Senior Horses and Holiday Wishes
Over the past few months, I’ve really missed my mare April. I bought April as a yearling, and she was nearly 23 years old when she died. She grew up alongside my magazine business, which was just four years old when we began our journey together.
April was a kind filly and all I could have imagined. She did everything I asked of her (except tinsel—she was terrified of anything that glittered and moved). We did reining, cow horse, sorting, extreme trail, and everyday fun-horse stuff. She did it all. Our last big adventure was riding through Yellowstone together.
It wasn’t a surprise that April was nearing the end of her life when we moved to Colorado. She had been plagued with chronic lameness, cancer, and had bouts of mild colic. In February, 2022 she had to be euthanized while I was away at a horse expo.
With horse prices out of my reach and not feeling super motivated to find a horse right away, it was a complete surprise in August to find a beautiful black gelding named Chip in my price range. In September, I brought Chip home. I never imagined having another horse so soon. Chip is a loveable, gentle gelding who is fun to ride and perfect for starting up with another veteran’s program here in Colorado. Chloe (my mini) was happy to have a buddy again too!
I’m excited for you to read this year’s winning entries in our Senior Horse Essay Contest. Farnam stepped up and donated an amazing prize—a $500 gift basket loaded with horse care essentials. If you didn’t enter this year, you really missed out. Plan on entering in 2023! We love our senior horses and it’s always fun to celebrate them each winter.
As we near the end of 2022 I want to thank the advertisers and members that have supported The Northwest Horse Source for nearly 27 years. It has been my pleasure to offer quality content and helpful information to readers. I’d love to hear any comments, questions, or stories about how you’ve used and shared the magazine. Please email me and let me know your experiences and how we might improve our service to readers and advertisers. Email [email protected].
Have an amazing holiday season! Blessings to your family and friends this year. Hug your ponies.
“The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done.“
Arnold Palmer (1929-2016), Professional Golfer
See this article in the November/December 2022 online edition:
Nov/Dec 2022
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.
