Best Horse Practices Podcast

Welcome to Best Horse Practices. My name is Maddy Butcher and I produce this podcast. Our show is a space for riders and horse owners of all disciplines to learn best practices and to discover skills, strategies, tools, ideas, and insights for better connecting with their horses, with all horses, and for getting work done. We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free. If you think it's worthy of a small contribution, we sure would appreciate it. This is our final episode of the show. Since the middle of the pandemic, when Jec Ballou reached out and asked if I'd like to collaborate, we have produced over 120 episodes. It's been a fun journey, full of interesting presenters, a diverse array of specialists and generalists. Since Jec and I come from different horse places, which is to say, different disciplines and philosophies and approaches, the collaboration has been fruitful for producing short, open-minded segments of education and points of view. Thank you, dear listeners, for supporting us and being in touch. Thanks so much to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. Lucerne has been a title sponsor since our inception and we are so grateful for their commitment to the show. We also would like to thank Renegade Hoof Boots. The team at Renegade has been crafting hoof boots for years and has an excellent customer service reputation. Renegade is the official hoof boot of the Tevis Cup, the renowned 100-mile race in California. Learn more at here (renegadehoofboot.com) Here are some of our favorite shows: Coaches' Corners On the Fence Daniel Dauphin Therapy Horses, with Josh McElroy and Toby Cross Author Molly Gloss Author JB Zielke You can join me and several podcast guests at the mini Best Horse Practices Summit in Santa Fe in New Mexico. That is happening October 31 through November 2 and includes Katrin Silva, Ben Longwell, Daniel Dauphin, Patrick King, and Jim Masterson. A heckuva lineup! My new project, Awe, Nice! is live. Check it out! Thanks to Redmond Equine for generously sponsoring our show. I'm finding two of my horses really, really love the Rock on a Rope this winter. They are going through it enthusiastically. Considering hanging one on the fence or in the stall. We think they'll love it. Order a box at Redmond equine dot com. That's it. Our final episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening y'all.

This is Episode 7 of Season 5 and in it, I talk with Daniel Dauphin about bits and the upcoming Best Horse Practices Summit. I met this Louisiana man several years ago when we were considering possible presenters for the Best Horse Practices Summit in Lexington, Kentucky. Since then, he's come on the show several times to talk about a range of horse issues. Learn about his bit course. Visit his website and sign up for his newsletter. Most recently, he's stepped up to the Board of Directors for the Best Horse Practices Summit. He will also present at the mini Summit in Santa Fe in April with Katrin Silva, Jec Ballou, and Ben Longwell. All of the presentations will be collaborations – a rare thing in the horse industry nowadays! We'll have panel discussions and even a special presentation on mental health. Speaking of which! Get yourself registered now before all the spaces fill up. There are just 70 spots available. For more information on presentations, schedule, venue, check out Best Horse Practices Summit for more info and to register. Thanks to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. A great addition or substitute for your hay or grass and way better than grain. They also make products for your stalls and chickens. Check them out at lucerne farms com We also would like to welcome Renegade Hoof Boots to the show. The team at Renegade has been crafting hoof boots for years and has an excellent customer service reputation. Renegade is the official hoof boot of the Tevis Cup, the renowned 100-mile race in California. You may find that Renegade boots are the perfect pairing with barefoot trimming and many miles. Thanks to Redmond Equine for generously sponsoring our show. I'm finding two of my horses really, really love the Rock on a Rope this winter. They are going through it enthusiastically. Considering hanging one on the fence or in the stall. We think they'll love it. Order a box at Redmond equine dot com. That's it. Another episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening y'all.

