Emap equestrian title Your Horse has raised its price and introduced more ‘real life’ content as part of a relaunch.
The design has been updated with new fonts and typefaces and the content has been given more depth in response to research from readers.
Editor Natasha Simmonds said: “We have been the market leader for a long time, but you have to keep developing to stay ahead of the competition. We have spoken to a hell of a lot of people who ride horses, own horses and love horses to really get inside their heads.
Rather than covering a lot of topics in a minor way, they wanted more depth of information and a magazine that accurately reflects their lifestyle.”
Simmonds said the magazine will adopt a more “real life” stance to features, such as the story in the current issue about a rider who gave up her office job to open a livery yard.
“We have included details of how other people can do the same thing,” she said.
The move has been backed by a marketing campaign which includes direct mailing to 65,000 riders and a free 80-minute DVD featuring demonstrations of some of the country’s top riders.
Simmonds said the team was also looking to build on the products section, while continuing to focus on the title’s core practical advice.
The redesign coincides with the appointment of deputy editor Jo Fobbester, who has joined Your Horse from Emap’s contract magazine division.
She has taken over from Angela Garton, who left to go into PR.
The title’s annual British Equine Event, which takes place at Stoneleigh in November, is to change its name to Your Horse Live.
By Ruth Addicott
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