My welcome wagon is pulled by an American Quarter Horse. How about yours?

Holly Clanahan

“Welcome, horse lovers.”

That’s the sign that hangs in my home’s entryway. And it’s the same greeting I want to extend to all of you. It’s the feeling I hope you’ll find here at the America’s Horse Daily community – a sense of ease that you’re among like-minded folks. After all, all of us, no matter what kind of horse we own or how advanced a rider we are, are on the path to better horsemanship, learning and growing as we go.

So now that you’ve been properly greeted, I suppose a few introductions are in order. First, I’d like you to meet – to get comfortable with – our redesigned site. We’re hoping to make navigation easier for you, and we’ve added features like a list of related tips at the end of each article. The site is also searchable, so you can more easily find what you’re looking for. And stick with us … our archives will only get bigger and better! We’re continually adding new educational articles, listed by topic – recreational riding, showing, breeding, health and training. If you’re interested in one (or more!) specific topics, be sure to sign up for our interest-specific e-mail newsletters.

Next up, I’ll introduce myself. I’m kind of known around the AQHA offices as the typical America’s Horse reader. My horses live in my backyard, and they are my life. No one asks me how the ponies are unless they really want to know, because I’m always more than happy to talk horse – at great length. But like you, I struggle to find enough hours in the day to also meet work and family obligations. I spend considerably more time worrying about my horses’ diets than my own. And yes, I spend more money on their shoes, too!

I hope you’ll stick around in the coming weeks so you can meet the members of my menagerie. (Because, really, that is what I like talking about!) You’ll get to know Junior, who has been the love of my life since his birth 13 years ago; and Willow and Zen, the two 2-year-olds who are as different as night and day. You might even get an introduction to Whistler, the sweetheart of a Weimaraner, and Boomer, the mile-a-minute blue heeler.

But I also hope the conversation will be a two-way street. As we get to know each other better, let me know through the comments if you’ve got a horse that’s related to mine (we’d be practically kinfolk!) or that acts like mine. My horses can be silly, brilliant, frustrating and amazing – sometimes in the span of just a few minutes – and I know yours can, too. Let’s share.

But above all, let’s enjoy this community and all it has to offer. We’ll trade tips and opinions and share our philosophies. And I guarantee we’ll all learn something in the process.

Happy riding!
Holly Clanahan
Editor, America’s Horse magazine

Don’t miss the fun, educational and heart-warming stories in the print version of America’s Horse! It goes to all members of the American Quarter Horse Association, and it’ll also keep you in the loop on Association news. We want you to belong!