Clifford of Drummond Island is a splendid horse book written by Nancy J. Bailey.

I cannot remember a time that a book had me crying in the first chapter. If a book can stir my emotions to tears at all I brand it a winner. Isn’t that why we read — to be inspired, tantalized, and whisked away on an adventure beyond our daily routines?

Book excerpt…

…years of dreaming; of countless horse drawings, paintings; dreams of velvet skin stretching over bone and sinew and muscle; of riding like a prairie fire with the wind in my face…

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Too many people over breeding horses. Are you one of them?

Most horse people do not intensionally breed for the horse meat market. BUT everyone in the horse breeding business or hobby needs to realize that any of the horses they sell or give away can end up going to slaughter one day. If not in America, where they are trying to put a stop horse slaughter, then across the border in Mexico. We all have to awake up to the fact that there is an oversupply of horses for the quality-home-horse-riding market. This oversupply ends up in the human food meat market.

I am not against horse breeding, but if you care about the horses you breed then breeding has to be done responsibly — the best horses to the best horses in limited amounts that the riding market can handle. And you should include Read the rest of this entry »

I just discovered a highly educational equestrian blog by Renee Swanepoel at EncyclopediaEquestria.blogspot.com

Each posting looks to be a full length article stuffed with equestrian related information that is well thought out and written. If it sounds like I am impressed, that is because I am. Many horse businesses could be greatly improved by the addition of a blog with articles of this quality.

Yes writing good postings takes time, effort, and research but they help show potential customers what to expect from you, your staff, or your product. The ability to type well wouldn’t hurt either.

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Equine.com now makes it easier to post your AQHA pedigree.

If you sell purebred horses most people are going to want to know the horse’s pedigree information. If you post your horses for sale on the Internet putting in the pedigree info can be a pain and there are chances of typing mistakes.

Now one equine sale site is partnering with a breed association to make posting your horse’s pedigree faster and easier. Here is the news report they emailed to me…

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Equine.Com Partners With American Quarter Horse Association
On Exclusive Certified Pedigree Program

First-of-its-kind initiative offers official identification on animals’ bloodlines, critical to horse enthusiasts

PHOENIX (July 9, 2007) – Equine.com, one of the largest horse marketplaces on the Internet, today announced a partnership with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), to launch a first-of-its-kind certified pedigree program. The initiative allows Read the rest of this entry »

Yes, I said smelling roses not selling roses is good for your horse business.

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Horse Business eZine - Equine Business Marketing Tips for the Busy Business Owner

Delivering ideas, inspiration, and practical marketing information specifically for Equine Related Businesses.

July 2007; Issue #7 Joni Solis, Editor
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Wow, I just discovered that taking the time to smell the roses (literally) can lead to increasing you brain’s power! That doing pleasurable things often enough can stimulate your creativity and actually raise your IQ. Being smart and creative rockets your chances at becoming a more successful business owner.

You have heard or read that stress can cause you to become ill, but did you know that stimulating positive emotions can help you heal and improve your brain’s ability to function more effectively?

OK, so what have you done in the past hour that made you smile or laugh? When was the last time you really stopped and smelled a scented flower? That long ago?

Business life is so fast paced — too much to do and too little time to do it in. I admit it, I try to squeeze the most I can info my work day and that doesn’t always give me a pleasurable day. I toss the emails sent to me with the silly jokes and humorous photos. Too often I sit at my computer for hours on end without taking a break. That is, until my eyes blur and my head pounds with a headache that even aspirins don’t always vanquish. And I love my business, or at least most of it, bookkeeping being one area of stress.

Now I am finding out that I am actually Read the rest of this entry »