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Reader Profile
and Demographics
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The Magazine for Cowboys
and Cowboys at Heart
The Western Horseman staff has the opportunity
each year to meet many of our readers face-toface. It may be at a trade show, a rodeo or a spring
branding, but regardless of the location our readers love to visit, share their opinions and experiences with the magazine, and occasionally offer a
little advice.
Considering how many of them have been
reading Western Horseman since they were kids, it
stands to reason why they are so passionate about
it. Many readers tell us the magazine is important
to their families because it provides education and
entertainment, but also because it reinforces their
core values: hard work, independence, stewardship of the land and the ethical treatment of
livestock.
And of course we are fine with that. Western
horse-owning families have always been our
core audience, and their passion for stock horses
inspires us to make each issue better than the last
one. That was true back in 1936 with the very first
issue and it remains our mission today.
We are often asked to define our audience.
To explain who it really is. There is a common
perception that the only people who read Western Horseman are cowboys. And while our latest
Just as it has for the past 78 years, Western Horseman remains a “best-value” in reaching engaged Western consumers.
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reader survey in 2011 revealed that 22 percent
of our readers are ranchers, the majority are
in a diverse set of occupations that range from
professionals and managers, to business owners
and craftsmen.
And while most don’t make a living horseback,
they have a passion for the cowboy life and spend
as much time with their horses as they possibly
can. For many of our readers, horses are the common thread that binds their families together.
Horses are not a fad or passing fancy, but an essential part of their lives, a defining element.
When you choose to advertise your business
in Western Horseman, you benefit from one of
America’s most respected and trusted publishing traditions. While our editorial content and
our delivery methods continue to evolve to
reflect the changes taking place in the world
and the horse industry, our mission remains
the same: To provide the reader with the best
information available, and provide you, the
advertiser, with the most dedicated, passionate and enthusiastic horse-owning audience
anywhere.
Name: Paxton Ramsey
Hometown: Devers, Texas
Occupation: Rancher
Number of horses owned: 70
Owned horses since: “I’ve owned
horses all my life, and our family just
earned recognition from AQHA for
being a 50-year breeder.”
Horse industry involvement: “I
use horses regularly on my family’s
7L Ranch, a cow-calf operation in
Southeast Texas established by my
great-grandfather in 1904. I also
breed, train and compete in ranch
rodeos and stock horse competitions.
My wife, Erica, is a veterinarian, and
our children look forward to saddling
up and helping with ranch work.”
“I began reading Western Horseman
during high school and still look
forward to receiving each issue. It’s
interesting to know what other people
in the industry are doing. Western
Horseman keeps us plugged in to the
horse network. There are so many good
people in the horse business, and the
magazine is one way to bring them all
together. It seems to be a real common
denominator.”
Family values are at the core of Western culture. More than 75 percent of
Western Horseman readers are married with families; 68 percent are collegeeducated.
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Western Horseman readers live where their horses live.
They own an average of six horses each, and 98 percent of
them keep and care for their horses on their own property.
Name: Bill Enk
Hometown: Paso Robles, California
Occupation: Director of Judges for the National
Reined Cow Horse Association. Currently holds
judging cards with AQHA, APHA, NRCHA, NRHA,
NCHA and NSBA. Began his judging career with
the American Horse Shows Association in 1966.
Owned horses since: “I graduated from high
school in 1962.”
How many horses owned: “Depends on the day.”
Horse industry involvement: “I have been in the
horse business my entire life. I went to work as
a training assistant with Ronnie Richards when I
got out of the service, and began training horses
for the public in 1969.“
“I have been reading Western Horseman as
far back as I can remember. What I’ve always
appreciated is the magazine’s diversity of content.
As a horseman, I am interested in all facets of the
industry, not just show results. Western Horseman
has always sought out knowledgeable sources and
presented thought-provoking articles on everything
from natural horsemanship, horse health care, tack
and equipment, to profiles of America’s ranching
families.
“Although I have spent most of my life associated
with training, showing and judging, I’m really a
cowboy at heart. I’m not about to get out of bed at 3
a.m. to saddle my horse and work cattle all day, but
I sure like reading about the people who do.
