Horse Illustrated – January-February 2026

Summary

Horse Illustrated turns 50 in the January/February 2026 issue (Volume 50, Issue 1), and editor-in-chief Holly Caccamise marks it by remembering her own subscription from about 1989 to 1999 and joining the magazine in 2007. The cover carries the curly horse, a super travel issue with a horse trek to Machu Picchu and the Andalusia region of Spain, and a roundup of equestrian apps at p18.

The 90 Morgan horses of the Redemption Story column at p26 are the issue's weight: a neglect case needing enormous work to give as many horses as possible the care and adoption they needed. On Top of the World at p30 combines stable management with sustainable tourism on the trail to Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes.

Taking the Reins at p54 pairs underserved girls from the Los Angeles area with horses and other opportunities, and Until the Vet Arrives at p40 argues the right steps while waiting can mean the difference between treating on the farm and hauling to a clinic.

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Content Guide

▸ 50th Anniversary

p.4 · Editor's Letter — Nifty Fifty!
Holly Caccamise marks 50 years of an iconic equestrian print magazine, noting she subscribed from about 1989 to 1999 and joined the staff in 2007, and that after her son was born in 2019 she went from owning horses full time to leasing. Her son rides a Friesian named Veleno, who recently performed with Cirque Ma'ceo. New columns for the year are Parelli Perspectives at p20, Rider Wellness at p24, and the 50th anniversary column at p12, which runs only this year. Travel inspiration points to p30 and p60, on Machu Picchu and Andalusia. The editor's email is editor@horseillustrated.com and the podcast Barn Banter is at horseillustrated.com/podcast. Read her letter before the features, since it maps the whole issue.

p.12 · The First Issue of Horse Illustrated
The anniversary column looks back at the first issue in 1976 and what has changed since. Magazine history is the only honest measure of how a discipline has shifted. Find one thing from 1976 that is still true today.

p.16 · Blue's Legacy
A tragic loss became an idea to help other owners facing heavy veterinary bills, per the column listing. Grief turned into a fund is the best kind of legacy. Ask what your own barn does when an owner cannot pay.

▸ Travel

p.30 · On Top of the World — Machu Picchu, Peru
High in the Peruvian Andes on the trail to Machu Picchu, stable management and sustainable tourism come together. Sustainable tourism is the travel claim worth checking. Ask any operator how the horses are kept before you book.

p.60 · Journey to Andalusia
A photographer went to Spain to co-lead an equestrian photography workshop, and it became a life-changing experience. Travel pieces work when they admit what changed. Read it before you book any riding holiday.

▸ Health and Handling

p.40 · Until the Vet Arrives
Doing the right things while waiting for the vet can mean the difference between treating a horse on the farm and hauling to a clinic. The first ten minutes decide most emergencies. Write your vet's number beside your first-aid kit today.

p.44 · Out of Sight — Eye injuries and disease
Eye trauma, eye disease and cancer need swift, coordinated treatment to preserve as much of a horse's vision as possible. Eyes are the emergency owners leave too long. Photograph one eye daily if your horse has a problem.

p.22 · Safe Forage Transitions
Switching hay abruptly can bring digestive upset or colic, so the column explains how to transition slowly. Slow transitions are the cheapest colic prevention there is. Extend your next hay change by a week.

p.36 · Carrot Stretches
Simple stretches proven to help a horse's back muscles grow stronger and more flexible. Carrot stretches are the rehab anyone can do. Do one carrot stretch with your horse today.

▸ People and Horses

p.26 · Redemption Story — 90 Morgan horses
A neglect case involving 90 Morgan horses needed huge effort to give as many as possible the care and adoption they needed. Large-scale rescues are the cases that break a single barn. Support one rescue before you criticise one.

p.54 · Taking the Reins
The programme pairs underserved girls from the Los Angeles area with horses and with other opportunities. Access programmes change who gets to ride at all. Volunteer one hour at a programme near you.

p.18 · There's an App for That
The latest equestrian apps are rounded up, covering riding and barn management. Apps are the barn tool most owners never compare. Try one app for a month and log what it changed.

p.24 · Calming Riding Nerves — Rider Wellness
Tools to overcome fear and find inner calm when you mount up. Nerves are the riding problem nobody trains. Use one breathing tool before your next ride.

p.50 · Lessons From the Barn
Horses are argued to be among the best coaches for tough situations at work and in life. Barn lessons are the reason non-riders read horse magazines. Name one thing your horse taught you about work.

▸ Regulars

p.66 · Breed Portrait — Curly Horse
The curly horse gets the breed portrait, matching the cover's curly horse with an eye-catching coat and mysterious genetics. Breed portraits are the pages owners keep. Read the health section before you admire the coat.

p.6-10 · Readers' Choice, What's Online, Event Notebook
Reader and event departments open the issue. Departments are where a magazine's community shows. Send one photo to Readers' Choice this month.

Ranch advertising
The travel issue carries ranch advertising including Elkhorn Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, open November to April; Blacktail Ranch near Wolf Creek, Montana, a historic 8,000-acre destination; Rancho de los Caballeros in Wickenburg, Arizona, celebrating more than 75 years; and The Hideout Lodge and Guest Ranch in Shell, Wyoming, taking 25 guests across 650,000 acres at 4,200 to 10,000 feet with about 100 horses. Ranch ads are the real travel guide here. Check one ranch's horse programme before you book on the view alone.

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Editor's Take

The 50th anniversary gives Horse Illustrated January/February 2026 a shape most monthly issues lack, and Holly Caccamise's own dates — subscribing about 1989 to 1999, joining in 2007, leasing after 2019 — is an editor placing herself inside the magazine's history rather than above it. The 90 Morgan horses of Redemption Story is the heaviest single item, and Taking the Reins pairing underserved Los Angeles girls with horses is the best column in the issue. Weakest is the travel: Machu Picchu and Andalusia are announced with promise but no body text survives to quote, and the ranch advertising — 8,000 acres in Montana, 650,000 in Wyoming — is fuller than the features it sits beside. The curly horse cover and portrait are a good match. Buy this for the anniversary and rescue columns; the travel pages are a brochure.

Strengths
• Editor's own 1989-1999, 2007 and 2019 dates
• 90 Morgan horses gives the rescue real scale
• Taking the Reins covers access, not just riding
• Until the Vet Arrives is practical

Weaknesses
• Travel features announced without body text
• Ranch advertising outweighs the features
• Several pages missing or truncated

Verdict: Recommended — the anniversary columns and the Morgan rescue.