The day that Linda's fans have been waiting for is almost here! Trail MIX, a television show that highlights the special bond that some of today's top musicians have with horses, premieres on January 29, 2006, at 8 p.m. ET. The program, hosted by Linda Eder, will feature musical artists Rob Thomas, LeAnn Rimes, Joe Perry, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ronan Tynan and Sheryl Crow, and much more.

To help add to the excitement leading up to the premiere, co-creators and co-executive producers Linda and Maureen Smith have provided the fans with insight into the show's creation and production in these exclusive interviews with THE VOICE. Also, get to know more about Linda's passion for animals, and in particular horses, as we journey "back to the farm" in a conversation with Linda's mom. And finally, learn about the charity work of one special lady, Sara Whalen, founder of Pets Alive, and how your quarter donations (featured in Trail MIX) have made a difference.

THE VOICE chats with Linda about Trail MIX...

VOICE: What inspired you to create a show revolving around singers and their horses?

LINDA: Maureen Smith threw down the challenge and, with her help and inspiration I found an ideal that everyone seemed to like. It was a pleasant surprise. Television is so celebrity driven that I knew the show would have a better chance if we could find a way to include them. The show is based on my own experience of wanting to sit around all day and talk horses with other horse people. Horse people share a bond that comes from the unique relationship we have with horses. Like any specialty, it has to be experienced to be totally understood. Having music and horses in common allowed me to instantly bond with celebrities I had never met. The conversations flowed freely with none of the stiffness that can come from interviews about career, the need to sell and promote.

VOICE: How did you go about finding singers to include in Trail MIX and what process did you use to come up with the final list of your choices?

LINDA: The biggest challenge was putting together a list of celebrities who truly are horse people, and then from the list finding people whose busy schedules could work with us. I have to give the people at Animal Planet most of the credit for finding our guests. It wasn't easy.

VOICE: Did you personally contact each guest star about appearing on the show? Was it a challenge to sell the idea of Trail MIX to them?

LINDA: Ronan Tynan was already a friend of mine and someone I wanted for the show. Maureen and I both wrote personal letters to several celebrities who were included in the pitch. I don't think the show was hard to sell at all. It really was just a matter of scheduling. We were going after some pretty big names and big names have big schedules. What actually helped us is the fact that these true horse lovers had an excuse to carve out a little time to be able to fly home and ride their horses and not feel guilty that they weren't working.

VOICE: How did you prepare for each shoot? Did you develop your own interview questions?

Linda and Ronan Tynan share a laugh

LINDA: In the beginning, I wrote many questions and mixed them together with the questions that came from the Animal Planet writers. I was nervous never having interviewed anyone before, but rather quickly I found that I really didn't need to write questions. I was provided with research material on each guest and the conversations really flowed very naturally. There is nothing worse than when an interviewer doesn't know his subject. I think our guests felt comfortable because they knew I understood them on both the music and equine level.

VOICE: How have you woven music into Trail MIX? Will we hear you and any of your guests sing?

LINDA: It's called Trail MIX (Maureen's very clever title) because each segment ends with a music video using footage we shot that day.

VOICE: Did you learn anything new about horses that you hadn't known before filming the segments of the show? Did you have any new experiences with horses during any of the shoots?

LINDA: I've been a horse lover since birth so like any subject one is greatly interested in, I have a wealth of information in my head. But I did learn even more about some of the different breeds: The Tennessee Walker, The Friesian, training trick horses.

Ronan Tynan with his horses in Ireland

VOICE: Did any of your own horses take part in Trail MIX? Do you have a favorite horse you rode during the filming and a favorite location you visited?

LINDA: Ronan's horses are in Ireland so we filmed at my place and he rode my big mare, Willett. I have a favorite horse, but my most exciting ride was on one of Punk Carter's cutting horses for the LeAnn Rimes shoot. It was a blast! The most beautiful location was probably Joe Perry's place. You could look in any direction and see a picture perfect postcard.

VOICE: Was it difficult to get the horses to cooperate with you and the cameramen? Can you share a story about a time when your horse just wouldn't do what you wanted it to do?

