modernEQUINE

Proposed by Bill Moroney we probably need to pay attention to this. I've read the document once, but feel like I need to go back and outline the changes for myself to really understand the implications. Things I like: Set standards for horse shows. Things that make me cringe: Eliminating the "B & C" Circuits. Hope to write about it later.



Proposed USEF Rule Change:

http://www.usef.org/documents/ruleChanges/611-09.pdf

One on One with Dixie Chick at Equifest

When I was 10 years old and showing a 16.2h behemoth of a school horse named "Bullwinkle" white ponies were my nemesis. In the Childrens Hunters I was safely sequestered from their evil cuteness, but the equitation ring offered no protection from their adorable guiles. Suited in jods and paddocks - with a mushroom helmet but no garters - and mounted on a large-headed chestnut freight train with a double-twisted wire for protection, Bullwinkle and I were no match for tiny girls in tiny bows and tiny jods appropriately mounted on tiny, solid white ponies. Even if The Moose and I did manage to pull together a halfway respectable trip the subconscious "cute points" earned by pricked ears, a bounding step, and a much more impressive effort over 2'6" fences was unbeatable. There were of course no fewer than six adorable white ponies that cruised our Circuit for what seemed centuries. Each of them could navigate any course in our mainstay North Arena with their eyes closed. They were the Evil White Ponies. Of course it's clear now that by "evil" I meant "ridiculously appropriate" (and by "white" I meant "grey", for you color sticklers), because that's exactly what these ponies were. As confirmed show mounts they went in the ring a laid down the same winning trip every day. They stood by idly, yawning and cocking their weight from one hind leg to the other as they waited for the jog. They were far easier for a 10 year old girl weighing 65 lbs soaking wet to groom, get on, stop, turn, sit, etc. when compared to my Megabeast. They were exactly what a young, learning rider should be mounted on, and that's why they won. I can see this now of course, though I still believe the white ones get even MORE "cute points". And it's good to see they're still out there. We have a couple listed and I had the chance to catch up with white pony veteran "Dixie Chick" late this summer at the Equifest Horse Show at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL . . . . To read the remainder of this article with plenty more details and photos of sale pony Dixie Chick please click here.

ExchangeHJ RSS Feed goes straight to Outlook . . . who knew?

Yeah. I've been a bad blogger. Not that I haven't had stuff to say (for once!) I just keep getting all these pesky horses to advertise. Ha. Of course I'm kidding! Fantastic horses, I just drip with sarcasm. Scares the heck out of me when I write these things, that whole lack of inflection in the written word deal, gotta watch what you say when it's posted into posterity . . . anyhoo . . .

I was playing around with Outlook because the program eternally frustrates me. In the process of messing up about a dozen settings I stumbled across an RSS Feed tab. Now, when I first set Outlook up a half decade ago I didn't know what an RSS Feed was . . . oh the light years I've come. I plugged in the address for our RSS Feed and voila! All our little updates come through just like emails in their own Personal folder. Well, how nifty is that? Thought I'd share with all the other tech challenged folk out there. RSS Feeds for newbies are daunting, what do you do with that little orange box you see everywhere?

 
Behind that little orange box are short, sweet, pertinent updates. They're great, we use them almost daily to post notices on new videos, prices, horse show appearances, etc., and they refresh on our home page in the "ExchangeHJ.com Updates" box.  My problem has always been managing them from other sites, for my own personal use. Now I can get them straight to my inbox, where I spend about half of my life, and there they wait until I get around to them. Bolded and black with the number of unreads blatantly displayed. Within is a brief synopsis and a link to more detail. So much easier than opening a browser and navigating the tangled interweb, which will inevitably distract me with some other ludicrous tidbit, and I'll completely forget why I opened IE in the first place. 

So, without further ado, the instructions for loading our RSS Feed into your Outlook - BTW, I have Outlook 7 . . .

1. Go to "Tools" and select "Account Settings"
2. Click tab "RSS Feeds"
3. Click "New"
4. Enter http://www.exchangehunterjumper.com/exchangehj.xmlin the dialog box
5. Click "Add"
6. Another box will open and ask a bunch of questions. You're fine to just hit "Okay" here.
7. Click "Close" to leave Account Settings
8. Scroll down your Personal folders until you see one called "RSS Feeds" and there should appear a folder within called "ExchangeHunterJumper.com Updates"

Presto! All those updates you've missed from us are there beckoning. This feed is used strictly to promote new media, new horse show appearances, and crucial news about our sale horses. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to help.

So, you have to sell SOMETHING

I meant to include this, along with some other "conclusions", in our last Market Update (see here), but at four pages single- spaced I figured I had likely bored our Sellers enough for one report.

This conclusion is for those of you that truly have to sell an animal (or two or three). Truly have to as in, board/mortgage/feed bills depend on it, and something has Got. To. Go. I know when you look at that herd of money grubbers in the field you already have the likely sale candidates in mind: The OTTB you thought was such a steal two summers ago, Mr. Jack of All Trades that's brought the barn countless ribbons in moderate company, the young jumper that no fence can contain but has a brain as stupid as his scope, the plain bay 3' foot hunter that's just kind of . . . well, eh.

