About Horses and People
Horses and People is different
Other horse magazines try to be everything for everyone, but at Horses and People you will find a common theme throughout – well-being – because when you place horses’ and people’s physical and mental well-being at the centre, your equestrian dreams fall into place! In fact, upholding the highest standards of integrity in delivering constructive information is Horses and People‘s main agenda.

“HORSES AND PEOPLE’S MISSION IS TO PUBLISH AND PROMOTE CONSTRUCTIVE INFORMATION THAT CONTRIBUTES
TO SAFEGUARDING AND IMPROVING THE LIFESTYLE, WELFARE AND SAFETY OF HORSES AND PEOPLE.”
– Cristina Wilkins, Editor-in-Chief
Horses and People collaborates with an exceptional range of contributing authors – like-minded horse people who are passionate advocates for horse welfare, who share their expertise and inspiration on all fields of horsemanship.
The story so far…
Horses and People was founded in 1990 by Rosie Brilliant and began its life as a calendar of equestrian events, providing much needed information to southeast Queensland horse owners of the shows, clinics and other happenings taking place in their local areas. From the late 90s the print publication consolidated and grew considerably under the editorial guide of Annie Minton, who built the content added a services directory, and expanded the distribution within Queensland and Northern New South Wales. The magazine expanded its distribution again in 2012, going Australia-wide and adding a digital edition available worldwide. Under the guidance of Maxine Ellison and Cristina Wilkins, since 2009, the magazine has grown in quality and reach, gaining a worldwide reputation for consistently delivering ethical, sustainable and evidence-based articles on all horse-related topics.
In November 2018, Cristina became the sole Director of the company and now works in collaboration with daZoop Designs and JSL Media. Horses and People is now published bi-monthly in print and digital, has upgraded its website and email subscription base to provide readers and advertisers with a wider choice of platforms.
In 2022, a decision to stop producing magazine issues was made, to enable the development of other educational resources.
The first of these projects was launched in June 2023, in collaboration with the University of New England, Australia in the form of the first online course teaching how to effectively assess the welfare of sport and recreation horses using the 2020 Five Domains Model.
Also in 2023, Horses and People began a collaboration to develop Mellorater: A welfare monitoring app for animal guardians. The Mellorater’s mission is to provide animal guardians with a free monitoring app featuring an easy-to-use checklist to monitor and improve their animal’s life and welfare, help them make better management decisions, and achieve a good life for all animals.
Horses and People Today
Horses and People is now an online resource with multi-media information on all horse keeping subjects and equine research. A social community of horse lovers who embrace horse-centered ideas to strengthen the special bond they strive for with their horses.
A trusted and respected resource with a global reputation for producing top-quality, progressive and ethical information. A close and dedicated team with a passion for horses and people, and combined expertise in the equestrian industry, media and marketing, we specialise in personalised service to readers and advertising clients. An Australian-based publication producing print and digital editions, an online platform and social community.

Cristina Wilkins
Horses and People Editor and Publisher
Cristina joined Horses and People in 2004 and has been Editor-in-chief since 2009 and sole Director since 2019. She is passionate about promoting evidence-based, sustainable and ethical horse keeping. Originally from Spain, and always mentored by progressive equestrians, Cristina competed with success in the eventing discipline, leading to being selected for the Spanish elite squad in preparation for the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. After many years coaching and competing and some years living in New Zealand, she settled with her husband in Queensland in 1998. Cristina’s world changed when she translated into Spanish ‘The Truth About Horses’ by Dr Andrew McLean and discovered learning theory and equitation science. She was a member of the Council of the International Society for Equitation Science for 8 years, a Guest Editor for The University of Sydney’s School of Veterinary Science, and her special interest is improving the communication of evidence-based information to equestrian communities to engage them in positive change.
In 2023, Cristina embarked on a PhD at the University of New England, Australia, to research the welfare outcomes of human-horse interactions. She is a co-author on a number of peer-reviewed articles and a member of the team developing the Mellorater: A welfare monitoring app for animal guardians.
Also in 2023, Cristina launched the first online short course teaching how to Apply the Five Domains Model to the Welfare Assessment of Sport and Recreation Horses, hosted by the University of New England, Australia.
Email: editor@horsesandpeople.com.au