Changing up
Helping horses perform at their best often requires fiddling around and changing things up. Maybe the saddle doesn’t fit quite right and needs replacing? Or perhaps the current feed ration isn’t doing the job? The horse has lost weight or its coat is a bit dull. Maybe the horse needs more turn out, or a different pasture buddy?

Magazines are a similar beast. As such, you’ll notice a change in this issue with a focus on a few major themes: Horse Health; Good Horsemanship; Training & Competition; Meet the Makers; and for those who want even more “horsey” reading – Books. In a coming issue we will also be adding Legends, in which we’ll showcase and honour long-serving ponies, horses, and even humans. If you have a story idea for a future issue, we’d love to hear from you.

Our youngest readers can still look forward to the Horse & Pony & Kids Pull Out in the middle of the magazine. Garry will still be here to entertain you with his antics in Life of Leeson. Our report writers will continue to fill you in on what’s been happening in the four Atlantic provinces.

A busy Nicole Kitchener wishes to hand over the reins of the Prince Edward Island Report so she can focus on feature stories. If you’re a writer, or an aspiring writer, with your finger on the pulse of the P.E.I. horse world, why not give it a try? If you’re interested, please send us an email to dvlmagazines@gmail.com.

Horse and Pony focuses on telling stories from our region and sharing information on best practices. Four issues a year makes staying abreast of Atlantic Canada’s extensive, ever-evolving schedule of events nearly impossible. Atlantic Canada Equine Events is a new, all-inclusive equine events calendar directory. We’re happy to direct our readers to an up-to-date schedule of events happening in our small part of the world. After all, that’s where stories originate. You may very well read about the event or its participants in a future issue of HP. Check it out at atlanticcanadaequineevents.com.

Mother Nature was reasonably kind to most of us this past winter, leaving the ground unseasonably dry in my area. We’ve been riding for more than two months now on good footing, with extra motivation to start the horses back to work early this year. My six-year-old grandson is a new member of the Avon Pony Club. Early spring lessons with cold toes and frisky ponies is a rite of passage in our family. He’s the third generation, following his mum, and my sister and me. An emergency appendectomy sidelined him for a bit, but so far he thinks Pony Club lessons are lots of fun.

A wet spring may be needed to ensure a good growing season. Regardless, most of us will be plugging away in our muddy rubber boots, doing spring horse-keeping chores, and changing things up as needed.

Happy riding!