What do you want from an equine magazine?

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Elvis

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If you could tailor make an equine magazine what would you want it to include?

For example, more rider interviews, vet advice, competitions, feature articles, reviews, competition reports, schooling tips, etc.

I'm researching this from an interest point of view and I'm certainly not linked with any magazine, I know what features I enjoying reading in H&H and other equine magazines, but I wonder if others would agree.

So what would you like to see more or less of in equine magazines?
 
Elvis said:
If you could tailor make an equine magazine what would you want it to include?

For example, more rider interviews, vet advice, competitions, feature articles, reviews, competition reports, schooling tips, etc.

I'm researching this from an interest point of view and I'm certainly not linked with any magazine, I know what features I enjoying reading in H&H and other equine magazines, but I wonder if others would agree.

So what would you like to see more or less of in equine magazines?
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Schooling features.
First aid hints and tips.
Competitions :-)
Problem solving.
More alternative methods such as bitless, barefoot, better feeding such as away from concentrates and commercial.
News from the area or country.
Independent product user reviews not just the companies release and updates.
Rescue horse adoptions
 
Interesting and unique journalism.
More international horse news.
Cheap and handy tips and tricks.
Good selection of horse adverts.
For me personally there are too many competition reports but that could just be me.
 
Lolita said:
Interesting and unique journalism.
More international horse news.
Cheap and handy tips and tricks.
Good selection of horse adverts.
For me personally there are too many competition reports but that could just be me.
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Hmmm, it's interesting what you say about competition reports, because I do tend to flick through them not paying much attention.
 
News, local countrywide and international
Opinion pieces
Independent product reviews which don't just say each product is wonderful without any critique...
Humorous articles (horses point of view or confessions of an inept eventer type thing)
Maybe a suggestion of a long bridleway route each issue (Sabrina way etc)
Interviews
Has Rockley Farm ever got a proper feature in an equine magazine as seemingly the best option for navicular?
Book reviews
Readers letter section
Horses for sale/loan/wanted section and maybe machinery toppers/harrows/quads
The odd article on making your own jumps or similar
Competitions
Riding club/hunt write up
Personally not a massive fan of schooling tips as once you've read a magazine regularly for a year or so it all starts feeling very samey and frequently it doesn't really apply to your horse/your riding
Also not mad keen on loads of articles on regaining confidence as not convinced they're that useful and certainly not very exciting
 
I agree about comp reports - an ongoing blog series incl comp reports are great, but individual comp reports bore me... Too used to the more exciting comp reports on HHO!!!

I like articles on different breeds, or unusual disciplines, things like horse therapy or carriage driving or horse ball... I enjoy top rider interviews, or ones like BD mag did of their new CEO, and love the schooling features Horse and Rider do where they give background on the horse and rider combo (usually comp winners!!) and then give all the tips and photos of their lesson.

I agree with product reviews (read a fab one once on all different kinds of calmers which was so informative), and one for feeds would be great (not an advertorial either as those drive me nuts!!!) and I love a 'help' section as reading people's problem letters is like reading HHO. I also like
 
News, news and more news! Local, regional, national news rather than yet another article on how to clip a straight line. Also reader input on different topics, a bit like the forum. So an article on clipping could include readers' top tips on how they do it best, whether they hot cloth after, whether they have electric or battle on with generator or batteries etc. same applies to any other topic but would like lots of views rather than one or two 'experts'.
 
Haphazardhacker said:
Out of interest does anyone else remember Gallop! Magazine? Used to love that. Had a different angle which I haven't seen since although it obviously went bust for a reason but I (and my mum) loved it.
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Yes, I remember this one. I liked it - it was more of a horsey lifestyle magazine IIRC, which appealed to me as a non horse-owner.
 
