Horse and Hound Magazine.

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tw1nn1ejo

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I am curious to know what everyone else thinks about it?

Lately I've found that I hardly read any of it anymore as half of it is all advertising. I do like the new layout they have (even though it was changed a while ago) and I love it how they put a great picture at the very end. The most annoying thing is it's gone up in price again
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And no doubt it will go up yet again next year
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Would like to know your views
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I only buy it for previews before major competitions, and for major competition reports. Always get the Christmas special as well, apart from that there isn't much else in it that I'm interested in. I do enjoy the hunting reports though, but I get the Irish Field every week which is €3, and interests me more, so don't get it that often.
 
I read the news articles, the letters and the showjumping reports (and sometimes the eventing and hunting). Have in on subscription so didn't know it had gone up in price! Enjoy reading through it though
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It's not as good as it used to be

I now only buy it for previews & write ups of the big events throughout the year
 
I enjoy it still. I like the articles from professionals and the competition reports. I dont read the racing/point to point parts ot the hunting bits unless its a local hunt. I enjoy the veterinary parts as they are really informative and tend to be at a different level to reports in other horse mags. I also enjoy the "funny" articles, the letters and news. I would like to see more about schooling and management of horses, at a higher level than "Your Horse" etc. as these mags tend to be fairly simplistic IMO.
I also buy on subscription so wasnt aware of price rise but subscription is easier as it is delivered to my door!! Id buy it anyway most weeks, being a readaholic

I'm a bit bored of the property articles !!

I'd also like to see a page or two dedicated to horsewatch in the advertising section or after the "Whats on" part.

I know there is a lot of advertising but it is the place to look if you need something.
 
I read the news, dressage, eventing, showing sections and look at all the horse I'd like to buy but can't afford to! I love the 'stereotypes'/funnies. But I agree to hold my interest I'd like to see some more features on schooling/more advanced horsemanship. Not enough real reading and learning material. I'd always buy it because I like to know what's current and who's doing what though. But I also get Horse & Rider mag.
 
I do read the eventing parts, hunting and at times the showjumping and the news parts at the beginning if there interesting. The only reason why I like the property part is so I can think to my self that when I'm older I can have a house like that
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Have always found it dull tbh. Only ever got it for the classifieds or to look at the pictures.
 
I read the news, letters & the back page. Don't like it enough to buy it - my friend at work buys it & saves them for me.

At the risk of seeming paranoid, the whole tone of the mag seems elitist / cliquey. As if it's written for a group of rich, successful owners / riders who go round winning everything & looking down on the rest of us.

I'd agree that it would be good to have more 'how to' Your Horse type articles, and of a higher standard than YH...but please, NOT an idle rich person taking an expensive horse for a lesson with an expensive trainer.
 
I think it is great. It is a weekly magasine so you get up to date reports on the major competitions - it is well produced and has something for everyone. Yes there are weeks when it has a lot of hunting and racing in which don't really interest me but on the whole it is worth every penny.
 
I usually have a flick through it first and then if there is something thats relevant or sparks interest I'll buy it..... I read the dressage part mainly and love the stereotypes/funnies as well....
But tend to agree that it seems to be a little elite..........
 
I prefere the new layout but I wouldn't buy it every week-all it goes on about is Showjumping dressage eventing and showing--nothing about Western,mules,rare horse breeds,other types of tack than english,roping,fencing,le trek,driving(other than shows)training methods,etc
 
A month or six weeks ago I started a similar thread which attracted a large number of responses from members of differing opinions. Lucy Higginson was kind enough to comment as well, which was appreciated.

IMHO (I'm getting the hand of this forum talk) H&H is becoming increasingly sensationalist in the way that it reports news and in the style and approach to the magazine in general is very much now in the vein of Horse magazine and the like. This is not to criticise any of the other magazines available I only make the point that the content of H&H was always about serious competitors and competitions and the countryside. IMHO readers real life stories are not compatible with the time honoured profile. If I wanted chatty journalise I'd read Horse instead.

I do realise that market forces mean that H&H will want to increase circulation etc and it may be that the changes in format and vague sensationalism are viewed as positive by the majority. However, it can't be denied that it has changed and I now find myself flicking back and forward for something well written and geared to the knowledgable horse enthusiast.

One final thing that gets my goat (sad, perhaps) is that it seems whoever checks the copy for errors has been on a very long vacation. The errors have been frequent, though perhaps a little better in recent weeks, and in what has been the leading publication in its field put simply you'd expect better.

I don't for a minute think elitism is acceptable and an approach based on the assumption that readers have a certain level of understanding should be inoffensive ,surely, but why turn something well established into another publication of the type that already exists?
 
Every week I read it to see what they have to say about THE breed - usually, well nearly every week NOTHING
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Come on H&H do an article about Clevelands!!!
 
I thunk its really good
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loved this weeks with the bit of everything in i.e. TC, BE, BSJA etc and the article about Shutterfly, We get it every week on subscription
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I like to look through it, but would never buy it as there is not enough for me to justify the price each week.

I get to read the hand-me-downs from a friend at the yard, which suits me fine as they enjoy it and I get my 10mins a mag read!!! Back page and for sales are the most interesting for me.

I have stopped buying most of the mags to be honest as they seem just to re-print the same old toss on a yearly cycle!! Again, there is enough to amuse me for half an hour but not to justify the £3.50 they now cost. You could buy a really good book each month for the same cost as the four main mags.
 
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