LINDA: Can I! If you know horses, then you know that any horse at any time can do something unexpected. Horses have personalities and riding a new horse can involve a little getting to know its quirks just as with people. All along I had been thinking that I could be thrown by one of the strange horses I would be riding. I never dreamed that it would be my own horse. We got it on camera! He had been cooped up all day while we prepared a shot, and I guess he just had too much energy to contain himself. I was caught by surprise and sailed off him like a sack of oats. I got back on and we finished the shoot. He behaved perfectly!

VOICE: Can you share any humorous stories from your time filming the Trail MIX segments?

Linda "horsing around" with Mary Chapin Carpenter

LINDA: Joe Perry's son Roman has a miniature horse that he drives in a little cart. We wanted a shot of me riding with him but every time I got in the cart, the little horse refused to budge. I got out and even tried to push the cart from behind. This little horse is no bigger than my German Shepherds. He was no dummy. But we did finally get the shot.

VOICE: Were you particularly moved by any one story of how horses inspired your guests?

LINDA: Ronan's story could move anyone. It is incredible and you could fill two hours with just him. I was also touched by Mary Chapin Carpenter's story because she has truly found a little piece of the heaven she deserves. She is a really neat lady.

THE VOICE chats with Maureen Smith about Trail MIX...

Linda and Maureen Smith

VOICE: How long have you worked for Animal Planet and could you tell us a little bit about your other projects with the network?

MAUREEN: I took the helm at Animal Planet in August of 2004. Prior to that I was the president of Fox Family Channel — now known as ABC Family — and Fox Kids Network. I was brought in to reinvigorate the network with a broad array of compelling, quality programs for viewers of all ages — while staying true to the network's heart and soul. Like music, animals touch many of us on a deep, emotional level. Linda captures and conveys that kind of emotion in her singing and I want to convey that kind of depth and feeling in our programming. We have been working non-stop since I arrived and have more new series, specials, and big events in the works than I can name here. We're also branching out into animal-centric comedies, animation, "how-to" shows, and even scripted dramas. But I can definitely tell you that none has been as much fun or challenging to work on, for me, as Trail MIX.

I also believe it is important for Animal Planet to entertain people between the shows on our schedule. So, I created a series of music videos that run on our air called ANIMAL TRAX. They feature great songs combined with wonderful footage of animals. The first that ever aired featured Linda's "I'll Be Home For Christmas" (one with a penguin and one with a polar bear) and "Here Comes Santa Claus" (with funny home video footage of animal antics at Christmas). We got a great response to those and I have a few more with Linda songs in the works so stay tuned!

VOICE: Have you always been an animal lover? Did you have many pets growing up? Do you have pets now?

Linda's horses

MAUREEN: I have always loved animals — any and all kinds. When I was growing up, we didn't have room at my home for horses, but my father used to take me to Whittier Narrows stables where occasionally I'd ride a horse named Cinnamon. I had a lizard named Jimmy that once wound up in my mom's washing machine (I'm sure the neighbors heard her scream when she opened the lid and found him), many fish, a parakeet named Cindy, and dogs named Heidi and Ginger. Soon after I married, my husband surprised me with a golden retriever named Murphy. Last spring, my husband, kids and I adopted two adorable beagle pups into our family and they entertain us non-stop.

VOICE: When was the first time you heard Linda sing and what song was it? What was your reaction?

MAUREEN: The first time I heard Linda sing I was in my kitchen cooking dinner and listening to a talk radio show that used to air in Los Angeles (where I lived until I took the Animal Planet job). The hosts (Karel and Andrew) had run out of topics to discuss that night so they said they had decided to play Linda Eder songs and that if you had never heard her before, "you had better listen up." They were HUGE Ederfans and gushed non-stop about her. They played "Gold" followed immediately by "Vienna." What a one-two punch! I could not believe that voice, her emotion and range. The funny thing is that even after all these years and now knowing her as a very close friend… I still get goosebumps when I hear her sing and my jaw drops in awe at her talent.

Linda with Ronan Tynan and the Trail MIX crew

VOICE: When and how did you meet Linda?

