Have the forums played a big role in your life? The Chronicle would like to know what the forums mean to you. Have you made any special connections, created decade-long friendships or met anyone in real life?
Share below, or you can email Kimberly at kloushin@coth.com.
@halla and I met through the forums and now we’re good friends IRL. When I moved back to the Mid-Atlantic area after school I didn’t know very many people. There was a big group of COTHers who would regularly get together and go out for dinner at different restaurants on the Main Line. That’s how @halla and I met and hit it off and we’ve been friends ever since!
Where do I start? I’ve been on here 20 or so years.
I have COTH friends that I’ve subsequently met IRL that I probably wouldn’t have without the prior COTH intro. Some of these were organized meetups at the Kentucky 3D, World Cup or other events. Or dinners. Or horse shows, including yesterday. Since my screen name is my first name, I’ve moved into barns and been asked if I’m “Peggy from the Chronicle forums.” There are also people I’ve never met IRL but connect with via Facebook, including a group associated with a certain amateur podcast. I went to the wedding of someone I met here. I There are people that I knew IRL and then saw here. This includes a childhood friend with whom I’d lost contact and ultimately met up with after she contacted me via COTH. The list is far too long to write down and I’m sure that I’d forget someone, but you all know who you are.
The forms have evolved over the years, but I find them to be an invaluable resource about horses, showing, horse health, and cats. There are some posters you learn to listen to and others you take with a grain of NaCl, but that’s no different from life.
What Peggy said! Ok, I haven’t been invited to a COTHer wedding yet, but the rest is close enough. This is my social network of friends, knowledge, support and even news. Even if I don’t know folks in person, I’ve laughed, cheered and cried with them like siblings.
I get this a lot on instagram LOL DMs - hey…are you Jealoushe on CoTH? LOL
Yep 
10 Years ago, the COTH forum was always the first place I looked. Many of my riding friends were there — it was like a coffee-klatch.
Then everything changed. My group was kicked off (pre or post Erin’ leaving, I cannot remember). Then new and improved (!!) version came on. What a travesty! I now have to work to find the sites I like (why does every site have to be preceded by balderdash? What happened to the good old simple COTH.? And, last (but not least) COTH was taken over by newbees (sorry) who think that sunglasses in the ring is an important topic? So many of us have gone over to the Internet where we can talk about things we have in common. PS: I must be really bored today. I haven’t been over here in years.
One of the things that I find so amazing about COTH is that if you have a question and ask it, people here are going to give you a real answer.
So what if your question seems silly to some (see poster above), others will be more than willing to help you find an answer.
@Lord_Helpus, I’ve missed you.
I wrote my “What the forums mean to me” essay to the reporter. I mentioned a few of the people here, including you. Your stories of showing Valor (did I remember that correctly?) are so wonderful. Your photo from WIHS is one of my all-time favorites. I loved seeing it again on one of the Facebook groups recently.
Sorry to read that you’ve moved to another virtual venue. Hope you’ll be back more!
I have come across some sarcastic responses to innocent questions on COTH that has kind of put me off from posting anything recently.
I’ve been a member for about 20 years now, although I forgot my first username and had to create a new one. I always appreciate the fact that you can get great advice for almost any issue from people who are very knowledgeable, but I really enjoy the lighthearted posts where everyone is enjoying their participation and no one is being snarky.
I also appreciate the familiarity of interacting with other long-time posters, even though I’ve never met any in real life.
I rarely post, but have been a lurker for 8 or 9 years. I just started riding again after a 3 year break and during that break, the forums helped me maintain a feeling of connection while I took some time away.
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