You're willing to cut your losses and part with any of those. Maybe a tear will shed, maybe you love them, but they're never going to achieve your riding goals.  They're choice seems so obvious.

What you are not willing to part with is that gorgeous 4 year old, clipped and gleaming in a sunny, padded paddock all to himself. He just returned from IHF Finals with ribbons and his sanity intact. Within that chromed coat lies all your dreams . . . HOTY, WEF, a dozen acronyms of achievement run through your mind.

You'll live on ramen before you sell him.

So let's think about this: Your secure shelter, the health of your remaining herd, or heck, your kids, depends on a successful sale in the near future.  You have two months of funds for essentials left in savings and bills are already arriving in various shades of red. You have unfortunately given up your right to subjectivity and preference in this decision.

Sellers in this situation need to remove themselves from the equation and evaluate each horse, and the marketing tools that accompany it, objectively. Grab the photo albums, the dvds, log on to USEF and print the records for each horse. Watch every round without bias, critique them and take notes - I use something like a judge's card when I preview videos; noting every tight distance, late change, head toss, ear pin, etc. in the round, and then score appropriately. Go through photos for all of the horses, remembering that one great shot is far superior to four mediocre ones, and set aside any that are suitable for promotion. Take your highlighter to the USEF record and mark any Tricolors or substantial wins/placings. Note any gaps in the record- these are serious alarms to Buyers. Note low ribbons in small company, and honestly consider the value of a win in a class of four. Outline these in a resume for each horse, list their accompanying video scores and collate with the acceptable marketing pictures. Now take a break, preferably overnight, and prepare to strip yourself of any emotion for the rest of the process.

Evaluate your goal: To generate as much money in as little time possible. Evaluate the market: Slow and picky with substantial price reductions across the board for anything less than amazing. Evaluate your stock and the marketing tools that accompany it.

The OTTB you were too busy (or broke) to put a show record on it, and thus has no show photos or video? Expect to get no more than what you paid for it.  

The young jumper that approximately 1 in 50 people can get around? You might have some stellar pictures, but consider the likelihood that you'll find 50 people to give the horse a shot.

The plain bay 3' hunter, safe but has an army of mediocre photos and moves like a sewing machine? Imagine him on a web site next to a dozen other horses with white markings, good knees or a 10 trot. He is absolutely forgettable, the click-through factor is nill. You'll be lucky to get 10K.

What you do have that's actually of worth in a market such as this: Mr. Jack of All Trades: He has 2 truly good photos - not a world beater but form is safe, correct and not unattractive. His record spans 5 years and 3 riders, all of which received their fair share of ribbons and wins. At some point he was state-wide Champion in the Childrens Hunters, while another kid won her Mini Medal Final on him. A monkey can win with him at the Local level, while a savvy rider can learn, move up, and eventually get their feet wet without embarrassment in the Rated rings. He has plenty of show footage to chose from and at least 1 or 2 winning rounds in there. This horse is your quick sale:He won't bring you a ton of money (think $25-50K depending on location and ability to do 3'6", and assuming he can pass the vet), but he is a good guy that any trainer can pick up and keep mounted without adding another tune or 3am lunge to their schedule.

And then there's your baby, your pride and joy, your dream on four legs. Mr. Fancy Pants. He's so gorgeous even a well done head shot will intrigue Buyers enough to click-through. His record is sparse but shows he's traveled well and placed in-hand.  As a 4 y.o. showing for the first time indoors at IHF Finals he's overjumping by a foot-and-a-half in the video, but the fact he jumped around at all, and even better got a ribbon, provides enough encouragement for Buyers to investigate more. He literally floats across the ground and jumps around at home in nonchalant but promising style, so well-shot schooling footage nicely rounds out his media package. This horse is your money-maker. He may not sell as quickly as the cheapie above, but there are still plenty of equestrians out there that haven't been dealt a financial blow in this mess, and they'd love to pick up a quality youngster to the tune of $50-$75K.

Turn the rest of them out on pasture board. Bring in Mr. Jack and Mr. Fancy and keep them tuned, fit and show ring ready. Consider your marketing options and your marketing presentation and spend a weekend putting it all together. Release it to the public and monitor the results. If you are getting no response reevaluate your media and/or your price, or the platform from which you are marketing. Make the necessary adjustments, keep the information up to date, add new photos and details when available. With any luck Jack will find a new home quickly and provide a brief financial reprieve while you await the more moneyed buyer for Fancy.

If you are at the point where a successful sale translates to food on your table you must realize that the most appealing horse to you is also the most appealing horse to Buyers.

Statistical look at current equine sales market: Exchange Report to Sellers

This is a copy of our report to Sellers listed with The Exchange. It discusses prevalent trends in the industry and how they relate to the equine sales market. It also allows our Sellers to measure the success of their marketing campaign against horses of similar type.

