The Power of a Good Start

Earlier this month, we traveled to Livermore, Colorado, with Raechel Nelson and her 10-month old gelding, Gunner. The purpose? “To give him a chance to socialize with some other geldings and to give him some room to run around, stretch his legs and grow up […]

Sackett succumbs to colic

Our dear mustang and newest addition to the herd, Sackett, died on a dreadfully memorable day when Salt Lake’s airport and its major interstate were shut down due to a ferocious sand storm. Seventy-mile an hour winds whipped through the area, picking up sand, dirt, […]

BLM’s colorful and questionable auction

While fans of pretty horses are lining up and drooling, we were shaking our heads at the newly posted auction pages of the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro program. As much as we like to advocate on behalf of the BLM and […]

Introducing the ‘Not Too Old to Learn Challenge’!

We’ve been celebrating the NickerNews and BestHorsePractices community with guest columns and photo albums dedicated to our readers and their equines. Inspiring stuff. And as often happens in the dark, quiet months of winter, I got to thinking: Let’s do something with these inspirations. Let’s […]

Toughest Winter Warrior Wins Muck Boots

It may be a Worst Ever Winter, but for Muck Boot wearers, it’s a bit less painful: “At least my feet stay warm and dry,” they say. Who among you has it worst? In this record-breaking season, we’re rewarding one lucky, tough reader with a […]

Bryan Neubert on the mend

Bryan Neubert, one of the few people who worked with the men many consider to be the founders of natural horsemanship: Ray Hunt, Bill and Tom Dorrance, is coming to Maine later this year. Click here for events. To hear him tell it, Neubert just lucked […]

Life-long Learning, Part II

Read Part I I just finished reading The Invention of Wings, by Sue Monk Kidd. The story takes place in South Carolina nearly 200 years ago, when the acquisition of knowledge for women and slaves was risky business. Books and educational resources were coveted treasures […]

Life-long Learning, Part I

A curious sensation came over me when researching and writing about the Wobble Board of Learning: I got a dopamine rush. I experienced the very phenomenon I was attempting to explain. It was like being dizzy while describing the sensation of being dizzy. Read about […]

Alberta conference low on bling, high on benefits

Of all the expositions and conferences out there, the Alberta Horse Owners and Breeders Conference stands hands above all. It’s a serious affair, run by the Horse Industry Association of Alberta to strengthen their community “through advocacy, education and research,” according to its mission. The […]

Good Science, Bad Science

A great bit of equine-related research has hit my desk lately: A group at Washington State University quantified lowered cortisol levels in kids enrolled in equine-facilitated learning programs. The study, a randomized trial, gives EFL programs a huge leg up in legitimization. It should help […]