Learning to Learn, Not to Follow

In the horse world, as in others, there is a desire for people to group in to “camps” and follow someone whose teaching they like. There is nothing wrong with this until it becomes blind following. People get excited about the ideas of some teacher […]

You Should Be in Elko

It’s Day One of my annual attendance of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada. So excited! Before the multitude of concerts, dances, and poetry recitations, the Gathering hosts several educational workshops, intimate one-, two-, or three-day classes led by experts. You can learn […]

Getting Out with the Right Gear

I reached a turning point about 10 years ago. After the good times of fort building and snowball fights and then introducing my sons to fort building and snowball fights, I’d come to disdain the coldest season. I’d complain through most of it and spend […]

Sensitivity Training

Katrin Silva grew up riding dressage in Germany before moving to the United States at age 19 to learn to ride Western. She’s been riding both disciplines for the last twenty years. Silva has competed successfully through fourth level dressage on quarter horses, Morgans, Arabians, […]

Nicker Review: Patagonia Silent Down Jacket

Amy Skinner lends a hand with this review of Patagonia’s Silent Down Jacket, made of stretchy recycled polyester shell and 100 percent recycled down. Check out our NickerReview page Check out our Holiday Gift Guide Skinner writes: Winter in North Carolina is supposed to be […]

Nicker Review: LL Bean Down Sweater Vest

We hear from Julie Kenney with this review of LL Bean’s Ultralight 850 Down Sweater Vest Check out our NickerReview page Check out our Holiday Gift Guide Kenney writes: Vests come in many different materials and weights to help keep our core warm and allow […]

Pulled up by horses, again

By Maddy Butcher Last week, my sons and I traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to scatter the ashes of their father, my ex-husband, who was born and raised there. Read prequel to this post here. We reconnected with family and friends whom we hadn’t seen in […]

Crissi McDonald on Time and Timing

Editor’s Note: This week, we hear from Crissi McDonald. The Colorado horsewoman has worked with thousands of horses and riders for the past 20 years, She teaches lessons, performs Masterson Method® equine bodywork and teaches clinics with her husband, Mark Rashid, throughout the United States. Read more […]

John Moore Moves On

This week, we heard from John Moore, a Colorado horseman who spends months teaching in Sweden. He wrote this note to fans, followers, friends: I’ve been counting the years since I first began touring overseas to make the bulk of my living, and it adds […]

What to Wear in a Storm

In the little canyon where I live, eighteen inches of snow fell this weekend. As often happens with us horse owners, the storm doubled my work time, mostly in the form of shoveling. Snowy winters mean everything takes longer; tossing hay to the horses is […]