A note from Best Horse Practices Summit Director, Maddy Butcher:
Some two years ago, I returned home from a big horse expo in the Northeast. It had been fun to visit with thousands of horse owners and great to share what I do as a journalist. But something didn’t sit right.
I asked myself: What was in it for the horses?
I started confiding in a small group of individuals who shared my frustration as well as a passion and dedication to serving our equine partners.
I asked them: ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to offer something better?’
From my research and every day experiences, I knew academia and horsemanship could be paired to optimize the educational experience.
Recognizing the cliques and divisions within the horse community, I felt any potential gathering would need to be collaborative and welcome all disciplines.
With tremendous support from a newly developed steering committee and a healthy dose of naïve gusto, the Best Horse Practices Summit was born. Call it the Silver Lining Summit, the positive result of a less than positive experience.
This conference is a non-profit organization, built from scratch and run entirely by volunteers. It brings together the best of research and horsemanship to improve the horse-human connection by providing eye-opening and inspiring academic and arena presentations.
It’s also a work in progress.
We’re relying on our October attendees for feedback on how to make it better. We hope they also spread the word. Thanks to the efforts of video production company, SoulFolle Creative, we’ll be excited to offer all the presentations online in early 2018.
Clearly, horses can’t be helped without first empowering their owners. To all those registered for Best Horse Practices Summit, consider yourself empowered!
BHPS director, Maddy Butcher