H&H - What's Happening to a Quality Publication?

[measles]

As a committed H&H reader of many years I'm a bit dissappointed about what seems to be the sensationalist and, dare I say it, downmarket (if that's the right word) turn in H&H.

What do I mean? Well, the news section is full of sensationally written pieces more becoming of a tabloid newspaper than an internationally renowned weekly magazine. Each week there seems to be some lead story set out in alarmist terms and often summarised in a similar way on the front cover. There have been lots of these in recent weeks with show horses measuring out, planning permission for jumps in firlds etc and this week it is "Are You in the Zone?" Of course these are newsworthy stories but do they need to be sensationalised and written in such a way?

The real life story piece that sometimes features fairly near the front of the magazine is another point - personally if I wanted to hear of every day riders adventures I would buy a different magazine aimed at the younger rider or teenage market.

One final comment - does anyone check the copy in the small adverts?? Entertaining they undoubtably are - this week's best one is on page 99 under "Could Your Buyer Be Bogus?", second sentence - "The English is the email is poor"!!! - but surely a respected magazine such as H&H should aspire to higher standards?

I wonder if others share my thoughts on the direction our favourite magazine is going? A number of my friends do and whilst we don't think progress, change and looking forward is a bad thing, we're not too impressed.

 

[the watcher]

Agree, H&H has always been set apart from the ordinary happy hackers type of mag for me, and I can't see the recent changes as much of a positive

 

[Law]

I don't buy H&H weekly, maybe once a month or twice every 5-6 weeks but I have heard a growing number of grumbles at the number of errors in the copy. A friend placed an ad recently only for the entire phone number to be cut off

(which happens I suppose, but still)

 

[Bossanova]

I agree, getting a bit basic and ordinary- far fewer reports, too much 'real-life' this and that

 

[Weezy]

Agreed - I have been reading H&H since I was a child (I elbowed Horse and Pony for H&H LOL) and I dont like the new "real life" bit at all, there are far fewer reports (tho time of year does cause this) and I am tending to flick rather than read if that makes sense - I do, as always, enjoy the Comments by the likes of Pammy Hutton and Will Funnel, the end page is always amusing too

The classified have become poorer IMHO, but that is not entirely the fault of H&H, the classifieds are run by a sales team whose equine knowledge is poss zero - it does need to be addressed tho

 

[mrussell]

Now aint that funny cos this is the first time Ive taken a sub on HH as I think its way better. I like more real life stuff and less reports but then Im not competative. I read it cover to cover these days hence the subscription....

 

[Sooty]

I am actually finding myself reading the magazine now, which I haven't done for years as I just found it too dull! The only thing I read was the small ads and Willy Poole's column... There are really not enough hounds, though...

 

[Ferdinase514]

I agree about the "real life" articles. This kind of thing is covered by magazines such as "Your Horse" etc, which BTW I can not stand.

Really hope H&H doesn't go further along that route.

 

[kayleigh_and_rocky]

I actually am really enjoying it lately - there have been many articles which i've read with great enjoyment - particularly enjoyed reading will funnells comments this week
however i agree that there are far too many mistakes in the classifieds

 

[measles]

I'm genuinely glad that some readers like the direction the magazine is going. I do think though that it would be unfortunate to go too far in that direction as there is a place in the market for a well written and articulate magazine that can be digested by those who can only look back to their teenage years with nostalgia... I'm not old - far from it - but I can work out where to get high-viz gear myself and want to read pieces from experts in their field and not true life stories..

At least we all agree that the small ads are something else! However, it'll take a long time to better the Bogus Buyer typo!

 

[0]

I agree.
I think the real-life stuff is boring, it is WAY too easy to get into the reports (they report people that have won a prelim on 60 something % and most of the riders who get a piccy in the dressage section aren't even sat up straight!!). It used to be a real achievement to get into H&H but not anymore! I love the comments but as Weezy says, find myself flicking more than reading!!

