I have been a subscriber to Horse Illustrated for many years, and have always praised it. The magazine was originally published with well written and thoughtful articles that covered both Western and English ridding, general horse care, and gave very helpful tips. But within the past couple of years the quality of the publication has gone downhill.
Not only has the magazine thinned out but the articles have become biased and poorly written. Adds and articles promoting a single product occupy more of the magazine than ever before and the shift from a well rounded equine magazine to 'snob mag' is quite clear. The majority of the magazine is now aimed towards the English rider with an eye for fashion. What where once helpful tips have now become one sided suggestions.
This magazine would be a welcome addition for a horse-crazy teen who is more likely to have a new car than a horse. But if you are looking for something with a bit more substance, advice, and general tips, this is not the magazine for you. Horse Illustrated (1-year auto-renewal)
I started reading Horse Illustrated (HI) when I was a horse-crazy kid and I loved it. But now that I'm an adult and have gotten more serious with my riding, HI doesn't cut it anymore. It caters to both western and English riders and provides general horse care information. That means if you're looking for in-depth riding articles, you'll want to try discipline specific magazines like Practical Horseman, Dressage Today, or Horse & Rider instead.
My biggest gripe with HI is that none of the articles stick with you. Nearly every topic the magazine covers can be found in any horse care book. Also, the magazine is rather thin with LOTS of ads and breeder listings in the back.
The bottom line: If you love horses and just want a general horsey mag, you'll like HI. If you want to read something that goes more in-depth, you might want to look elsewhere.
This magazine really scratches an itch when it comes to beautiful horse photos and individual breed studies, not to mention the excellent horse training articles and very important horse care information contained in each monthly edition. The attractive layout and precious letters from horsey readers (I was especially touched by the letters from owners of older horses) makes this magazine a great pick for horse-lovers of all kinds -- owners and non-owners, and very enlightening for wanna-be-owners. The advertising section in the back of the magazine is a great resource for locating breeders, tack and supplies, where to go for a weekend getaway on horse-back, and even schools that offer education in Vet/Farrier fields. I give Horse Illustrated a BLUE RIBBON!
This magazine is another must have for anyone who loves horses and wants to learn more about their care. As with Equus it is highly educational and enjoyable. As an Equine Science student, this magazine augments my studies.
I did give this mag as a gift so I don't know if I liked it. It is fair to say however, that she (gift receiver) did and does enjoy this mag, because she requested it again, after receiving it all last year.
We love this magazine and sent it as a gift subsciption to a friend. It has varied information on horse health, grooming, all styles of riding, etc. It is very good for diverse information - it doesn't focus just on one aspect of horsemanship (ie western riding only) - so if you need a good magazine for general subjects this is definitely a good one to choose.
"Horse Illustrated" is an outstanding compendium of horsemanship, horse-keeping and breed information. With beautiful photographs to boot, it's an outstanding choice for horse owners, or those who happen to love horses.'
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