Saddle Struggles and Progress

If progress must be defined by always moving forward, then my progress with the mule would not be progress at all. Since my last posts, we’ve ridden many miles. Most have been pleasant, full of camaraderie and connection. There’ve been some unexpected bolts and bucks […]

Finding the Ideal Learning Environment

When I was a kid, there was no such thing as ‘learning disabilities” or “learning styles.” You learned or you didn’t. I wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until teetering on the verge of not graduating from college. Up until then, I just assumed I wasn’t as […]

Triple Crown Boycott

For the love of horses, I’m boycotting the Triple Crown this year. There will be no watching the Derby, Preakness, or Belmont in this house. Why? The thoroughbred industry is one of the most irresponsible breeders in the country. Each year, thousands of foals are […]

Mule goes up & over

Smiling through gritted teeth, I’m making some progress with the mule. Like a lot of paths of progress, it has its bumps, hazards, and hairpin turns. Most recently, Jolene gave me a lesson in pressure. As I learned months ago, pressure with the new mule […]

Busy Behind the Scenes

Have you noticed? Over the past few months, the delivery of newsletters and content on NickerNews and BestHorsePractices has gone from a steady flow to a steady, um, trickle. But slacking off ain’t the cause. Aside from the big move to Utah and a new […]

Mule Progress comes in Leaps and Bounds

My first trail ride with the new mule was successful if success can be measured by staying on and nothing bad happening. But Jolene’s lack of bend and the absence of a one-rein stop revealed glaringly large holes in training. So, we added two elements […]

Progress with Ride Along Dog

Development of our Ride Along Dog took a long pause as we moved from Iowa to Utah last year. However, after a few outings here, Kip, the young Australian Shepherd, is making great strides. Partial credit is due to the new use of an electric […]

BestHorsePractices welcomes Emily Thomas Luciano

NickerNews and BestHorsePractices are growing, expanding their reach and reaching new readers. This year, our features have been shared by well-known equine researchers, movie producers, and policy makers. Newsletter subscribers now come from nearly all 50 states (Thank you, Maine for representing so well!) as […]

Comeback Challenge Beats All

For years, I’ve been reporting on colt-starting events and saying to myself: Amazing stuff, but rescued horses are way more challenging than these untouched two-year olds. They’ve got baggage by the bucketful, troubled pasts, bad habits, and even horsey PTSD sometimes. Why not work with […]

Evidence-Based Horsemanship moves forward

Great news for those interested in Evidence-Based Horsemanship: Horseman Martin Black and neuroscientist Dr. Steve Peters have a DVD in the works and a May seminar planned. The DVD will be an introduction to concepts articulated in the book, Evidence-Based Horsemanship, published in 2012. Producer […]