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 […]

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 […]

This Colt Starting recipe has better ingredients

The Road to the Horse has become one of the most popular horse training events in the world. It offers spectators flashy performances along with shopping experiences in the horse-rich community of Lexington, Kentucky. But what does it offer the horse? More and more horsemen […]

Looking back, looking ahead

2013 was a heckuva year for NickerNews and BestHorsePractices. It started last winter with a bang. Two bangs, actually. The first came with NickerNews’ nomination for Best Blog in the Equestrian Social Media Awards. The ESMAs featured an international field with most bloggers commercially backed. […]

Staying fit for you and your horse

We’re active. Most of us horsemen and women get plenty of exercise just taking care of our barnful. Hay tossing, water lugging, and riding add up to being Farm Fit. Some may be Gym Fit, too, toning and sweating in a more formal setting. Read […]