Aword from editors past and present
The first leading lady
Liz Benwell, editor of Your Horse from the first edition until 1989, reflects on how different the equine world and the magazine was then. “In 1983 there was no email, no internet, no mobile phones or satellite TV. Most magazines were printed in black and white. Amazing really, as it doesn’t seem that long ago. “The equestrian world was very different too. No such thing as cooler rugs, the canvas New Zealand was the rug of choice; barefoot horses were just horses with no shoes; treeless saddles hadn’t been invented and natural horsemanship existed, we just didn’t call it that. Feed rooms contained oats, bran, cubes, boiled barley and linseed. And all riding gear was beige — it wasn’t a very colourful time. “But it was also the dawn of the yuppie era and social aspirations were on the up. Owning a horse was no longer the preserve of the wealthy. Livery yards were springing up and everyone was buying horses, but unless they came from a horsey background, many didn’t know how to care for them properly. There were lots of riding schools around, so learning to ride was easy, but there was no way to learn good horsemanship. Your Horse was conceived as the solution. “Despite the fact that the cover of the first edition featured a lady in a headscarf washing her horse’s legs (see p22), it sold 36,000 copies. “The magazine was devoted to providing practical advice for horse owners and this hasn’t really changed over the years. “It became obvious over time that one subject struck a chord with our readers — and that was being a nervous rider. Giving space to the issue of confidence allowed riders to share their concerns and realise they were not alone. “My favourite part of the job was visiting readers at their yard for the You and Your Horse feature. I loved nattering with them about their horses. “I’m still an avid reader of Your Horse and am delighted that it’s in the hands of such a committed team today.”
“I loved visiting readers at their yard and nattering with them about their horses”