We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free. If you think it's worthy of a small contribution, we sure would appreciate it. This is Episode 5 of Season 5 and in it, we welcome back my colleague, Jec Ballou, for her first show of our fifth season. Yay! We've heard from several folks who have suggested discussions on gaited horses and people with expertise around gaited horses, so Jec has done a great interview with Carl Bledsoe, from Talking Rock, Georgia. I was really excited to produce this interview as it's clear Carl has been on a journey, from show ring to clinician, and has the horses' best interests in mind, and isn't afraid to call out less than best practices so that we can get to better places with our equine partners. I think you'll enjoy the talk, regardless of your discipline or horse type. Find Carl Bledsoe Horsemanship here. Check out anatomy of thoracic sling. Before it starts, just one note about something they discuss which is the thoracic sling – that's the group of muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia that connect the front legs to the chest and support the weight between the front legs. Thanks to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. A great addition or substitute for your hay or grass and way better than grain. They also make products for your stalls and chickens. Check them out at lucerne farms com Thanks to Redmond Equine for generously sponsoring our show. With the warm weather and the turn of the season, make sure to have Redmond's salt available free choice for your horses. We think they'll love it. You can hang the Rock on a Rope on a fence or in the stall. Order a box full at Redmond equine dot com. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. I hope you can check out their hemp full zip sweatshirt. It's probably the softest, yummiest sweatshirt I've ever owned. And it comes in a buttery yellow that makes me smile. Also, check out the tough hemp canvas vest – extremely handy for all seasons but especially fall. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you'll be automatically entered to win a free Patagonia WorkWear item that we give away every month. Redmond Equine is sending a complimentary syringe of Daily Gold Stress Relief to everyone who drops a tip in our donation jar. Pretty cool and a $15 value. If you get something of value from our podcast, please consider making a donation. We sure would appreciate it. That's it. Another episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening y'all.

We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free. If you think it's worthy of a small contribution, we sure would appreciate it. This is Episode 3 of Season 5 and we're dedicating the next few shows to some horsey intellectualism. I like to look up words, to make sure I'm saying what I mean. Intellectualism roughly means thinking, studying, and/or discussing complicated ideas without getting emotional. I guess what we do on this show is a sort of low-level intellectualism, redneck intellectualism, because we're not consulting great philosophers or significant texts. But we are bouncing around ideas that are more complicated, less straight forward, say, than which muck rake is best or how hay prices are looking this summer. I think horse owners and riders inevitably come across these ideas in their time with equines. I know I do, sometimes as I'm riding along, sometimes as I'm lying in bed, pondering a life with or without horses. Anyway, for episode 3, I invited Nina Fuller of Lily Brook Farm in Hollis Maine to join me. Nina is a heckuva accomplished woman. About 14 years ago, she got in touch with me and wrote a few guest columns for what was then my new website, NickerNews. She is a farmer and raises sheep. She's an award-winning photographer. But until about 10 years ago, we hadn't met. That was when I was driving cross country, from Utah to Maine. I stopped, off a state highway, in a desolate section of northern Colorado and was just about to let my dogs out for a break when two lambs came rushing up to me. They were very young, maybe a week old, with shriveled umbilical cords, and in the middle of nowhere. I picked them up and searched in vain for a rancher, a ranch, someone or some ewe who could claim them. To no avail. So, they joined me cross country and – long story short – they ended up at Nina's farm. Find Nina on Facebook. Order her book, "Where's Hope?" from Cayuse Communications. Listen to the cross-country story here. So, yes, back then when I called her for help, "What should I do with these lambs? How can I save them?" Nina and I didn't know each other except through email. I'm indebted to her for her kindness, her expertise, and for taking the lambs. I think she has been happy with the lambs, who she named Emma and Pearl and who have given her many lambs over the years. Pearl died last week. Our conversation ties into a broader conversation around pets and livestock, animals in our modern world. Next up, Daniel Dauphin, who has been doing some pondering over the recent hullabaloo with suspended Olympian Charlotte Dujardin. This has gotten Daniel and I and I'm sure many of you thinking about what folks consider wellness, if it belongs in the livestock world, and with what different people consider abuse, horse welfare and wellbeing. Let's just say what Charlotte Dujardin did pales in comparison to what Brett and Alexis Ingraham did at the tragically ironically named Fair Play Farm in Maine – something I reported on years ago. We'll consider the broad spectrum of standards in horse communities, amidst the many disciplines and cultures. Horses, of course, are livestock. When it comes to laws and policies, that puts them in the roughly the same category as sheep and cattle, not dogs and cats. Over the last few generations, however, as an increasing percentage of horses are used recreationally, in popular culture and especially women's barn culture, the species has moved into a grey area between livestock and pets. American laws, for instance, are sometimes at odds with prevailing attitudes. It can be messy. Thanks to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. A great addition or substitute for your hay or grass and way better than grain. They also make products for your stalls and chickens. Check them out at lucerne farms com We can't wait to hear from listeners. What do you think about animals in our society? How do we balance old standards of agriculture and animal treatment with where we are now and what we know now and, for us horse owners, what we need and want from our equine partners? It doesn't escape me that Nina and I live rural existences, maybe more rural and old fashioned than many listeners. Our choices come from cumulative observation and interaction with creatures, domestic and wild, in our admittedly small spheres of land and animals. That's one reason I'm interested in hearing from your shared or different perspectives. I like to think we're all mindful to carefully avoiding anyone or anything suffering, but, of course, we can't avoid death. It's part of life. I've been thinking about these things a lot since my mom died and my horse, Barry, died, in quick sequence, less than two years ago. Like so many people in today's world, I'd managed to avoid much interaction with death. On the eve of turning 60, I'm giving it more attention and considering how just like life, death is all around us if we're paying attention. We don't need to be afraid of it or get dark and brooding over it. It just is. Thanks to Redmond Equine for generously sponsoring our show. With the warm weather and the turn of the season, make sure to have Redmond's salt available free choice for your horses. We think they'll love it. You can hang the Rock on a Rope on a fence or in the stall. Order a box full at Redmond equine dot com. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you'll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Redmond Equine is sending a complimentary syringe of Daily Gold Stress Relief to everyone who drops a tip in our donation jar. Pretty cool and a $15 value. If you get something of value from our podcast, please consider making a donation. We sure would appreciate it. That's it. Another episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening y'all.

