Read “Horse Illustrated” Lately?

If you haven’t checked out the magazine “Horse Illustrated”, you might want to give it a look.

As a subscriber for many years, I have generally found it to be a meat and potatoes kind of magazine with solid, basic horse care and riding articles. If you are looking for hyper discipline-specific or detailed “how to” features, this might not be the magazine for you. For your average horse person, though, I find Horse Illustrated really hits the spot.

I especially like the more recent changes to the magazine. I notice increasing emphasis on features pertaining to horse rescue and adoption, drawing readers attention to people and programs that support horses in transition.

Another more recent addition is their monthly article “Vet Adventures” by veterinarian, Courtney S. Diehl. Her writing is always insightful and usually infused with a good dose of humor (on a related note, check out Dr. Diehl’s book “Horse Vet: Chronicles of a Mobile Veterinarian”. I really enjoy reading books written by vets about their work, but I sometimes cringe too, wondering if I will end up in someone’s book someday as the featured “bad/difficult/uninformed client” example that inevitably appears!).

Like most current magazines, Horse Illustrated hosts extra offerings online including more articles and videos. But unlike many current horse magazines that now only publish bimonthly/quarterly, they still print monthly.

The Horse Illustrated October 2020 issue is chock full of great articles that I found particularly relevant to my own interests. Highlights include:

Voice Recognition– What does your horse think when he hears your voice?

Shining A Light– Two young Black equestrians started a podcast to help create access to the horse industry.

The Road Less Traveled– Some equestrian authors are choosing the self-publishing option.

Good Grief– How it’s possible to move from pain to acceptance after losing a horse.

Second Career Recognition– The Thoroughbred Incentive Program seeks to celebrate racehorses- and their riders- in every way possible.

Special Book issue- What Horses Really Want- Is your horse “being bad” or acting like a partner?

The Retiree’s Workout Regimen– Advice from a vet on creating a gentle exercise program for the unrideable senior horse.

Plus English and Western riding exercise suggestions, an article about an equine-assisted program for female veterans, a breed feature and more!

As we head into Fall and later the holiday season, watch for subscription deals that are typically offered this time of year both for yourself and your horse-loving friends and family.

In the mean time, check out the magazine, buy individual issues or sign up to subscribe at http://www.horseillustrated.com.