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HOOFBEATS MAGAZINE
Countdown to 30 years
by Tracy Weaver
To say that things have changed since 1979 would be an understatement.
When Hoofbeats was launched in June of that year colour TV had only been available for four years, mobile phones were still eight years away when they launched on the market for sale at more than $4000, and one of the hit films of that year was The Black Stallion. For horse owners and riders looking for a magazine about horses, Hoofs and Horns and Rider magazine were virtually all that was available.
After lamenting the lack of information on the WA equestrian scene, Hoofbeats was founded by Sandy and Bob Hannan, David Nangle and Steve Rock, all of whom had an interest in horses and possessed skills such as photography, printing and graphic arts, which were ideally suited to the production of a magazine. An instant hit with the growing WA equestrian community, the magazine expanded quickly and the production time soon interfered with Dave and Steve’s ‘real jobs’. With Bob travelling overseas extensively with his commercial photography business, Sandy ‘fell’ into the editorial role, where she remains to this day, perhaps one of the longest serving editors and publishers of any magazine title in Australia.
Aimed solely at the West Australian market, the first issue, Volume 1 Number 1 June/July 1979, covered a range of shows and topics, ensuring an editorial mix that would have mass appeal, a strategy that proved successful and essential in a market place that has seen many equestrian magazines start and fail over the years. The editorial mix also proved popular with advertisers, many of whom have advertised since the early years when a full page ad cost $300 in colour, but only with black text, and $150 in black and white.
With 52 pages and a cover price of $1.50, Hoofbeats was distributed to saddlery stores by Bob and Sandy, a practice they continue to this day, albeit with the need for a much larger vehicle! Gordon and Gotch handled distribution into WA newsagents and remain as the major distributor across Australia and New Zealand. A 6 issue 12 month subscription cost the grand total of $7.50.
Article contributions for the first issue were sought from a number of sources, including Joanne Fowler, a professional journalist with equestrian interests who wrote Side Saddle and a Rider Profile on show rider Shelly Coughlan; top western rider and trainer Gene Hintze; Keith Lawrence who detailed The Australian Stock Horse, and John Kohnke who wrote the first of two articles on First Aid.
Photographs showcased a number of events including the Pony Club State Trials, the All Arabian Show, Muresk Stock Horse Show and the Egoline ODE. Competitors and show organisers increasingly saw Sandy and Bob, camera in hand, at events and their photo display at the Perth Royal Show became something of an institution amongst competitors.
Hoofbeats has become one of the countries leading equestrian magazines and has not only survived in an industry that has claimed many casualties along the way but continues to reach new markets and grow in popularity with readers. This issue highlights a little of what was included in the first publication 29 years ago and what has changed since for some contributors.
Each edition from Volume 1 will be briefly revisited over the next five issues of the magazine and on the website, in a countdown to the magazine’s thirtieth birthday.
EUROPA Saddlery Vol 1 No 1 to 6 Shops
Europa Saddlery has come a long way since established by Greg Johnson in October 1978. One of the popular WA retailers at the time, along with Bates Saddlery, Boans, Maxwells Saddlery, Gleneagles and even Myer, their full page ad in the first issue of Hoofbeats promoted some of the well known brands sold at their 120sqm Gosnells store. A couple of these iconic brands are still very popular including Keiffer and RM Williams, one brand that has successfully expanded its reach beyond the traditional equestrian buyer.
Over the years, the push to attract the wider retail market is one that has been embraced by a number of equestrian clothing brands. This trend is just one change that Greg views as a significant shift in not only their business, but in equestrian retail as a whole. While it can be a risky move as fashions can change so quickly, he points out that clothing assists the retailer attract a bigger range of fashion conscious customer into their store. Greg attributes this trend directly to women, who make up to 70 %– 80% of their customers and as the customer is always right, this is what they cater for!
Equipment and Gear
The popularity and demand for particular horse gear has changed significantly over the years as Greg recalls stock saddles being a big seller in the late 70’s until motorbikes started replacing station horses.
Synthetic saddles were not around thirty years ago and now they make up a considerable part of the lower end of the saddlery market. The range of saddles now available is enormous but adjustable trees and saddle fitting was unheard of in the late 70’s.
Changing technology and manufacturing practices have improved horse gear and equipment and increased the available range. Much of the equestrian manufacturing is now done overseas, with many of the most popular brands relocating off shore. The reasons for this shift is not unique to ‘horse’ brands, as companies find it virtually impossible to compete in the market place if they make their products in Australia. As Greg suggests, the Australian lifestyle and living standard doesn’t warrant the manufacturing of many products locally any more.
