Follow Me, I’m A Social Media Expert. No Really, I Have A Biz Card That Says So.

February 19, 2013

Yeah for me! It’s Tuesdays Untacked!!!

There’s been much chatter at ye old water cooler as of late. Well, actually, at HorseGirlTV we don’t have a water cooler so, uh, ahem… As of late, there’s been much chatter around the HorseGirlTV Nespresso Espresso Machine. Cappuccinos abound and our espresso laden team is buzzing with the biz of social media experts.

I have been involved in IT over a decade as part of the dotcom revolution in the early 2000s. You know back when companies were buying others solely on member base regardless of their massive burn rates? Anyway, I digress. Back to the task at hand – social media experts!

It was brought to my attention the plethora of business card carrying social media “experts” that have cropped up from the, one can dare say, American entrepreneurial spirit OR perhaps the highest unemployment rate in ages. Several of us at HorseGirlTV have even received the calling cards of social media experts touting the virtues of their services.

I guess the long and the short of this, what has become a rant for Tuesdays Untacked, is the hilarity of The Onion’s fall parody for social media experts. I do actually know several honest to goodness experts in the biz who have been part of the social community evolution from the days of WebRing’s Ringmasters to Classmates then Friendster to the designers nightmare of Myspace (no, no, no, not everyone should be allowed to design their own webpage) then onward and upward (upward of the IPO that is) to Facebook and finally saturating the mainstream, the microblogging of Twitter. But wait there’s more… the next big thing beyond Twitter’s 140 characters is 180 characters (stick around, it’ll happen and you’ll be Pinning about it). So back to my previous run on sentence. I do actually know several honest to goodness experts so they ARE out there and having followed trends (not just Twitter accounts) for nearly TWO decades many are in the know and an asset to our online experience. If you’re unsure how to make social media work for you, seek those people out, ask for credentials (real credentials not just a pretty biz card from VistaPrints) and if you can’t find one, read the history books about that crazy thing many said wouldn’t catch on, that pesky “Information Super Highway” AKA the. Internet and WWW with dotcoms plastered on every single movie trailer, bus graphic, and even coffee shop.

Ergo, what used to be exclusive to hip torn-jean, t-shirt wearing computer geeks, well, the ink on the societal tattoos of those early adopting hipsters has clearly saturated the suburbs thanks to those fabulous humans formerly known as Walmart greeter turned social media expert. No there’s NOT an App for that. Alas, that harkens me back to 1995 and trying to sell webpages to local companies who couldn’t fathom why they needed a mere “online brochure” but woe as me, they did! 😉 Sorry, more digression…

If you’re actually looking for an honest to goodness quality read without massive fluff, check out The Impact Equation: Are You Making Things Happen or Just Making Noise?. Chris makes some good points for small business and offers interesting stats or if you’re simply wondering why some people are insanely successful while other are mediocre, check out Malcom Gladwell’s The Outliers: The Story of Success as it’s a fantastic read and thanks to Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel for recommending it to me!

Zoinks! I’ve gone all over the map and back again. What can I say? I like to travel! So if you’re still with me go grab your morning cup of whatever you drink and click play below to enjoy the merriment of this, oh to cute, offering from the cheeky band at The Onion.

Are You Eating Horse Meat? How Can You Tell?

February 14, 2013

In many parts of our world horse meat is regularly sold and consumed, yet for Americans, Irish, the Brits and a few other pockets the very thought of it ellicits a gag reflex and, in quite a few cases – anger, but how can you tell if you’re eating horse meat or not?

To my knowledge, I’ve never eaten horse meat but with that said, I have been to France many times. Having ordered “beef” and eaten kebobs the likelihood that I have unknowingly tried it is high. However, unlike many Americans, the thought of horse meat consumption does not make me shudder to my very core. I quite obviously LOVE horses. I’ve dedicated the last 7 years of my life to helping promote the positive aspects of the horse industry. So, am I not really human, not really American or simply inhumane? No to all three. This is likely because my father was, and please don’t stereotype me here cause I’m not at all what you’re about to think… My father was a gun toting, NRA card carrying large game hunter slash taxidermist by trade. He had me hand loading my own ammo at age 8 and I single-shot my first deer, to please daddy of course, at 10. Therefore carcasses and guts of cute furry animals, large game, birds, aquatic life and unusual reptiles alike are common place with me. But I digress. Coming back to the anthropomorphization of it, I wouldn’t eat Bambi either. So how do I know what horse meat tastes like?..