 

[Weezy]

Ahhhhhhhh nope sorry dont agree with that jem1 - I think its great that all levels of comp are being reported on now, nothing is reported in any other mag and it is usually qualifiers at low levels that are reported and not just a basic prelim 1 - also H&H are really at the mercy of the reporters, they can only print what is submitted!

 

[squirtlysmum]

Well having been the' true life' story last week so sorry for being a disappointment, boring and not worthy and I'll contact those other mags! Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[0]

I don't think that they shouldn't report on all levels - just that the wins they report on should be good wins!! Although agree that they are at the mercy of the reporters. And I think they should only print good pics - some of them are horrible.
However this is odd because a pic of my horse was printed from the Winter Champs and it is nice but there were much nicer ones to print than the one they chose - like the ones I bought! and when I look at all the proofs I wonder what they were thinking picking that one!!!

 

[Weezy]

Ahhh did they get the pic from the official photographer tho? Prob was the reporter or another photographer so less choice?

Squirtlys_Mum, please dont take our comments personally, its simply that every other equine mag on the market have real life stories, which personally I enjoy reading, but I do not buy H&H for that, for me it is a professional mag - but that is only my view!

 

[0]

[ QUOTE ]
Ahhh did they get the pic from the official photographer tho? Prob was the reporter or another photographer so less choice?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm could be!

I think that someone above who said that they have just started enjoying H&H more but they are not competitive, summed it up. IMO all the 'other' mags are for pleasure riders and H&H should be for competitors.

 

[Skhosu]

no, I disagree with that jem1, I think they are appealing to a wider range. I quite like it now, not sure about the real life bit as that tends to get silly (see other mags)! and the cover stories, this weeks was a big drama IMO.
Do like the last page now though!

 

[Maesfen]

Agree with everyone about H & H going down the Swanee, it's gone to be rubbish even from as little time as five years ago.
This used to be the world's premier magazine, known throughout for proper reporting whether it be show results, hunting reports (agree there too, Sooty, just not enough of hounds - it is the hunting season after all or haven't they realized it yet?!) There used to be excellent sales coverage too, with the day's results; I've traced many a horse through those before but you can't now.
We know it's now driven by revenue otherwise it shouldn't be so crappy. It's almost an embarassment of its' former self; I hope IPC are happy with themselves 'cos a lot of readers aren't - it just happens to be a habit which is why it is still bought in some homes - including ours!

 

[Weezy]

[ QUOTE ]
I hope IPC are happy with themselves 'cos a lot of readers aren't - it just happens to be a habit which is why it is still bought in some homes - including ours!

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL yup for sure! I have it on subscription and it would feel VERY odd not having it land on my doorstep on a Thursday!

 

[Bossanova]

I still think its the best out there, could just do without it being yet another 'Your horse' or 'Horse and Rider' or whatever- H&H should stimulate the brain, not bore it to death with things we hear about every day/week/month.
I find the veterinary articles are too basic now as well. Come on H&H, challenge us!!!

 

[bandit]

well yes and no!

I find the actual physical quality deteriorating over the years, and the presentation more gimicky.

I do like real life stories, however the news bits are as some have said, very sensationalist - and not the matter of fact way in which things used to be said. I love the back page as it is now, and find the number of errors in classifieds unforgiveable (however my ad was fine!)

There are alot of teen horsey mags doing real life rider things, lets increase the number of reports from shows, perhaps focus on some good riders / drivers etc, and less of the tabloid look!

Bx

 

[Tempi]

i agree aswell, i can read it all in about 30mins now, it used to take me a good few hours to read everything i was interested in..........

 

[Weezy]

Can I also add (and boy is this going to make me unpopular) I really dont like the junior pages - the layout etc reminds me of H&P

And yes P_G, I used to dip in and out throught Thurs and then the weekend, now I can read it in the bath easily!

 

[burtie]

They lost all respect from me when their cover article on towing vehicles was both completely wrong and dangerous. They did apologise with a tiny section in the sideline next week, but come on that is just not good enough. I do still subscribe but only becasue I'm at home on maternity leave and it's nice to have that extra horsey fix once a week.

