Vets as welcome resources

From birth to death, veterinarians are Go-To sources for our horses’ medical decisions. They answer a broad spectrum of questions from disease to forage, hoof to tail, optic to colic. Inevitably, we say, “While you’re here, Doc…” because there is always something more they can […]

Stay Warm Tips for horse owners

Car rides with the windows down Tall, ice-filled drinks Ocean swims with your horse The pleasures of summer seem far, far away. At my place, pasture walks are slow, laborious efforts of postholing, walking in snow that goes to my thighs and fills my boots. […]

Dream Jobs for hard-working horse lovers

For two summers during college, I had my dream job. An avid birder, I landed field positions in Michigan and North Carolina, studying Indigo Buntings. Hot, long days were spent observing, netting, and banding the small, beautiful songbirds. By the end of the summer, I […]

Happy Appy Pancake for One!

Need something warm, simple, and balanced to start the day? Check out this fast, healthy, skillet or fry pan recipe I created: Total Preparation and Cook time: 12-15 minutes. Mix: One good-sized apple, grated (I like to partially peel it.) One egg 1 ½ tablespoon […]

New book charts compelling course of horse

I have two peeves with the otherwise marvelous new book, “The Horse: The Epic History of Our Noble Companion” by author Wendy Williams: the title and the cover. Neither represents what Williams warmly and intelligently covers over 305 pages (with a midsection of 19 color […]

Off Pasture? The Slow Feeder Advantages

In this guest blog post, Monique Warren weighs in on some common issues with feeding and how slow-feeders like Hay Pillow can help. Warren writes: Some horses paw or are aggressive at feeding time, This is more than likely due to frustration and pain than […]

Equine Affaire Highlights

We had a great time at the Equine Affaire in West Springfield, Massachusetts earlier this month. With over 100,000 attendees, you see and hear a lot, including news from a brilliant, 92-year old trail rider! We note here some Best of the Equine Affaire and […]

Welcome new subscribers!

Welcome to NickerNews and BestHorsePractices! If you’re still trying to get a handle on who we are and what we do, let me help: For starters, I’m Maddy Butcher, a former newspaper reporter and founder of NickerNews and BestHorsePractices. These two websites are online horse […]

When Moving is like Riding

Moving to a new place where you don’t know a soul, don’t know what the weather will do, and don’t know where to buy stuff is a lot like riding a new, fresh horse. Read more about the move to Colorado. For me, anyway, it’s […]

Al Dube offers lessons (and miracles)

NickerNews and BestHorsePractices is happy to reconnect with Al Dube Quarter Horses, the Horse Farm of Merit offering lessons as well as hay in southern Maine. It’s been another successful season at the farm, according to owner Cynthia Hodak. The stables hosted clinician Martin Black […]