The Taste
I have spoke with people who have or do eat it. They say it is leaner than beef and relatively tender and it has a pronounced sweet taste to it. It is said people often mistake it for a blend of beef and venison. Meat from younger horses is said to be lighter in color and flavor while the meat from older horses extremely sweet, incredibly tender, and deep in color (oddly the opposite with beef and the procurement of veal). The nitty gritty of it’s nutritional value – it’s low fat, low cholesterol and high in iron. Yet I don’t have a hard and fast answer for how to tell. If you’re completely freaked at the thought of an accidental hap then it might be best to go vegetarian, at least for a while.

The Scandal
Yes, it’s a scandal on a massive scale. If you’ve listened to the news anytime in the last week, you’ve heard the ever expanding fallout from horse meat, and we’re talking 100% in some cases, being pawned off as beef in burgers, ready meals, and kebobs. At first site the proverbial finger was pointed at France. Ah, oui oui, da Fraaann-CH. Well it’s not just Pepé Le Pew and his lot. It’s reached into Ireland and even back into the discoverers own back yard of West Wales in Aberystwyth. I can only fathom the outlandish remarks Granny would have over tea in the Drawing Room at Downton! “Oh good, let’s talk about horse slaughter.” The powers that be have repeatedly assured the public there’s no need to worry but I’d personally prefer NOT to sit down to a warm meal of Phenylbutazone which is an additional disconcerting side to the matter.

The Resolution
Those of us horse lovers like to think of their hearts pounding to win the Kentucky Derby or carrying Jim Craig down the side of an impossible mountain. That love, that bond, that connection only true horse lovers who’ve genuinely connected with at least one horse in their life can feel just won’t most go to that other place. I certainly wouldn’t intentionally sidle up to a plate of Black Beauty. But the answers are unclear. Over-regulation increases prices and trying to come out of a double dipper that’s not ideal still functional regulation is needed. Comparing to our regulators stateside, the USDA is deemed to provide high standards of beef plants yet many fast food restaurant burgers can be tested with an alarmingly high percentage of feces (SEE Food, Inc. for more info). It makes this fleeting lass wonder how they can legally label it 100% beef if that be the case and there’s one thing western societies tend to get a wad in their panties about – being lied to. So stateside its feces and across the pond it’s horse, the “beef” manufacturing plants have obviously been lying. Regulation yes but heads need to roll and not horse heads but the heads of the people making decisions about selling a lie to consumers. Okey and because I have been a bit more out there than usual, I’ll qualify that last sentence by saying the decision makers of those found guilty simply need to be sacked.

How do you feel about this whole fiasco? Do you think it’s acceptable to eat horse? If so, why?

The Green Children Rock On Tuesdays Untacked

February 12, 2013

It’s Tuesdays Untacked again and I’m so excited about sharing this fabulous duo who weave a wicked rhyme. It’s The Green Children. Milla Sunde and Marlow Bevan comprise this self-written and self-produced European duo. Mila hails from Norway while Marlow from England. They met at the music school established by Sir Paul McCartney, LIPA. The pair relocated to LA and rapidly secured a contract with Universal Music Group. Shackled by the chains major labels regale, they decided to leave and in 2010 released their debut album with Spinside Records led by renowned musician Jackson Browne.

Listening to their albums one might envision themselves walking through a dimly lit forest of weaping willows, limbs trailing along their fingertips while looking around every turn for sprites or elves yet simultaneous wanting to break out with a dance club fist pump. Their electro beats are not heavy but ever present and its just easy, enjoyable listening for any point of the day.

My favorite of their albums is by far Encounter with my horsey girl top track “Dragons” but I also love “We’re the Future” and how it speaks so clearly to our modern day challenges. Of course buy the album, listen to the lyrics and you’ll see these two are about more than just making music. They are about making change.

Your Turn February Sweepstakes Sneak Peek

January 31, 2013

Happy 2013 HorseGirlTV® fans! Tune in. Tack up.®

In January we gave you the awesome new site design that you’re currently surfing. The whole team was so in to this project that we didn’t focus on any specific contests for the month so we’ll make up for it throughout the year. This month we have 2 super sweepstakes with a teaser of one of our March Your Turn sweepstakes included as well.

Now… Ready? Set? ENTER!!!!!!!

Win Our IT’S LOVE $250 Absorbine Gift Basket:
We’re giving away $250 of fabulous Absorbine products. It’s Your Turn to give you horsey sweetheart some TLC. How about some VetLin to treat those cold winter muscles, Hooflex so you can give them a pedicure, Lip Conditioner for you to give sweet nuzzle kisses, and more. Details ↓

This sweepstakes ended February 27th, 2013.

