Editor’s Note: Amy Skinner is a regular guest columnist and has been a horse gal since age six. She will present with fellow trainer and rider, Katrin Silva, at the Best Horse Practices Summit. Skinner rides and teaches dressage and Western. Skinner has studied at […]
Read moreCategory Archives: Safety
Safety Sticks: Got ‘Em?
Given the interest in our recent WiseAssWallace helmet post, we thought we’d discuss the greater issue of safety. Studies show that horse riding is one of the riskiest activities we humans do. Riders assess and mitigate risk all the time. Being safe is an integral […]
Read moreEquine Affaire Art Sends the (Wrong) Message
We’re big fans of the Equine Affaire. We’ve attended the annual version in Massachusetts (there’s one in Ohio, too) for years and have even had a booth there. So it was with a big “Oh, no!” that we saw the organization’s logo art for this […]
Read moreAre Cool Baths a Good Thing for Your Hot Horse?
It’s hot and you’ve just returned from a sweat-inducing ride. Do you hose down your horse? Believe it or not, almost no research has been done on how to help horses lower their core temperature when we ride them in extremely hot weather. That lack […]
Read moreAmy Skinner’s Young Horse Basics
Editor’s Note: Amy Skinner is a regular guest columnist and has been a horse gal since age six. She works with owner/operator Jim Thomas as a trainer at Bar T Horsemanship where she rides and teaches English and Western. She also maintains Essence Horsemanship. Skinner […]
Read moreWhen Multitasking Pays Off
There’s a lot of research out there disparaging multitasking. Scientists say it’s inefficient. They say ideal productivity and efficiency requires focus. But often horse handling requires a certain lack of focus and an ability to take in, understand, and react to multiple developments all at […]
Read moreDon’t Touch My Horse!
Amy Skinner runs Essence Horsemanship and is a frequent guest columnist for our sister site, NickerNews. Read her columns here. Here, she writes about the need to understand horses’ sensitivity to touch: People who come to my barn are probably befuddled by my posted sign: […]
Read moreAnother Call against Cross Ties
2018 Best Horse Practices Summit presenter Amy Skinner is a frequent guest columnist for Cayuse Communications. Read more of her columns here. Here, Skinner writes about the Cons of Cross Ties: I recently sold a horse and delivered him to his new barn. I relayed the […]
Read moreOpen Letter to Mountain Bikers
The recent opinion piece in High Country News sparked a viral amount of dialogue on that magazine’s site and on other platforms that picked up the piece, like Adventure Journal. It begged a follow-up on improving understanding for all who use multi-use trails. Believe it […]
Read moreTackling Fear and Confidence Issues
We had a lovely note from a NickerNews & BestHorsePractices reader who struggles with confidence and fear issues: She writes: Last November, you wrote about moving as being like riding and you raised the issue of fear and extending oneself. I have a great, kind, […]
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