We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free. If you think it's worthy of a small contribution, we sure would appreciate it. This is Episode 1 of Season 5. For this show, I'm speaking on behalf or maybe I should say as half. Half of the interview crew for this podcast. Jec and I have had a hiatus and Jec is still doing her thing and enjoying summer. She'll be back later this season. I thought I'd make this a short episode to let you know what I've been up to and to ask you what you've been up to. As I mentioned, we love hearing from listeners and, as always, folks who get in touch with us with feedback or suggestions for guests and topics are in the running for freebies. Thanks to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. A great addition or substitute for your hay or grass and way better than grain. They also make products for your stalls and chickens. Check them out at lucerne farms com Also, a shout out to a clothing company that's putting a trot in our steps lately: Dovetail, a women-owned maker of tough, very horse-rider friendly pants. Try the bootcut jeans – stretchy, durable, and they look good. Since our last episode for Season 4, I've been working on several projects. I have been day working for a rancher here in Montezuma County. That means I do a bit of everything. Lately, there has been a lot of fencing and moving cows. My go-to gelding, Ray, has an injury, so my younger, greener horse, Table, has been relied on quite a bit. There is a silver lining in Ray's injury, I try to tell myself, because really, as a young horse in training, Table should be ridden a lot. We have had our circus moments, but mostly I'm very pleased with his progress. He's becoming more patient and confident. And he's able to do more, like open gates, side pass, move through thick brush without freaking out, and ride away from buddies without freaking out. We took a spill the other day when, in the midst of trotting a big circle, we went down in a big gopher hole. I hurt my cheek (it looked like I got into a bar fight) but anyway, I was really pleased that Table trotted a few steps and then waited for me to collect myself. Way better than a few months ago, when I think he would have bolted and headed for the next county. So, even though it was painful and unfortunate, I counted that moment as a win! Table has been behind cows several times and while he's not "cow-y" (like cow-bred quarter horses who pin their ears and love to boss around cattle), he's engaged with what's going on and, surprisingly, is not flustered by the process of moving cows, fetching cows, and all the things you tend to do when handling cattle in open spaces and then smaller confines, like pens and corrals. He does get more stressed and more excited when other horse and rider pairs are involved. I think some of that can be attributed to me getting more amped when there are other horse and rider pairs. You know how that goes, right? Many of us horse owners are also dog owners, so I'll let you know that I'm also bringing up a young dog this year. His name is Chuck. He's mostly border collie and he's eight months old. He's seeing some cows and has come along when we're working them a few times. He knows down. He comes when he's called. And he's pretty excited about the cattle. I've been watching Chuck as he watches my adult dogs work. It's pretty cool to see and be part of this on-the-job training. My job, as I see it, is to keep him safe and give him a long leash, figuratively speaking. That is, to not scold him too much when he does something wrong and to really praise him when he does something right, like staying in a down position even when he'd rather be getting after cows or moving a cow correctly and not overdoing it. How has your summer been going? As I've returned to podcasting responsibilities, I've been thinking about its title. Best Horse Practices. Do you have any best horse practices that are top of mind lately? Do you have any worst horse practices that are top of mind lately? I'm laughing here because I think very few of us are perfect all the time. I think, in fact, that many of us advocate for best practices, for being safe rather than sorry, for taking our time and doing it right, for being deliberate and intentional. But, at the end of the day, or sometimes, in the middle of the day, when rain has started and you're tired from a fitful night, or stressed by too many things to do, well, we can slump toward worst horse practices. We might cut a corner or do something in haste, something we know better not to do, like tying a horse to something insecure (that would not stay put if the horse pulled back) or, like leaving a gate open because we're coming right back. 9 times out of 10, we get away with it. But then there is always that time when you don't. I mentioned this to my friend, Jessica Munn, who helped me start Table and who I've mentioned before on this show. She had some great ones, which I'll share here as a primer to get you thinking about these oops-y elements of your horse time: - Inappropriate riding attire – like riding in Crocs. - Riding alone without telling anyone where you're going, when you should be back, or sharing your location. - Using poor tack. Like cheap gear or gear that's been weakened by overuse or weather. This kind of gear will fail you when a wreck unfolds or it might be the reason a wreck unfolds. - Using treats. - Tying knots that tighten when they get pulled on. That's what "quick release" slip knots do. Instead, learn how to tie a bowline knot. - Not training a horse to stand tied for long periods of time. - Tying a horse by the reins. - Getting in the trailer when loading a horse, instead of sending him in. - Drinking alcohol and riding. - Not putting enough time and practice into a horse and its work and then expecting things to go well. - Having horses encroach on your personal space. Thanks for these, Jess! What are your worst horse practices? Send them my way. Part of my summer this year has been busy with work as producer on Confluence: DogHorseCowHuman. That's the working title of a short film project directed by Beau Gaughran (who, by the way, has filmed all the Best Horse Practices Summit presentations). Confluence tells the story of these four species and their intertwining lives on the range. It will be a 10-12 minutes short film and we'll be entering it in film festivals this fall. So stay tuned for more news around that. Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our show. Check out Pharm Aloe's aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse's feed and Redmond's Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you'll love 'em. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you'll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Redmond Equine is sending a complimentary syringe of Daily Gold Stress Relief to everyone who drops a tip in our donation jar. Pretty cool and a $15 value. If you get something of value from our podcast, please consider making a donation. We sure would appreciate it. That's it. Another episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening y'all.

We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free. If you think it's worthy of a small contribution, we sure would appreciate it. This is Episode 26 of Season 4. In it, I interview Sara Lowe, a horsewoman and police detective from Wyoming. She's a clinician and colt starter, and she participated in the Buck the Trend mental health forum held last month here in southwest Colorado. This is the fourth in a series of interviews around Buck the Trend. You can find links to conversations with BTT therapists and other participants in the show notes. Buck the Trend got its start thanks to a generous grant from the LOR Foundation and with the support of Patagonia WorkWear. Donations have been extremely helpful, too. Big thanks to all who contributed. Thanks to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. A great addition or substitute for your hay or grass and way better than grain. They also make products for your stalls and chickens. Check them out at lucerne farms com Sara mentioned growth mindset a few times. For those of you who might be wondering what that means, it's roughly when folks believe their talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and input from others. This is opposed to a fixed mindset, in which one thinks one's talents are innate gifts. Here's a helpful link. Sara's website. Find her on Facebook. If you're interested in learning more about Buck the Trend, getting involved, coming to the next one, supporting BTT, or joining the conversation, head here. Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe's aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse's feed and Redmond's Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you'll love 'em. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you'll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Redmond Equine is sending a complimentary syringe of Daily Gold Stress Relief to everyone who drops a tip in our donation jar. Pretty cool and a $15 value. If you get something of value from our podcast, please consider making a donation. We sure would appreciate it. That's it. Another episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening y'all.

We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free. If you think it's worthy of a small contribution, we sure would appreciate it. This is Episode 24 of Season 4. In it, I interview KD Bryant and Joseph Prekup, the two therapists who anchored the development and facilitation of Buck the Trend, the mental health forum held recently in southwestern Colorado. BTT got its start thanks to a generous grant from the LOR Foundation and with the support of Patagonia WorkWear. Donations have been extremely helpful, too. Big thanks to all who contributed. Buck the Trend is a two-and-a-half day, all expenses paid workshop focused on skill-building and elevating the mental health conversation in our community. It's an opportunity to focus on ourselves for a moment, so that we can enhance and improve what's around us, specifically, the well-being of those close to us, humans and non-humans alike, as well as the greater horse community. Let's give a nod to our sponsors. We welcome Hoka and Skratch Labs the show. Jec and I consider ourselves athletes and we hope you do, too. These folks are centered around helping athletes do great things. Hoka shoes help with the outside, with the best running shoes and Skratch Labs helps with the inside with hydration drinks and trail snacks. Check them out at hoka.com and skratchlabs.com Thanks to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. A great addition or substitute for your hay or grass and way better than grain. They also make products for your stalls and chickens. Check them out at lucerne farms com If you're interested in learning more about Buck the Trend, getting involved, coming to the next one, supporting BTT, or joining the conversation, head here. Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe's aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse's feed and Redmond's Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you'll love 'em. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you'll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Don't forget that Redmond Equine is sending a complimentary syringe of Daily Gold Stress Relief to everyone who drops a tip in our donation jar. Pretty cool and a $15 value. If you get something of value from our podcast, please consider making a donation. We sure would appreciate it. That's it. Another episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening y'all.

