How Horses Bring People Together
I recently celebrated my 63rd birthday with my best friend, Wendy, who has her birthday on the same day. We spent the day doing things together rather than spend money on gifts. We visited the mining town of Cripple Creek, Colorado, and our husbands, Mark and Duke, came along too. This town recently had a mining accident at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine where 23 people were rescued and, sadly, one person died. We decided not to venture down the 1,000-foot vertical mine shaft; turns out that was a good choice. The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine is a tourist attraction to over 40,000 people annually. Founded in 1891, it was a working gold mine until 1961.
Spending meaningful time together with friends and loved ones is better than material gifts. As I get older, I don’t want more stuff. Horses have given my life such purpose and adventure. If it wasn’t for horses and The Northwest Horse Source, I would most likely never have crossed paths with Wendy. Since we met in 2006, we’ve pretty much been inseparable. I even moved to Colorado to continue the adventure near her!
I’m truly grateful for all the friends, people, and horses I’ve met over the years. I even met the famous stallion Peppy San Badger at the Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Texas while at an American Horse Publications seminar held in Amarillo, Texas—one of many memorable trips I’ve taken. Horses and horse people are a blessing in my life. The people in the industry I work in are passionate about their horses and the lifestyle we get to live.
Our cover story this month is about a personable and fun-loving guy named Ed Rosales. I reconnected with Ed at the Northwest Horse Fair & Expo this year. He and his friends had serious fun; I was impressed by how many people ventured into his booth. Ed is an insurance agent with American National Insurance, specializing in equine operations. Read his story this month on page 6. He enjoys what he does and is certainly worth connecting with for your farm and ranching insurance needs.
Finally, have a great holiday season. Christmas is a special time, and the holiday comes and goes before you know it. Enjoy some quality time with family and friends. God bless our horses!
“Life isn’t perfect; any failures you have are actually learning moments. They teach us how to grow and evolve.” – Phillipa Soo
See this article in the December 2024 Online Digital Edition:
December 2024
Owner/Publisher Karen’s lifelong love of horses began at a very early age when she wore out a couple of rocking horses before convincing her parents to get her the real thing. That ill-tempered bay gelding, Brandy, was a challenge for the young horsewoman, but it drove her ambition to become a horse trainer. After attending Canyonview Equestrian College’s Horsemanship Program, Karen realized she needed work that was a little more lucrative than training, so she took a job with Customs Brokerage to pay the bills. There, she discovered an affinity for computers and a talent for creating informative, entertaining newsletters. The Northwest Horse Source began as such a letter in December 1995, with a distribution of 1000 copies for its 12 black and white pages. Now 29 years later, it’s an online magazine and website with a reach of over 10,000 per month and growing! Not bad for the results of one woman’s dream to work with horses!
Today, Karen remains involved with every aspect of the magazine and treasures the community of thousands who share a common passion.
