Taking the Mid-South Horse Review To The Next Level

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You will be seeing a new look to the Mid-South Horse Review (MSHR) and an expanded Internet presence, which we think you will like. We, Tommy and Nancy Brannon, Publisher and Editor, are handing the reins of this publication to a person who can take it to the next level of development. Lauren Pigford Abbott is a life-long horse person with graphic arts and artistic talent as well as several years’ experience in the magazine/newspaper publishing business. Lauren was the first graphic arts person we hired when we first took over the paper in 2009, and now she is ready to own her own business. That tenure with MSHR was also Lauren’s first journalism job after graduating from The University of Mississippi School of Journalism.
 
Nancy has been writing for the MSHR since its inception in 1992 by the late publisher Don Dowdle, and we have been at the helm of the Horse Review for 13 years. We are in deep gratitude to all those who have supported the publication over the years.The staff, including Andrea  Gilbert Winfrey whose employment at the Review actually predates our ownership, has been indispensable.
 
We are thankful for all the advertisers – especially those who have been with us long term – who have made the publication possible and free to the public, and to all of the farm and feed stores, arenas, Co-Ops, book stores, veterinary clinics, and boarding barns that have made the MSHR available each month.
 
We thank all those who have contributed articles and news items. Thank you to the reporters and photographers who have covered such events as the Kentucky 3-Day Event and to our “London Bureau” for covering the London Olympics and Badminton Horse Trials. We thank the photographers who have generously shared their photos with us and our readers. They have made it possible for us to cover events that we could not have covered in person and provided us with stunning photos that really enhance the publication. And we thank Jean Abernethy who has contributed the humor of Fergus the Horse every month for the past several years.
 
It’s all about the horses. We have strived to produce a horse publication that is broad in perspective and regional in emphasis. We have enjoyed covering horse shows, trail rides, carriage drives, field trials, in short, every kind of horse activity from rodeo to fox hunting, sometimes covering the event from horseback. We have particularly enjoyed writing about uncommon horse-related activities such as civil war reenactments and jousting at the Renaissance Fair.  It is fascinating to learn how these horses are trained. Interviewing trainers of every horse disipline has been eye-opening about the physiology and capability of these magnificent beasts.
 
As the MSHR is both a print and digital publication, we know that that our readers are varied and engaged. For avid readers, the Book and Art Nook has been a prticular help to horse enthusiasts in finding books related to horses, be it practical advice about horse care and training or enjoyable fiction with a horse theme.
 
The earliest known art of horses is painted on prehistoric caves. This speaks to how awed we humans are by the beauty of the horse and, to that end, the MSHR has showcased equine related art and the artists who produce it - including the new owner. We hope that that has helped these artists in particular and promoted art in general.
 
Responsible care of horses, including health care, nutrition, grooming, hoof care, and humane treatment has also been one of our goals. Veterinarians, farriers, feed researchers and producers, as well as agriculture agents and animal product producers have all provided articles and up-to-date information about how to keep horses healthy and safe.
 
The horse is a large foraging, herding animal that requires green pasture, clean water, clean air, with land to graze on and run around. They can’t live in a mall parking lot. Our Greener Pastures section has been about the environment and nature with information about good stewardship of the Earth and how we can keep and enjoy horses in the future with an ever increasing human population and all that encompasses. It has also included information about horse farm and barn design and maintenance to provide a safe  place for horses to live.
 
Finally, the Calendar of Events, which takes a lot of time to compile, has provided free of charge listings of almost all of the upcoming horse shows, rodeos, and other horse activities in the mid-south.  This has for years been the most searched feature in the paper and on our website.
 
High quality writing and publishing has been one of our main goals over our tenure at the Horse Review. We have always strived to make the MSHR readable and pertinent to the horse community in the mid-south. We feel confident that the MSHR is in good hands and the future of horses in the mid-south is bright.

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