Today, most of us depend on email for several modes of communication. In business, email helps to provide clear details, information, and instructions that wouldn't be possible over the phone. In our personal lives, email serves to send quick updates and photos to family and friends around the world. But much like we all had to learn the "rules" for phone message machines, there are a couple of guidelines to keep in mind with email:

1. Always Reply

Emails that ask for some kind of response should receive a response. Even if you have to say, "Thanks for your email. I'll get you an answer in a couple days," it helps the communication process.

2. Re-Read Your Message Before Sending

Especially in business correspondence, poorly crafted text can be distracting. Re-reading the original email also helps you not miss important details. It can be rather tedious if you answer one of someone's questions, but not another.

 
3. Include the Original Message in Your Reply

This helps everyone keep track of the history of the conversation, and can often be turned on as an automatic feature in your email account.

4. Use a Meaningful Subject Line

For most of us with hundreds of messages in our inboxes, this is essential to keeping track of messages.

5. Never Reply to Spam

This is the time to ignore rule #1.  It will simply spur on the bad guys and you'll receive thousands more.

6. Don't be Afraid of Short Emails

Sometimes a long, well-crafted response is not required. Be concise and personal.

The bottom line is that email is a great tool for communicating, but it doesn't give us an excuse to communicate poorly.

Speaking of communication, I asked some of the most "horsey" people I know for their favorite equine websites. They are:
www.myHorseMatters.com
www.Rods.com
www.Horse.com

Remember, www.nwhorsesource.com also has links to hundreds of different equine websites in their Community section.