Special to Neighborhood Post, Palm Beach Post
Thursday, July 23, 2009

Since it launched in 1997, Jill Townsend and Dominique Coffman's Web site, wellington-wef.com, has turned into a valuable resource for local equestrians. The site, which features a popular message board and other horse-related information, has 6,000 registered members. With so many people depending on the site, Townsend and Coffman recently decided it was time to add new features.

"We're trying to take something that has a solid following and keep it interesting and fresh," Townsend said.
 
Until a few weeks ago, uploading pages was the most labor-intensive part of running the Web site.

"We used to have to hand-make every page," Townsend said. "People sent us the pictures and verbiage, and we made the Web pages and uploaded them."

Since the changes, it's much easier for Townsend and Coffman to create new pages. If someone is looking for a specific kind of horse, there are now different sections for dressage, pleasure, jumpers, western and several other disciplines. Townsend and Coffman want the site to be easy to navigate. The message board got a minor makeover, but the pair has chosen to keep the simple, homey design.

"I still use the oldest program in the world to make Web pages, because it's the only thing I know how to do," Townsend said. "We're not computer geniuses. I don't want it to look like all the modern sites. An average middle-aged person can navigate through it comfortably and not say, 'Where do you have to click to go here?' Most of the people who know a lot about Web sites say it's out of date, but I like it."

Townsend trains and runs her barn, Winter Heaven Stables in Wellington, full time. She brought fellow Wellington resident Coffman on three years ago to help with the day-to-day Web site maintenance. Townsend's daughter will graduate from high school at the end of the year and go off to college, giving her a little more time to work on the site. 

"I'll have more time to put thought into it and keep making it better," she said.

Running the message board is very labor-intensive. Coffman handles that area of the site. She is on a constant battle to filter out spam and keep things clean. Though operating the Web site is hard work, the rewards are plentiful.

"I get so many e-mails from people saying thank you for the little things," Townsend said. "People who have lost and found dogs are always grateful. They thank us when they've found an emergency ride to the vet clinic or the owner of a horse that is loose. It seems to really get the word out effectively."

"It helps a lot of people," she said. "Not just horse people."