I bit the bullet and got an iPhone because I need it to keep up with work more easily 24/7. I can read my work email from anywhere, get on the Internet, get calls, be alerted if I have a phone message at work and listen to it on my cell, and do a myriad of other tasks.

Then I discoverd APPS!

For those of you without iPhones or a device like that, it's hard to explain the whole new world of applications (apps) that are available. Some are free, some are kind of pricey.

I have ones that I think are useful, like a level, a compass, a language translator, a zoom for my iPhone camera, Facebook, Twitter, a converter (for foreign money exchanges and lots of other stuff). I also have fun ones such as Scrabble, chess, and Matchion.

One app that falls into both the useful and fun categories is my Amazon Kindle reader.

Now you might think reading on that small iPhone screen would be awful, but it isn't! The convenience of having a library of books at your fingertips wherever you go is absolutely wonderful! And it's easy to read the text.

For those of you who don't have (and don't want) an iPhone or one of those devices, Amazon now has an app for reading Kindle books on your personal computer. And the app is free!

Go to Amazon.com and do a quick, free download of the Kindle app for your PC. If you already have an iPhone Kindle app or have purchased Kindle books elsewhere, then your library is there and you can simply bring a copy onto your PC for reading.

Does this stop me from buying paperback or hardbound books at the bookstore? Absolutely not! I love having a book in my hands to sit and read.

Does this encourage me to purchase more books? Yes! I might download some classics I haven't read in years (many of them free), or be in the middle of a book and not want to carry it on the plane with me. Or I might want the next book in a series when I'm traveling if I finish the first one, but I don't want to burden my luggage with another book.

So, what does that have to do with this blog and horses?

Our company's book publishing arm (Eclipse Press) has many equine-related Kindle books. And now they are available to you on your PC, often at a discount!

The list is long, so we have included them with links on a TheHorse.com article.

So, download your free Kindle book reader app to your PC, order up a new book for fun or business, and enjoy!

About 32% of respondents to the American Horse Publications Industry Survey--sponsored by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health and Pfizer Animal Health--said yes, at least one of the horses they currently own, manage, or lease had been given to them. And of those who said yes, only 3% were involved in some way with a rescue.

Wow! That was nearly 3,400 people who currently own horses that they take care of that were given to them. For whatever reason, the previous owner gave up that horse. It might have been out of financial necessity during these tough economic times, or it might have been because someone else could put the horse to work rather than it just standing around getting fat.

I have a couple of "freebies" out in my pastures, and they are as well-treated as any of the other horses there. I don't think anyone who is honest and accepts a horse will consider it any less "valuable" than any other horse on the farm.

Molly the Miniature Donkey (you can see her on my Facebook page) was given to me. I have to say I wasn't the most willing recipient. When my daughter purchased her Miniature Horse, the people had this Miniature Donkey that was really cute. Very people-oriented. I enjoyed playing with her while we were there looking at horses.

When we brought the truck and trailer to pick up the Minis, they said, "Gee, you liked Molly, why not take her home with you. She's Free!"

Well, we all know there's no such thing as a free lunch or a free horse. I said thank you very much, but no thanks. And I thought that would end it.

It didn't. They knew my vet and knew how well the horses we owned were cared for, so they persisted.

"Come on, you know you like her!"

Yeah, she's cute. No thanks.

"If you get her home and she doesn't work out, you can bring her back."

NO, THANK YOU! I was getting a little hot under the collar at this point.

The last straw was that thefarm manager and my daughter practically picked up then-yearling Molly and put her in the trailer.

And of course there's not enough money in the world to buy her at this point!

So, do you have any good or bad endings with getting a free horse? Share!

And don't forget to check out the free horses on the Adoption Services on TheHorse.com.

The American Horse Council recently released comments from trail riders who have had problems with access to trails on public lands. It was interesting reading the reasons, or perhaps the non-reasons, why horses and riders have lost the use of public lands.

Sometimes it was for lack of maintenance that kept horse trailers from parking or trails that got so bad they were closed. Sometimes the lack of state or federal funding for maintenance or repairs was the problem. Others cited motorized vehicles ruining trails.

But it seemed that for many riders, there was either no response or no reason given for horses being banned from trails they had used historically.

Many states have active trail groups that go into state and national forests and help with maintenance. The Kentucky Horse Council has an extremely active trails group.

However, if horse riders are being denied use of public lands just because of prejudice by those who don't ride, then we should all be up in arms.

You can go to the American Horse Council Web site and report a trail access problem. I would encourage you to do that, and to contact your state and federal representatives to let them know we as horse riders deserve to be allowed into the state and naitonal parks on horseback.

The trails we save might be the only ones available to the next generation of trail riders!

A few blogs ago I discussed "blue sky" and "mini vacations," where you allow yourself a few minutes to get away and dream of your favorite travel spots or what you would like to be doing and live if there were no boundaries. This might or might not include horses, but for most of it, horses are part of the dream.

One person mentioned Ireland. It was interesting since my daughter and I just last night were talking about visiting Ireland. She's never been...in fact I'm the only one in my family who has visited Ireland (twice, in fact). And I LOVED every minute of it!

Two of The Horse's staff members (Erin Ryder and Chad Mendell) traveled to Ireland last year, so if you missed their blogs, photos, and videos, take a moment and give yourself an educational escape! This trip was hosted by TourismIreland.com. Another great place to search for information and travel deals.

There are some great travel deals to Ireland right now; the country is helping promote itself and the wide variety of trips you can take. Look at DiscoverIreland.com to help you plan your trip and check out the travel offers!

A veterinarian who often helps out TheHorse.com as a source has entered a photo in a calendar contest. She's currently in second place.

Let's surprise her and turn out a vote to help an equine vet strut her stuff as an amateur photographer!

Visit ksl.com and vote for the second image (The Lonely Tree) by Dr. Kimberly Henneman.