Win FREE iPhone App Horselog (French or English versions):
Horselog lets users manage the health, the competitions and the whole budget of their horses from their iPhone. With Horselog, riders can manage their horse(s) day by day with one simple tool. How to enter details ↓

This sweepstakes ends February 28th. We know there are massive amounts of iPhone using HorseGirlTV fans out there. The WINNERS will be announced and your notes will be published on HorseGirlTV®.

Win an Autographed copy of PJ O’Dwyers novel “Relentless”:We’re giving away copies of PJ O’Dwyer’s novel “Relentless” – the first book in the Fallon Sisters Trilogy, tackles the controversial and often heated debate about horse slaughter. Writing a story that is relevant to our time is a precious opportunity. Details to follow!

What’s New With The NEW & IMPROVED HorseGirlTV® Website In 2013?

January 30, 2013

Everyone at HorseGirlTV has been hard at work this past month developing the new site launch. It’s here and I must say, it’s by far the best yet. For those of you who’ve been fans from the very beginning back in 2007 you’ll notice a bit of the design harkening back to those early days. That nostagia is for you! Thanks for supporting and being there watching, reading and enjoying the education, news and entertainment we have strived to offer over the years. Cheers!

Let this be your guide to some of the ins and outs getting around the new site.

Let searching be your friend. There are over 1500 pages and regular daily content adding all the time so look to the right in that cute little sidebar and you’ll find a search just below a message from our advertisers as well as scrolled to the bottom of the sidebar another friendly search.

Leading off our main navigation is on the very top for the first time even. We’re testing this out and looking to improve it even further “sticking” it to the top in the coming month so you’ll have all the main navigation of the site right in front of you as you scroll through our thousands of pages.

Next up is the oh so cute and classic HorseGirlTV logo and headlining image. This has always been a part of our design templates but this new and improved one will fade in and out through a series of images that speak to the variety of disciplines the company publishes original content on. Sit and have a watch on the occasion as we’ll be updating these headlining images regularly throughout the year. If there’s a special look in the headliner that you’d like to see, please feel free to offer up an opinion or two!

The HorseGirlTV Team has worked really hard to foster relationships with industry leading companies that have been our key advertising partners for consecutive years running. The very next images roll through those advertising partners featuring a special thanks for all they do to help keep us flourishing and continuing to produce the best original content the web has to offer!

What would HorseGirlTV be without our signature original content episodes! That’s next. Just click to play and away it will go on your laptop, tablet AND smartphone! All our episodes have been painstakingly re-encoded to be tablet and smartphone friendly so you can watch HorseGirlTV just about anywhere you are AND with whatever device your heart desires!

The content that follows on the main page takes you back through the weeks previous posts. We’ve grown up. We have a team dedicated to bringing you the best original content and we’re now offering new content daily. Well… we might take Wednesdays (except for this one) off but we’ll see! 🙂 As always we’ll offer awesome Episodes and you can watch them ALL by clicking that previous link. We’ll continue publishing the breaking sport and performance horse News and you can read My Blogs as always, however, we’re so excited to be introducing regular contributing writers (more specifics to follow soon) on our Blogs section.

You can still Subscribe for FREE to our semi-monthly hip guide and be in the know about the kewlest new topics. Don’t forget to check out equibarre fitness DVD (and soon to be released digital download options) for an equestrian friendly work out that’s easy to follow and scalable to your current level of fitness.

But wait… there’s more! What’s new on the new site? We have a Celebrities section now that will fast fill up with your favorite celebs.

One of my favorite new sections of the site is Your Turn! By far one of my fav duties is to get to work with the Team on sweepstakes and Your Turn is our dedicated sweepstakes solution. This is where we’ll have all our current prizes up for grabs with explanations of how to enter. Some will be simple submits, some will be writing or video production contests, sending in your favorite pictures, etc but all will offer winners and fun!

Scroll to the very bottom and have a gander at the Company section. There you’ll learn about interesting statics from HorseGirlTV Overview, you can meet Our Team or Contact Us, and learn about Advertising with us AND our production opportunities for your product or service. Like I said, we’ve grown and we’re continuing to grow so there’s Careers section as well as some Accolades.

All the items in our top, pretty orange navigation can likewise be found at the bottom of the page in the Explore HorseGirlTV and you can see more of Our Brands down there as well!

