… If you’re a fan of our Carriage Journal magazine, then trust me, this won’t be as scary as the title above might lead you to believe.

Earlier this year, we asked CAA members (the CJ’s “subscribers”) to complete a reader survey. This was in an attempt to get a better idea about what our readers like (or don’t like quite so much) about the various articles typically featured in the magazine.

Most of those who responded are very interested in learning more about the history of driving and carriages, seeing and learning more about collections of carriages and carriage- and driving-related items, and learning about the history of the horse-drawn era. About half of the respondents are very interested in “how-to” articles, reports on CAA events, histories of carriage makers, and information on the restoration and conservation of horse-drawn vehicles. Very few people expressed an overwhelming interest in competition reports and show results. But as one person said, it’s not that we’re not interested in results, but other magazines already do that, and it’s not necessarily what we expect to read about in the Carriage Journal.

We’ve taken all of the survey results and the suggestions to heart, and we’re re-formatting the magazine a bit. Starting with the January 2010 issue, the layout will look ever-so-slightly different (better, and easier to read and navigate, we hope!). And our readers will find a number of regular departments covering the things they’ve told us they want to read more about: personal collections, general carriage information, history, horses (including harness and how-to), and personal stories. We’ll also be including images and information from the treasure-trove that is the archives and library of the Carriage Museum of America. In addition, each issue will feature several long, in-depth articles with lots of the stunning photos the Carriage Journal has become known for. And, last but not least, we’ll still have driving-related news bits, letters to the editor, book reviews, and the back-page personal-opinion column.

Intrigued? Look for the January 2010 issue after the beginning of the year.

If you’re not a CAA member but want to learn more about the association and our publications, visit our main webpage at www.caaonline.com, call us at 859-231-0971, or write to us at info@caaonline.com.