5 Unlearned Horsemanship Practices

“Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.” Val Giessler, a mentor to Unbranded’s Ben Masters, utters those words in the new documentary’s trailer. Read more about Unbranded. It comes to mind, too, when I think of all the ways my horsemanship has […]

The Power of a Good Start

Earlier this month, we traveled to Livermore, Colorado, with Raechel Nelson and her 10-month old gelding, Gunner. The purpose? “To give him a chance to socialize with some other geldings and to give him some room to run around, stretch his legs and grow up […]

Introducing the ‘Not Too Old to Learn Challenge’!

We’ve been celebrating the NickerNews and BestHorsePractices community with guest columns and photo albums dedicated to our readers and their equines. Inspiring stuff. And as often happens in the dark, quiet months of winter, I got to thinking: Let’s do something with these inspirations. Let’s […]

Lessons in Listening

“Listen to your horse.” “Trust your horse.” They sound earnest and profound, but what do those statements really mean? And how can you listen to your horse and still be the Lead Horse? (Trainers tell you that, too.) Finding the intersection between telling and listening, […]

Eclectic Horseman for your continuing education

For 13 years, Eclectic Horseman Communications has brought us regular, vital doses of straight talk and continuing education. Eclectic Horseman, the magazine, has some 3,000 subscribers, including several hundred in Australia, United Kingdom, Poland, and the Czech Republic. The Horseman’s Gazette, an adjunct DVD subscription […]

Saddle Struggles and Progress

If progress must be defined by always moving forward, then my progress with the mule would not be progress at all. Since my last posts, we’ve ridden many miles. Most have been pleasant, full of camaraderie and connection. There’ve been some unexpected bolts and bucks […]

Finding the Ideal Learning Environment

When I was a kid, there was no such thing as ‘learning disabilities” or “learning styles.” You learned or you didn’t. I wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until teetering on the verge of not graduating from college. Up until then, I just assumed I wasn’t as […]

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 […]

Progress with Ride Along Dog

Development of our Ride Along Dog took a long pause as we moved from Iowa to Utah last year. However, after a few outings here, Kip, the young Australian Shepherd, is making great strides. Partial credit is due to the new use of an electric […]

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 […]