Winter Ride, I

Call me a grouch. A wet blanket. There were times I had a more upbeat attitude about winter, this month is not one of them. Make that a frozen, wet blanket. The shorter, colder days cut down on saddle time. If we do ride in […]

New Horseman, Old Soul

My friend, Rick, was born and raised in Harpswell, Maine. He started lobstering at the age of 10, when he’d ride down to his skiff with bait bags hanging off the handlebars. After graduating from Mt. Ararat a few years ahead of me, he worked […]

Evidence-Based Horsemanship Seminar Opens

Pretty excited about the Evidence-Based Horsemanship seminar May 4-6. It’ll give students a great opportunity to be immersed in the topic and absorb what is, in my mind, the most helpful, most beneficial work being offered right now in the horse world. Dr. Steve Peters […]

Carol waves goodbye to MEA

A big thanks to Dr. Dave Jefferson for his assistance with my deworming article on BestHorsePractices. Dr. Jefferson and Maine Equine Associates have been around for several decades. MEA is the oldest continuing equine practice in the state. Just recently, they said goodbye to one […]

Burros busts a move

John Murray wrote compelling about adopting and training his mustang, Nitro. John writes: These once wild equines show some of their natural behavior. Nitro, the mustang, is from Nevada. Sparky, the burro, is from the southern California desert. They were adopted from Bureau of Land […]

Horses of a Different Color

I sure wish I knew something about coat pigmentation in horses. As it relates to their physiology? Or maybe their genes? It’s puzzling the heck out of me as I watch one horse go from light to dark while the other horse goes from dark […]

Big City, Bright Eyes

Just spent a week away from the farm. Had a great time. I rode the train, enjoyed museums, and ate in restaurants just fine. But all along, there was a thread of unease. I realized there’s something holistically different in us horse folks. A certain […]

Horses are Weather, Part A

Working with our horses for the short NickerNews holiday video taught me something about their nature. In two words: Predictably unpredictable. Like the weather. I rode Shea and ponied two others to the far end of the field. Herd dynamics being what they are, I […]

Ride Along Dog Progress

If we got another dog, we wanted a Ride Along Dog. Thus, the summer acquisition of Kip, an Australian Shepherd from a litter of eight down the road. Kip’s growing up and at six months can outrun nearly everyone here at the farm. Her speed […]

Jodi Makes Progress Thanks to Shea

Progress with the big girl took a big step forward today as we worked with her in the round pen. Steve worked with another horse first and Jodi stood outside, wanting in. A good sign! When she got her turn, Steve first worked on the […]