From the Horse’s Mouth

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

With Fiona Todd

Welcome to another exciting issue of your favourite equestrian magazine. And isn’t it wonderful that after the COVIDinduced competition drought of the past few years, there’re now more events than we know what to do with!

On that note, we shine our spotlight on eventer Shenae Lowings, who last month represented Australia at the World Championships in Pratoni, Italy. Not only do we chat with Shenae, we also bring you coverage of both the eventing and driving components of the championships, plus Tania Huppatz’s wrap of another standout on the equestrian calendar, the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.

Still with international competition in focus, Jamie Hocking catches up with equestrian vaulter and long-time friend Lambert Leclezio. Lambert broke all records at the August World Championships in Herning when he took out his fourth world title. Paraequestrian Lisa Martin, who has faced some extraordinary challenges in her riding career and has just returned from the World Championships, also shares her story in this issue.

To bring our collective feet firmly back down to earth, if competing’s on your own mind you’ll want to check in on some interesting insights on banned substances from David Nash, Director of Nutrition Technology at KER … and spoiler alert, they lurk where you’d least expect them! Specialist Coach and National A Level Judge Nicole Tough to our editorial team. Nicole will be drawing on her years of experience to bring us some invaluable insights, this month focussing on the importance of self-carriage. Also in this issue, we hear from elite dressage rider and Equestrian Hub mentor David Shoobridge, who talks to Rachel Roan about transitioning to a double bit, and on a more general training topic, Christine Armishaw drills down on that sometimes confusing subject of positive and negative reinforcement.

Keeping your horse healthy and happy is obviously a priority, and in this issue Dr Doug looks at lameness, how to identify it and what to do about it; MITAVITE equine nutritionist Holly Mills investigates those tricky feed labels and suggests how to get the best nutritional value for your feed dollar; and Rebecca Nadge talks with Kara Vasylenko to find out why sheath cleaning is so important for your horse’s well-being.

In Life After Racing, Tara Madgwick tells the story of Pie, the quirky and kind exracehorse who knows how to win hearts; Jessica Morton explains the advantages of Cavago, the fastest-growing booking platform for equestrian activities pretty much anywhere around the world; and the globetrotting Mathilde Gregoire takes us for the ride of a lifetime in Alberta, Canada. And while we’re in that particularly lovely neck of the woods, Suzy Jarratt discovers why the wild horses who inhabit a remote Canadian island have captured the imagination of photographers and documentary film makers alike.

In the interests of kitting you and your horse out in style, we look at haute couture for endurance riders (and any other equestrian who appreciates flair and functionality), and take a ride on the fabulous matchy-matchy colour wheel of saddlecloths, bonnets and bandages.

Our super interesting 20 Questions is with farrier Wayne Turner, a man dedicated to a modern approach to his profession, and this month’s Young Rider is William Bates who’s galloping up the eventing ranks while keep a remarkably mature head on his shoulders.

We also introduce two more of our wonderful mentors – Alanna Richards and household name Vicki Roycroft – and explore the virtues of the Erreplus Freestyle.

And finally, as you settle back with a glass of your preferred tipple, we take you on a tour of Helgstrand at Turnberry, the luxurious Australian home of world renowned Helgstrand Dressage.

Cheers,