Is there something we’ve missed that you’d like to see? Let me know!

Thanks to you all. Cheers to an amazing 2013 for every single one of us and I hope you enjoy the new HorseGirlTV website as much as we (especially me!) have enjoyed creating it for you!

This was a MASSIVE site migration of over 1,500 pages so please if you notice a link, image or something that appears to be out of place please report it to us. Thanks!

Black Is Back, Ralph Lauren Redeemed on Tuesdays Untacked

January 29, 2013

With the new site re-design I’ve begged the powers that be here at HorseGirlTV® to allow me a few liberties. Hey, I deserve it yes? I’ve been wanting to do a series that allows me to write about any or everything my heart desires and so enter the world… Tuesdays Untacked. Yeah!

With all this editing, developing, re-encoding and organizing we’ve been doing here this past month I’ve been listening to heaps of music I rocked the code to in the late 90s. This working in to the late hours of the evenings kinda music inspired me to get back to basics with black. I’ve gone out and gone gel. Gel polish that is. It’s my first time with the gel manicure so why not make it bold in black! The staying power is fabulous for us horse girl types who often find our fingers in feed, snaps and straps. It’s super shiny wet look sparkles to the glow of the LCD or over a candlelit dinner, whatever the case may be.

You can get the look with Shellac Black Pool Gel Nail Polish and I’m thinking about springing for a Thermal Spa Gel Light Nail Dryer so I can easily change out my polish at home or on the road. Going the DIY route though, I suggest having a fine short bristled brush on hand with nail polish remover to sweep away any mistakes on cuticles or otherwise. With striking black and other dark colors it’s easy to bleed the color to your skin and not be able to get it off so just be prepared. If you can’t find a short bristled brush, a Q-tip or even a bobbie pin with TP wrapped around it can provide touch up assistance.

Now on to my dear, dear, wonderful, fabulous, talented and classic Ralph. You’ve inspired us for decades yet this past year you confused us severely with your homage to the Love Boat Olympic attire. I now know you did have a path and were going somewhere with it, it was just at the time we couldn’t see past the bobby socks and berets. Enter NY Fall Fashion Week and your Spanish equestrian inspired looks complete with the French beret to keep us guessing. Hopefully some of these were manufactured stateside instead of our USA, Made in China, Olympic wear. Hmmm?

Lauren was quoted, “I was inspired by a vibrant, bohemian spirt, the artistry of things handmade and personal style that is as rich as it is romantic.” Here I surely agree with you. The basic blacks, the contrasting bolero jackets topped by the oh so feminine soft black berets it works, especially with my new black polish.

I adore your HorseGirlTV® teal open front, just a touch too long flowing sleeved blouse partnered with the jodhpur style high waisted trousers and couldn’t resist sharing that pict!

Looking forward to your what surprises you have for us in spring!

Is it a Tablet Kinda Christmas? Get These Great Horse Books in Digital Format!

December 14, 2012

Is someone you know getting a tablet for the holidays? Treat your horsey-and-tech-savvy friends right with a few of TSB’s bestselling books in digital format! The following titles are available in Kindle and eBooks!

These are some of my personal favorites this last year: (not in any particular order either)

Ride Horses with Awareness and Feel: The New Dressage Training System from the Dutch Olympians at Academy Bartels

Believing in Horses

Off Course: An A Circuit Novel

Masquerade (Canterwood Crest)

How Good Riders Get Good: Daily Choices That Lead to Success in Any Equestrian Sport by Denny Emerson

These are some other great books:

The Seven Deadly Sins of Dressage by Douglas Puterbaugh with Lance Wills

Academic Equitation: A Training System Based on the Methods of D’Aure, Baucher and L’Hotte by General Decarpentry

Clinton Anderson’s Downunder Horsemanship: Establishing Respect and Control for English and Western Riders by Clinton Anderson with Ami Hendrickson

The Complete Guide to Hunter Seat Training, Showing, and Judging: On the Flat and Over Fences by Anna Jane White-Mullin

Dressage for the Not-So-Perfect Horse: Riding Through the Levels on the Peculiar, Opinionated, Complicated Mounts We All Love by Janet Foy with Nancy J. Jones

Aspiring Writers Want To Know… Who Won The HorseGirlTV® Guest Blogging Contest?

November 21, 2012

I love to write. I’m actually writing my very first novel (one of many I have pages and pages of notes on) at this time and it’s turning into a juicy series actually! Spicy, drama loving horse peeps stay tuned!