We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free. If you think it's worthy of a small contribution, we sure would appreciate it. This is Episode 22 of Season 4. In it, Jec interviews Katrin Silva for a Coaches' Corner. It's always fun when these two get together because they know so much. A bit humbling sometimes because their depth of knowledge is vast. Katrin is an accomplished teacher and trainer based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In this conversation, Jec asks Katrin about book learning and how it weaves into riders' sensibilities. An informative and inspiring talk. We will link to the several books mentioned in the show notes. Also, we welcome Hoka and Skratch Labs to our family of sponsors. Jec and I consider ourselves athletes and we hope you do, too. Like they say with horses and hooves, for want of a shoe a horse was lost, for want of a horse, a rider was lost. Well, we think the same goes for happy human feet. When they're not in riding boots, keep your feet happy in Hokas. Also, did you know that Skratch Labs offers milk and cookies? They have chocolate milk mix with probiotics, to which you simply add water. And they have cookie mix to which you add butter and things like chocolate chips and nuts. Or whatever you want. Check these new show supporters out at hoka.com and skratch labs .com Thanks to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. A great addition or substitute for your hay or grass and way better than grain. They also make products for your stalls and chickens. Check them out at lucerne farms com Jec and Katrin mention: A Horseman's Notes, Eric Herbermann Riding Logic, Wilhelm Museler The Way to Perfect Horsemanship, Udo Burger Dressage for All of Us, Katrin Silva Ride with Feel, Katrin Silva Books by Jec Ballou Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe's aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse's feed and Redmond's Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you'll love 'em. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you'll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Don't forget that Redmond Equine is sending a complimentary syringe of Daily Gold Stress Relief to everyone who drops a tip in our donation jar. Pretty cool and a $15 value. If you get something of value from our podcast, please consider making a donation. We sure would appreciate it. That's it. Another episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening, y'all.

We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free. If you think it's worthy of a small contribution, we sure would appreciate it. This is Episode 20 of Season 4. In it, Jec interviews Julie Goodnight. I feel like this interview has been a long time coming. Jec has admired Julie for years and it took quite a bit of effort to finally coordinate the online meet up. I remember watching Julie at the Equine Affaire in Massachusetts, back in maybe 2008? Julie has an incredible wealth of experience and also perspective as she's been in the midst of educating humans for so long. We're so happy to have her on the show. A few other notes: Thanks very much to the folks who have donated to Buck the Trend, the pilot mental health forum I'm directing next week. Next week! It is a two-day, all expenses paid learning opportunity specifically for those in our horse community. We have working cowboys, clinicians, ranchers, farriers, and others coming from Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and elsewhere. Get a great t-shirt and support the cause. Learn more here. Also, we welcome Hoka and Skratch Labs to our family of sponsors. Jec and I consider ourselves athletes and we hope you do, too. Like they say with horses and hooves, for want of a shoe...for want of a horse, a rider was lost. Well, we think the same goes for happy human feet. When they're not in riding boots, keep your feet happy in Hokas. Jec loves the Speedgoats and I wear the Mufate. Also, did you know that Skratch labs offers milk and cookies? They have chocolate milk mix with probiotics, to which you simply add water. And they have cookie mix to which you add butter and things like chocolate chips and nuts. Thanks to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. A great addition or substitute for your hay or grass and way better than grain. They also make products for your stalls and chickens. Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe's aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse's feed and Redmond's Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you'll love 'em. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you'll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Don't forget that Redmond Equine is sending a complimentary syringe of Daily Gold Stress Relief to everyone who drops a tip in our donation jar. Pretty cool and a $15 value. If you get something of value from our podcast, please consider making a donation. We sure would appreciate it. That's it. Another episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening, y'all.