Market Evaluation: Data through August 31, 2009 (Click here for a printable PDF of this report)
Welcome to the end of the 2009 Season, one I can describe as tumultuous at best. About a year ago the economy upended and the wealth bottomed out. Industries of all type were forced to reconsider strategies and futures, then adjust their practices to stay afloat. The term “economic stimuli” was coined, spun, and exploited nationwide to disguise prices suddenly half of their former selves. The equestrian industry was not immune.Without resorting to gimmicks like “equinomic stimuli” we have sold horses and weathered the storm fairly well. As we head into what is typically The Season for buying and selling horses there has been a notable surge in activity and interest in the majority of horses listed with us. Here’s what we’ve seen at The Exchange, plus tips on how to present your sale horse in this weakened market.

I. ExchangeHunterJumper.com: The ability to mine the data from our web site reveals interesting trends in the industry.

A. TRAFFIC: Though not without bumps and gurgles traffic has been on the rise overall. August 2009 saw 45,085 visitors to ExchangeHJ.com, up nearly 9% from August 2008. December 2008 recorded the lowest results of the period with 35,906 visitors; reflecting not only the distraction of holidays, but also the complete upheaval of the economy.

1. A year ago the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted over 3000 points between September 8 and October 10, and fell another thousand points to bottom out November 20 at 7552 points, an event worth noting as December posted our lowest numbers of the year.

2. A redesign of the site in January, 2009 saw an immediate 12% spike, bringing traffic totals back to 40,000 visitors for the month.

a. The new design greatly increased the number of pages viewed per visitor: From 48,813 page views in December, to 67,025 in January. August 2009 logged 96,199 page views, an increase of 79% over last year. Visitors are choosing to view 79% more pages (ie: more horses) than they were last year.

3. April traffic set a record high with 44,613 visits and 93,082 page views. Traffic then dropped to 38,820 visitors in June; and then broke another record in August with 45,085 visitors.

a. Puzzling at first these numbers indicate a "summer slump" brought on by school letting out and an overall increase in outdoor activities, including horse shows, that result in a decrease in computer activities and online horse shopping. Unfortunately, our host switched stat programs last year which means numbers from this time period are unavailable for comparison.

B. BEST/WORST DAYS: Monitoring monthly highs and lows for the site and horses, and correlating that data to our marketing activities helps us track the success of our efforts and the patterns of our internet users.

1. Best day each month (most visits recorded):

a. Monday, June 1: 5 horses and the home page logged their monthly highs.

b. Tuesday, July 7 - Wednesday, July 8: 10 horses plus the site logged their monthly highs.

c. Wednesday August 12 - Thursday, August 13: 13 horses and the site logged their monthly highs.

• This was the week after we returned from our large Pony Finals, promotion, which looks to have paid off nicely. Additionally, two of our ponies making Top 10 gave us lots to talk about!

2. Worst day each month (fewest visits recorded):

a. Monday, June 22 - Sunday, June 28: 10 horses, plus the site & home page logged lows this week.

b. Friday, July 3 - Saturday, July 4: 6 horses plus the home page logged lows.

• Holiday landing on a weekend. Next landmark was Saturday, July 25 with 5 horses logging lows.

c. Wednesday, August 26: 8 horses logged lows on this date.

3. Summary: We have only collected data through June for this report and so far patterns are hard to discern, though it seems that the last week of each month is typically slower than the rest. Additional data in our next update will hopefully reveal more details.

C. POPULARITY OF TYPE: Here we compare the popularity of Hunters vs. Jumpers vs. Equitation Horses vs. Ponies

1. Hunters always have, and probably always will be, the most popular Type. Hunters consistently return at least twice as many visits as any other Type.

2. Jumper listings are our second most popular category with Equitation a close third, and every once in awhile stepping into second.

a. We are running very low on Jumper listings and eventually this will affect overall success of this Type. It is the only group that shows the same Daily Average of Visits for August 2008 and 2009, all other Types have increased their Daily Average over that period. We would like to build support for this category and encourage Sellers to list their quality Jumpers and Jumper Prospects - see how we have targeted and built interest for Ponies below. The benefit of listing now is there is very little competition in this category.

3. Ponies have always been our lightest category, in entrants and interest, and we aimed to increase the popularity of this category. A massive promotion for Pony Finals included profiling qualified ponies, extensive social networking , passing out “Equi Cards” at Finals, and follow up reporting on the event, resulting in a 28% increase in Pony interest in August, 2009, up 34% from numbers reported by Ponies in 2008.

D. PRICE RANGES: Possibly the most interesting numbers to compile, popular Price Ranges can tell us not only about the state of the equine Buyer, but also about the economy in general. Here are some factors to keep in mind as you consider the results:

• Due to its popularity, and thus large quantity of data, I have selected Price Ranges among Hunters for comparison.
• Just as it affects the popularity of Type described above, the number of horses available in any one Price Range will affect its popularity to some degree. We currently have a very strong showing of 6 Figure Hunters.

1. The Low 5 Figure Price Range (Under 25K) remains our most popular category but showed recent decline, down 13% from August, 2008 numbers.

a. I view this as a good thing. It has never been our desire to solicit this range of Buyer, which shows evidence of more window shoppers, hopeful children, and backyard types than others. I don’t mind listing the show pony or older horse stepping down, or the quality youngster, but our focus remains on horses suitable for competition at a USEF Rated venue. This decline in lower end interest shows our site continues to distinguish itself as a portal for the more quality horse.

