I'm a competitive person, even though I don't show my horses any more. I think competition makes us sharper and encourages us to think beyond where we are to where we could be. I also firmly believe in cooperation, especially if it's for the good of the horse.

The American Horse Publications group has more than 500 members that include equine-related publications, Web sites, newsletters, breed organizations, individual professionals (i.e., freelance writers and photographers), students, and industry-related organizations and businesses. We just returned from the annual American Horse Publications convention. While there were fewer in attendance this year because of the economy, we had a great turnout and a fabulous program. And the best thing is getting together with all the people who do and love the same things we do and love--communicating about horses!

What always amazes speakers we bring in from outside our industry to present at the convention is that so many of us compete with one another for advertising dollars and customers, but we all get along so well! I guess it's like a horse show or trail ride; you want to beat everyone else or you are there for your own reasons, but you will go out of your way to help folks, even if you don't know them. Horses make us all members of the same family.

I just wanted to take a moment to brag on my staff, lovingly known as "The Horse Herd" around the office: Managing Editor Chad Mendell (reining horses, breaking and training Thoroughbreds, etc.), Copy and Features Editor Stephanie Church (who will be celebrating her 10th anniversary with The Horse next Monday! and grew up eventing), News Editor Erin Ryder (dressage/three-day eventing), Newsletter and Photo Editor Megan Arszman (waiting on her next horse; formerly a Palamino queen), Webmaster Christy West (who grew up with Saddlebreds and now does competitive skydiving...go figure), Programmer Dawn Garner (dressage), Ad Reps Leigh Walkup (barrel horses), Yvonne Long (used to work at the University of Kentucky Diagnostic Lab), Tabitha Knox (exercises and helps care for other folks' horses), and Art Director Dana Kelley. (There are many more folks around the company who allow The Horse magazine and TheHorse.com to live and breathe, and we appreciate them all!) And of course all the freelancer writers, photographers, veterinarians, and researchers who help us bring our readers the latest news and information on equine health, care, management, and welfare.

The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care, the print publication associated with TheHorse.com, was awarded:

• First place in News Reporting, Breaking Story for "BLM Proposes Euthanasia to Control Wild Horse Population," by Pat Raia
• Second place in Instructional Article for "20 Hot Weather Trailering Tips," by Marcia King
• Second place in Service to the Reader for "Horse Diseases and Humans," by Roberta Dwyer, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVPM
• Honorable mention in Service to the Reader for "Keeping Stalled Horses Happy," by Pat Raia
• Second place in Equine-Related Show or Event Program for the AAEP Convention Wrap-Up 2007
• Honorable mention in the overall category of General Excellence for The Horse magazine.

TheHorse.com also garnered several awards, including:

• First place, Online News Reporting, Breaking Story, for Jennifer Bryant's blog coverage of the horse health stories at the 2008 Olympic Games
• Second place, Online News Reporting, Breaking Story, for News Editor Erin Ryder's coverage of Hurricane Ike
• First place in Equine-Related Electronic Newsletter to TheHorse.com Health E-Newsletter, edited by Megan Arszman and sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health
• Second place in Equine-Related Video for The Ryder Report: Horse Health News

What all of this means is we are doing a pretty good job of covering the topics in our mission, but there is ALWAYS room for improvement. Take a moment and let me know what you would like to see TheHorse.com cover, cover more frequently or more in-depth, or cover in a different format (video, blog, podcast, longer or shorter articles, polls, etc.)

PS Just as a note to those of you following my blog, right now we are offering a subscription to an exact digital editon of The Horse magazine for only $7.99! This is for those of you who want all the pictures, graphics, and extras in the magazine delivered in an environmentally friendly package!

Just a note from New Orleans, La., where we're in attendance for the American Horse Publications annual convention.

This is one of those times where I'm on the fence about a topic: carriage horses/mules.

New Orleans has some of the better-looking mules pulling carriages, although I saw one today that was probably about a Grade I lame on his left fore, and one that had a towel under his harness (just an assumption that he was sore for some reason, but it could have been to cover a harness sore or take pressure off getting stitches from some incident at the barn ... who knows).

I love taking carriage rides as tours in cities. But it always worries me when I see slight indications of animals not at their best. These mules had a turn at fresh water regularly, caulking on their shoes, their feet looked pretty good, all were in good shape physically (not too fat or thin). There were some leg blemishes, but nothing you wouldn't see at most county horse shows or trail rides.

These are working equids in the United States, and there aren't many of those left. And these are not working as hard as the equids in generations before them that pulled plows for the family farm, but we are a little more cautious with our animals today.

So, sound off. Horse/mule-drawn carriages in cities--good or bad?

A reader named Ray in Oregon wrote in with a good idea. I'm not sure how to get it started, but let's put our heads together and see what we can come up with.

Lots of people are out of work, and lots of horses are needing to be fed. In my last blog post I asked those with hay to share with the less-fortunate.

Now I'm asking folks with pastures sitting idle to share Nature's bounty.

If you have pasture land that has enough grass to sustain a horse or two (or more), and you aren't using it to graze or make hay, consider "donating" a month or two for horses (and their owners) that need it.

I'm sure my attorney friends are just counting the liability headaches, but sometimes you just have to do what is right.

So, how do we get started? How can we create a network of people with pastures that would be willing to help horse owners who need a month or two of grazing for their horses? I'm sure any good rescue group would be happy to coordinate this type of effort at the grass roots level (pardon the pun).

I also know there have been large plots of land offered to BLM wild/feral horses. If it can't be used for them, can it be used for domestic animals that are just as much in need right now?

Let's put our heads together. Share your ideas on how this could work, or give me a blast if you think this idea has no possibility of working.

It's haying time across the country, and it's been a fine, wet spring in many areas. This is in contrast to the two years of drought we suffered here in Kentucky in 2007-2008.

If you are baling or rolling hay, and you have more than you need, please consider donating some of it to a group that needs it!

I've seen two rescue/welfare groups just this morning who have sent out pleas for hay (Kentucky Equine Humane Center was one of them).

I'll include one of my own: The Lexington Mounted Police unit here in Kentucky is seeking donations of baled grass hay or grass/alfalfa mix hay. They are a 501(c)(3) group, so your donation is even tax deductible!

So, if you have extra hay, please consider donating a portion of it to a group in your area that could really use it in these tough economic times, whether it's for horses that protect and serve, or horses that need protecting.

You're driving down the road doing 70, and as a stock trailer looms in front of you there's something not quite right about how it looks. As you get closer you notice that the back door is open ... and there are horses inside looking out at you.

 What would you do!?!

My oldest daughter lives in Wyoming. She called me last night to relate the story I told you above. She's working on a guest ranch this summer (Brooks Lake Lodge). The snows high up in the Wyoming mountains hadn't yet cleared enough for Barbara to move her Quarter Horse mare Graycie and mule Molly into the main ranch, so she was driving home to get the pair to take them to a lower ranch. The speed limit was 70.

She said there was a moment of "What do I do?", but realized that doing nothing was not an option, and neither was honking to get the driver's attention as that might spook the horses.

So as traffic allowed she would pull out on the driver's side and flash her lights and wave her arm out the window, then fall back behind the trailer. All the while she said the horse she could see stood there looking out the back of the open trailer.

Pretty soon the driver got the message, slowed, and pulled over to correct the problem. The horse stayed in, and all was well.

Barbara promised to send me a picture she took of the trailer from the back as the driver was slowing down.

Have you ever had any near-misses with your horses while traveling?