MAUREEN: Through a series of work related events, I wound up meeting Karel Bouley, one of those radio talk show hosts I just mentioned. About a year later, he treated my husband and me to Linda's Christmas concert in Orange County, California saying "hearing her is one thing… seeing her will blow you away." Of course, I don't have to tell you, he was right. He took us backstage after the show, introduced us and I think Linda and I chatted for… hmmm… (laughing) two whole seconds! In fact, I don't think you could really call it "meeting" her. She was surrounded by people, signed a bunch of autographs, posed for a few pix and then made a quick (but gracious) dash for the exit and an awaiting car. But Dave Hart and I chatted for a while and after more subsequent conversations arranged a business lunch for Linda, himself and me, when they returned to LA a few weeks later. I have had many meetings with celebrities before, but lunch with Linda was unique because she is so unique. We really connected and from there a friendship that I now treasure was born. Thank you, Dave Hart!

The funniest thing is that the project I was "pitching" at lunch that we decided to pursue together had NOTHING to do with Trail MIX. I wasn't even working at Animal Planet yet. So, Linda and I are still determined to see that project (our other "baby") come to life someday, and I am convinced that Ederfans everywhere will LOVE it!

Jake and Maureen Smith's sons just "kidding around" on location with Trail MIX

VOICE: Do you have a favorite Linda song?

MAUREEN: I have a different favorite Linda song for each of my different moods (of which there are MANY — and Linda, bless her, has experienced them all!). My favorite Linda song that I belt out alone in the car is far different from my favorite when I am sitting by the fire with my husband or my favorite when we are decorating the Christmas tree with our sons. The depth and breadth of her "library" is so fantastic and allows all of us to have a Linda soundtrack in our lives. I tend to prefer listening to songs where she blows the roof off (and those are the songs I play to people when I want to introduce them to her music), but… if I had to pick one song that reminds me most of my relationship with Linda when I hear it, it is actually "If I Should Lose My Way." It is such a beautiful song about TRUE friendship — always being there for each other through life's ups and downs, as well as about staying grounded (which is a constant challenge for those of us in the entertainment business) — and Linda is a true friend through and through.

VOICE: How did the journey of Trail MIX begin?

Marisol and Rob Thomas with Linda

MAUREEN: Well, once I took the Animal Planet job, Linda's enthusiasm toward my work increased dramatically (laughing)! So, I asked her to think of show ideas. Specifically, ideas for a program about horses that would have broad appeal and could deliver big ratings. Then, one day I was hanging out at her home, chatting by the barn talking horses (when Linda says she could "talk horses all day"… she means ALL DAY), and I asked her if there was a song she sings when she's out trail riding. She said that there was and she told me the name of the song (your readers will have to watch Trail MIX and hear her sing it with Mary Chapin Carpenter on horseback to find out which song it is!). A few days later I got an e-mail from her. She had been reflecting on our conversation and that's when the basic idea for what ultimately became Trail MIX came to her. I loved it, presented it to my team, and we set the wheels in motion. Our incredible director and editor for the special, Brian Lockwood, embraced our vision and added a fabulous stylized look to the production and each music video that really brings it to life.

VOICE: What is your specific role in bringing the special to the viewing audience?

Linda with horse trainer Punk Carter

MAUREEN: (laughing) I bring Linda cold water, carry her bags for her, babysit Jake, and hold her hand on scary airplane rides. Just kidding — at least about the carrying her bags part! Seriously… I am not usually "hands-on" in our day-to-day productions, but Trail MIX is uniquely near and dear to me so I am deeply involved. In a "big picture" sense, I am ultimately responsible for the budget, the marketing, the promotion, the people selected to be on the production team, etc. But I am also very much involved in the details for this one. Not a day has gone by the past six months when I wasn't doing something related to Trail MIX — from personally lining-up the singers to be interviewed and coordinating their availability with Linda's, to helping draft questions for interviews, to attending every shoot, the list goes on and on. I have also watched every minute of footage we have shot (and there are hours and hours of it) over and over to help select the best shots and most compelling stories to include.

But I also want to point out that Linda is not only our host, she is also an Executive Producer on the show. She has worked her tail off helping with the research, drafting interview questions, making suggestions for camera angles, getting singers to agree to participate, selecting wardrobe, and more! She worked closely with the wonderful Jack Murphy who wrote the Trail MIX theme song that Linda sings in the special, and she even designed the Trail MIX logo! She's one smart, dedicated and multi-talented lady!

