Welcome Third Coast and South Mountain!

We welcome two new advertisers into the NickerNews and BestHorsePractices fold: South Mountain Equine Veterinary Services and Third Coast Equine Services of Maine. Dr. Janelle Tirrelle, of Augusta, Maine, has opened Third Coast Equine after working at Maine Equine Associates for several years. She has […]

Groundwork helps fill in holes

Recently, I went back to basics with Jolene, the mule. We have a history of holes in our training and I figured it’d be helpful for both of us to review some basic understandings. Here are two things we worked on over the course of […]

Welcome Lucerne Farms!

We’re excited to welcome Lucerne Farms to our growing family of advertisers. The Maine company, based in Easton and Fort Fairfield, fits our values and mindset to a T: a small company with a high quality product that’s great for owners and their equines. It’s […]

Generations ago, Smith knew ‘Nature’s Best’

Tom Smith knew what happened off the track was crucial to victories on the track. Diet and horse keeping practices were key to the champion he developed out of the fussy, difficult Seabiscuit. Read about Seabiscuit: An American Legend and other favorite horse books. Nervous […]

Another gift idea for 2015

Maine’s Kim Stone spent several summers working at the Alvord Ranch in eastern Oregon and learning from Idaho horseman Martin Black. Read more here. Now she’s brought her horses and talents back to her home state where she raises a young equine addition (at right) […]

To Wear or Not to Wear, that’s the Helmet Question

Culture and vanity vie against common sense and science in plenty of our personal decisions. Take tanning: This year, the World Health Organization added tanning booths to the list of the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation. People get skin cancer and die from frequenting […]

The Way to a Horsewoman’s Heart is through her Feet

If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, the way to a horse owner’s heart is through his or her feet. Comfortable feet are key to our days spent riding, mucking, tossing hay and otherwise caring for our equines. (What’s your boots-to-bras […]

Holiday Giving & Getting, Part I

As NickerNews and BestHorsePractices have grown, we’ve acquired some lovely perks for our readers. To date, we’ve sent out nearly $1,000-worth of freebies including Redmond Equine products, Darn Tough socks, Liberty Bottles, Eco Lips lip balm and Kershaw and Gerber knives. Remuda Readers get extra […]

A Little Bundle of Burro

Cute burro faces and persuasive auctioneers make for a dangerous combination. Together, they have a way of convincing you that bringing home a 450-pound burro isn’t much different than bringing home a bunny. If you add to that scenario a cocky belief that handling this […]

Perfect Barn Coat Found

Some years back, I got quite a scare. Within 24 hours, my horse went from fine to perilously sick. Dr. Charlie Brown from Annabessacook Veterinary Clinic answered the midnight call. She initiated the intensive care that helped save the big thoroughbred gelding. Read more about […]