Essential Operation
This editorial team produced this issue under perhaps the most trying times of our professional careers, and maybe the most trying times of our lives. You see, the magazine production began as the COVID-19 crisis engulfed the globe, and as we all packed up our offices and headed to an indefinite work-from-home scenario.
What you’ll find on the following pages, though, is a collection of content I’d be proud of even in the best of circumstances. Senior Editor Jennifer Forsberg Meyer’s interview with Warwick Schiller is an eye-opening look into the man behind evolving horsemanship philosophies (page 78), while Kent and Charlene Krones’ ride across the Badland’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park is the escape we all need right now (page 62).
You’ll find that Managing Editor Nichole Chirico’s photo is on the cover again this quarter. She’s become as much our staff photographer as she is an editor, and for that talent, we’re ever grateful. Before COVID-19 had made its way to U.S. soil, Nichole spent a day at Al Dunning’s Almosta Ranch in Scottsdale, shooting the legend for his “5 Essential Elements of a WellTrained Horse” (page 54) and this cover. Her work speaks for itself, and Al’s training advice is timeless.
Michaela Jaycox, our assistant editor, has manned our digital efforts for the last year, and this issue marks her one-year anniversary with the magazine. Her talents have paid off as of late in many ways, but in particular with our podcast efforts on The Ride.
If you haven’t listened to it yet, you’ve got to visit HorseandRider.com or any podcast provider to stream these engaging interviews. Plus, both Michaela and Nichole have led the charge on Horse&Rider OnDemand (OnDemand .HorseandRider.com), a wonderful resource so many new users have found essential learning as of late.
Of course, we’d be nowhere without the efforts of Art Director Michelle Miller, who designs each issue to the highest standards. You’ve grown accustomed to how easy on the eyes each issue of this magazine is, and that’s all thanks to Michelle.
We all weathered this storm in our own ways, and I’m ever thankful I got to be on this talented team of ladies who put their heads down and produced this magazine for you all. My hope is that it gives you a brief reprieve from whatever challenges you’re enduring in these unprecedented times.