Sizing Changes
The range of sizing across horse gear has widened since 1979, as horse heights have changed dramatically. While 30 years ago the most popular size of horse rug sold at Europa was 5’6” and a ‘large’ rug was 6’6”, the most popular size is now 6’3” and the largest available 7’3”, which can be attributed to the popularity of the Warmblood breed. Rugs have also gone from being exclusively canvas to being available in a vast array of fabrics, styles and colours with accessories to match, indicating that the focus on appearance is not solely on the rider.
Sizing of rider clothing and indeed footwear has changed significantly as Greg points out that not only have clothing sizes increased, boots sizes from child sizes through to adults have increased fairly dramatically as children and adults have got taller over the past 30 years. Patterns for all clothing have been changed to keep in line with changing body size and shape, in both height and width.
Employment
Greg recalls that thirty years ago Europa staff were full time whereas now, part time is more ‘the norm’ and in keeping with the requirement for a flexible work place, as staff combine working with family, studies, horses and in many cases, competition.
The Internet
Naturally the internet has opened up a whole new world to equestrian consumers who, at the click of a mouse, can browse and buy from on-line retailers across the globe. Pricing has always been a consideration for customers and the internet has perhaps increased attention on this. Greg does say however, that while Europa has an on-line store they find their customers prefer shopping at a retail store and he doubts that this will change. Greg also feels that overall the difference in pricing on the net and in shops is minimal.
Magazines
When Hoofbeats entered the scene in 1979 Greg can recall Hoofs and Horns and Rider as the popular magazines at that time. He viewed Hoofbeats as a small, local, very personable magazine with plenty of drive and passion from Bob and Sandy. These other magazines have ceased production many years ago, while Hoofbeats has grown with its national focus and Europa has expanded it’s business to six shops located across WA.
DR JOHN KOHNKE Vol 1 No 1 to over 2000 articles.
Dr. John Kohnke would undoubtedly be one of the most prolific contributors to equestrian magazines and publications in Australia. Over the past three decades, John has written over 2000 articles for Australian racing and pleasure magazines, as well as numerous club and association newsletters- He has authored a number of popular books, including Feeding and Nutrition for Horses and Feeding Horses in Australia, both widely accepted as industry guidelines.
With such an extensive collection of articles, it may come as a surprise that the longest running equestrian publication that John has contributed to, however, is Hoofbeats. This long time association kicked off with an article on General First Aid for Horses in the first edition .
John is well placed to comment on changes he has seen in the horse industry and horse keeping in general, as he has had experience in the equine industry from so many perspectives.
In regard to first aid, the topic of the first article he wrote for Hoofbeats, John considers that there have been very few new advances or changes in general equine first aid, but he has noticed that horse owners in general are much more informed and ‘savvy’ about first aid following injury. One area is the increased reliance on ice to prevent and relieve inflammatory swellings and painful conditions in the limbs. Ice is now more popular than ever for sprains and limb injuries, and John reports that in the USA, full ice boots and icing machines are routinely used on racing and competition horses after work as a preventative measure to help reduce inflammation and chronic damage to joints, tendons and ligaments of the lower limb. He considers that there are a number of factors that could have resulted in this shift, including the fact that over the years, horses have become an increasingly expensive animal to purchase and to keep. This has stimulated the search for knowledge from owners and riders so that they can provide prompt and skilled therapy to their equines.
Internet - positives and negatives
Much of the increased awareness can be attributed to the growth of the internet in the past decade. However, John sees advantages and disadvantages with this trend. It has resulted in many equine and especially small animal veterinarians, now finding themselves facing clients/owners who are ‘self diagnosing’ and with very high expectations. For all its correct information, the internet also contains plenty of misleading advice and practises. It is also used effectively as a tool by ‘lobbyist groups’ and businesses keen to push their own agenda, interests and products.
John is also of the opinion that horses are more ‘managed’ these days, with many rarely turned out or left to be ‘just horses’ for a while, such as not being turned out to overwinter at pasture and the trend to feed high energy feeds all the year around to maintain their condition for showing and competition. Owners have more money to spend on feeding and pampering their horses. This has been linked to an increasing incidence of obesity, metabolic syndrome and founder due to Cushing’s disease, whereas the incidence twenty nine years ago was low.