“Basically, I am interested in everything there is to
know about horses. They enrich our lives in so many
ways, and Western Horseman has always added
to our understanding of that special horse-human
relationship.”
Many Western Horseman readers have owned horses for virtually their
entire lives; 46 percent of our readers have owned them for 40 years or
more and 15 percent own more than 10 head of horses each.
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Western Horseman readers don’t just own horses, they use them.
• 78.2 percent of our readers say horses are a
main source of recreation for them or members of their family.
• 48.6 percent say their horses are used in
ranching-related work or competitive activities.
• Western Horseman readers spend an average of
$833 per horse on horse healthcare products.
Name: John Varian
Hometown: Parkfield, California
Occupation: Rancher, V6 Guest Ranch
Manager, Restaurateur
Number of horses owned: “Somewhere
between 95 and 100.”
Owned horses since: “I’ve had horses
all my life. My mother started raising
horses more than 50 years ago, and we
still have a few ranch horses that go
back to her earliest breeding stock.”
Horse industry involvement: “Our
entire family, all 18 of us, are involved
with the horse industry in one way or
another. My parents are in charge of
our horse and cattle operation. I’m in
charge of the V6 Guest Ranch, and my
wife, Barbara, helps run our lodge and
restaurant. Our kids, Brinan, Kathryn
and Lauren, are active in junior and high
school rodeo. A day doesn’t go by that
one of us isn’t horseback.”
“I can’t remember when we didn’t have
Western Horseman in the house growing
up. I read it cover to cover back then
and still do. What I like most about the
magazine is its credibility; it isn’t a dude
magazine, it is the real deal with real
cowboys, real ranchers and legitimate
sources of information.
“Although I’ve been starting colts
and training horses most of my life, I
enjoy reading how great horsemen deal
with problems or develop successful
performance horses.”
Rodeo has its roots in Western culture and is a favorite of Western Horseman
readers. Every member household of the National High School Rodeo
Association receives a monthly copy of Western Horseman through our NHSRA
sponsorship program.
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Western Horseman readers actually live the Western lifestyle,
rather than simply aspiring to it.
• 38 percent of our readers own 50 head of cattle or more.
• 95 percent of our readers wear Western apparel 5 to 6 days a week.
• 94 percent of our reader families own a truck. On average, they trade them in every four years.
• 78.8 percent of our readers own a stock or horse trailer.
• 53.9 percent of our readers describe their property as farm or ranch land.
Name: Tim Cox
Hometown: Duncan, Arizona; currently lives
in Bloomfield, New Mexico
Occupation: Artist
Number of horses owned: 50 to 100
Owned horses since: “Since I was
approximately 21 years old.”
Horse industry involvement: “My wife,
Suzie, and our children have raised, trained
and shown horses in several capacities,
including cutting and rodeo. We also have
ranch horses and racehorses.”
“Growing up, I looked forward to receiving
Western Horseman magazine. This is where
I often found inspiration and confirmation
for my love of portraying cowboy life. When
we moved to Eagle Creek, Arizona, we were
fortunate enough to become friends with
longtime Western Horseman columnist and
magazine writer Stella Hughes. She took an
interest in my family and my career, and
helped to convince Dick Spencer to use my work
on the cover of the magazine.
“As we expanded our print business, we
feel that advertising in Western Horseman
is money well spent. In the early 1980s, our
first advertisement was a classified ad that
cost around $137, and we received more
feedback from it than many full-page color ads
that we have run in other publications since
that time.
“We’re still excited to read our Western
Horseman each month. The magazine has
done as much or more to promote cowboy
and Western art and culture than even some
art magazines, as well as being a great source for
learning about cowboys and training horses.”
Western Horseman readers have an avid appreciation for all things
Western, including art, food, home furnishings, and of course, apparel.
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Western Horseman subscribers are primarily successful,
well-educated and married with families.
• 42.8 percent are professionals, in managerial positions or own their own businesses.
