You may not be familiar with a great magazine and website called the Eclectic Horseman owned and edited by my friend Emily Kitching and her husband Steve Bell.
Eclectic:
1 : selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines, methods, or styles
2 : composed of elements drawn from various sources
As the name implies, there are articles about a variety of topics related to riding and training horses, but it also has lists of horse events by state, excellent trainers and ads for interesting businesses.
Emily is going for quality with her efforts and everything in the magazine reflects that. Every single issue has interesting and valuable articles. Somehow I always feel the writers are talking to me personally and passing on their knowledge and tips. This is not a “slick” magazine, it’s about how excellent cowboys and cowgirls work with their horses.
The website has articles, classifieds, a online store with top quality tack, forums and some of the best DVDs around. And they have a good free e-newsletter letting you know about new products and events. I buy a lot of stuff there.
Highly recommended!
You can get more information at their website by clicking HERE.
Emily started her first colt (owned by Mindy Bower who remains a lifelong friend and mentor) at age 14 in a Buck Brannaman clinic. She rode horses for people through high school and college, watched Ray Hunt and Buck whenever possible and that gave her a wonderful foundation for later years. Emily says “I feel like the work that I do with the magazine and the DVDs is a way to help people learn to give the horses a better deal and repay the horses for what they have given me throughout my life.”
When she graduated from Colorado University she was hired as a magazine editor (she was a Journalism major) and after four years of that she decided to start her own magazine focused on horses. With her then boyfriend Steve Bell and and long time friend Shawna Repphun they decided to start a “real” business. Searching for financing proved difficult and discouraging and then fate intervened.
A long time friend, Jody Munoz, passed away and left Emily $10,000 and her old horse trailer. The trailer was sold and even though it didn’t seem like it would be enough, Emily decided to go for it and the Eclectic Horseman was in business. Steve did the smart thing and proposed to her right after the first issue went to press. The first 3 years they didn’t take a salary, cleaned stalls and gave lessons to get by, and slowly built up a very loyal following.
Today 10 years later it’s a successful popular business with an excellent reputation. “It’s been a lot of hard work and late nights, but I honestly can’t think of anything else I’d rather do. If we won the lottery, I’d still want to do the work that I do. How many people can honestly say that” says Emily.
Quite a woman!