Riders and horses need open space
Horses need space. Riders do, too. If you look at Swisher, Iowa by satellite, you’ll see lots of open space. When I moved here from Maine, I was excited to explore the 14,000 acres of nearby Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area. I did. It was wonderful. […]
Read more→Cindy Meehl, Unbranded, and the state of mustang policy
Producer Cindy Meehl will be plenty busy this year as she works with the Unbranded team and develops the documentary film of the 3,000 mile adventure. Read more. She paused and spoke with NickerNews and BestHorsePractices to address the complexity of the mustang message: “We’re […]
Read more→Learning and Teaching the new Mule
What’s the most striking difference between the new mule, Jolene, and her horse herdmates? Not how she moves. Not how she looks. It’s how she eats an apple. When you give Jolene a chunk of apple, she will: Smell it Take it in her mouth […]
Read more→Evidence-Based Horsemanship returns to Northeast
Lois Dietrich will host neuropsychologist Dr. Steve Peters and horseman Martin Black at their first seminar of Evidence-Based Horsemanship on the East Coast, November 15-17. The pair will conduct lectures, demonstrations, and Dr. Peters will dissect a horse brain at the Mountain Springs Arena facilities […]
Read more→Welcome 5 Star
Saddle pads and cinches aren’t the most glamorous tack items in your barn. But they may be the most essential. Bad ones make your horse miserable and cause sores and sore muscles. Good ones make even marathon rides easy and fuss-free. Just ask Ben Masters, […]
Read more→Fatal Virus is Here
While dry weather is making wildfires a constant concern for horse owners out west, the wet weather is increasing the threat of contracting Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile virus in New England. This week, EEE was detected in York County (Maine) mosquitoes. It’s a […]
Read more→A Whip by Any Other Name
A recent trail incident provided some timely relevance to our recent discussion of whip use. Read Whip Use research review here. Comet and I went for a solo trail ride. We got off the road and into the woods only to be bombarded by deer […]
Read more→Like Whale, Like Horse
Blackfish is this summer’s hot documentary. It’s movie about killer whales and how captivity makes them miserable and crazy. It’s an easy concept for us horse owners to understand. A recent Los Angeles Times piece suggested humans should get out of the whale captivity business. […]
Read more→Water and Salt – hot items
From Utah to Iowa to Maine and all points in between, it’s been a warm summer. Some weeks in some states have been downright hot. Hydration for you AND your horse is key. So is salt intake. I like tortilla chips myself. My horses like […]
Read more→Confessions of a bad rider
My name is Maddy. And I own a bolting horse. The first time we met, she tossed me. The second time, she tossed me, too. I love her dearly, but after those experiences, I stopped riding her. For several months, she was the one left […]
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