
Next newsletter goes out on September 30th and if you want to put something in please send us NEWS not just ads. Let us know what you are doing in your horse industry business. Remember, our newsletter goes out to 1500 people every two weeks!
Also, send us your member and product spotlights. These services are FREE and it’s a great way to promote you and your company. Send these to whra44@yahoo.com
I had the opportunity to do a short, fun and totally impromptu interview with Dorothy Mueller at the 2010 Stallion Expo sponsored by the Michigan Horse Council in Lansing Michigan at the Michigan State Coliseum on March 13.
Dorothy has been involved with horses for many years. She is a Grand Prix trainer and exhibitor and demonstrates her talents at various expos and horse shows throughout the year. Ironwood Farm is a 20 acre park like training facility is located in Leonard, Michigan.
Included in this video is a brief demonstration of Dorothy’s skill in the discipline of dressage.
Yesterday I had my first booth at a horse expo – Great Lakes Equine Classic. I brought my table with computer and handouts and set up my little corner on the horse expo floor along with all the other vendors. I know, I know – from the photo it looks like this picture could have been taken anywhere. I can attest to it that Teresa from Amberado jewelry (very nice amber jewelry by the way) took the photo on Saturday morning.
Many of the more experienced vendors had glamorous and visually enticing booths for their bountiful products. I enjoyed a few moments to take my own tour around the area and viewed the various horse breeds for the clinics as well as a multitude of equine products available for everyone.
And I might mention, the glorious smells of freshly roasted pecans with cinnamon and brown sugar, hot dogs, popcorn and pulled pork sandwiches filled the air.
I thoroughly enjoyed talking with everyone that stopped by even if they were just curious about my display. Let’s face it, a web-based horse farm management and invoicing software isn’t the most common vendor attraction. I was delighted to see how farm owners’ eyes would light up as I described how easy this software product is to use and how it will enhance their horse boarder’s experience.
I especially liked observing all the activity. So many horse loving people coming out to watch the very informative clinicians speak about their craft. Everyone dressed from warm winter jackets to glamorous western attire were enjoying the plentiful products for sale. It appeared from all the bags and boxes being toted by the attendees, that horse expos are the one-stop shopping place for everything equine.
I look forward to attending and participating in many, many more events of this type. What about you, what horse expos do you plan to attend this year?
Did you know that a horse’s teeth up until the age of 9 years could accurately determine its age? Then the horse becomes ‘smooth mouthed’ and it is a bit harder to determine. A horse gets all its teeth by five years old and after that they just get longer.
Here are a few horse records –
The tallest horse was a Shire at 21.2 hands. His name was ‘Samson’ and was born in England in 1846.
The oldest horse was an English barge horse named ‘Old Billy’ and lived to the ripe age of 62 years, from 1760 to 1822.
A horse named ‘Huaso’ who jumped 8 feet, 1 and ¼ inches on February 5, 1949 in Chile made the highest jump on record.
The record for the longest jump over water is 27 feet, 6 3/4 inches, by ‘Something’, ridden by Andre Ferreira in South Africa on April 25, 1975.
A mule is a cross between a male donkey and a female horse. Mules are usually sterile.
Horses can only breathe through their noses, not from their mouths.
Most foals are born late at night when the herd is most likely at rest.
Horses cannot vomit.
Horses have the ability to lock the muscles in their legs so they can sleep while standing up.
The hoof of a horse, like human fingernails, grows continually and must be trimmed.
Horses produce around 10 gallons of saliva each day and drink approximately ten gallons of water. What goes in; must come out.
Appaloosas come in many patterns and are often born spotless. The spots develop over the first year of life.
Horses are not colorblind but have a limited range of color vision, seeing mostly the warm colors of brown, yellow and green.
Camargue horses are completely white as adults. Their foals are pure black when born.
Appaloosas come in many patterns and are often born spotless. The spots develop over the first year of life.
