Best Horse Practices Podcast

• Highlights from our Five Seasons

  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.

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  27:23
• Jec and Cody Harrison talk spurs

  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 8 of Season 5 and in it, Jec interviews Cody Harrison, a horseman specializing in classical dressage and based near Denver. Jec and Cody talk specifics on spurs. It’s a really interesting conversation and one I think you will enjoy. Hey, before I get to sponsors, I want to remind you to register for the mini Best Horse Practices Summit, coming up in April in Santa Fe. Visit here for info on the presenters and presentations. Act now and we’ll give you a 100 dollar credit at our trade show which has Patagonia WorkWear and Stanley drinkware. Pretty cool! 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.  Speaking of spurs...I think Western spurs can be deceiving. They look severe, but as Cody mentioned, when the rowel has many, many points, the feel of them is actually more gentle than one pointy English spur. Just try rolling them on your hand or leg. The difference is clear. I think I’d rather be a horse feeling a dull, many pointed rowel than a solitary ball or knob.  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.

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  27:04
• Daniel Dauphin on Bits and BHPS

  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.

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  29:38
• Gillian Higgins on Anatomy and Biomechanics

  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 Episode 6 of Season 5 and in it, Jec interviews Gillian Higgins, an expert in horse anatomy and biomechanics. She’s known internationally for her painting of horses’ muscles and skeletal system on the outside of horses. Her programs are called Horses Inside Out and she has a huge amount of online offerings. Oh, and just a heads up if you’re not inclined to do the kilo / pound conversion: Gillian mentions a 500-kilo horse. That’s an 1,100-pound horse. Check out this short interview with Gillian by the BBC Visit Gillian’s website. 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.  My favorite takeaways: that the canter is a good sit-up type of exercise for your horse and that a canter improves the trot for free. Also, that we can be blinded by what we know, an idea which has a lot in common with what we know as confirmation bias.  Thanks to Redmond Equine for generously sponsoring our show. With the turn of the season, make sure to have Redmond’s salt available free choice for your horses. We think they’ll love it. Order a whole box! And welcome back to Pharm Aloe, the gut and immune support supplement. Did you know that Pharm Aloe products all come from a USDA certified organic farm in Texas? Check out the pellets for horses. They have aloe options for dogs and people, too.  Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. I hope you can check out their long sleeved waffle tee. It is the perfect swap out for a short sleeved t shirt as the weather gets cooler. 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.

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  37:39
• Carl Bledsoe and Help for the Gaited Horse

  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.

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  28:18

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