• While decline in interest for other Price Ranges paralleled the “Summer Slump” (see Section I.3.a), both the Low 5 Figure and Low-Mid 5 Figure Price Ranges dropped more dramatically, suggesting many of its visitors suddenly spent less time at the computer, such as happens when school lets out.

2. The 6 Figure Price Range is the second most popular range on our site. It has grown almost steadily over the past year, up 22% from August 2008, and averages 11 visits each day.

a. Only about 50% of our visitors elect to further sort horses by price once they hit the gateway “Hunters All” page, so this survey tracks only 50% of buyer activity. It can be safely assumed that the average popularity of our 6 Figure horses is actually higher than 11 visits per day.

b. The 6 Figure Range has often battled the Low-Mid 5 Figure Range for 2nd place in the popularity rankings, often matching it but never surpassing it. April 2009 showed the 6 Figures first triumph in this battle, and it has held the 2nd place position consistently for the past 3 months (June, July, August).

c. I’m very impressed with these results overall. Aside from attending a horse show their are few opportunities to expose your horse to the interest of multiple 6 Figure inquiries each and every day.

3. The High 5 Figure Range concerns me: It is down 50% from the totals it was pulling in August 2008, and is currently tied for least popular Price Range in the Hunter Type.

a. Popularity of the High 5 Figure range has dropped from third to sixth place in our site rankings over the past year. Combined with the rise in 6 Figure interest, historically a range less affected by economic downturn, I believe this to be the biggest tell on our economy. Many in this range lost considerable worth over the past year; home value, stock market, layoffs, etc, and others finally recognized the extent to which they were living beyond their means. As several factors suggest, including declined attendance at horse shows all season, many of our previously prominent equestrians have been forced to either forego their equine hobbies altogether, or budget them far more strictly.

• Things may be looking better: Traffic in the High 5 Figure range showed a welcome increase in August which brought numbers back to pre-recession levels. Additionally, Seller reports from September include a successful sale plus an offer on a horse in this price range.

II. Social Media:
This will be our first evaluation of the effect of Social Media and Viral Marketing on sale horse interest, and in truth it’s my first foray into the field also. I am already more familiar with the concept, and more aware of the nuances, than when I began with this new marketing science in February, and I expect future returns to be even more impressive. I’m also still figuring out the best way to track the results and hope to flush the information out with more details in the future.

A. Visits to ExchangeHunterJumper.com were tracked from the following mediums since February:

1. Facebook: We currently have 286 “Fans” on Facebook, a number that grows weekly. Thus, our updates automatically appear on 286 pages; it is seen by the fan and by any of the fan’s friends that happen to wander by. Since February, 2,276 visitors have followed Facebook updates to horses on ExchangeHJ.com.

a. Ads on Facebook brought a rapid increase in fan base and we will run these promotions periodically.

2. Twitter: We currently have 387 “Followers” on Twitter and efforts have resulted in 298 visits to ExchangeHJ.com from Twitter.com

a. This is depressingly low for a platform that’s been raved about incessantly in the media for several months. The jury’s still out on Twitter, but my sneaking suspicion is it’s a fad.

b. However, because “Tweets” are composed from a variety of platforms that are not Twitter.com (Tweetdeck & HootSuite to name a few), and because links are run through a shortening service such as “bit.ly” (which turns a link with 70 characters into 25 characters, so it can fit within Twitter’s allotted 140 character maximum), there may be a flaw in the number of referrals from Twitter tracked through our statistics, and it could be a great deal larger. I am researching the details on this.

3. ModernEquine: This is our new blog, which I’ve finally found increased vigor for. I hope to make more impressive use of this medium over the next term but my few measly posts since February have encouraged 220 visitors to click over to ExchangeHunterJumper.com.

4. Chronicle of the Horse Bulletin Board: This still reigns as the most centralized and populated location of show horse enthusiasts on the web, and I make as much use of it as Forum rules allow . . . which is simply the existence of our web site URL in my signature. Sometimes, also, a popular horse will be mentioned there and Exchange traffic will soar. Since February we have tracked over 2,600 referrals from COTH to ExchangeHunterJumper.com.

B. In total, Social Networking & Viral Marketing delivered over 5,400 visitors to ExchangeHunterJumper.com; of this number 28% were new visitors to the site, and users viewed an average of 5.63 pages while visiting.

III. Movers & Shakers:
Here we recognize some of the more successful Campaigns over the past few months. Refer to the numbers on your horse’s Marketing Report to estimate the success of your Equine Marketing Campaign. If your horse’s numbers are posting far below our examples please contact us about what can be done to bring interest back up.