Linda and LeAnn Rimes

VOICE: How do you go about deciding which celebrities to include on the show?

MAUREEN: First and foremost, we decided that they had to be absolutely PASSIONATE about horses. Secondly, we wanted them to be the top in their genre and we wanted a wide range of musical styles. Then we set out to find people who fit the bill. I still pinch myself when I see that we filmed some of the biggest names in Rock, Country and even Opera and that they all had fascinating, insightful stories to tell about the impact of horses on their lives. Best of all, in the show you will get to see a side of each of them you have never seen before. Of course, they all adored Linda and when they would start "talking horses" together, it was something to see!

VOICE: We heard you and Linda were in a serious car accident on the way to your shoot with Sheryl Crow. Please tell us about it.

MAUREEN: Well, the entire trip to Austin was one travel nightmare after another. There were so many plane, car and hotel mishaps that I could go on and on for an hour, but, here is the abbreviated version (and the good news is that it was the only bad trip we had throughout the filming, we are all okay now, and we can even laugh about it — well, sort of).

Linda on location in Texas at Sheryl Crow's ranch

The plane trip to Texas alone is a story that would make your hair stand on end: a much smaller plane than normal, an unexpected stop in Nashville due to low fuel, bumpy ride, and one of the worst landings I have ever experienced. A real white knuckler! Linda and I were so shaken that we almost kissed the ground once we got to Austin (but it was so cold and icy that with my luck, my lips would've frozen to the tarmac, so we dashed inside instead!).

The next morning, a driver picked us up at the hotel in a town car to take us about 25 miles away to the ranch where Sheryl Crow boards her horses. We were nervous because all the news reports said there were lots of road closures and accidents caused by the first ice storm in Austin since 1998. Our driver proceeded cautiously and had to find a new route to get there because the highway was closed for quite a long stretch due to ice. When we got back on to the highway, the conditions looked a lot better. I was sitting behind the driver and Linda was next to me (behind the passenger seat) reading a magazine. The car was doing about 45 mph and hit a big patch of ice. We spun around once, then swerved all the way across the 4 lane highway just ahead of on-coming traffic and went airborne (yes, airborne!) off the road and nose first into a ravine that was about 15 to 20 feet deep. Then the rear of the car slid around in the ice so that the car was moving sideways and came to rest with the passenger side against a fence supported with mesquite trees. Thank God for that fence or Linda and I know we would've rolled for sure. It was a hard landing and the car was totaled. The driver was shaken but ok. Linda bruised her shin, and I later learned that I had a cracked sternum and bruised ribs. Once we had a few moments to relax and gather our thoughts, I was in the back seat calling to tell the production team we'd need to cancel. Well, Linda, trooper that she is, said she would go ahead with it if we could just get there. She was so focused and calm. If you ever need to head into battle, you want Linda Eder leading you.

There were so many WONDERFUL people who saw the accident and stopped to help. One poor man fell and slid down the side of the icy ravine while trying to help get to us. Eventually, two men who own the Red Robin restaurants in Austin and other parts of Texas gave us a ride in their Hummer to the ranch. Even the Hummer was sliding but they got us there safely (and gave us gift certificates!). In return, I gave them Linda's BY MYSELF CD! So, it was a win-win for all.

We got to the ranch, and Sheryl made it through the ice, too (we can't thank her enough for coming out in that weather and in those driving conditions) and it turned out to be a FABULOUS shoot. Linda and I used to complain that it was always hot at Trail MIX shoots (95 degrees with Ronan Tynan, 98 with Rob Thomas and 104 with LeAnn Rimes). But this was in the 20s most of the day and it warmed up to only 37! Talk about extremes!

I got to fly home the next day and relax. Linda, bless her, had to fly to LA for her concert at the Wilshire Theatre and then four more days of concerts and travel before heading home! I told you that she's a trooper!

VOICE: Do you have any funny stories from your time on the road that you'd like to share?

