No, not Appaloosas. iPhone “apps.” Lucinda Dyer, author of Eco-Horsekeeping: Over 100 Budget-Friendly Ways You and Your Horse Can Save the Planet ( www.horseandriderbooks.com ), gives us the lowdown on the newest, coolest ways to “Go Paperless and Get Efficient.”
Cheap (often absolutely free) and requiring no custom saddles, joint supplements, or weekly lessons, these apps, while not necessarily equine specific, can help you organize your horse life both at the barn and away from home. You’ll maximize your efficiency and go paperless while staying hip to what’s hot in handheld technology. Check out these apps, all available at the iTunes App Store.
Accuweather
If you own a horse, you’re obsessed with weather. Accuweather provides forecasts, in-motion radar, alerts, and warnings for multiple locations, and it has great graphics.
Evernote
What can’t Evernote do? Not much. A perennial on most reviewers “Best App” lists, it even syncs with a free Evernote download for your computer. Getting ready for an out of town show? A show “Notebook” can hold packing lists you’ve created specifically for trailer and truck, prize lists or ride times you’ve downloaded from the venue’s web site, and to-do lists for each day. What you create is limited only by your imagination. For more information, check out www.evernote.com
Around Me
When you’re on the road during show season, what could be better than an app that locates nearby gas stations, restaurants, and grocery stores? Or, for those in a celebratory mood, local bars and pubs? Every listing displays its location on a map, the route you should take from where you are, and allows you to email the information to a friend (should a toast be in order).
Car Care
No more scrawling mileage on the back of greasy Taco Bell receipts or trying to remember the last time you had your truck serviced ... or was it your car? Not only does Car Care calculate gas mileage, it programs your iPhone to remind you when oil changes, tire rotations, and maintenance checks are due on multiple vehicles.
Pet First Aid
If you have horses, you probably have a dog or cat (or both) to complete the menagerie. From cuts and fractures to sprains and CPR, Pet First Aid provides detailed articles, video, and illustrations to help you care for your dog or cat in an emergency. The section on “pet information” allows you to download a photo of your pet as well as pertinent medical/veterinary information.
Discover other great ways to become as eco-conscious in the barn and on your horse as you are in your home and in your car. Check out Eco-Horsekeeping: Over 100 Budget-Friendly Ways You and Your Horse Can Save the Planet . For more information contact rdidier@sover.net