Smith, Kathy Articles

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It’s now nearly 150 years since the Great Chicago Fire, which, according to popular legend, broke out after Catherine O’Leary’s infamous milking cow kicked over a lantern in the barn on the night of October 8, 1871. The resulting barn fire, aided by the wind, destroyed three square miles of the City of Chicago, killing approximately 300 people, destroying 18,000 buildings, and leaving 100,000 people – a third of the city’s population – homeless before it was finally brought under control the next day.

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Iceland is a small island nation located at the juncture of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, between Greenland and Norway. It has a population of around 364,000 people, many of whom live in the capital city of Reykjavik in southwest Iceland. The country has a unique geography, characterized by volcanic mountains, glaciers, plains, waterfalls, geysers, hot springs, and black sand beaches. It is also home to a diverse array of wildlife. Yet, one of the most notable features of Iceland is its horses.

horse business parenting, equine entrepreneur parenting, children horse farm

Being a parent in a demanding horse industry career is challenging and incredibly rewarding at the same time. Many horse industry parents are making it work, but no one really knows what it takes and how they’ll balance the concurrent demands of parenting with the obligations of their career until they’re actually doing it.

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Sergeant Reckless was a small Mongolian mare who held official rank in the United States military. She was estimated to be three or four years old when purchased by the United States Marine Corps for $250 in October 1952. She was trained to be a pack horse and used to carry ammunition and supplies for the Recoilless Rifle Platoon of the 5th Marine Regiment.

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"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed."-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - When Dorothy Brooke, the wife of a British army major general, arrived in Egypt in 1930, she became aware of the fate of thousands of former war horses that had faithfully served the British army during World War I. Born in the United Kingdom, these horses were shipped overseas to serve in the war and had not returned home. Those that survived were now living a life of crippling hardship as working horses on the streets of Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt. She decided to do whatever was necessary to ease their suffering.

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For acquiring customers and building brand engagement, advertising is a time-tested essential. The following strategies will help you write better, more effective copy for print and online advertising, and increase the response to your advertising message. Several inspired and award-winning ad examples are included to start your creative juices flowing.

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In recent weeks there has been talk of a coming economic slowdown. If and when it comes, how long it will last, and how much of a downturn there will be remains to be seen, but often during such times businesses cut back on their marketing and advertising, fearing declining revenues.

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With the start of the new year, many of us are thinking about setting goals and making changes for the coming year. As a horse industry business owner, you may have some major resolutions in mind for the year ahead. Perhaps you need to invest in technology to improve efficiency, develop and market a new product or service, or improve your social media marketing.

equine skin cancer, equine melanoma, equine sarcinoma, skin cancer horses

Nothing to horse around with - Be on the lookout for the three most common skin cancers afflicting horses and contact your veterinarian promptly if you find suspicious lumps or bumps. Skin cancer is the most prevalent type of equine cancer, accounting for up to 80 percent of all cancers reported.

Mud fever, equine pastern dermatitis, horse greasy heel, equine skin disease, fungi infection horse

Mud fever, also known as scratches, pastern dermatitis, and greasy heel, is a common equine skin disease affecting the lower limbs, particularly the back of the pasterns and the bulbs of the heels. The ailment is most prevalent during autumn, winter, and early spring when horses are more likely to spend prolonged periods of time standing in wet, muddy conditions where the bacteria and fungi that cause mud fever thrive.

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When Pasture is Too Much of a Good Thing - The horse has evolved as a grazing animal, hence, pasture plays a pivotal role in equine nutrition. Reported intakes of fresh pasture by horses can range from 1.5 to 5.2 percent of body weight per day. With such a large intake of pasture possible, can horses overconsume? What components of pasture grass can cause problems if taken in at excessive levels?

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Flies can be a major nuisance to your horse during the summer months, and can also carry diseases and cause allergic reactions. But your horse doesn’t have to simply put up with the winged pests causing him stress, skin reactions, or worse.

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Parents of horse-crazy kids and other prospective beginners often feel at a loss as to how to get involved with horses and make the best choices in an industry they know little about. At the same time, the number of participants in the equestrian community has been steadily declining in recent years, and the increase in the average age of those remaining involved points to a strong need to encourage new people to enter the horse industry.

magazine advertising, canadian horse magazines, canadian horse journal, horse community journals, horse publications in canada

Is Your Business Missing Out? I am going to share some good information from an interesting article I found in Entrepreneur.com, describing the benefits of print media and how many business owners are missing out when not utilizing print. Although some marketers dismiss print as obsolete and unnecessary, it just could be the most powerful marketing medium in your toolbox.

buying a horse property, living with horses, living on a horse farm, buying a horse farm, building a horse farm, building an equine property

Many horse people yearn to leave the city behind, believing that the country provides opportunities for a more natural lifestyle, a slower pace, and a chance to fulfill lifelong dreams such as keeping their horses at home, growing a big garden, and enjoying a healthier way of life.

barbaro rehabilitation, barbaro treatment, equine rehabilitation, horse boken bone, broken leg horse, western college of veterinary medicine, wcvm

Researchers and engineers in Saskatchewan hope a robotic lift system will help to improve the odds for horses recovering from limb fractures and other traumatic injuries. The scientists, who are all from the University of Saskatchewan (U of S), have teamed up with RMD Engineering, a local Saskatoon engineering and manufacturing company, to design and build the unique technology. The lift will help rehabilitate horses suffering from acute injuries and other musculoskeletal problems by providing mobility, weight distribution, and support.

improve horse property, pasture fecal egg counts, rotational horse grazing, Harrow manure spread, horse pasture management, chewing horse fences, poisonous weeds horse pasture

With the summer sunshine on its way, it’s time for horse property owners to get outside and look for ways to maintain and improve their farms and pastures. The time and effort invested now will help keep your property looking its best and your horses safe, and preserve your beloved country way of life.

horse business numbers

Numbers help us put information in context and are an easy way to convey specific details. We need to know if that horse’s price is $2,000 or $20,000, whether he stands 15 hands or 16.3, or if he’s 3 years old or 12. Those numbers are details which help create a mental picture, and help us understand. A 25% discount is better than 10% off. And McDonald’s signs, which used to state the ever-increasing number served, now simply read: “Billions and billions served.”

By Kathy Smith - Suddenly, the concept of advertising value has come into the spotlight more than ever before. With the recent slower economy, most people are looking to save pennies where they can. While ceasing advertising has long-term negative consequences, businesses deserve to receive the most value from their advertising budget. By calculating the true value of advertising, it becomes easier to see which options will lead to greater value — and greater benefit for your business in the long term.