Different Paths

I received recent feedback that really stung this young editor’s heart. The note said Western Horseman has, of late, overlooked the urban horseman.

Much like this dear reader, I, too, started riding rented horses at a stable. I didn’t grow up with horse parents. My mom was a successful marketing director, and my dad is a fishing guide who also worked at a hospital. The gap I had between city life and the Western world was filled with magazines and books like our own publication. When I played with toy horses in our suburban Florida home, I imagined life as a cowgirl and a future that would take me west.

My entry into the horse world was through riding camps, guiding trail rides and, later, barrel racing at small-town jackpots. I always aspired to be like one of those horsemen I saw in magazines and books. When we sold my first horse so I could pursue sports at the collegiate level, I yearned to return to the horse world that had captured my heart. It’s a perspective I carry with me now, especially when considering the many different paths that lead people into this life.

At the end of the day, we are a publication dedicated to the horse. The last 90 years have been filled with wonderful ranch and rodeo stories, yes. But also travel, health, training, how-tos, stories of talented craftsmen, aspiring young talent and more. 

We have not forgotten our horsemen and women. We have not forgotten our ranchers. We have not forgotten our trail riders or hobby showers. We have not forgotten our trainers, colt starters or even the most accomplished performance horsemen and rodeo contestants. This July All Breeds issue highlights this commitment. 

From a patriotic article in our Western Living department to a powerful story honoring an American war hero, this issue reflects the full breadth of the Western experience. Readers from suburban backgrounds, city barns and first-generation horse families will likely see themselves reflected in stories like “Life-Changing Lessons” at the Arapahoe Ranch Cowgirl Camp; horsemanship with New York’s Luke Reinbold in “Lead a Horse to Peace”; and “Horseman in Progress,” the story of Kelso Christy and his Mustang, Poco Dinero.

It’s a big role to cover everything for the Western equestrian world, and that role falls heavily on my shoulders. It’s the type of balance that keeps me up at night as I consider how best to serve our readers. 

From the young girl dreaming of becoming a cowgirl to the one who made her dreams come true, sometimes all we need is the ability to be transported into the life we want, through the pages of a magazine.

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Kristen Schurr | Editor, Western Horseman