This issue of the VOICE of the Tennessee Walking Horse national magazine marks the beginning of the seventh year of publication — 72 issues have been
printed in the last six years and this is the 73rd consecutive month that the VOICE has been mailed to our subscribers .
A lot has happened in the past six years , not only to the VOICE but to the Walking Horse breed itself . They have been very fruitful years for the breed and , in turn , for the VOICE .
The VOICE began as a dream of Mr . Ben A . Green in Shelbyville , Tennessee , and in February of 1962 he took the first step toward the realization of that goal . Ben sent out a letter to a list of people who he thought '' would be interested in a magazine dealing with the Tennessee Walking Horse .” In this letter he told these horse enthusiasts that he would publish an issue in March if he got enough $ 4 subscriptions to finance it . The response was very gratifying and in March , 1962 the first issue of the VOICE was printed . Ben and his wife , Mary Frances , spent many long hours working on this family project during that crucial first year . Their efforts were well received by
24- their subscribers and customers as they increased both their subscriptions and their advertising .
It seems that people have a tendency to shy away from anything new and difficult , preferring to wait until someone else proves that it is worthwhile or will work . Not so with Ben and Mary Frances Green Utilizing his past newspaper experience and enthusiasm for the breed , he succeeded in improving the VOICE in all facets of operation . The next major step in the growth of the magazine came in August of 1963 . Bruce and Gloria Spencer of Chattanooga , Tennessee purchased the publication from Mr . Green , who was experiencing some health difficulties and was unable to keep the magazine going as he would like . The Spencers attended the Celebration and put out their first issue in September of 1963 with complete coverage of the big show . The first few issues of the VOICE were put out in the front room of the Spencer house , but as the magazine grew , office space in the back of a typesetting company was used to ready the magazine for the printer . The magazine continued its upward trend and a part-time secretary was hired as operations were moved to a downtown upstairs office . A summer helper was hired for the hectic show season in 1965 as the VOICE experienced continued growth . Today the VOICE Publishing Company has a new office building ; its own typesetting equipment ; a camera department ; an art director , Mr . John Goss ; a full-time office manager and secretary — with Bruce and Gloria still working around the clock . In 1966 , Mr . Fred Friend , a minor stockholder , was bought out and a new stock owner , no longer a summer employee , Mr . David L . Howard became the Managing Editor of the VOICE .
In 1967 , the VOICE Publishing Company broadened its base by purchasing another publication , the TENNESSEE FOOD FIELD , a grocery publication
with state-wide circulation . There is quite a difference between the VOICE in 1962 and the VOICE in 1968 . The number of subscribers has increased by five times and now totals over 6,000 in forty-seven of the fifty states and several foreign countries . The average size of the magazine was 24 pages in 1962 , and the average for
1967 was 65 pages , with the largest single copy being the January 1968 issue , with 116 pages . In six short years the VOICE has surpassed all other show horse publications in subscribers , even though these publications have been in operation many years more .
Like the VOICE , the Tennessee Walking Horse breed is very young . The first Walking Horse was registered only 33 years ago , and as a trade publication the VOICE is very young alongside the standard trade journals , one of which dates back as far as 1865 . With this in mind , it is easy to see that both the breed and the VOICE have experienced tremendous growth side by side .
We hear a lot of discussion indicating that the breed is " going backwards ”; sales are off , there is an increasing lack of interest , and so forth . Let ’ s set the record straight with some facts . Sales of good horses are greater than ever . Prices paid for good stock continue to rise but the demand for the poorer stock is declining . For example , look at the recent sale o WA MOO-LANG for $ 27,500.00 . Also the sales ot
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Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse