November/December 2026 Issue

Published 10 times a year. Submissions of articles, events and photos are welcome and should be received by the 10th of the month preceding publication. Please call (717) 509-9800 for advertising rates or visit www.eastcoastequestrian.net We cannot accept copyrighted photos without permission from owner. You must have permis- sion before reprinting anything from East Coast Equestrian. For permission please call (717) 509-9800 or email brooke@eastcoastequestrian.net Brooke Knight Warner | Publisher/Owner ECE Founder/CEO No Horse Hungry Stephanie Shertzer Lawson | Founder Cyndi Martin | Head of Partnerships and Development East Coast Equestrian + No Horse Hungry L.A. Berry, Suzanne Bush, Veronica Foley, Alicia Martin, Lois Symanski, Amy Worden, and more Contributors Rose Webster | Layout/Design Phyllis Hurdleston | Advertising Director East Coast Equestrian Published by Knight Warner Media, LLC 8916 Williams Mill Pond Road, Delmar, Maryland, 21875 (717) 509-9800 | brooke@eastcoastequestrian.net www.EastCoastEquestrian.net Follow Us Table of Contents NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2026 08 RIDING THE ODDS What the research reveals, what remains uncertain, and how to improve your chances to stay safe 14 WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE — FOR NOW “What a country chooses to save is what a country chooses to say about itself.” 17 MORE THAN BONE DEEP When the spirit is willing but the body has questions, a lifelong rider negotiates the risks 20 TACK SHOPS SPECIAL SECTION A peek into some of the local shops and their specialties 26 2026 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE SPECIAL SECTION The year of the horse provides unique shopping opportunities for 2026 38 HORSE BOOKS FOR HOLIDAYGIVING 2026 Books make great Christmas gifts, we’ve compiled a list of horse books for horse lovers of all ages, written by our own east coast authors 40 WHAT BECAME OF THE GREAT AMERICAN TACK SHOP After decades of corporate takeovers, consolidation, changing economies, and online disruption, equestrian retail is rediscovering its heartbeat 42 THE FEED 46 THE DIRECTORY 48 MAL DE MARE 53 TRAIL LOVERS Green Ridge State Forest, Allegany County, MD 54 THIS IS HORSE COUNTRY MARYLAND A Small State with an Outsized Passion About Its Horse Country