We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free. If you think it's worthy of a small contribution, we sure would appreciate it. This is Episode 18 of Season 4 and it's an On the Fence episode in which Jec and I talk about some upcoming goals as well as potential podcast discussions, like horse rescues and social media concerns. We also enumerate some of our favorite past episodes including: Coaches' Corners with Amy Skinner The Large Animal Vet Crisis with Dr. Doug Thal Interview with Molly Gloss Interview with Lee McLean Interview with Lynn Acton Interview with Ann Firestone of Save Your Ass rescue Interview with Alicia Harlov As you all know, Jec and I are athletes and would love to hear that you consider yourself an athlete, too. In that vein, this week, we're giving proper due to Kahtoola, an Arizona-based company that makes traction gear, specifically nano spikes that slip over your boots or running shoes. Excellent if you don't feel like wiping out again on the ice or packed snow. Also, Best Horse Practices Summit presenter Daniel Dauphin is an expert on bits and horse mouth anatomy and we're lucky that he's developed a new bit course. Watch his Summit video. In the meantime, here is a little bit, so to speak, on the new course: It's tiresome to sift through all the dogma, misinformation, and people giving unqualified advice. We're all looking to learn so we can execute with best practices for our horses. In this murky world of bits, bit-shaped objects, gimmicks, strong opinions, contradictions, and propaganda put out by bit companies trying to increase sales, how can you trust any of the information? Daniel Dauphin has been on the bit-truth-train for over a decade. He's done his research and consulted people more knowledgeable than himself. His "Bit Video" has been accepted as a teaching resource in the Equine Sciences programs of over 25 universities, including Texas A&M and Colorado State. In his new course, you'll learn about the anatomy affected by bits like the tongue and hyoid apparatus, and about using your hands more effectively. It is not discipline or experience level specific. Daniel's goal is to empower you to make better choices for your own situation. It includes weekly zoom calls for questions and guest experts. Free class sign-up here. We'd also like to direct your attention to our fundraising for Buck the Trend, a mental health forum for those in our horse community. Get a great t-shirt and support the cause. Learn more here. Thanks to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. A great addition or substitute for your hay or grass and way better than grain. Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe's aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse's feed and Redmond's Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you'll love 'em. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you'll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Don't forget that Redmond Equine is sending a complimentary syringe of Daily Gold Stress Relief to everyone who drops a tip in our donation jar. Pretty cool and a $15 value. If you get something of value from our podcast, please consider making a donation. We sure would appreciate it. That's it. Another episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening, y'all.

Our show is a space for riders and horse owners of all disciplines to learn best practices and to discover skills, strategies, tools, ideas, and insights for better connecting with their horses, with all horses and for getting work done. We love to hear from listeners, we think this might be an episode that fosters a lot of conversation, and contacting us is easy through the contact button on best horse practices dot com. We offer these shows for free. If you think it's worthy of a small contribution, we sure would appreciate it. This is Episode 16 of Season 4 and in it, Jec interviews author Mary Ann Simonds. This is a good one because I am at odds with some of what they talk about, which is a good thing. I love that we can have folks on the show that Jec embraces and I don't. Or vice versa. Mary Ann has spent years studying horse behavior and horse-human interaction in competitive show barns and has worked with many clinicians. So, I understand that she comes from a very different world than me. I think it's important to steer clear of language that attempts to give horses human inclinations. She says, for instance, that horses like to create drama and that horses can be on the autism spectrum. Those are anthropomorphic assessments that give me pause. Mary Ann talks about love and care for our horses as if that were a clear idea. Love and care for someone who keeps her horse in a stall at a boarding facility looks a lot different than how a Wyoming rancher may consider love and care. Thanks to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. A great addition or substitute for your hay or grass and way better than grain. We thank Sampson Moss and his business, Prairie Wind Hat Works for the generous sponsorship. Sampson makes custom hats from his place in Pincher Creek, Alberta. Order yours and have it for the spring riding season. You will look sharp! Considering love and care and how we make progress with our horses. Wow, what a tough subject. Just like the greater American social world, I can here all kinds of judgment from the recreational or sport community towards the working community or from suburban to rural, from dressage to rodeo on what it means to love, care and make progress with our horses. Years ago, I ran a business taking care of other people's horses in Maine. I was taking care of a woman's horses for a week and she apologized for practicing what she called "affectionate neglect." She felt a bit ashamed that her horse routine was so simple. They had the run of the pasture. They were together. They didn't get blankets or stalls or grain. They basically had space and were kept together. My response was, "this is terrific! what are you ashamed of?" Temple Grandin, who has come in and out of fashion over her many years, has been extremely helpful to me. Language, she has said, can get in the way. Even the word "humane" means different things to different people. The assessments that Mary Ann is developing for horses' mental health will be interesting to learn more about. Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe's aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse's feed and Redmond's Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you'll love 'em. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you'll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Don't forget that Redmond Equine is sending a complimentary syringe of Daily Gold Stress Relief to everyone who drops a tip in our donation jar. Pretty cool and a $15 value. If you get something of value from our podcast, please consider making a donation. We sure would appreciate it. That's it. Another episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening, y'all.

