New Life for The Northwest Horse Source
by Karen Pickering
April is my favorite time of year. Everything is new, plants are budding, flowers are pushing up through the dirt, and green grass is growing. Time to leg up that horse for spring and summer activities!
I’m heading to the Idaho Horse Expo in Nampa April 12–14. I’m excited to get out for a road trip, just me and my dog. I look forward to seeing our customers and readers in the Idaho region. If you can make it to the show, stop by our booth and say hi!
It’s also a new season for The Northwest Horse Source Magazine. It seems as though our world has evolved into the age of electronics and internet shopping. Social media has become the new medium for communication. People can share ideas, stories, post items for sale or become lost in the sea of never-ending chatter and conversations.
I still choose to embrace the paper medium for books and magazines. There’s a sense of permanence, credibility, and relaxing atmosphere around sitting down to read something that is not electronic. Magazines can go in the truck on trips where there’s no cell reception and offer a quiet escape from pop-ups and alerts that stalk us while we’re online.
Don’t get me wrong—I have my iPhone, tablet, laptop and desktop around me most of the time. But I long for that quiet getaway where there’s no cell service or even power. Do you still read print magazines and books?
Even with the age of digital, NWHS has managed to survive and is slowly morphing into more online resources, most recently our online business directory. You can list your horse business, add images, share information, link to social media and more. The best part is combining your listing in both print and online! We’re running a special through the end of April so check it out at www.nwhorsesource.com/business-directory.
I want to thank those who have completed our recent 2019 Reader Survey. It’s been interesting to see the responses. We’ll share an overview of what we find later this summer. Meanwhile, be sure and read our cover story on page 6. We have an amazing equestrian facility not far from where I live that has quite a story.
Lastly, I’m looking for a new horse to ride. My mare, April, has been that once-in-a-lifetime horse but she’s slowing down. She’s only 19 but her days of competing are over. She will always have a home with me, and we’ve made some great memories together, but it’s time to find a new ride.
Quote: “The wiser mind mourns less for what age takes away than what it leaves behind.”
~ William Wordsworth – 1770-1850 – Poet
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.