• 39.9 percent have graduated from college, 62.9 percent have attended college,
and 14.6 percent have a graduate degree.
• 19.7 percent own 500 acres or more.
Name: Joe and Baru Spiller
Hometown: Wingate, Texas
Occupation: Joe makes bits and spurs;
Baru works as a bookkeeper and is a parttime silversmith.
Number of horses owned: 5
Owned horses since: “We’ve both owned
horses all of our lives,” Baru says.
Horse industry involvement: As a young
man, Joe worked as a cowboy. Later, he
showed Quarter Horses, focusing on
cutting and reining events. Since 1983, he
has been building top-quality custom bits
and spurs.
Baru competes in ranch versatility and
reined cow horse competition. She also
serves on the executive committee for the
Stock Horse of Texas association.
Joe and Baru also breed Quarter Horses
and often take in stocker calves, using the
horses they raise to perform cattle work.
“My parents had a subscription to Western
Horseman for over 50 years, so I’ve been
reading it since I was able to read,” Baru
says. “It’s pretty hard for me to throw away
any of my copies.
“I love the format. I always read the gearmaker spotlight. I love Women of the West. I
love the different training articles, and I read
the articles on nutrition, feed and health. I
can’t think of any part of the magazine that
I don’t just devour.”
Western Horseman readers love reading about Western craftsmanship. Nearly
85 percent say it’s one of their favorite sections in the magazine.
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Western Horseman’s
Industry
Involvement
Western Horseman has a long history of sponsorship involvement within the equine industry. The types of events and
organizations we sponsor are as varied as the interests of our
readers. We are currently national sponsors of the National
Barrel Horse Association, United States Team Roping Championships, the National High School Rodeo Association and
the Mustang Heritage Foundation.
As the title sponsor, we support several high-profile equine
competitions held all across the country, including Road to the
Horse, Extreme Mustang Makeover, The Magnificent 7 and the
Stock Horse of Texas World Championship and Futurity.
In addition, we are the presenting sponsor of the Ranching
Heritage Weekend, which kicks off the prestigious Fort Worth
Stock Show & Rodeo each January. That weekend’s events
include an invitational ranch rodeo, a ranch-horse competition
and sale, and a Texas-sized barbecue and dance.
Other Western Horseman sponsorships include:
Red Bluff Bull & Gelding Sale—Red Bluff, CA
Colorado State University Legends Ranch Horse Sale—
Fort Collins, CO
Timed Event Challenge—Guthrie, OK
Western Heritage Classic—Abilene, TX
Western States Horse Expo—Sacramento, CA
Working Ranch Cowboys Association World Championship Rodeo—
Amarillo, TX
Ride for the Brand Ranch Rodeo—Colorado Springs, CO
Horseman’s Reunion—Paso Robles, CA
Big Bend Ranch Rodeo—Alpine, TX
Miss Rodeo America Pageant—Las Vegas, NV
4-H Western National Roundup—Denver, CO
Junior Ranch Rodeo Association—Jay, OK
National Cutting Horse Association—Fort Worth, TX
Western Horseman also extends its reach by having a
trade show booth at many of the largest and most wellattended equine events around the country, including:
Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo—Fort Worth, TX
Timed Event Challenge—Guthrie, OK
National Cutting Horse Assoc. Super Stakes, Derby, and Futurity—
Fort Worth, TX
Road to the Horse—Lexington, KY
Western Heritage Classic—Abilene, TX
Western States Horse Expo—Sacramento, CA
Supreme Mustang Makeover—Fort Worth, TX
All-American Quarter Horse Congress—Columbus, OH
Stock Horse of Texas World Championship—Abilene, TX
American Quarter Horse Association World Championship Show—
Oklahoma City, OK
National Reining Horse Association Futurity—Oklahoma City, OK
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Convention Center—Las Vegas, NV
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Mandalay Bay—Las Vegas, NV
Western Horseman also has a permanent booth at the
Denver Apparel Mart and exhibits at the September and
January WESA Markets each year.
2112 Montgomery Street
Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 737-6397
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