This Horse Rocks

Today, Christies will auction off “Bigger Bertie.” He’s bigger alright. Believed to be the largest handmade rocking horse in the world, Bertie stands about 15 feet high. He’s pictured here on a London street with six-year old Reva Lemanski. The 2012 sculpture is made of […]

5 Star gets Five Stars

Saddle pads and cinches aren’t the most glamorous tack items in your barn. But they may be the most essential. Bad ones make your horse miserable and cause sores and sore muscles. Good ones make even marathon rides easy and fuss-free. Just ask Ben Masters, […]

Fatal Virus is Here

While dry weather is making wildfires a constant concern for horse owners out west, the wet weather is increasing the threat of contracting Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile virus in New England. This week, EEE was detected in York County (Maine) mosquitoes. It’s a […]

Fringe Leggings, Tested and Approved

They came in a plain white cardboard box marked with international postage. The mail lady had left it unceremoniously on the floor of the garage. But it was a Special Delivery nonetheless, containing my first pair of custom-made leggings. Six weeks prior, I had taken […]

Horsemen and women are today’s heros

Hooray for the backcountry horsemen and women – Mary Young, Mike Young, Mark John, and Christa John – the four Idahoans who tipped off police to the whereabouts of kidnapper Joseph DiMaggio and his victim, Hannah Anderson. According to a […]

Like Whale, Like Horse

Blackfish is this summer’s hot documentary. It’s a movie about killer whales and how captivity makes them miserable and crazy. It’s an easy concept for us horse owners to understand. A recent Los Angeles Times piece suggested humans should get out of the whale captivity […]

Bernice’s Big Bucket

NickerNews premiered Bucket Lists a few years ago. Since then, dozens have posted their goals and dreams. Bucket Listers look forward to riding in the Grand Canyon, volunteering at the Olympics, camping in Acadia, and riding on the sand hills in North Carolina. Exciting stuff. […]

Diggin’ Salt

From Utah to Iowa to Maine and all points in between, it’s been a warm summer. Some weeks in some states have been downright hot. Hydration for you AND your horse is key. So is salt intake. I like tortilla chips myself. My horses like […]

Have Bottle, Will Ride

— Maybe it’s habit from all those road trips with three hungry, thirsty sons. — Maybe it goes with my Stop-and-Smell-Roses mentality. Drinks and snacks are essential components for any NickerNews trail ride. ‘Drinks’ means water from a bottle. But which bottle? Plastic bottles with […]

Welcome Back, Slaughter?

Slaughter is back, thanks to the powers-that-be: politicians, horse brokers, the meat industry, et al. The Iowa plant, Responsible Transportation LLC , sits about 60 miles from my house. Of course, slaughter has been an option for horse owners all along. Your ‘livestock commodity’ was […]