Today you have a guest writer for this blog--my name is Christy West, and I'm the new digital editor/producer of TheHorse.com. Nice to meet you, if I haven't already! :-)
Spring is a time of change, and boy am I glad to see that weather change this year--the long runs of subfreezing temps this winter and the permanently brown pastures were getting quite old! It's about time my thermometer crept up to 80 degrees again; I was starting to think its digital innards were frostbitten...
There are quite a few other changes going on during these warming spring days in addition to the weather. You might have heard that we've had a few staff changes at The Horse. Kimberly Brown, writer of this blog and long-time editor (and, more recently, publisher) of The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care recently left to pursue other business interests (if you would like to reach Kim, you can find her at Kentucky Equine Research).
Two other staff members, News Editor Erin Ryder and Executive Editor Chad Mendell, are also pursuing new career directions. We wish them well in their new ventures.
As for this blog, its archives will remain available online, but as its author has left it will no longer be updated. I'd like to direct your attention to the brand-spanking-new blog by our new Editor-in-Chief, Stephanie Church, whose name you might recognize from her varied positions with The Horse over the last 11 years (editorial assistant, staff writer, news editor, copy/features editor, and managing editor-print--whew!).
Stephanie's blog is titled "Horse Sense (and Sensibility)," and she'll be continuing the tradition of chatting with you about current issues and perspectives in equine care and welfare. She's likely to also entertain us with some new directions and insights, so be sure to check it out! She will also be introducing our current staff and a few new staff members on her blog as they are hired.
I think I speak accurately for this something-old-something-new team when I say that we're really looking forward to working together and seeing what we can do to improve horse care education for all of us, and of course the welfare of the four-legged, currently shedding fuzzballs that bring us all together. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions!
