Happy and unplugged: Montana horsepacking at its best

We welcome our very own marketing director, Emily Thomas Luciano, as a guest columnist this week. Here’s her report from a Montana horse pack trip: I wanted to unplug. That is what I was most looking forward to about the four-day back country pack trip. […]

Insight from a Height; Equine Partnership has Many Forms

Clinicians say their clients are focused more than ever on the development of the horse-rider relationship. The personal connection with a particular horse and the development of that connection is what matters most to us. Relationships can certainly grow with studious application. They can also […]

Solo rider tackles the PCT

We talked with Gillian Larson, who blogs here about her travels on the Pacific Crest Trail. The 24-year old and her two horses, Shyla and Takoda, are cranking out 25-mile days at high elevation. That’s about what the Unbranded team was doing, but Larson is […]

Psychology of an Exciting Moment

Scientists try to explain the slow motion phenomenon of a wreck, saying it has something to do with the almighty amygdala. They say that cherry-sized bit of brain rules the day when emotions are in play and messes with the laying down of memories. But […]

We found awesome barn snacks

Here’s the thing with being outside and active: you get hungry. And the more you tune into your body, the pickier you become about what goes down the gullet. If you listen, your body will tell you what works and what doesn’t. And, if research […]

Game of Thrones map can’t beat reality

The Game of Thrones series opens every televised episode with a fantastical, moving map, detailing the terrain and boundaries of the Seven Kingdoms. In the show, fans watch battles, treacherous river crossings, and rugged mountain travels. Truly invested fans can then refer to the maps […]

Ramblers Way suits this rambler’s way

The parcel from Ramblers Way arrived with perfect timing. I was packing for a 20-day, 6,000 mile, truck-camping trip to Maine and back. I might see a washer and dryer at the midway point, but nice-looking, packable, stink-resistant tops would be key. They’d have to […]

Ramblers Way, talking with Tom

We met Tom Chappell and his new company, Ramblers Way, at the Outdoor Retailer earlier this year. Most of us know Chappell (pronounced “chapel”) from Tom’s of Maine, the hugely successful, natural toothpaste and personal care product company bought by Colgate-Palmolive in 2006. So, what’s […]

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 […]

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 […]