We offer these shows for free. If you think it's worthy of a small contribution, we sure would appreciate it. This is Episode 14 of Season 4 and it's a short one. Why? To be blunt and to speak in general terms, I'd say life and death are having their ways with us. I'm sorry to let you know that Jec lost her mother last month. As you might imagine, that's been pretty trying for her. I lost my mom just over a year ago. While our mother-daughter relationships were very different, we both owe it partly to our mothers for what we do now. Horses would not be so much of our lives or so much of our identity, if it weren't for our moms. That, I think makes the remembering and the grieving process a bit more in-your-face than it might be otherwise. They say there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. You've probably heard of them. Here at the Best Horse Practices podcast, we are dealing with some of them, or maybe none of them, but with feelings that are related. Or mixtures of them. It's a process. And as one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Del Barber, would say: "there is no straight path." I think the holidays, the shorter days and longer nights can be challenging, too. It can be harder to get out and ride when it's 15 degrees and dark is just an hour away. A cup of hot cocoa or a glass of wine can seem like a much better idea. What are your challenges? How do you make the most of winter riding? What are some winter hacks you have for dealing with ice, snow, cold, and short days? We would love to hear from you! Also, I want to remind you about the mental health initiative that the Best Horse Practices Summit is developing. Thanks in part to a grant from the LOR Foundation, there will be a mental health forum called Buck the Trend taking place here in southwestern Colorado in mid-February, 2024. You can learn more about that here. and help us vote on the logo, too! This is a bit about Buck the Trend that I shared recently: Buck the Trend is a forum for working cowboys, trainers, farriers, clinicians and others in the horse community. It is a pilot project to address the mental health challenges specific to our community. It is founded on the idea that a small, peer-focused group, hosted in a safe, relaxed setting, and led by experienced mental health professionals, is an effective way to nurture conversations, build skills, and affect positive change. A little bit about the why and the how: Many of us have acknowledged that our work can be isolating and demanding and that there are cultural, logistical, economic, and social impediments to getting help and being well. Our mental health and wellness impact not just us, but those around us, including family, friends, coworkers, and, of course, the animals. Horses may be "therapeutic." They can make us feel better. But they can't necessarily help us build skills to navigate interpersonal relationships and feel better about ourselves. The solution: This forum is focused on skill-building and elevating the mental health conversation in our community. It's an opportunity to focus on ourselves for a moment, so that we can enhance and improve what's around us (specifically, the well-being of those close to us, humans and non-humans alike, as well as the greater horse community). If you would like more information or would like to support Buck the Trend, please contact us. Thanks to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. A great addition or substitute for your hay or grass and way better than grain. We thank Sampson Moss and his business, Prairie Wind Hat Works for the generous sponsorship. Sampson makes hats from his place in Pincher Creek, Alberta, and is taking custom orders now. Hey, just a heads up that Jec and I have some great books for your Christmas shopping. Check out Jec's website and Cayuse Communications. Please consider supporting us with a few book buying clicks. That's it. Another episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening, y'all!