MAUREEN: I hope that when we look back on our Trail MIX days, our experience in Austin doesn't overshadow the many great memories we made and that Linda and I will smile and laugh about them for years to come. Not surprisingly, quite a few involve margaritas! Let's see… those that I am allowed to talk about include… horses "breaking wind" on camera, the miniature horse at Joe Perry's farm that refused to move whenever Linda was in the cart that it was pulling, and Ronan Tynan's outrageously bawdy humor which had us laughing so hard our sides hurt. Unfortunately, Animal Planet is a family network and I can't air those specific scenes with Ronan, but Linda and I have them on an outtake reel that we will definitely show at parties! There are also some of Linda's outtakes that I can't air on TV either!

VOICE: Did you personally do any horseback riding while on location?

MAUREEN: Unfortunately, I never had time — but that's okay because I wouldn't have wanted to out-ride Linda and embarrass her!

VOICE: What has been the most challenging aspect of creating Trail MIX?

MAUREEN: Other than SURVIVING? Well, the simple answer is: the logistics. We had to coordinate so many different people's schedules and travel to so many out-of-the-way places to make this show happen.

VOICE: What has been the most rewarding?

MAUREEN: Three things. One — seeing Linda succeed in a new form of entertainment as a TV host, interviewer, and producer and knowing how many new people will become Ederfans as a result of this show; Two — the deepening of our friendship throughout the creation and production of this show; Three — meeting so many wonderful people — from the singers we interviewed who opened their homes and barns to us, to the crew members, to the Ederfans I now know by name — including you ladies at THE VOICE.

But what would be REALLY rewarding is if all of your readers can help us make this a ratings success! Linda and I want to do more Trail MIX specials including one with comedians, one with athletes and one with actors. But this is a business and I can only make more if this first one is a hit. So, if you want to see more… convince everyone you know to watch it on January 29th. There… consider that to be my one and only truly shameless plug for the show.

Trail MIX makes its debut in Times Square!

THE VOICE chats with Mrs. Eder about Linda's love for animals...

Linda on Bay Lake in Minnesota with family and friends, and dogs Lucy and Trilby.

Linda and Ben at the Polo Grounds in Houston, Texas, where Linda boarded him in 1990 during the first run of JEKYLL & HYDE at The Alley Theatre.

Lucy and Trilby

Linda's brother Hans, sister Margarete and Linda (age 11) with their German Shorthair Pointer Rex on their family farm in Ham Lake, Minnesota.

Linda giving Hans a ride in the pasture on Goldie.

A painting for which Linda won a ribbon.

Linda with ducks

Linda's horse Mazda (Ben's half brother)

VOICE: Did you have pets at home when Linda was very young? If so, what kind of pets did you have?

MRS. EDER: When Linda was growing up we always had German Shorthair dogs.

VOICE: Did she ever try to teach any tricks to the dogs?

MRS. EDER: No, not really. They were hunting dogs. She just enjoyed having the dogs.

VOICE: Was Linda a natural animal lover from the time she was a little girl?

MRS. EDER: Yes, she always loved animals. We lived on a hobby farm in Anoka County, Minnesota from the time Linda was around 12 years old. She loved the farm… we bought her first horse for her when we lived there. Linda always had a special love for horses. When she would draw or sketch at home or in school, she would always draw horses' heads!

VOICE: Do you remember the name of Linda's first horse?

MRS. EDER: The horse's name was Goldie and it was half Arabian. Linda fell in love with Goldie right away. She didn't train her or anything like that but she did learn how to ride.

LINDA (fondly) RECALLS: Goldie was a chestnut mare that my Dad bought for me after my first pony turned out to be too naughty. When we got her home, my Dad told me I couldn't ride her yet because he was worried about my safety. He was working six days a week and couldn't help me with her right away. Every day I would go out and brush her and saddle her up and walk her around. Each night I would ask my Dad if I could ride her the next day. He would tell me to wait. Well, finally I had had enough of that, and without his permission I just got on one day. She was wonderful and we had a great time together.

VOICE: Did Linda take horseback riding lessons?

MRS. EDER: No, she never had any riding lessons. It just came to her naturally! I remember being so nervous when she was learning but Linda wasn't nervous at all. She was just so happy to have a horse.

