The Canadian Arabian Horse News (CAHN) is a publication with roots going back to 1960. Originally founded as a typed newsletter by two Arabian horse lovers in Alberta, it became the official publication of the Canadian Arabian Horse Registry in 1972. The seventies saw a heyday for the magazine with monthly publication and 70+ pages in the yearly stallion issue. However, like many publications in the 90’s and 2000’s, the magazine saw declining revenue and readership. It was discontinued in 2005, but at the urging of CAHR director Tex Kam, was re-designed and resurrected in 2008 as a semi-annual members’ showcase.
Having contributed to the old CAHN as a writer, photographer, and ad designer, I was brought on board to re-design the magazine along with editor and CAHR registrar Nicole Toren. For each issue I determined ad prices, number of ad pages to be sold, total budget, the design, writing, and photography budget, print budget, and distribution budget. I designed the layout and many of the ads, wrote articles, edited contributor’s articles, sourced photos from members and show photographers, and contributed photos myself when I traveled to shows.
It was always a challenge to include as much content as we could fit and not leave anyone out. To enhance some of this scope we used expanded online issues and re-purposed content as online articles.
Each issue was mailed to members and distributed at different horse shows around Canada and the US, including Scottsdale, Canadian Nationals, US Nationals, and various Regional shows. Occasionally we shipped a box of magazines via FedEx, but more often than not we sent them out to a horse farm to be put on the trailer with the horses and hauled out to the show by CAHR members.
The News, for its many editors and contributors, was a labor of love, and I will always be thankful for the many friends and opportunities it introduced me to.
