First Trail Ride, Part One

It is too early to start talking Resolutions? Along with a new exercise resolve, I’ve picked up a horsemanship resolution. This time, it came from the strangest place. Michael Pollan was talking about his new book, “Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation.” He mentioned a […]

Farm Fit meets Gym Fit

We’re active. Most of us horsemen and women get plenty of exercise just taking care of our barnful. Hay tossing, water lugging, and riding add up to being Farm Fit. Some may be Gym Fit, too, toning and sweating in a more formal setting. Read […]

ESMA voting now open!

NickerNews and BestHorsePractices have been nominated in two categories of this year’s global Equestrian Social Media Awards. NickerNews is up for Best Blog. (We were Best Blog finalists last year!) BestHorsePractices is entered in the social media Newcomer category. Together, the two sites have brought […]

Bake these when you’re done with horse chores

Winter projects can be long or short on investment. Long investments measure about 22 feet in length. Learn to braid a mecate. Short investments are best measured with eggs, sugar, and butter. Here’s a family favorite, handed down from my mom, Sally Butcher. Read about […]

Dr. Cooper will be missed

The large animal veterinary community lost a beloved and respected figure last week in Dr. E.L. “Coop” Cooper. After suffering a stroke, Dr. Cooper died at the Hospice House in Auburn. He was 87. Read the Sun Journal obituary. Cooper hailed from British Columbia, Canada. […]

Open Space Called

Nothing made sense. Moving again after only a year in Iowa? Buying a house in need of much renovation? Living further from, not closer to family? But when the prospect of moving west became real, we weighed those significant financial and logistical burdens against one […]

Pony’s Rep Intact

The darling pony, Peppermint, treats every new enclosure as a formal challenge. Her escape antics and subsequent escapades could make up an entire NickerNews category. Read Pep’s stories. Pep, meet Bryon. Byron Harward is the kind, generous host at West Field’s Ranch in Payson, Utah, […]

First mule ride

Work with the mule was interrupted by cross-country travel, but we still managed several more sessions on the ground this past month. Now, it was time to move beyond just putting the saddle on the back. It was time to put the rider on the […]

First Utah Rides

We’ve explored about 15 miles of Utah by horseback since landing here last month. It’s a paltry sum, eeked out from the horses’ temporary digs in Payson. The biggest difference between here and Iowa and Maine? Space. You have room to see. In every direction, […]

A Ride with Unbranded’s Ben, Dino, and Chief

Last week I headed to Montana for the lovely opportunity to ride with Ben Masters, the team leader of Unbranded. We took two of his mustangs south of Bozeman into the Gallatin National Forest for a beautiful ride through the season’s first several inches of […]