A.Top Performers:

First Month: By High	Second Month: By Average	Third Month: By Average	Fourth Month by Average
As You Wish: High 267 (April)	Cardoso: Avg. 36 (High 58)	As You Wish: Avg. 38 (High 86) (Sold Month 4)	Shiloh’s Way Too Pretty: Avg. 27 (High 72)
Likewise: High 183 (April)	Artlandis: Avg. 28 (High 56) (Sold Month 3)	Cardoso: Avg. 29 (High 71)	Henk: Avg 22 (High 40)
Artlandis: High 164 (May)	As You Wish: Avg. 25 (High 49)	Henk: Avg. 22 (High 46)
Ashton: High 146 (July)	Ashton: Avg. 25 (High 41)	Odyssey: Avg 21 (High 44)
Lucky Jack: High 145 (March)	Don’t Think Twice: Avg. 24 (High 55)
Don’t Think Twice: High 137 (July)	Bond Girl: Avg. 22 (High 38)
Cardoso: High 137 (June)	Henk: Avg. 22 (High 37)

• Number of days in a horse’s “First Month” of marketing can vary depending on date listing was submitted. This variance skews Daily Average for that month as horses listed for only 14 days have drastically higher averages than others due to initial popularity. Thus, “First Month” is sorted by that month’s record high, while the remaining months are sorted by horses recording the highest average of visitors each day (with the record high in parenthesis).

1. To qualify as a Top Performer Month 1 a horse must receive at least 135 visits in one day during the first month of marketing. The average high for all horses studied in this report was 116 visitors in one day. Low Performers in this category achieved highs in the 60s, both of these horses are jumpers.

a. I have separated results for ponies as they receive less attention overall: Top Performing Ponies for Month 1 include: Andromeda: High 117 (May); Believe in Blue: High 98 (August); Pennies from Heaven: High 93 (May). Average high for ponies included in this report was 76 visitors in one day. Low performers in this category achieved highs in the 50s.

2. To qualify as a Top Performer any other month horse must average 20 or more visitors each day.

a. This becomes increasingly difficult with each month that passes if listing is never updated with fresh media and information. Please continue to update us on your horses, we’d like to see this number increase across the board.

b. Results measure horses registered in the new Campaign format. Currently there are not many with 4 months of marketing under their “girth”, and the latter columns should flesh out in the next report.

B. Notable Campaigns:

1. Cardoso & Henk routinely remain in the top spots each month. Both of these horses are advertised as suited for hunters, equitation and jumpers and so are featured in all categories. Clearly, versatility is an asset.

2. Shiloh’s Way Too Pretty: This pony has achieved a site record - she is the first listing to ever top their first month’s high in a later month, a success no doubt achieved in correlation with a top finish at Pony Finals.

a. Pretty began her listing as a green pony with an okay picture and a lackluster First Month high, but bounced back with new pictures from each show and constant updates to her page. The culmination, plus the publicity we were able to drive with the Pony Finals success, was a record high of 72 visits in one day in the 4th Month of marketing, and a jump in her Daily Average from 17 visits per day Month 3, to 27 visits per day Month 4, and quite a bit of recent Buyer interest in this pony.

3. Broc on Broadway: A plain bay pony in Canada is not the easiest sale we have, but we’ve been kept updated on where this pony will be and notified of his success all summer, which, admittedly, has been a lot. The result is an impressive average of 16 visits each day for Months 3 & 4, and monthly highs of 41. These highs rank among the top results for those months among ponies and horses. I also have confirmed interest in this pony.

4. Bond Girl: Great example of what good pictures will do for your listing. Not our fanciest horse but came with several attractive, quality photos plus a series of shows to promote for the summer, and made the Top Performer list Month 2.

IV. Sales & Interest:

A. Sales: Three horses and two ponies have reported confirmed sales since July for a combined total of nearly $.5 million. An additional two horses were placed in a contracted lease-to-buy situation which is scheduled to expire soon and will bring total sales to over $800,000.

B. Interest: After a very strong July, August was especially quiet despite large increases in site traffic. September quickly picked up with inquiries to The Exchange from Buyers looking in the 6 Figure price range each week. Two of our Large Ponies have been sat on and one is scheduled to go out on trial plus has additional interest lined up. Another Large Pony has confirmed interest with a request for DVDs, and had previously reported other serious interest this summer. Two of our Sellers are dealing with very slow moving Buyers; a Hunter that finally did sell, and a young Jumper that’s been tried and loved but is still waiting for commitment. A 6 Figure Hunter in the northeast has been ridden twice, gone on trial and is awaiting vetting, and I have 6 Figure Jumper Buyers heading that direction for a trial in two weeks. Two of our Chicago area barns have reported lots of interest and potential for trials in the next few weeks - our great support in Chicago means there are a half dozen horses to visit here, and this is clearly working in our clients’ favor. A client in the Southeast just reported two inquiries in one day on her Mid-High 5 Figure horse, and an offer on a High 5 Figure horse that is not too far off of the most recent asking price.

(Click here for a printable PDF of this report)

Hello Dead Horse, meet overly wielded stick.

Hello Dead Horse, meet overly wielded stick. :bangsheadondesk:

That was almost my post on COTH, but I don't have the energy to wade through those murky waters right now. I give COTH some credit for legitimacy and some credit for entertainment value, but otherwise it just rotates the same discussions over and over and over again. With the exception of finding "stolen" horses, digging up an "Olympic" record on some pour rescued soul (there's a reason those words are in quotes), or dredging up one of the greatest PR campaigns the industry's ever seen (tee-shirts and everything! no quotes there), that darn forum seems incapable of emotionless evaluation of some of the sports biggest problems, and thus incapable of producing any headway on them.

