by Amanda Schiavo

Picture a horse grazing on a sunny day when she suddenly senses her owner’s bank account is perfectly balanced. This, the horse determines, is the opportune time to jam a leg through a fence and ring up a hefty vet bill.

Anyone who has ever owned a horse knows this feeling. There is even a meme about it.

There are roughly two million horse owners in the U.S., and 7.1 million people involved in the industry when including service providers, employees and volunteers, according to horse transportation company Equo. That means a potential client population larger than that of Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia combined with a very specific set of financial needs.

For a hobby such as equestrianism, coming up with a proper plan can be challenging when considering taxes, estate planning and expensive regulations related to taking show horses across national borders. But equestrians will tell you that once they fall in love with a horse, there’s no turning back.

The question becomes: How to build a plan for a horse enthusiast without scrimping on the client’s own long-term care, retirement, family and other needs?

Read more: Planning for a Hobby that Costs Almost as Much as Children

by Attorney, B. Paul Husband

In fact, ideas, in and of themselves, are not protectable by either copyright or trademark.

As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said:
 
"The noblest of human productions -- knowledge, truths ascertained, conceptions, and ideas -- become, after voluntary communication to others, as free as the air to common use."

In other words, at common law, ideas belonged to no one, and therefore the law did not recognize any right of ownership in mere ideas, regardless of how original or valuable they might turn out to be.

This article will address the legal protection which is given to the expression of ideas, that is copyright; to the use of ideas in the form of words, names or symbols used to identify the source of goods or services, that is trademarks, and a few words at the end about some concepts of contract law which might be useful, in some limited circumstances, to protect ideas themselves.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright protects the expression of an idea, and not the idea itself. Copyrights protect: "Original works of authorship". This is the term used in the federal copyright law, and although it is not specifically defined in that law, the phrase clearly would include all manner of writing, drawings, paintings, other two dimensional and three-dimensional works of fine, graphic and applied art, videotapes, films, and various and sundry other items up to and including salt and pepper shakers, chandeliers, door knockers, ink stands and wallpaper.

Read more: Protecting Your Ideas: Can You Do It with Copyright and Trademark Law?

by Roger and Rhonda Adams, Owners 2Rmules and Wyoming Saddlery

The Answer is YES!

Many folks ask us "Why do I need a Mule saddle?” “What’s the difference between a horse and a mule saddle anyway?"

These are great questions and the answers will help ensure the comfort of your mule for years to come.

The difference in conformation between the mule and the horse is what requires a different saddle tree. The mule takes on many of the characteristics of the donkey; a straight back with low or no withers. While not all mule backs are as straight as the traditional donkey, they still have a very flat back in comparison to the horse. A horse saddle will need "rock in the bars." Rocking refers to the curve in the tree from the front to the back of the bar. Think of a rocking chair. Although in a saddle tree the curve is not as pronounced - the principal remains the same and the comfort of your equine partner is the goal. When you put a horse saddle on a mule, you will notice that it will rock back and forth and when you tighten the front cinch it will cause the rear of the saddle to rise up off the mule’s back. This is because of the rock in the bars which is a standard feature in most horse saddles.

Read more: Is There a Difference Between a Mule Saddle and a Horse Saddle?