On Women, Vets and Drugs
Interestingly, another change which John has noted is that the number of women vets has increased dramatically from the days when he graduated. He considers this is a positive aspect for the horse industry as he believes that “women are smarter and work harder,” and are good at handling horses and owners alike, and who are we to argue with that! When he graduated 33 years ago, there were approximately 17 women out of a class of 70, whereas currently in first year at the University of Sydney in 2008, there are 36 men out of a class of 110. Veterinary fees and costs have certainly increased since 1979, but John does point out that horse owners should realise that the costs faced by vets have risen considerably over these years. Rural vet practice is an area that has declined, as fewer vets move into the rural field.
While there have been increased costs associated with medicines, some products , such as ‘Bute’ and many wormers, have actually decreased in price when compared to thirty years ago. One of the reasons for this is the number of ‘mirror image’ companies now in the market place today and greater competition for market share. These companies ‘copy’ successful products as patents expire and these ‘generic’ products have led to cheaper prices relative to the cost of living and wages.
Ready-Mix Feeds Introduced
The biggest change in the past twenty nine years in regards to horse nutrition is undoubtedly the increase in research into horse nutrition due to the expense of horses, the availability of informative articles on horse nutrition in just about every magazine and the introduction of ‘prepared’ or ready-mixed feeds to Australia about 20 years ago. There are over 30 companies now operating locally and nationally with pelleted and blended feeds. The market has grown for prepared feeds as many horse owners find them convenient and easy to use, suiting the lifestyle of busy owners, plus their horses like them too! However, John does feel that there has been a down side to this trend as the use of prepared feeds has caused problems in some horses, including weight gain in lightly worked horses and excessive growth rates in young ones. Handling difficulties can occur in other horses if they are fed the recommended amounts on the bag. There is even a link to metabolic syndrome from high starch feeds, as well as gastric ulcers possibly resulting from the reduction in chewing and salivation in horses fed on predominately processed and sweet feeds. Interestingly, in his own experience, recently he has found a shift away from using prepared feeds by some of the big race horse trainers who have moved back to mixing their own feeds from grains and meals because of increased costs of ready-mixed feeds, due in part to the enormous increase in grain and transport costs, which is affecting the price of virtually all horse feed.
When casting his mind back twenty nine years, John recalls Hoofbeats starting out as “a good magazine with good content”, which he still considers it is. He still gets every issue and reads most of the articles! While he feels it wasn’t a ‘mature’ magazine back then, it has developed over the years with good articles that are not ‘too technical’ and the magazine is well laid out and inviting to read. He did comment that perhaps the magazine had been invaded a little by herbal and alternative therapies, but he commends the ‘green’ section and its practical advice. He is of the opinion that as Hoofbeats continues to evolve, it will provide a valuable and practical resource on horse topics, including training and health care, for all horse owners.
Despite a very busy schedule building his own company with products under the KohnkesOwn brand and writing a new book related to horse nutrition in his spare time, John will continue to contribute to Hoofbeats in the future.
BATES SADDLERY Vol 1 No 1 to Worldwide sales
Bates Saddlery was formed in 1934 when Mr George Bates borrowed $100 from his sister, bought a sewing machine and began to make saddles on the verandah of his home in Perth, Western Australia. From these humble beginnings, Bates Saddlery has grown to become one of the most respected manufacturers of riding saddles in the world. Today Bates Australia is run by one of the founder's grandsons, Ron Bates, with another grandson, Ken Bates, being responsible for research and development.
Ron recalls the launch of Hoofbeats in 1979 and the start of their advertising in the magazine. “What a fantastic achievement for Hoofbeats magazine to celebrate their 30th year! Our relationship with Hoofbeats first began with Sandy and Bob displaying their photographs on our stand at the Perth Royal Show and now the magazine has grown to be one of Australia’s leading Equestrian Publications with national reach. As a fellow West Australian company in the Equestrian Industry, we share in each other’s successes, as we have evolved and grown our businesses. Heartfelt congratulations on thirty wonderful years and long may it continue.” |
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KERRY ORNSBY Vol 1 No 1 WA to USA
One of the successful competitors at the All Youth Western Show featured in the first issue was Kerry Ornsby (now Miller) riding the Quarter Horse gelding, Flapper’s Pride. Kerry, now living in the United States, recalls the turn of events following the publication of the first issue.
