Wordless Wednesday – Jump
Calico Horses and the Patchwork Trail
I was able to gain an electronic copy of this novel via NetGalley to read and review, in spite of it having already been released. Calico Horses and the Patchwork Trail is an unusual tale woven around the Calico Mountains in Nevada, the wild horses that roam here and some mysterious pieces of calico fabric that link a number of characters in the story.
The story jumps between characters, helping to keep the tale moving at a fast pace. It’s interesting to read how each of the characters are linked, in spite of being in different locations.
Author Lorraine Turner has worked hard to bring to light the management and associated issues of the wild horses and burros that are rounded up by the BLM in the area and then adopted out to appropriate owners. Mix these issues with some passionate 10 year old girls going through the growing pains of life and messy choices made by their parents, and you have a really interesting make up for a thought provoking story.
The overall message about children being advocates for treating horses (and other animals) respectfully is one that should be driven home by all. An entertaining read.
Author: Lorraine Turner
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7249867.Lorraine_Turner
Fiction – children
In my library? As a loan from NetGalley, yup!
Want it? Get it now at Amazon.
“A good horse is never a bad colour.” – Author unknown
Gap Year Equine Experiences
Uni sent out a message to the equine science students about conservation work in South Africa and I thought I’d scout the website for horse related work! Found two that may be of interest to the student keen to take some time off school next year and get in some horse experience overseas – what could be more appealing?
- South Africa Horse Riding and Conservation Experience – this one seems to me a great opportunity to clock up hours in the saddle, gain conservation experience and perhaps add to the resume with the view to being a game ranger or even zoo worker in the future.
- Australian Jackaroo / Jillaroo School – a great chance to visit the land down under and learn about the cowboy way, mustering cattle and shearing sheep!
“How to ride a horse: Step One – Mount the horse. Step Two – Stay mounted…” – Author unknown
July Challenge (Use Free Resources)
There are so many opportunities to grow your knowledge and collections online without having to spend. The July challenge on Equus-Blog is to make use of these free resources to better yourself.
Let’s focus on this in 3 particular areas:
- Networking – work to build up connections that have the potential to be beneficial to your career over the long term. Connect with people that are in the industry you’re in, the one that you aim to be in and the industry/ies that you’ve been in and can offer advice about.
How to do this? Consider the likes of LinkedIn, Horse Networking, Facebook and/or Twitter. You can set up a profile and start to promote yourself and your skills, whilst also connecting with people that have similar interests or career aspirations. All of these have free account options – what have you got to lose? - Educate yourself via free resources and groups that you can join. Not every piece of advice or information online is worth taking on, but there are some great resources out there to educate and inspire you. I have some free resources (and some paid ones) that relate to equine educational resources over at TeachersPayTeachers. The resource category on this site has posts that detail free fact sheets, webinars, electronic resources and more – and the best bit is that they relate to horses and horse business!
- Share advice and resources that have benefited you. Don’t focus solely on what you can get for free; become that person who gives to others because it will benefit them, too!
Over time people will look to you for advice and seek you out, because you’re recognised as a person who is keen to help, generous and able to provide sound feedback or advice. This is a great way to continue to build up your network of contacts and have people share with you, other beneficial resources they’ve come across.
So what could your goals be for this July challenge?
- Create your online profile/s now!
- Reach out to people in your industry or the industry you want to enter – set a goal of a certain number of people (say 7 people a week / 1 a day) to try to connect with.
- Make a note of any advice or resources that you have found beneficial and start to promote them to others who you feel would also benefit from them – again, do this as soon as you find the resource and share it openly/publicly or set a number of people to share it with.
As per usual, make sure you set deadlines, tell someone about your goals for the month and get started 🙂
Profile On: Sarah Chase, Chief Business Officer of Horse Lifestyle Network
How much of your day/week is related to horses?
Horse Lifestyle is 100% dedicated to equestrian media and content, so we deal with horses thematically all the time – across all territories and in all languages. We’re constantly developing the narrative around what it means to be a horse person and what the lifestyle entails. It’s an all encompassing experience.
What is it exactly that you do?
I get this question from my mother all the time! As a Chief Business Officer, I oversee a number of executive functions mainly related to B2B and B2C relationships, market development and strategic planning. On any given day I’ll be working on contracts, original programming production, content acquisition, legal and financial issues, HR, social media management, marketing – you name it.
The role is exciting because you really have to think about the big picture of your company, the needs of your staff and weigh all of this with the day to day functions of progressing both a business and a brand forward. You have to be both a creative and critical thinker in one.
In this field of work, is it possible to be a full time professional and earning a liveable income?
The overarching aim of Horse Lifestyle is to provide positive unity and a more buoyant market for the equestrian industries. We support horses and horse people across the board. Our success is predicated on yours.
So, if I’m doing my job right – everyone in the equine industries will be able to make a livable income doing what they love best. It’s possible, it just takes unwavering nerve and a bold, insightful team of professionals working with you who can patiently adjust to the daily ebb and flow.
What are the general steps taken to be employed in such a role?
In the media industry, you really have to “earn your stripes.” If you say you’re going to do something, do it and do it better than anyone else. You have to hold to your vision and prove that you have endurance to last – both professionally and personally.
It’s a bit of a fallacy that you need fancy degrees and years in academia. To be sure, that may help, but there’s also something to be said for what the British refer to as, “Pluck and luck.”
My greatest recommendation for success in the media industries is to read a lot, listen more, and when you’re ready to act – hold nothing back.
Favourite horse memory?
Nearly all of my memories and stories revolve around horses – this is the toughest question so far.
Hmmmm … you know how, at the end of a busy day, when you feel a bit frazzled and you need a calm moment – well, I think back to this one day in late April. I must have been about 8 or 9, and I had been for a trail ride on Black Night, the horse that taught me everything I know. He was part of our family for 20-years, special in every way.
Anyway, … it was one of those especially warm spring days, so I untacked him, spritzed him down and took him out to graze on the clover. He was happily munching away, so I lay down in the grass a minute, staring at the clouds.
I still remember that perfect sound of him munching and snorting at flies and just the peaceful calm of everything. Infinite happiness in that moment. It’s one of the rare memories that you can return to your in mind and find an inner calm.
Future goals?
I’d like to produce more and really roll up my sleeves in terms of original content creation.
Best thing about your sport/profession?
I telecommute with a brilliant team that happens to be based in The Netherlands. So, keeping ties with Europe, where my husband and I were ex-pats for 6-years, is really wonderful. Plus, they’re always sending over stroopwafels!
“Machinery may make for efficiency and a standardisation of life, but horse love is a bond of freemasonry which unites the entire race…” – William Fawcett
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