The onset of Winter reminds us to keep on our toes and stay warm. Exercising our horses achieves both with the added benefit of warming our mental health too!

It’s the season for reading and thinking, so open your laptop and join us on a post Covid-19 dream active horse holiday in Tuscany at the beautiful Il Paretaio situated near Florence. I can’t wait to book lessons on an educated horse with a skilled trainer and finish with a pre-dinner swim and an appetite for a sumptuous dinner. Have your phone handy if you look at the pictures!

Don’t leave home without catching up on some of the classic horse texts. Kerry Mack’s considered list takes you straight to the best whatever your tastes, be it Xenophon, de la Gueriniere, Podhajsky, Roberts or Hunt – hers is a rich and irresistible reading guide for your leisure.

Horses see differently to humans; do you know the difference between dichromats and trichromats – which are you? This brilliant article written through the eyes of a horse and complemented with revealing pictures is essential reading for all horsemen and women – and especially jumping course designers. This issue also visits the state-of-the-art equine veterinary medical facility in Qatar, where Sydney vet nurse Sarah Johnson is based and shares her story.

Australians love to compete on the world stage and win, even if it is in a virtual competition! None more so than Fiona McIntyre, who successfully retrained Precedence, an off-the-track thoroughbred, into a winning show horse with first prize at the prodigious Royal Windsor Show! Success comes in different ways and in abundance with Jayden Brown, a super talented younger rider with competition wins at home and abroad – you will see from the pictures why he’s a rising star.

Another Aussie that has left a huge mark on the world stage is eventing Wonder Mare, Paulank Brockagh. We celebrate the career of this recently retired Olympic medallist and Badminton winner, and chat to rider Sam Griffiths about his future plans.

On the topic of eventing, established and aspiring riders will devour Heath Ryans’s carefully prepared checklist of what to look for when buying an eventer – it’s a must keep reference guide from the master himself!

Emma Booth is one of our finest competitors and her story further demonstrates why she is such a successful para athlete. She describes the personal impact on her and Zidane of Tokyo being postponed to 2021 – there’s nothing like discipline and flexibility to keep true to your goals.

Dressage riders love to talk and learn about the best ways to develop a dressage horse. Experienced trainer Tony Uytendaal tells how to develop the proper outline, collection and elevation of the forehand – follow the carefully selected illustrations and accompanying text, and you will know how too.

Winter can be a time for injuries, so we asked veterinarian Dr Maxine Brain to outline the ideal rehabilitation program to restore a horse’s health and performance ability. An essential checklist for your files.

Finally I encourage you to read our report on the Victorian Horse Welfare Forum and the call by equine welfare authority Dr Roly Owers for a rethink on our approach to horse welfare as a result of urbanisation and society’s greater disconnect with farm animals and country life. This is important in the context of the social licence needed for equestrian sports today – a topic that affects us all.

Enjoy and learn more from the columns of our regular experts.

Keep safe and warm, and cherish your time in the saddle!

Best wishes,
Robert McKay

Contributors