Offers, cheap ideas, helpful ideas, newest stock and reviews, competitions, less schooling and less reports on shows/competitions. Less expensive gear. Love gear reviews. Good adverts. Less reports on products sponsored by Manufacturers as these are biased.
Things are annualy recycled a they are yearly events, and some folk are new to horses, so boring but relevant, s long as they are updated,
 
I like knowing more about other riders and how they do things, also following a particular horse for a series. I remember Silent King from Pony magazine as a kid. Get a bit bored with some of the articles in some mags as they seem aimed at beginners.
 
I only ever buy horse magazines when I am away on a trip and they are so formulaic and samey. I can read two different magazines years apart and see nearly the same articles appear. I never look at the adverts (in-built mental filter for them). When I recently wanted guidance on fitting a twitch and a specific lunging exercise, I didn't wait around for a magazine to do an article, I went on Youtube and found a video showing me.

I really think that the horse magazine (and the same applies to many other subjects) has had its day as the likes of Youtube have rendered them obsolete. When I want information or a tutorial on a particular subject, I want it now, not when the editors of a magazine get around to doing an article on it.
 
It would be nice to have some permanent writers/editors that ride & compete at a decent standard.
Articles on new(ish) things like Dressageanywhere.
News on major changes to transport law/comp rules.
Updates on diseases like EPSM/ulcers.
Gear reviews, but by people who ride a lot & test the things heavily.
Natural (old-fashioned?) remedies.
I quite like lessons with lots of photos, esp jumping.
Not so keen on schooling exercises as they are boring to read & hard to take out with you & try. And I always forget anyway.
Things to win.
Readers' letters.
Not too many comp reports. The way that they are often written, with people "taking" class after class makes it seem like a closed, elite group & that the rest of us might as well not bother.

One thing I've often thought of is taking a real-life over-horsed/problem-horsed person & throwing all the experts at them to see what happens. E.g. working thru all the advice that is always thrown at people such as saddle check, back, teeth, etc, confidence-giving instructor, change of feed etc, trying everything in a methodical way under the overall supervision of a competent trainer & seeing if the situation could be resolved. With monthly updates.

I rem Gallop - was v disappointed when it stopped! I think it was subsumed (briefly) into Your Horse, but its unique, fresh chara totally disappeared & it was just 'YH' with the word 'Gallop' on the front in small letters.

T x
 
catembi said:
One thing I've often thought of is taking a real-life over-horsed/problem-horsed person & throwing all the experts at them to see what happens. E.g. working thru all the advice that is always thrown at people such as saddle check, back, teeth, etc, confidence-giving instructor, change of feed etc, trying everything in a methodical way under the overall supervision of a competent trainer & seeing if the situation could be resolved. With monthly updates.


T x
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I like this idea :) And with less advertising please.
 
I was given a pile of old copies of the Arabian Magazine and it is my favourite horse magazine and not just because I love arabian horses. There have been some fascinating articles covering genetic diseases in horses, historical facts/breeders, visits to current stud farms from around the world, 'horse of a lifetime', veterinary advice, improving welfare, various performance/show/racing reports etc... I genuinely read the majority of the magazine rather than skipping through it as I do with others (not just horse magazines). I love the ads of stallions from around the world too, but I wish that they had more proper conformation shots.

http://www.thearabianmagazine.com/#/home/4583261716

ETA - they also did a series of articles about conformation. Sadly I only have the copy about the head and neck, but it was really in depth and very interesting. I do find that many magazines (again not just horse ones) only scrape the surface of the topic, so it was nice to have something that gave a lot more detail.
 
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Competions to win horsey stuff (esp the chance to win a horsebox - its the only way I'll ever get one)! Also like problem pages and articles when an ordinary rider has a lesson from a pro.
 
I enjoy reading the competition reports in detail, but mainly I would like my magazine to turn up when it is supposed to (as opposed to Eventing magazine which is having distribution problems).

I like detail - breeding, schooling, conformation, nutrition etc. I like reading the hunting reports. I don't like fluffy stuff about getting your confidence back or how to hack.
 
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