VOICE: Did you ever ride horses with Linda?

MRS. EDER: Oh, no. I'm afraid of horses. She and her sister were the ones who liked horses.

VOICE: Did she enter any horse shows with Goldie?

MRS. EDER: She didn't really show her horse. Goldie was not a show horse.

VOICE: Did you have other animals on the hobby farm?

MRS. EDER: We had sheep and rabbits and chickens. We also had some steers that we were raising.

LINDA ADDS: We sent my horse Goldie to a breeding farm twice to be bred and we raised her two foals. Each time she would be gone for about two weeks, and during that time I was so desperate to ride that I saddled up one of our steers named Snoopy and I rode him.

VOICE: Did Linda have any other special pets besides Goldie on the hobby farm?

MRS. EDER: She had a pet rooster. Linda trained him to sit on her hand. I'm pretty sure he used to follow Linda around the farm.

LINDA (very lovingly) REMEMBERS: I loved that rooster and I kept him separate from the other chickens. He sat in my lap and was as friendly as could be. I had raised him from a chick. But when the day came that he got to go in with the hens, he turned vicious and I lost my pet. Women!

VOICE: Did Linda have any responsibilities in regard to the animals?

MRS. EDER: Yes, she fed Goldie and cleaned the stall. That was her job.

VOICE: Do you remember how Linda learned about Dressage?

MRS. EDER: No… since I'm not a horse person I don't really know how. But Linda had friends here in Minnesota who had horses. There was a farm next to us and she always would go up there. I think she learned more about Dressage there than from us.

LINDA ADDS: I learned about Dressage from horse magazines. Of course, my first real exposure was the famous Lippezaners from the Spanish Riding School. That is the origin of modern Dressage.

VOICE: Did Linda enter her horses in any shows?

MRS. EDER: She did one time when she was in her twenties with Mazda and the horse won.

LINDA (recalling that day well) ADDS: It was a hot summer day, and I had a horse show that morning at the Minneapolis fairgrounds. I was showing Mazda, my half Arab yearling in a halter class. We won the class and I had to dash out of there to a waiting car to make it to my audition on time. I was trying to fix my ruined hair and melted make up the whole way. It worked because I had no time to be nervous.

VOICE: Linda has often talked about how shy she was about her wonderful talent and how she used to only sing to the animals in the barn. Can you recall the first time you heard Linda sing?

MRS. EDER: Yes, it was in a church here in Garrison, Minnesota. They were going to try to get a choir together and they couldn't get enough people, and I think somebody just said to Linda, "Why don't you just sing by yourself?" So she did. She sang in the church. And I couldn't believe it because I had never really heard her sing. You know… she never really sang around the house. She still doesn't.

VOICE: Was it a big surprise to you when you heard Linda sing?

MRS. EDER: Yes, it was because I had never really heard her sing.

VOICE: If you could venture a guess, do you think the animals enjoyed when Linda sang to them?

MRS. EDER: Oh, they probably did!

VOICE: It seems like everybody who hears Linda sing enjoys hearing her… animals and people alike.

MRS. EDER: Yes, she has a special touch with animals.

Linda teaching three-month-old Mazda to walk on a lead.	Linda teaching Mazda, who is now a yearling, to "pose" for Half Arabian Halter class.
Linda and Mazda after winning a ribbon at the Minnesota fairgrounds, the same day she auditioned for Star Search!
Linda riding Goldie, with her second colt Picaso	Linda with Barbie and little Ben
Linda and Goldie
Linda with Barbie and Ben	Linda riding Mazda
Linda with Mazda again at the Houston Polo Grounds during the run of SVENGALI at The Alley Theatre.	Linda grooming Luke
Linda getting Luke ready to ride for Bravo footage	Linda riding Luke
Linda and Willett

THE VOICE chats with Sara Whalen about Pets Alive...

VOICE: Can you please tell us a little bit about Pets Alive and how it came to be?

