From My Saddle – A June Note from the Publisher, Karen Pickering
Welcome to the second issue of The Colorado Horse Source! I am so anxious to meet new people in Colorado and to get out to more events. As a natives of Washington State, the high mountain climate here has been interesting for us. From a blinding snowstorm as we arrived mid-April 2021 to nearly 100-degree temperatures this past summer and amazing lightning storms and hail, we’ve seen quite a variety of weather.
In February I attended the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo, and I’m really impressed with the horse industry in Colorado. The vendors and people I met were so kind and welcoming. Starting a new magazine in Colorado has been a challenge but getting to know people has been easy. Why Colorado? Well, it’s horse country for one, and I was also seeking a drier climate. I’ve lived in Washington my entire life and I needed a change. At my age, I felt if I didn’t do it now, it wouldn’t happen. Several years ago, I attended an American Horse Publication’s convention in Colorado Springs and fell in love with the Garden of the Gods.
I brought two very kind horses with me to Colorado. Unfortunately, I just lost my mare April, who was nearly 23 years old. I’ve had her since she was a yearling. It was a tough loss.
One of my goals is to share my 26-plus years of publishing experience with the Colorado horse community. As a regional magazine, my aim is to celebrate the trainers and equine-related businesses in Colorado. Young riders are another one of my passions, so we hope to celebrate kids doing cool things with their horses. I hope to get involved with a local veterans’ program as well.
We are hoping to support the magazine through memberships and advertising. Costs of doing business have skyrocketed, but for about the price of one Starbucks coffee per month we’ll give you a bimonthly subscription and coupons delivered to your inbox monthly. I believe that printed media still has a place in the industry but we’re embracing online magazine publishing as well.
We would love to meet you and share your favorite trainer and young person in our magazine and online. Reach out to me via email to karen@coloradohorsesource.com. Visit our website for many informative articles and resources at coloradohorsesource.com.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Quote: “If you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.”
Erica Jong — Novelist, Satirist, Poet
See this article in the May/June 2022 online edition:
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 25 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. Now excited to start a version of her original magazine in Colorado!