I also love to share and give back however I and HorseGirlTV can. I remember long ago when I was first sending out submissions to magazines, yes we snail mailed submissions back in the day. It became a ritual to keep all my numerous rejection letters and they built up to become a sign of that little train chugging its way to the top of the mountain reciting, ‘I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.’ and well… now?.. ‘I know I can. I know I can. I know I can.’ so it was with that in mind that we decided to offer a guest blogging spot on my blog here at HorseGirlTV.

What I didn’t imagine is that we would receive SOOOOOO many amazing submissions and ideas from fans and viewers around the globe! The collection and the ideas were impressive! We narrowed them down to finalists who have been emailed and ALL the finalists have an opportunity to write a contributing guest blog here on HorseGirlTV! So we will all get to share in their wonderful stories! Yeah!!!!

We will be drawing the winner from our finalists and I will be announcing the winner, uh, ahem, now! Drum roll please. (insert drum roll in your mind here please, tehe). The winner of the HorseGirlTV Guest Blogging Contest and recipient of an awesome journal from the wonderful folks at Barnby Notes is – Marsha Stone! Congrats!!!

Marsha is a carriage driving, tour guide in Florida and wants to share a tale or two about the many hours she and Gary (her horse) spend together and the unusual experiences they share as they trapse through the old city at night together.

Again congrats Marsha and congrats to all our finalists too! I, and I know the fans & viewers, look forward to reading your tales and exciting blogs in the near future.

AND a Happy Thanksgiving to all of you stateside!

JoJoSox – The Absolute Best Boot Socks EVER!

October 19, 2012

I train 6 days per week usually with the off day doing some ground work + guaranteed stable work. This daily grind is tough on socks, especially boot socks so when a fan recommended (Thanks Sarah F!!!) I check them out I was quite excited. I contacted Joanna, who is one of the Jo in JoJoSox, to find out more about their range, checked out there website and have been putting several pairs of their sox to the test these last few weeks.

Of course I understand the importance of function for horsey peeps but I also lean towards fun fashions as well! SUCCESS on both counts with JoJoSox! The range is diverse, colorful, yet classic and therefore unique to whatever style you might consider stylish. I have not put a better boot sock on my foot so function abounds. The toe fit is PERFECT, the heel DOES NOT slip and the most important to me… the socks stay up and comfy whether on the inside or outside of my breech. I’ve only been with these particular pairs for a few weeks now but one can tell how well a product is going to manage the repeat washing and wearing and these have all held their own through 5 washes so far. Yes… these are the only boot socks I’ll wear now so they get washed a few times per week!

These lovely ladies to the right are their BAMBOOTZ option! They are made using sustainable, organic Bamboo pulp, are softer than cotton with a texture similar to that of silk. Thin, but also durable, with a reinforced heel and toe, their BAMBOOTZ are naturally antibacterial and hypoallergenic. They are also quick to absorb moisture, keeping your feet dry and odor-free making them the perfect year-round socks for keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. What I find wicked awesome about these are the silk feel with the contour foot hugging comfort that you can’t find in a silk sock! Check these out at http://www.jojosox.com.

These sexy little hot rods are called Oregon Zebra. Now I’ve lived in Oregon and I haven’t seen any native zebras there. In fact I’ve never saw a zebra in Oregon ever BUT I find the name adorable and if there was an Oregon zebra breed out there, I’m sure it would have such a hot and vibrant yellow! These are in their tall sock range and are made from using moisture-wicking, performance fibers. These socks can absorb and transport tremendous amounts of moisture away from the feet. Perfect with tall boots, or for playing sports, these socks are virtually seamless with no excess bulk anywhere. Seriously… there’s no bulk and they cradle your heel, arch and toes with no bunching whatsoever! Have a gander online at http://www.jojosox.com.

These are perfect for wear while attending The Hampton Classic, Dressage at Devon, watching Downton Abbey (bites nails… will Matthew and Lady Mary marry??) or whenever you generally would like to feel very, very high brow while simultaneously enjoying the comfort of a modern sock! Their traditional argyle is dubbed Color Me Proper!

What more to ask for in a sock. The best function! A menagerie of style and all packaged with the most hip, cute, and clever names! Plus their price point is fair retailing around $20 each!

So if the sox fit… Well, I’m gonna most certainly wear them! Cheers!

Horse & Academy Magazine

October 19, 2012

I was interviewed for the latest issue of Horse & Academy magazine and it’s a really fun piece. A huge thanks to them for the interest!!! I’ve put in a screenshot as a teaser!