Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2026 i Horse Illustrated

The day is finally here … 2026 rings in Horse Illustrated’s 50th year of publication! I know many of you are just as big lifelong fans of HI as me. I subscribed from approximately 1989 to 1999, but college and early career put a dent in my leisure reading time. Imagine my excitement when I landed a dream career with my favorite magazine in 2007! At the time, I was a young, horse-crazy editor juggling office duties and time with my horse, and that was basically my whole life. Things look a bit different since I had my son in 2019; I’ve had to scale back from full-time horse ownership to a lease, but I know I’ll get more horse time again as my son gets older and more independent.…

Swiss rider Felix Vogg certainly didn’t expect that when he spent a year in the U.S. living and training at Boyd and Silva Martin’s Windurra Farm in Cochranville, Pa., that he would return to the area someday to stand atop the winner’s podium at the 2025 Mars Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill. But he did just that, capturing the win of the fifth renewal of the world’s newest 5* aboard the 14-year-old Holsteiner mare Cartania, whom he owns with Phoenix Eventing, besting 21 other starters. He took home $300,000 for the victory on Oct. 19, 2025. Monica Spencer (NZL), riding her own 14-year-old Thoroughbred Artist, finished in second, and the USA’s Boyd Martin and Yankee Creek Ranch’s 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding Commando 3 took third. Caroline Pamukcu riding HSH Blake…

A few days ago, I was riding Rio, my 17-year-old Mustang gelding, down an urban trail in my equestrian community. It was a trail we had been on dozens of times. But this time, when we approached the driveway of an adjacent house, a big dog came running out from behind a parked car. Rio is normally unflappable, but not this time. He stopped dead in his tracks, leaned back on his haunches, did a 180-spin, and bolted in the opposite direction. That familiar terror we’ve all felt when sitting on 1,000-plus pounds of fleeing muscle kicked in. I was able to halt him with a onerein stop and turn him to face the dog, who just stood on the driveway staring at us. I felt Rio start to relax.…

Have you ever wondered why your horse seems reluctant to be caught, or why he feels tense under saddle? The answer often lies in common training methods that work against a horse’s natural instincts rather than with them. For over 40 years, Parelli Natural Horsemanship has been teaching horse lovers worldwide that true horse-man-ship can be obtained naturally using communication, understanding, and psychology versus mechanics, fear, and intimidation. Our goal is to share an effective training program that makes sense to horses, naturally. Yet several myths persist that hinder true partnership. Let’s debunk five common misconceptions about handling and riding horses. Myth 1: “Catch your horse any way you can.” Did you know your session starts the moment your horse sees you? How you approach your horse and even how…

Westwind Morgan horses are known for making headlines. Superior working western horses with an extensive history, they are recognized by Morgan horse breeders worldwide. But in late 2024, the Westwind Morgans began drawing national attention for a much less desirable reason when ranch hands employed by Westwind Morgan horse breeder Bryan Blatt informed the Madison County, Mont., sheriff’s office of Blatt’s neglect of nearly 90 horses in his care. Multiple news stories reported that Blatt had suffered a stroke that left him unable to care for the horses. FIRST RESPONSE Initially, the sheriff’s office collaborated with the Humane Society of Western Montana to provide basic care for the horses. “But it was becoming clear that with the number of horses, and going into the rough part of winter, that additional…

Located just minutes from downtown Los Angeles, Calif., Taking the Reins was established in 1998 with a goal of providing young girls the opportunity to experience the joy of connecting with horses. The two founders, Debra Avery and Judith Hopkins, both knew that magical feeling firsthand and felt pulled to bring it to their community. At the time, they could have never expected what this program would grow to become. A PLETHORA OF PROGRAMS The grassroots effort has expanded in every sense of the word since then. What started as a few horses and neighborhood girls has grown to a very robust urban farm with 15 horses and ponies, a donkey, sheep, chickens, and an endangered tortoise sanctuary. Anywhere from 350 to 400 young girls attend annually. On site, they…

HORSE MUSEUMS YOU SHOULD VISIT If you're both horse-obsessed and a history buff, horse museums were made for you. Museums dedicated to the grandeur of horses can be found throughout the U.S., celebrating breeds, disciplines and the legacy of equines in our country. Read on to discover which ones you should visit at www.horseillustrated.com/horse-museums-you-should-visit. STAFF PICKS WHEN IS ITTIME TO RETIRE YOUR HORSE? Retiring your horse can be a difficult decision to make-and it can be tricky to know for certain that it’s the right time. Here, a vet provides advice on keeping senior horses active and knowing when it’s time to retire. Read on at www.horseillustrated.com/when-is-it-time-to-retire-your-horse. NICHE EQUINE JOBS A job as a trainer or veterinarian are often the only ones horse-crazy youth are told about, but plenty of…

Safety in all aspects of equine management is important, but when it comes to a horse’s nutrition, it’s especially critical. Most horse owners understand that concentrate and pasture changes must be made slowly to avoid digestive upset resulting in health issues, such as diarrhea or colic, but hay is commonly overlooked. As winter wears on, you may run out of hay and need a new delivery, so this becomes especially important. THE IMPORTANCE OF SLOW TRANSITIONS If you think about what your horse eats in a day, the largest proportion of his diet is almost always forage—and in winter especially, mostly hay. To understand the importance of slowly transitioning his hay, you should first understand how the equine gastrointestinal (GI) tract works. Horses are hindgut fermenters, which means that they…

The next time you muck out stalls and think pushing your wheelbarrow up the compost pile is an elevated workout, think again. At 20,754 feet above sea level, Salkantay is the highest peak in the Vilcabamba mountain range of the Peruvian Andes, and 12th highest peak in Peru. The trail through this “Savage Mountain” to the ancient citadel and modern attraction called Machu Picchu is a road less traveled than the Inca Trail famously discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. In 2005, Peruvian environmental architect Enrique Umbert, Sr. and Austrian commodities trader Eduard Rauchdobler constructed the first Mountain Lodges of Peru (MLP). Since then, the Salkantay trail and high-altitude lodge-to-lodge horseback trekking have become synonymous with upscale comfort in harmonious co-existence with the environment and communities that depend on its…

When my friend and fellow animal photography educator, Nicole Begley, reached out to me and asked if I wanted to co-lead a workshop in Spain, I was all in. What I didn’t know then was how much this trip would change me. THE ANDALUSIA REGION After a year of planning, the time came for our aptly named “Andalusian Escape.” The Andalusia region of Spain, which spans the southernmost part of the country, is where we would spend the next seven days experiencing the rich culture this area has to offer. Horses are deeply woven into the history and daily life of Andalusia. The Andalusian horse, also called the Pura Raza Española (PRE), is one of the world’s oldest and most revered breeds. Known for their athleticism, high-stepping movement, and flashy…