Horses need about an ounce of salt per day and most will voluntarily consume between one and two ounces from salt blocks.
Draught Horses are the world’s strongest animals apart from elephants.
These are just a few little tidbits that I was able to gather. Do you have more to add?
Horse Expos are always exciting for the young and young at heart horse lovers. Whether you come to learn something new at the various clinics or just to browse around the vendor displays, having fun is the name of the game.
Michigan is preparing for another horse expos from February 12 through 14 at the Great Lakes Equine Classic formerly known as Mid-Michigan Horse Expo in Birch Run, Michigan.
There is a tremendous list of talented clinicians starting with Ryan Gingerich who has developed a training program called Connective Horsemanship. Dorothy Mueller who specializes in training young riders up through Grand Prix will also be presenting. Check out the clinicians list to read more about the vast array of horse professionals.
And for those that want to shop and peruse the latest in horse related merchandise, here is the link to the vendors. I spoke to one vendor in particular – Brian from AmberWay Equine Solutions. He is prepared and ready to display a variety of equestrian products for every horse farm owner. This year’s show is under new management and he is looking forward to a great turn out.
I plan to attend quite a few horse expos this year and will be selling my horse farm software product, LaRaedo, at a few of them.
What horse expos are you planning to attend this year?
I could watch videos like this one all day long. To me the discipline of dressage is simply elegant. To watch the rider and horse perform is like a graceful waltz between to beings that are tied together through a connection of the mind.
This is one of the many reasons why I love to watch horses perform in all the various disciplines. Although they are one of the largest animals to train; they appear so poised it is almost as though they are floating on air.
Do you have any favorite dressage videos that you would like to share with us?
Yep, I’ve decided to get things moving here on the LaRaedo blog. In this post, I’d love to hear from the all those dedicated horse boarders who board their horse with a farm owner that is truly outstanding!
The contest will run for one week, and I will let everyone know in a future post the first name of the lucky winner and the honored farm.
The winner will receive one $25 salt block from www.horsesalt.com. Himalayan Salt Licks! These are mined from eons-old deposits in the Ancient Himalayan Mountains. Your horse will love you for it. And it will definitely brighten your farm owner’s day knowing you care and really appreciate what they do everyday for your horse.
Anyone that owns a horse-boarding farm works tremendously hard for the money. When dealing with live animals particularly those that you have committed to taking care of, day in and day out, sick days are pretty much non-existent. There are lessons, training, cleaning, mucking and on and on. The days are long and arduous even with the best of help.
We all know that there are the basic necessary requirements that must be met in order to board your horse on a farm. Most farms are quite attentive when it comes to properly maintaining the barn, paddocks and arenas. It’s pretty much agreed from the first day of board what the barn rules are and what to expect as far as feed, exercise and stall cleaning.
That is why I have decided to use this post as a contest for all horse boarders to honor those farm owners that have gone above the call of duty. Just leave your comments below and tell us what you have observed that makes you feel that the farm has given your horse the very best of care.
Many times we see things that occur which really strike us as exceptional but get busy with our daily lives and forget to mention our appreciation about any number of notable actions.
And the action doesn’t even have to be anything super big. Some times it’s those little things that farm owners do that really make a huge difference in the lives of the boarders and the service to the horses.
Maybe you’ve noticed them talking gently to the horses or even singing while they muck the stalls. Or perhaps they watched your horse make friends with another horse on the farm and vividly described to you some cute antics.
How about a time that your yearling got loose in the barn and the farm owner gently assisted in rounding him up and back to his stall. It’s these little gems that never seem to get the acknowledgement that they deserve.
There are really so many, many things that the farm owner does everyday that deserves a loud and hearty acknowledgement and here is your chance. Be sure to list the farm name and website so the credit can be recognized.
The next contest will be the other way around – what do horse boarders do on the farm that really makes the farm owner’s day brighter. Stay tuned!
Be sure to leave your comments below for the best farm owner ever!
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