Clearly emotion is what led to the success of their other endeavors. That one emotion, that only emotion that actually gives them ANYTHING in common - the love of the horse. In the situations above the answers were clear, the line in the sand obvious as was the side on which most would stand. Easy cheesy captain squeezy.

But this industry is facing some serious hurdles ahead, and any ability to discuss it in a non-personal, objective fashion is lost on that group. Inevitably they rehash each side of the coin, over and over, until someone takes offense. Posts and/or posters are ignored at random or at will. Clear, concise, productive statements are boring if there's nothing to argue in them, and they sit dormant in a thread until someone returns to poke a stick at the other side. My story is this, my story is that, my friend's/DDs/DHs/SO/Olympic trainer's story is this . . . the story is as I say it is. no, the story is how I say it is . . . on and on . . . it's exhaustive.

We all know the stories, we can recite them in our sleep by now. Stories demonstrate the presence of the problem, and reflect the many perspectives of the problem, but they don't solve a thing. Now the actual facts need to be noted and the rest of it dropped. We need to cut to the stark, bare bones of the problem(s) and leave the troublesome, subjective fat at the door.

If only it were so easy. The thing is, a discussion forum should be a great venue to address issues freely and with as much input as possible from the public, but their disorganized, free-for-all nature and tendency for gab lacks the necessary structure for a productive discussion to take place. It's like we need a Robert's Rules of Order for the internet forum.

Can this modern technology actually pull the unheard together towards a common cause? Or will we continue to just spew the bytes of our life across the internet under some false impression someone cares? As I'm quite possibly doing now? Could a forum that set out with a goal of productive discourse, that set rules and guidelines of discussion, and provided a structured framework on which to hold that discussion, actually produce an argument coherent and powerful enough to make an impression on the powers that be? Or would it just devolve into idle chit-chat, fashion questions, and gossip?

Modern Media: Exposing the Honest Seller

I'm no fool. When the idea for this company first arose the thought of taking a bunch of random trainers at their word was daunting. I created an extensive Fact Sheet that querried the necessary details and attempted to shine light through any "holes". I used discrimination and intution with no regard or apologies. I armed myself with background details and discreet personality checks. I took every precaution I could think of and then formed and LLC to take care of the inevitable.

I still wait for the inevitable, its ugly head has yet to rear. I'm speaking of the dishonest Seller, of course. One that checks the "Never stops" box on a horse with firstfencitis, or gives me a ReGreen pony with a name change to sell. Those trainers of the ilk Tom Selleck just walloped in court. Or worse.

By the way, what idiot stiffs a celeb with documented riches and thus the means to fight back? A dirty horse trainer apparently, though Buyers nationwide are rejoicing her poor choice in "schmucks".

Fortunately the inevitable is becoming steadily less . . . evitable (word? no idea) as we go on. I can now list multiple repeat Sellers in our Service, trainers that have come back 3, 4, 8 times to sell horses. As awesome as that speaks for our success the welcome feeling is that of familiarity. The relief that I've seen and often met their horses before, sometimes I've even ridden them.  I've watched their show results for some time, witnessed them take Babies through First Years and produce good-brained beasts. More importantly, I've sold their horses and have documented reports back from Buyers that the horses are indeed performing as described. Yes!

This here is Boghati. Boghati was sold through Exchange interest 3 years ago for our repeat Seller Kim Barone (see Kim's horses at Raven Ridge Farm). Cool thing about Kim, her horses always have crazy names that are easily memorable years down the road. Thus, imagine my surprise when I stumbled across a "Boghati" in a stall at the barn I'm riding at these days. Peered in and sure enough, there was that crooked blaze.

Turns out Boghati's new mom is so incredibly thrilled with him that they have tracked down a son he sired several years ago, while he was - obviously - still a stallion. They've purchased this promising 3 y.o. and left him at the breeders where Boghati was raised and broke, wanting to mimic the same solid foundation he'd had. Boghati's trainer wrapped up the conversation with, "He's everything Kim said he would be".

Kim is now welcome to send me donkeys to sell. If she says it can do x, y, z and win the hack I believe her.

Kim's not the only Seller I'll vouch for either, we have several trainers that have proven their good reputation through buyer reports backs as well as my own personal experience with their barn, horses and program. And I think that's one of the truly unique things about The Exchange: Other sites bear no responsibility for who can place an ad. They've never spoken to the seller and frankly are completely useless in trying to track a bad seed down, should you be the one stuck with bad seed's horse, purchased off an ad on BigBoxHorses.com.

Modern Equine = Modern Exposure. If you want to play in the sandbox of technology you better be sure you're comfortable with the skeletons in your closet, because they're most likely coming out. As soon as you put something linkable on the Internet you have opened the doors for people to take that information, photo, video and put it whereever they please. Places where opinions and chatter aren't so cloistered.

