About The Michigan Hoof Beat

The Michigan Hoof Beat is an independent publication serving Michigan's horse community. Coverage is evolving, but look for news, product and service reviews, classifieds, and occasional commentary. Karen Hopper Usher founded the Michigan Hoof Beat and serves as publisher and reporter.

If the newsletter's name sounds familiar, it's because Marty Adler, a broadcaster and track announcer, used the name "Michigan Hoof Beats" in the 90s for a series of stories on harness racing. He graciously told Karen she was free to use her interpretation of the name, but died shortly after her lawyer filed the LLC paperwork.

Financial support

For now (November 2025), the newsletter is free. In time, news and reviews will be behind a subscription paywall. Classifieds and health alerts will be free for readers, while people with something to sell will pay for their classified ads.

Note for editors

The Michigan Hoof Beat content may be available for reprints. Email michiganhoofbeat on Google's email domain for details; the short version is that you can expect a per-piece or reprint subscription rate. You can also commission Karen for assignments.

Start your own thing

Enjoying the experience? Get started for free and set up your very own subscription business using Ghost, the same platform that powers this website.