Of Children, Dogs, Horses

Warwick Schiller once told me working with horses wasn’t that different from raising children: It’s all about creating a space that has discipline, consistency, and positivity. Create boundaries. Give them the freedom to make mistakes. Firm love. Those words rang true again when I listened […]

BestHorsePractices moves forward

Five years. 300 newsletters. 400 articles. 500 blog posts. 50 videos. NickerNews & BestHorsePractices have come a long way from our 4-page original website. Since 2008, we’ve — Sponsored film documentaries, clinicians, non-profit events, and rescue organizations. Assisted law enforcement in successful convictions of horse […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]