Katie Tims

The “Insights & Opinions” column in Quarter Horse News is the venue where I address issues affecting the performance horse industry and its players. I have no desire to overlap this column with that one, although there are certainly subjects that will appear in both. “Insights & Opinions” is a down-to-business column that leaves little room for glimpses into who I am and how my opinions are formed. This blog is the place for the more personal side of Katie Tims and my ties to the performance horse and ranching communities.

Sometimes I wonder how I got to a post where I’m expected to articulate, write and make public my opinions on the performance horse industry. I’ve always been quite critical of the pundits in the national media, and I’m often outraged by their audacity. Who made them the experts? Therefore it’s a little ironic, and perhaps humorous, that I’m in a position of submitting declarations to an experienced and discerning horse public.

My first Quarter Horse News editorial was published in the Aug. 1, 2006, issue and it addressed whether or not the NRHA Futurity should be held over until May, in order to allow a horse to age a few more months before showing in the big show. I presented the pros and cons of the idea and walked safely down the middle of the subject saying, “From the way I see it, both are right.”

Wimp.

The Aug. 15, 2006, “Insights & Opinions” congratulated Tami Wagman on her tremendous effort of getting the grant money to send a group of reiners to Russia in order to demonstrate the sport. My column emphasized the impact a single reiner can have on the whole industry.

Safe.

For the Sept. 15, 2006, issue, I ventured into horse slaughter, an issue that was just starting to gain momentum within the performance horse industry. It had always been on the sidelines, an odious practice best kept out of plain view. People in the rarified world of the high-end show horse were finally recognizing that perhaps a ban on horse slaughter could have repercussions on the entire horse industry. A subject on target at the time, but way too late in the battle.

Controversial.

Finally, a subject I had to hang my hat on. That one was like a stick jabbed into a hornet’s nest, and it forced me to stand strong and support my convictions. At first, it was uncomfortable. Now, it’s familiar.

With “Insights & Opinions,” I receive e-mails, phone calls and letters. Some are negative, most are positive. Now, this blog allows me to share with you in a more immediate fashion. I look forward to your thoughts, your comments, your personal experiences. This is a two-way deal. We may or may not agree, but at the end of the day, we all care about the horses, the people and the Western way of life that we hold so dear.

Welcome aboard.