“Shortly after this photo was used in Hoofbeats I attended the AQHA Youth Circuit shows in Victoria and NSW and competed under the mentoring and coaching of the McTaggart family. Later that year, with my mum and dad, Marcia and Bill Ornsby, we took Flapper’s Pride to Adelaide to compete at the Australasian Championship Rodeo, where we were thrilled to achieve a place in the barrel racing.”
Kerry then had the opportunity to move to the states in June 1979 to experience the USA and witness the horse shows and rodeos she had read and heard about since childhood.
“I was drawn to the States for the travel experience as much as the idea of continuing my riding and didn’t really have any expectations.”
Back in Australia by March 1980, Kerry was only here until May when she returning to the USA to start a life with her future husband, Dave Miller, whom she had met whilst in California.
Dave was showing reined cow horses as a Non Pro at the time and pursuing his career in Real Estate so Kerry was fortunate enough to ride some fabulous horses during that time. Married in May 1981 they showed and bred cutting horses as their pastime, however, while Kerry participated in helping Dave with the horses in addition to building her own career in real estate, she did not get the opportunity to show. During those years Dave showed Minnie’s Smoke, Tripolay Jay, Fritzi’s Playboy, Itsy Bitsy Hickory, Smart Litas and several others that were bought and sold along the way.
“Once our daughter Jordan started kindergarten in 1995 I decided to compete again,” explained Kerry. “Although I had continued to ride during those years, I had not shown a horse since my teenage years in WA riding Flapper’s Pride.
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“I started showing Tripolay Jay, who Dave had had a great cutting career on since 1984 when we purchased him as a 4 year old from Bobby Ingersoll. Tripolay Jay was 14 when I started cutting on him but my competitive nature came back quickly and I had great coaching and training from Rock Hedlund who lived near us in Wilton, California.”
Kerry did well and was fortunate enough to win the NCHA $2,000 limit rider World Championship in 1996 and travelled all over the Western United States. She also showed at the AQHA World Show in Oklahoma City riding Smart Litas the following year.
“As a Non-Pro or Amateur competing in cutting on the West Coast, the most successful riders are competing for money which can range from $30,000 to $100,000 + per year depending on if you compete in the aged events or weekend shows,” said Kerry. “The typical Non-Pro with a good horse who is capable of making the finals at most shows can earn over $50,000 in one show season, which primarily runs from August to November. A horse capable of competing at that level can cost anywhere from $40,000 - $80,000 for a solid Non-Pro horse.”
The horse scene in the States was very different to the days when she was riding in Western Australia, far more professional with much higher stakes, so she was fortunate enough to get training and coaching from some of the top trainers in the nation; Rock Hedlund, Tom McTaggart, Gavin Jordan, Brad Vaughn as well as many others that have assisted along the way.
Divorced since 1998, today Kerry lives in Wilton, CA with Jordan who is 17. Jordy competes in the PCCHA and NCHA Youth Cutting circuit riding Ima Little Rummy. Jordy was the Reserve 2005 PCCHA Junior Youth rider as well as the top 10 in the NCHA World standings.
Over the past five years Kerry have been riding exclusively with Gavin Jordan and have been fortunate enough to own and ride two wonderful horses during that time, with much success.
“Travalin Miss Mosa earned almost $40,000 in her 5/6 year old year before being sold last year in foal to Chic Please. I also have a weanling baby out of Mosa by WR This Cat’s Smart, which I hope will be my next aged event horse and I purchased Swinging To The Beat in 2005 as a coming 5 year old gelding and have shown him to over $100,000 in earnings since then. He is now 7 years old and my weekend show horse.”
Only owning two horses now, Kerry keeps them between her place on 10 acres in Wilton and Gavin’s barn, also located in Wilton. She have continued to drive her career and works as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Reynen and Bardis Communities located in Sacramento. It is due to her heavy work schedule that she only shows about 10 times a year, and only at the shows that are within a few hours of home.
“Wilton is a wonderful place to live and own cutting horses,” she says, “as it is considered the Cutting Capital of Northern California. Between Wilton and nearby Clements, there are several top trainers and World Champions from both rodeo and equine disciplines and many high quality horse show facilities where major shows are scheduled year round.”
While this is a totally different equestrian scene to the one Kerry left in 1979 she returned to Perth in March of ’07 with Jordy, her sister Robyn and niece-in-law Ashley, to celebrate Bill and Marcia’s 50th Wedding Anniversary.
“I loved reconnecting with those who were so influential in my life during those early days in WA. I do miss Perth and the Swan Valley and hope to travel home more regularly in the upcoming years.”