The Horse is NOT a Mirror

Guest columnist Tim Jobe runs NaturalLifemanship and is a leader in equine-assisted therapy. The Texan, who is also an accomplished cowboy poet and horseman, shared this point of view with us: The horse is not a mirror. Before you start shooting, give me a chance […]

What’s a nice shirt got to do with riding?

In many parts of our world, it’s mud season. Our horses don’t necessarily care if they’re covered in mud. But we do. Take shirts, for example. When a shirt fits well and looks good, it impacts our wellbeing. We feel better about ourselves. That positivity […]

Horse-related Spring To-Do’s

In some parts of our horsey world, spring has sprung. Trail riding season is coming and it pays to formulate a spring To Do list and tackle it before the season is upon us. Here are some preliminary suggestions: 1. Consider flies before […]

Horsewoman Amy Skinner is coming to Maine

Amy Skinner of Essence Horsemanship and Bar T Ranch will visit Maine for a weekend of private and semi-private lessons next month. The accomplished horsewoman teaches English and Western. Skinner has studied at the Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Spain, with Buck Brannaman, Leslie […]

LL Bean Packaways are Perfect for Horse Time

Regardless of where you live, this time of year demands layers. That’s especially true when taking our horse work into consideration. Weather is often a crap shoot. Barn calls may come before dawn (and below freezing) or midday (with plenty of sun and mud). It […]

LL Bean’s Barn Friendly Vest

Regardless of where you live, this time of year our barn and horse work demands layers. We’re focusing on a few impressive products from LL Bean. The Maine company currently is having a Winter Send-Off Sale. Read jacket reviews here. Amy Skinner, owner of Essence […]

Dressage and Champagne in Mancos

Classical dressage competitor and instructor Petra Beltran will speak and present during an informal free evening presentation at the River Studio in Mancos, Colorado. Reservations are required for “An Evening of Classical Dressage and Champagne,” 5:30 – 7 pm, February 24, at the River Studio, […]

A Valentine’s Giveaway for Horse Lovers

Enter Now! Horse people are funny. We don’t necessarily give a whit about “stuff.” Unless the stuff has to do with: our horses our horse dreams our horse goals our horse trips our horse accomplishments So Valentine’s Day might be just another day unless it […]

America’s own Olathe Boots

We’re always keen on quality gear and we especially love hearing reader testimonials. Recently, a NickerNews & BestHorsePractices fan turned our attention to Olathe Boots, an impressive Texas boot company, established in 1875. Our reader writes: I have a pair of tall top, hippo hide […]

NCPG in Elko: Celebrating Storytelling and Life with Horses

For those who’ve not had the pleasure of attending the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, an annual event run by Western Folklife in Elko, Nevada, it may be easier to describe it through metaphor: If the Gathering were something you ate, it would be tapas, snacks […]