As the days lengthen and warm, and the grass greens again, the shift of each season is a gentle reminder of the natural cycles we all repeat: birth, growth, death, rebirth. We are so excited to bring you this new incarnation of The Carolinas Equestrian magazine. We hope to celebrate the amazing horses of the Carolinas and the special people who own, ride and work with them. We want to share everything from the awed wonder of the beginner to the technical skill of the expert. We plan to feature diverse levels and disciplines, because we are fortunate to live in a region with a rich variety of horsemanship. One thing we all have in common is a heartfelt love for this magnificent animal.
Featured in the pages of this issue, Grand Prix Eventing highlights a unique Aiken event and fills readers in on the touching backstory of loss and redemption behind Boyd Martin’s win. Of course, the photos of Olympic level horses and riders jumping at the pinnacle of the sport are spectacular. A New Age of Nursemares by Jen Roytz, elaborates a more ethical way to develop adoptive mothers for foals who are orphaned or rejected.
An ongoing column will offer practical information on horse ownership and care: this month, in Know your Horse’s Normal, veterinarian Dr. Nicole Swinehart from South Carolina Equine Associates explains what horse owners should know in order to detect if their horse isn’t feeling 100%.
The Carolinas are filled with fascinating horse people. For our Under 21 column, we profile a World Champion reiner from North Carolina, and for Equestrians of the Carolinas, an immigrant who has become a proud American citizen through working with racehorses in South Carolina. 
And in our Out and About photo spreads we feature images from events all over the region. Maybe you will see yourself in our pages! We hope you love these stories and pictures. We want this magazine to blossom and grow as we shine light on the unique and wonderful people and horses in so many different communities and disciplines that make up equestrian sport in the Carolinas.
Please reach out to us through our website at TheCarolinasEquestrian.com or on Facebook or Instagram and tell us about people we need to talk to, events we need to cover, or places we need to go see.
Lauren Allen
Editor