I think Sellers fearful of their skeletons steer clear of our Service, and the more successful and popular we become the further away they steer. I'm too upfront with questions regarding the horse they've given me, too involved in the finer details of what a horse can or cannot do, too active in the Buyer's presence. Our web site is very well known and I'm constantly chasing down sites our stats show link to our pages, which generally takes me to various Discussion Boards across the web. I search furtively through posts and pages until I find the link to one of our horses, and then hold my breath and wait for the internet vultures to rip on the reputation of our horse or client. But it's never happened. Out of the dozens of posts around the web our horses have been featured in the unsolicited comments have always restated exactly what I already knew - or hoped I knew - to be the case, and the reputation of the associated trainer has never been questioned or slandered.

Again, I'm not a fool. I'm not nieve enough to think every Seller we have represented, do represent, or will represent (gee, can you tell I've been writing legal contracts all weekend?) will open their disclosure chest, offer Buyers a 3 week trial, and agree to accept a horse back if he so much as shits a bit more to the left than the Seller let on. But I do think the modern information age is breaking down the cloak that has shielded certain parts of this industry for decades, and I think that is a lovely unintended consequence of my work and the work of other Modern Equestrians. I mean really, who's going to buy a horse from Dolores Cuenca now?

Business "threeways"

I watch Top Chef. I don't watch much tv but this I'm oddly fascinated with. Once in awhile a chef will showcase whatever ingredient he's been saddled with that week "threeways", and out will pop three perfectly distinguishable interpretations of a potato. At least they seem perfect until host Tom Collichio and whatever cooking god he's graced with that week get hold of it.

Today I was served business "threeways". Each a dish of its own making, its fate somehow cooked in by its creator.  I live in a fantastic area of Chicago- a tree lined street off a disgustingly perfect boutique lined street called Southport, and just south of a disgustingly noisy grimy scaffoldy street called Irving Park (achieving a nice balance I find suitable to live in). A welcome cafe opened up on this thoroughfare known as Irving Park about a year ago. Appropriately it was entitled "Urban Cafe", had a whimsical urban skyline logo, and was owned by - how perfect - Jenny Urban. It was hip and unpretentious - which in Chicago is not one and the same. Artwork lined the walls and any piece could be had for a fair price. It was also less than two blocks from my front door.

As far as I could tell Jenny manned the grill the 6 days a week it was open. Production assistant Ellie and I went there often in the beginning, too often, and eventually I was forced to remember I don't have a limitless supply of money. I was really rooting for the place: Everything about it was original and inspired and you could feel the passion behind it. I'd endured that same passion, and the frightening need to make something of it, and I was banking on a success story out of this. But the cards were stacked in noticeable, towering piles. Irving Park is a no stop zone, it's purpose largely to shuttle folks from the Kennedy Expressway to Wrigley Field and back again. There is no parking. Well, there's some, but I dare you to be That Guy cruising 15mph looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack with 20 commuting Chicagoans behind you. Urban Cafe sidled up nicely to a tattoo parlor - eclectic meets eclectic - but two storefronts beyond the parlor were vacant. And the weird "Negro Gato" mainstay, with its black painted windows, finally closed up earlier this year. Today I showed up for the first time in awhile and was greeted with the dreaded words "Officially closed for business". Sadly my heart was already sinking on approach . . . when I noticed the neon sign was silent . . . and I knew it wasn't Monday . . .

It hit me a harder than I expected it to. We wandered around the corner to fancy Deleece, refusing the convenient, budget friendly Subway just up the street. We could have also gone to the Subway located 3 blocks the other direction. Or the Subway 3 blocks the other direction. From my front stoop you could literally blindfold me, spin me silly and boot me off in any given direction and I will eventually run into a Subway.

Subways seem to be everywhere, physically and metaphorically. Deep-rooted conglomerates that seem to have a corner on capitalism. If your in the java industry they're called Starbucks. If you're in the hardware industry they're called Home Depots. If you're in the electronics industry they're called Best Buy. If you're in the equestrian marketing industry they're called Phelps Media.

Dish #2 in this course will finally put an end to the bad food analogies. Sorry about that. I learned recently of someone I know enlisting the promotion assistance of Phelps and I'm thrilled for a chance to view the action up close and personal. Mason Phelps, Grand Poobah of this publicity machine, has roots so deep in this industry he's practically growing trees in China.

Now, Mason's been at this more years than I've been alive. He has contacts, advantages, venues and capital that far surpass the average young start up, as he no doubt should. With them he is able to exploit every avenue of exposure, man every major horse show in the country, and count on an unlimited number of contacts for support as they've all been friends for decades. For the benefits of these advantages his clients pay a rumored couple thousand each month. I, on the other hand, have a difficult time finding clients willing to pay $500 for 6 months of marketing on an animal they are asking $150,000 for. 

Dish #3 is me, actually. Kickin' it in the middle of one giant failure and one obvious success. A mess of mashed potatoes to the left and a masterpiece of gratin dauphinois on my right (whoops, guess I lied about the food analogies). Forced to realize my roots barely pierce the earth's crust, but also grip with a tenacity I can only hope suffices. Saddened by the fall of a fellow entrepreneur but hopeful from the progress I can see on the other side. Learning from both: How not to fail, and how to go beyond just not failing.

We can be louder than ever. Now maybe someone will listen.