 

[Rambo]

I only ever read the showjumping reports and the Will Funnell / Graham Fletcher column...I do flick through the letters page too...just to see if i recognise anyone who's written in lol!

It takes me about 10 minutes to go through everything then it gets consigned to the 'pile'

 

[suestowford]

I have a few gripes about the magazine lately.

Does no-one check the spellings? I'm not talking here about the adverts, but the articles. Several times I have spotted the wrong word being used i.e. saying 'he had no breaks' when I presume they meant 'he had no brakes'. I know it's petty but the words are spelt differently because they have different meanings and a quality magazine ought to know better.

The last hunting report I read was just unbelievable. It was Lucinda Green's from a couple of weeks ago. There was one sentence only in the whole report about hunting and hounds, the rest was all just gossip about who was out, who was friendly with who etc.

Well, I won't go on, don't want to bore everyone.

 

[squirtlysmum]

Well I've just come back from self flagellating myself with several old copies of H+H, obviously not the one I was in, and it hasn't made me feel bad for being in the Tell H+H section.
Personally the true life stories have made me realise I'm not the only horse owner going through bad times.
H+H plops on my doorstep every week and sometimes, yes I agree there is not much to read and it has noticably been thinner of late.
As for it appealing more to non competitve types, surely to bring Hunting etc to a wider audience can only do good!

 

[spaniel]

I have just selected, at random, an elderly H+H from October 1992 (yes I really do have copies that old).

Comparing it to this weeks edition.

Pages 1992 - 98
Pages 2007 - 134


Ads 1992 - 34 pages
Ads 2007 - 46 pages


Have had a quick look through both at the features and the 1992 copy certainly has many more articles, more words in each, and on more diverse subjects including riding clubs and harnes racing.

It seems that the layout of the new HH doesnt allow for so much copy, the old type face is much smaller and the page layout allows much more to go onto the page.

Im not one for knocking change and things have to move on but reading through some of these features it does seem that they were written much more to aim at the knowledgeable/more pro reader.

Thats why I, like Weezy, graduated onto H+H at a tender age. I didnt want to sit and read my little pony magazines, I wanted to be educated and informed without being patronised.

I dont buy Horse and Rider/Your Horse precisely because i skip through them in five minutes getting frustrated that the same topics get trawled out again and again, give no further detail and end just as you start to think something useful might come out of them.

Please H+H, we are loyal subcribers here, I know its down to revenue and upping your sales but some of us fel progress is beiong made at the expense of quality.

 

[SpruceRI]

Although some of the information in the first couple of pages serves to worry me (ie the planning permission needed for jumps in a field / Greater London emission charging) I feel this is exactly the right sort of thing to have in the news pages. This is something that may/will affect us all who ride/work with horses and where else do you find this info than in the magazine for Horse riders?

I don't read many of the other mags, so H&H is where I find out what's really going on. As to hearing about other riders lives, I love that bit too, as I have to admit, I never look at the racing pages, find the write ups about the Dressage and SJ a bit boring and don't look at the adverts!

What does annoy be is the constant letters telling me that H&H are increasing the subscription price. Seemed to get one every other month last year

 

[measles]

[ QUOTE ]
Although some of the information in the first couple of pages serves to worry me (ie the planning permission needed for jumps in a field / Greater London emission charging) I feel this is exactly the right sort of thing to have in the news pages. This is something that may/will affect us all who ride/work with horses and where else do you find this info than in the magazine for Horse riders?

I don't read many of the other mags, so H&H is where I find out what's really going on.


Think we all agree that the news items are newsworthy, but it's the sensationalist way that they are written that is not well received.

Couldn't agree more about wanting a well-written publication aimed at the slightly more experienced horse person. Surely there's a way to make the magazine accessible without turning it into the read for only the very young?

Like everyone else I can now finish it (and I do read the ads!) before the bath water gets cold whereas it kept me going over the weekend in days gone by. I would also say that I don't like the horse ads being in height categories - much more fun looking through to find the height you were after and on the way noticing others that might suit friends or clients who were looking.

I wonder if anyone from the Editorial team will read this thread and consider the common strands?