The June issue of The Equiery is out and you might notice that it looks a little different.
The Maryland Horse Council purchased The Equiery eight years ago and kept much of its structure and many of its features unchanged. We did this quite intentionally. We wanted to honor the former publisher’s vision and the magazine’s 30 years of tremendous commercial success. We also wanted to keep the staff intact so that we could honor our obligations not just to them but also to the magazine’s clients.Moreover, we saw no need to fix something that wasn’t broken.
Then COVID came. The horse industry grew exponentially and MHC’s role in it expanded apace. We began the slow process of shifting the magazine’s focus to support MHC’s mission more directly, and we started transforming the publication into the Maryland horse industry’s official trade publication.
The marketplace also changed. Media platforms have continued to multiply and digital publishing and marketing capabilities have become increasingly more sophisticated. Many of the tools that we have now either did not exist at the time of the acquisition, or existed in a rudimentary and “buggy” form. Why does that matter? It matters because the time has come for the next chapter in The Equiery’s evolution.
Over the next several months you will see changes to both our product and our approach. Our first change is modernizing the look-and-feel of our features and columns. You will see that we have improved the calendar layout substantially. The new format is visually arresting and easier to read. it will improve the return on investment for our clients, and we hope it also motivates more of us out to support each other’s events. We have revised our masthead to serve our core mission better and to recognize the range of talented people across the state who help us put the publication out. Information about our Political Action Committee (PAC) is adjacent to it and membership information is right at hand.
Starting next month, we will go back to a sturdier paper stock that will be easier on the eyes and will serve all of our stakeholders better. We also plan to revive some popular features, like On the Mend, Comings & Goings, and the Secret Lives of Horse People.
In the months to come, we will re-focus on horse industry news as it happens, with more frequent news reporting on our website and on our social media platforms. We will also produce more (and longer) editorial pieces on-line, such as in-depth reporting on specific issues or sectors, long-form interviews with Maryland horse people and industry leaders, and multi-media stories designed to reach new audiences.
Lastly, we will better leverage our content digitally, both in text and in audio-visual formats. We will develop entirely new products for our readers and clients.
To say that we look forward to these changes would be an understatement.
We are excited. We are eager. We are energized.
We hope you will join us on the adventure ahead.