Horseman Martin Black grew up on the Ace Black family ranch in Bruneau, Idaho, and was influenced by his father, grandfather Albert and uncle Paul Black. After school he worked on ranches in Idaho, Nevada, and California, working with top horsemen and bridlemen, Charlie and […]
Read moreCategory Archives: Health
Good and Bad Dentistry Impact Hooves. Yes, hooves.
The horse’s mouth has in it about 40 teeth (mares often have fewer). There are incisors, premolars, molars, and sometimes canine and wolf teeth. It’s a mysterious place for most horse owners. Vets suggest protocol for floating (the process of rasping teeth with hand and […]
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Why Horses Don’t Get Frostbite
Editor’s Note: Horses are dramatically different mammals than humans, and, yet, we continue to treat them as if they had the same physiological conditions and needs. In this post, Best Horse Practices Summit board member and Southern Illinois University professor emeritus Dr. Sheryl King helps […]
Read moreHorses Want Fewer Gifts, Better Care
Editor’s Note: Dr. Sheryl King is professor emeritus of Southern Illinois University, a Fellow of the Equine Science Society, a Best Horse Practices Summit board member, and lifelong horsewoman. In this guest column, she writes about the range of benefits from working and owning horses. […]
Read moreHorses Nurture Body and Soul
Editor’s Note: Dr. Sheryl King is professor emeritus of Southern Illinois University, a Fellow of the Equine Science Society, a Best Horse Practices Summit board member, and lifelong horsewoman. In this guest column, she writes about the range of benefits from working and owning horses. […]
Read moreWhat?? Yes, Riders are Athletes
Editor’s Note: Ah, to be young and carefree. After a few years of ignoring what might be obvious for some, guest columnist Amy Skinner realized her diet and exercise were instrumental to a successful horsemanship career. Read more on Rider Fitness here. Read rider Julie […]
Read more“Fit” is More than Skin-Deep: Confessions of a Sugar-holic
Last year, in the pages of NickerNews and BestHorsePractices, we focused on rider fitness and weight. That’s because there is mounting evidence showing we do our horses and our horsemanship a sizeable favor by being fit and on weight. As it happens, I know a […]
Read moreSnow is NOT Water when it comes to equine hydration
Snow is not water. Sure, it is the frozen equivalent. But when it comes to proper hydration for your equines, snow does not come close to fulfilling their needs. “Absolutely true,” said Dr. Janelle Tirrell, of Third Coast Equine, when I mentioned that eating snow […]
Read moreWorking Dogs Beware, Part II
Read Working Dogs Beware, Part I Here in Mancos, a small, rural community in southwestern Colorado, dogs of mixed and mysterious breeds rule. There are scores of rescued dogs, dogs from the Ute Mountain Ute or Southern Ute reservations, and ranch dogs whose owners may […]
Read moreWorking Dogs Beware, Part I
When I brought skinny Peeko home from a Utah shelter, I knew only a few bits about her past: — she was about a year old — as a stray, she had broken her right elbow and it had healed badly. Two years later, I […]
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