[MunchkinsMom]

It is more that the Chronicle of the Horse sponsors this BB for free and for that we are extremely lucky. OT days are fun, but not horse related and do not direct people to the horse magazine itself. If we had an open OT day, the whole world would join, people with no interest in horses - and I'm sure there are lots of boards out there for that purpose. Right?

Menagerie - good idea so far. thanks.

I agree, I think this Menagerie forum is great, and the OT days can be "special" for totally random personal stuff.

Thanks!

[Lone]

This is fantastic- thank you SO much!

And I agree with some of the above posters that while OT days are certainly fun, we don't need them all the time. However, many of us 'horse people' are also 'dog/cat/etc people' and having a place to talk about our other pets is wonderful!

[MHM]

Thanks!

Great idea, since so many horse people have other animals in the family.

[1sock]

I think this is a great idea.

[kookicat]

Very cool. Thank you!

[Moderator 1]

well, I'm sure I'll get booed here. I don't mean to, I swear.
Mods said they'd be checking back for feedback, so I'm posting.
I LOVE the idea. I DO. But I'm truly confused. IF we can have an exotic animal (as in: not dog, cat, or farm related animal) forum...then, why? can't we have an open forum for COTHers to talk to each other in other regards?

Please, I know I'll get flamed, and again...I DO think this is a good idea...what I"m confused on, is why? we can't have one that is just for us to share other things on, vs. horses and horse life IF we can have this one?

I'm missing something, obviously...as to me, these are threads/discussions that would have otherwise been deleted. If we're relaxing that, then why are we limiting it to something NON horse related but yet, specific? at all?

TIA...

Thanks for the question (boooooo!!! ) ~

Back when we started the Around the Farm forum, we intended to allow it to include discussion of other pets too, as horse people are generally animal people, and it's all sort of part of the "lifestyle."

The pet threads really started to dominate ATF, however, and some users were understandably not thrilled with having to wade through lots of pet posts when they come here for horses.

By creating a separate forum for other animals/pets, we're able to exclude this forum from the searches some of those posters used to scan for new topics each day, so it enables them to easily ignore the non-horse stuff if they so choose.

We've gone back and forth re: a full-time OT forum for years, and while we got the OK to open it up to other animals around the dawn of the ATF forum, in the end, the powers-that-be still want to reserve that free-for-all OT feature as more of a special event...

Part of the reasoning is likely to preserve the power of the OT forum to help folks blow off some steam with a unique diversion for a day or few, some of it relates to resources required to run a full-time OT forum on a site as busy as ours, and some of it still pertains to desire to keep the overall focus here on horses. Even though parrots, dogs and potbelly pigs clearly aren't horses, the whole critter-laden lifestyle is pretty much inherent to life with horses.

That all said, I can always keep asking.

Thanks for all the positive feedback...we had a feeling it wouldn't be a tough sell!

Mod 1

[Larksmom]

After owning the easiest keeper ever for 29 years, I was a member of this forum, but temporarilary unable to access the forum when she passed away. I was unable to come here and get sympathies and there theres.
Now it looks like I will never be able to afford another horse, and this is the only place I really go to keep up with what is going on in the outside world. I just love COTH, and now I love it more.
I still have 4 pets, and three are nearly 18 years old. so this is going to be a favorite of mine. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Janis,
Lark,
Muff,
Toffee,
and Amy

[Horse with No Name]

coollies, thank you!

[Sithly]

New threads made in this forum WILL NOT appear in the New Posts or Today's Posts searches, so for those not interested in scrolling through pages of new puppy threads in search of interesting horse topics, hopefully that will allay most of your concerns re: this new offering.

Awesome. This addresses my concern about having to scroll through a bunch of OT stuff to find the horse stuff. Thanks for making this forum its own entity so those of us not interested are not affected by it.

[SGray]

I like the name

[Wellspotted]

Yea! What a great idea! Thanks, Mods.

[2DogsFarm]

I always felt guilty asking non-HR pet but still farm-related questions on Around The Farm or Off Course

Now I can post here with a clear conscience

& kudos for keeping these threads off the New Posts - let those remain mostly HR, Amen

[fooler]

Thanks for the new forum!

Please leave Off-Topic day as is. There are plenty of other sites to discuss the day2day garbage of the world.

[Bluey]

I always felt guilty asking non-HR pet but still farm-related questions on Around The Farm or Off Course

Now I can post here with a clear conscience

& kudos for keeping these threads off the New Posts - let those remain mostly HR, Amen

That too, it is important to keep a clean conscience, always.

I do wonder how much longer I can keep from getting another cat, now that we will have a place for kitten pictures.
I am already avoiding the breeder forum, this one may be a tought one also.

[incentive]

Great idea! Love the name!! Thanks!!!

[sdlbredfan]

I am so glad to see this. So many of us horse fanatics have other critters too, it just makes sense and surely can and will increase traffic that will make the advertisers happy<G>.

[Chester's Mom]

Thanks for the new forum!

Please leave Off-Topic day as is. There are plenty of other sites to discuss the day2day garbage of the world.

Ditto and ditto, thanks Mod1!!

[whicker]

Pretends to look adult and sedate

Thank you so much! I have so many questions about the rest of the menagerie on our farm. The horses haven't made it into the house yet, although the mini found the malamute's dog door..

Then there are the on going joys of puppy/cats/horses/ odd wildlife...

[Shadowmare]

I'd like to add my voice to the positives and say I think this is a GREAT idea! Yep, many of us "horse people" have other animals and it's great to be able to talk to our COTH pals about those other critters. Love the name for this section, too! Thanks, mods!!!

[Kryswyn]

Thank you so much! We'zums all loffs you!

Miss Pinchy on behalf of all the Kryswyn terriers.