SARA: Pets Alive is the oldest original no-kill animal sanctuary in the United States. It came to be because 35 years ago an abandoned senior dog saved my son's life. Until that time, I had no experience with animals at all and didn't know that they had feelings and were intelligent. After that, I noticed how many animals suffered from homelessness and abuse and eventually wound up dying in shelters. I felt that I had to give life back to the critters that gave me back my son. Personally, I started to rescue elderly and special needs critters, the ones most likely to die in shelters, and soon my efforts mushroomed. We opened our sanctuary not only to dogs and cats, but also to farm animals and horses.

VOICE: We know that Pets Alive lovingly accepts retired carriage horses. How did that come about?

SARA: While commuting to a job in New York City, of course I saw the carriage horses and I wondered what happened to them when their carriage days were over. When I found out that there were no happy endings for those horses, I was determined to provide one. And so Pets Alive opened the very first retirement home for the New York City carriage horses. These horses take easily to retirement and love being able to walk barefoot in the country. I think at first they miss the noises and crowds and have to adjust to living with just the occasional deer for company or the neighboring pot belly pigs. I think their retirement is as satisfying for me as it is for them. At the end of my day, I like to spend some time with them. It's very peaceful being around them and feeling their contentment.

VOICE: How did you meet Linda?

SARA: Linda heard about Pets Alive at an Animal Planet fashion show. As a horse lover, Linda wanted to learn more about us and came for a visit. She was charming and when she saw the animals here, she pledged that she would help us in any way she could. A lot of people say this, but Linda meant it and she followed through even allowing me to say hi to all her fans this way through THE VOICE.

VOICE: What was your impression the first time you met Linda?

SARA: Linda is so real. She's charming and all about heart and loving and caring. The horses felt it too.

VOICE: What do you think motivated Linda to choose Pets Alive to be the recipient of the quarter donations from her fans?

SARA: I think Linda chose Pets Alive to help because she knew that we do what we say we do… give sanctuary to animals. We are not about publicity. We're about caring for animals day in and day out.

Retired NYC carriage horse Maureen and her chickens

VOICE: Please tell us a little about Maureen, a retired carriage horse that has benefited from the quarters donated by Linda's fans.

SARA: Maureen retired from the streets of New York City at the age of 28 and has been with us for three years. She has an old hip injury, which bothers her when it's damp, when it's cold, if she gets too much exercise, or if she forgets how old she is and gets too frisky. As a result of that injury, Maureen needs to be on a drug (Cosequin) very much like humans take to lubricate her joints. It's very expensive, but we would not deprive her of it. In order to maintain her quality of life, we promise to do everything we can to keep her comfortable. Maureen has a little buddy, a miniature horse named Heather. She too has medical problems, but we want to keep her healthy and happy because she provides Maureen with some very pleasant company. They're quite a pair! Maureen is a big girl and Heather is small enough to stand under her belly when it rains to stay dry. We would like them to be able to stay together for a long, long time. Maureen also loves all living beings, especially chickens. Oftentimes in memory of the old days of carrying passengers, she can be seen giving rides to Pets Alive hens.

VOICE: Besides continuing to donate quarters at Linda's concerts, how else can her fans help Pets Alive?

SARA: One of the ways we are able to fund this retirement home is by offering sponsorship and hoping horse lovers can help us. Many of these horses have special medical needs because they are in their late twenties and thirties. They require medication, special foods, and high quality hay. If you would like to sponsor a carriage horse or any other animal here, it would make such a huge difference in their quality of life. For information on sponsorship, please visit www.petsalive.com/spsr.htm. If you have any questions, please e-mail me at petsaliv@warwick.net. We certainly would appreciate a little help from Linda's friends!

More "Behind-the-Scenes" Moments on location with Trail MIX...

Linda riding one of LeAnn Rimes' cutting horses in Texas	Linda and Ronan Tynan deep in conversation
Linda riding with Mary Chapin Carpenter	Linda and Rob Thomas
Linda and Ronan Tynan "horsing around"
Behind-the-scenes with Rob Thomas	Linda and Ronan Tynan pause for a cold drink and a photo!
Linda and LeAnn Rimes on horseback	Linda successfully cuts a calf from the herd

We would love to hear from you! Please write to THE VOICE at lethevoice@comcast.net
or feel free to share your comments in THE VOICE section of the Linda Eder Message Board.