We offer these shows for free. If you think it's worthy of a small contribution, we sure would appreciate it. This is Episode 12 of Season 4 in which Jec interviews Wendy Murdoch, creator of the Murdoch Method and author of several books. Check out her online Whole Rider course here. Before this marvelous interview, I thought I'd share a few bits on my work with two young horses. It's a departure of sorts, but I hope you enjoy it. We love to hear from listeners. Contact us here. Thanks to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. A great addition or substitute for your hay or grass and way better than grain. Because writing and talking helps me to better synthesize and appreciate experiences (and progress and hiccups and trepidations and failures and successes), I wanted to share some words on my time starting two youngish horses, Tuesday and Table. Tuesday is four or five. She came to me as a free-to-a-good-home, dark buckskin, club-footed quarter horse. Table, who was called Lorenzo until this nickname overpowered me, is a five-year old mustang from the Devil's Garden herd management area in northern California. I acquired him from a gal who seemed afraid to handle him and before that he was with a man who mistreated him, or at least that's what I was told and, based on Table's behavior, I'd say is accurate. Both had been handled very little, had never been ridden, and were overweight. That's where the similarities end. Tuesday had a disrespect for my personal space and was pretty klingy to her herdmates. With work, like creating clear boundaries, testing them, letting her make a mistake and learning from it, those elements of her behavior are improving nicely. She's a sweet horse and I think it can be tempting to invite her in for some rubs and loving. But for now, it's more important for her to learn she can be happy with boundaries. She was unsafe in how she encroached, and it would be easy to make her unsafe again. Table tends to be wary of everything, from a phone that suddenly plays music to me wearing a cowboy hat instead of a baseball hat. And even after lots of good work around tying, he still has a tendency to set back. While I am a competent rider and have helped several horses who have come from bad situations, I have never started a horse from the ground up. As luck would have it, my friend, Jessica Munn, came to visit for a month. Jess is a colt starter, with a background in dressage as well as cowboying. It hadn't been our plan to dedicate so much time to Table and Tuesday, but I'm so grateful that we were both able to commit to this focused work. Her help has been fundamental to our progress and I am deeply indebted to Jess for the knowledge and encouragement she brought to the pen. Oh, and she relearned me on the bowline knot, which I learned as a kid but had a hard time tying it as a horse-tying knot. If you have a horse that might set back, a bowline is a better knot to tie than a quick release knot. Over several weeks, we worked every day to get both of them more comfortable with many aspects of this horse-human thing. Like, for instance, being tied for decent periods of time (20 minutes or more), being hobbled, being led, being tacked up, having feet handled and trimmed, and being away from herdmates. That's a broad brush and it's tempting to think this checklist was ticked off in an afternoon. Far from it. Getting these horses to be better citizens was a road full of frost heaves and potholes. We worked every day, for one or two hours with each horse. We built on the previous days' work and almost always revisited what we'd done in days past. There is a great deal of repetition in good horse work. We do this so the horse knows what to expect in the form of boundaries and performance: when I apply pressure, you move away from it. When I tie you, you get to chill. When the other horses go out to pasture, you get to stay here, pay attention, and have fun. Jess helped me with essential groundwork, which has included lunging and driving, as well as important techniques for riding horses who'd never been ridden, like being able to have them flex when I step up into the saddle. Stepping into the saddle is done from both sides, by the way. There was some learning for me around how to carry the reins more safely and how to sit better on a young horse. She has encouraged me to take time to do everything well. As I have helped the horses become more patient, she has taught me the value of fence-sitting and taking more time with, well, everything. "It's not time-consuming," Jess reminded me. "It's patience-building." I have learned some hacks for making progress and being less fearful. Singing, playing ridiculous music, and talking to my horses has helped shake off the brace and elevate my confidence. Taking videos has helped me see my penchant for leaning forward. When it feels like I'm leaning back, I'm actually pretty erect in the saddle. Jess has reminded me to be a confident leader. But what does that look like and how can I relate this to you all, who have different pictures in their heads about what confidence looks like? I see the best results when I am decisive and clear. But being clear means knowing what you're doing, so I have needed help with technique. Being clear is also wound up in confidence and mental habits, too. It's easy to say, "work with confidence and clarity," but it's harder to do it in a way that is effective for the horses. "Black and white makes light. Be sparingly demanding." says Jess. Whether with groundwork or riding, it is an everyday challenge to be clear, not vague, to ask succinctly, and not to nag. Our work together, these daily sessions over a month, along with the sitting around, talking about what worked and didn't have helped me a lot in this vein. Now that I'm doing the daily work on my own, I find I have to commit even more diligently: to get out there every day and to stay focused and intentional. Of course, there has been unintentional nagging. Of course, I can beat myself up over tough afternoons. It's all part of the process. We thank Sampson Moss and his business, Prairie Wind Hat Works for the generous sponsorship. You can order one today and have it by the holidays! Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe's aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse's feed and Redmond's Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you'll love 'em. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you'll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Don't forget that Redmond Equine is sending a complimentary syringe of Daily Gold Stress Relief to everyone who drops a tip in our donation jar. Pretty cool and a $15 value. If you get something of value from our podcast, please consider making a donation. We sure would appreciate it.