Look back at our struggle for freedom, trace our present day's strength to it's source; and you'll find that man's pathway to glory is strewn with the bones of the horse. ~Author Unknown

If you're on Twitter or otherwise plugged into the social internet then you might have heard about this. Though as far as I can tell no one is talking but for a handful of horse people on twitter and a few struggling conversation veins on facebook, youTube and the blogosphere.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is rounding up hundreds of horses on the wild western plains. Horses who are stars on TV but have no celebrity status. They have finally captured the stallion Cloud and hold him behind bars. Sadly, when the 3rd installment of his PBS series airs later this year the horses it features will no longer be free. This show was meant to document one of the last living freedoms of the west, now it's a history lesson.

Over the decades we equestrians have lost land and trails because our voice hasn't been loud enough. Our numbers were too meek to pull any political clout. Enter modern media.

Let them know our numbers aren't meager, we are not such a minority that they can afford to ignore us. Attempts to organize equine interests on a large scale have historically failed because of networking barriers, our classic self-interest bubble backfiring and secluding us from the help of the outside world. Those limitations are gone. For every Facebook equestrian there are 20-100+ normal people they are friends with, nonequestrians but nonetheless human beings that would likely not stand for this if they knew about it. The USEF page alone has over 8000 fans. A simple status update by equestrians nationwide would tug at the heart strings of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Americans who just love to get viral about things. Americans who know other Americans. Americans who just might have some power.

I love me a beautiful bald eagle but are these horses not as sacred as that bird? What'd that bird ever do for us except soar over our heads and remain perpetually out of reach? The wild mustang is not just a symbol of freedom, it is the back upon which modern man rode in.

There's plenty of information (and misinformation) out there, a lot of shady connections here and there, some possible hints as to the real motivations behind the herd removal . . . let's just say it ain't all about moo cows. No need for me to repeat what's already out there. I'm here to promote the use of modern media in the equestrian industry and this is a prime example of why. I've seen COTH rescue singular horses in a matter of hours, let's rescue an entire genetic tree of the equine species and show that we will not be pushed around like some voiceless minority with no impact on the world.

Action Updates at the Cloud Foundation: http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/index.php/action-alerts

Additional updates are posted on their blog here: http://thecloudfoundation.wordpress.com/

You can sign the petition here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/stop-the-massive-removal-of-cloud39s-wild-horse-herd

Be creative with your own status update or copy this for ultimate ease:

Look back at our struggle for freedom, trace our present day's strength to it's source; and you'll find that man's pathway to glory is strewn with the bones of the horse . . . STOP the round up of wild horses based on questionable premises and at great expense to the American tax payer. Visit and do what you can: http://thecloudfoundation.wordpress.com/

Them good ole days

(NOTE: I wrote this last week on my laptop right before my wireless went out and didn't get around to transferring it to the hard wired desktop so I could post . . . so the timing references are somewhat obsolete.)

The Cubs might have pulled off a win last night but that was certainly not the case Tuesday night when they suffered a double-digit loss to the Nationals.

Don't hit your browser's back button, you aren't in the wrong place, this isn't the Modern Baseball channel.  I'll keep the references short and sweet but living 4 blocks from Wrigley Field means baseball's bound to leak into this blog from time to time.

Anyway- As the Cubs are getting a Blagojevichian style smackdown our beloved WGN broadcaster Ron Santo bemoans the days of yore . . . and I, as usual, pray our damn team doesn't give this decent man a heart attack. He blames enormous salaries for robbing the motivation  of players and laments how money, not sport, has become the driving passion. He compares the number of games completed by starting pitchers in his day to today's habit of using 3-5 pitchers up in one game.  This comes a week after our star pitcher Carlos Zambrano admitted, publicly, to being little more than a lazy bench potato.

Here I thought indoor arenas, related distances and the crest release were responsible for everything wrong in the world today, but it turns out enthusiasts everywhere are seeing changes in their sport, and some are reconsidering the paths we took to get here.  I came across a story where a stallion mistook the show ring for the breeding shed and the blogger simultaneously digressed into a critique of the modern Western Pleasure division (here). Apparently this class originally developed to establish basic show ring manners on a young horse, but has become an end to its own means.  I'll admit to not understanding this rather boring parade of sparkles and fringe called Western Pleasure, so its nice to know there was originally a legitimate purpose for it.

Sound familiar? If you're circling any of the current Hunter Jumper debates you recognize the suggested evils I mentioned above. You can also add to that warmbloods, full-service care, and saddles that have any form of blocks or padding. Running parallel to this debate, though in my mind intrinsically linked, is the dawning realization that shows are seemingly dominated by the under 3' levels. These divisions - Baby Green, Novice, even the Ch/AA Hunter & Jumper classes - were created as stepping stones for riders and horses, but they too have become an end all for some competitors.

I could travel in a million directions from here: There is much to explore and a panoramic picture to consider if assessing the state of equestrian sport and I'd like to grab a wink or two tonight. But after hearing Ron lament what has happened to the "all American past time", and seeing an almost identical argument in the western world, I am reminded that change is inevitable and no one/sport/industry is impervious. That evolution will continue to happen, even if we choose to ignore it.