Horse Rider UK – Spring 2026

Summary

Horse & Rider Spring 2026 (Issue 682, £4.99, on sale 19 February to 18 March) gives readers a free British Eventing horse registration worth £78 and builds the issue around spring confidence boosters. Editor Louise Kittle says the offer saves close to 50% on registration for new members.

Five-star event rider Alex Bragg tells readers how to prepare for a grassroots championship, and the issue lists the grassroots classes you can aim for. Six ways to support gastric health sit in care, Dr David Marlin writes on improving the life of sport horses, and a vet runs through common skin conditions. Gilets go on test, and 17 horsey novels fill the reading list for the National Year of Reading.

Training runs from Gamma Stevens' technical cross-country lines and lateral work to liberty and trick training for a stronger bond. The confidence section helps riders get back on track as winter ends, and Chelsey Dengle, a landscape gardener and mum, gives a week in her life. A £1,000 wheelbarrow giveaway and a Stubbs wheelbarrow prize close the offers.

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Content Guide

▸ Grassroots and Training

p.26 · Going for grassroots — Get ready to take on your biggest challenge yet
Five-star event rider Alex Bragg sets out how riders can prepare for a grassroots championship, the advice Louise Kittle read while putting the section together. The piece opens the training run. Pick one championship date and work backwards to plan your qualifying runs.

p.20 · We are the champions! — Grassroot Championships you can aim for
This Good Reads feature lists the grassroots championships readers can target and how to get there. It follows the reader hub in the opening pages. Enter one class from the list this month rather than waiting for next season.

p.40 · Cross-country connections: Gamma Stevens' tips for technical lines
Gamma Stevens gives her approach to riding technical cross-country lines, sitting between the polework patterns and the lateral work piece. The advice targets riders stepping up the levels. Walk the line and decide your stride before you ride it.

p.58 · Free to choose — Strengthen your bond with liberty and trick training
The cover's bond feature uses liberty and trick training to build a different relationship with your horse. It closes the training section before the confidence pages. Teach one simple trick on the ground this week and keep sessions short.

▸ Care

p.88 · 6 ways to support gastric health
The cover's gastric health feature sets out six ways to support a horse's stomach. It sits in the care section between the skin conditions piece and the youngstock article. Check how long your horse goes between forage before changing anything else.

p.70 · Skin deep: Our vet discusses the common conditions to look out for
The issue's vet runs through the skin conditions owners should watch for, opening the care section. The piece precedes the gastric health and youngstock entries. Photograph any patch before you treat it, so your vet can see what it looked like.

p.104 · The next generation: What to consider when caring for youngstock
This care piece covers what to think about when looking after youngstock, closing the section after the gastric health feature. Handle a young horse's feet weekly so trimming never becomes a fight.

▸ Confidence and Good Reads

p.64 · Yes, you can! — Get back on track as winter draws to a close
The confidence section's cover piece helps riders restart as winter ends, after the training pages on liberty work. It runs alone under the Confidence heading. Book one lesson before the clocks change rather than after.

p.10 · For the good of horses: Dr David Marlin on improving the life of sport horses
Dr David Marlin writes on improving the lives of sport horses, opening the Good Reads section after the quotes page. He brings physiology to questions riders usually argue about by feel. Read one of his points and test it on your own horse's routine.

p.8 · Well said: Meaningful quotes from the horse world
This opening page collects horse world quotes, including Shakespeare's "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!", Churchill's "No hour of life is lost that is spent in the saddle", Tom Dorrance on going with the horse, and Federico Tesio on a horse galloping with his lungs. The page runs before the news and reader hub. Copy one quote into your yard's feed room.

▸ Shopping

p.116 · Tried & tested — Gilets
The gilets on test were worn in real conditions, with the winner layering well and holding a good temperature. The page follows the fiction reading list in the shopping section. Try a gilet over your competition shirt and jacket before buying.

p.25 · Free British Eventing Horse Registration! Claim your offer here
Readers registering as new British Eventing members can claim free 2026 horse registration worth £78, saving close to 50% on the fee. Louise Kittle flags it as an exclusive with British Eventing. Claim it before your first entry if you are joining BE this year.

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Editor's Take

The free British Eventing registration worth £78 is the strongest offer in Horse & Rider Spring 2026 and, unlike most magazine giveaways, it saves money riders were going to spend anyway. Alex Bragg's grassroots preparation is the best training page, because a five-star rider explaining lower-level championships is more useful than the reverse. Weakest is the 17-book reading list, which fills the National Year of Reading brief without saying much about the books, and the soft furnishings page of horsey cushions has no business in a training title. The quotes page is charming but slight. Buy this if you are starting a BE season or need confidence after winter; riders wanting hard flatwork should look elsewhere.

Strengths
• £78 BE registration is real money saved
• Bragg's grassroots advice comes from a five-star rider
• Gastric health piece gives six concrete actions
• Marlin brings physiology to welfare questions

Weaknesses
• 17-book list says little about the books
• Horsey cushions page is pure filler

Verdict: Recommended — the BE offer and Bragg's grassroots plan justify the cover price.