Highlights from our Five Seasons
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Best Horse Practices. My name is Maddy Butcher and I produce this podcast. Our show i...
Jec and Cody Harrison talk spurs
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
Daniel Dauphin on Bits and BHPS
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 7 of Season 5 and in it, I talk with Daniel Dauphin about bits and the upcoming Be...
Gillian Higgins on Anatomy and Biomechanics
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our show is a space for riders and horse owners of all disciplines to learn best practices and to ...
Carl Bledsoe and Help for the Gaited Horse
14 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
What Does Abuse Look Like? A Talk with Daniel Dauphin
24 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
Life and Death of Livestock and Pets, a Short Conversation with Nina Fuller
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
J.B. Zielke - The Lost Cowboy
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our show is a space for riders and horse owners of all disciplines to learn best practices and to ...
Worst Horse Practices and News
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
Season Finale: On the Fence with Jec and Maddy
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
Buck the Trend, Wyoming Clinician Sara Lowe
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
Daniel Dauphin, Buck the Trend Mental Health Forum
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
Buck the Trend Therapists, KD Bryant and Joseph Prekup
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
Dan Flitner - Buck the Trend Mental Health Forum
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
Katrin Silva and Jec Ballou talk books
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
Ben Longwell: Meanings of partnership
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our show is a space for riders and horse owners of all disciplines to learn best practices and to ...
Julie Goodnight
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
Coaches' Corner with Bit Expert Daniel Dauphin
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
On the Fence: Looking Ahead and Looking Back
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free....
Jenn Currie: Brain Centered Horsemanship
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and contacting us is easy here. We offer these shows for free. ...
Mary Ann Simonds - Horses and Humans
13 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our show is a space for riders and horse owners of all disciplines to learn best practices and to...
Medicine Horse, Evidence-Based Therapy with Horses
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our show is a space for riders and horse owners of all disciplines to learn best practices and to ...
A Note about the Pause
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We offer these shows for free. If you think it’s worthy of a small contribution, we sure would app...
On the Fence: State of Our Horse Worlds
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We offer these shows for free. If you think it’s worthy of a small contribution, we sure would ...
Wendy Murdoch, No Stirrup November, Plus Colt Starting
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We offer these shows for free. If you think it’s worthy of a small contribution, we sure would ...
Dr. Doug Thal and the Equine Vet Crisis
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We offer these shows for free. If you think it’s worthy of a small contribution, we sure would ...
Coaches' Corner with Amy Skinner: Body Work and other forms of care
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 10 of Season 4 and in it, Jec holds a Coaches’ Corner with our frequent and frie...
Lee McLean on Wild versus Domestic
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We offer these shows for free. If you think it’s worthy of a small contribution, we sure would ...
On the Fence: Expertise & the Beginner's Mind
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and this week would especially love to hear about your horse work j...
Trish Trips - Different Kinds of Horse Work
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We offer these shows for free. If you think it’s worthy of a small contribution, we sure would ...
Kerry O'Brien and the Meeker Mustang Makeover
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We offer these shows for free. If you think it’s worthy of a small contribution, we sure would app...
Coaches' Corner with Amy Skinner, plus Mental Health
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our show is a space for riders and horse owners of all disciplines to learn best practices and to di...
From Cowboy to Showjumper to Cowboy: Pete Reinholz
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We offer these shows for free. If you think it’s worthy of a small contribution, we sure would ...
Weaning Strategies with Lynn Acton
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We love to hear from listeners and often incorporate listener questions or suggestions for topics ...
On the Fence: Pet Peeves. Plus, Prairie Wind Hat Works
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 2 of Season 4, and in it, Jec and I reconnect after some time off and have an On t...
Tying Trials & Confidence Building with Daniel Dauphin
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season Four!! of Best Horse Practices with Jec Ballou. Our show is a space for ride...
Prelude to Season 4
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hi there, this is Maddy Butcher, producer of Best Horse Practices with Jec Ballou. We’re takin...
Lee McLean on Nurturing Fun, Versatile Horses
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jec interviews Lee McLean from Alberta Canada. Lee likes to approach horse work with an eye on commo...
DIY Projects
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 29 of Season 3 and in it, Jec interviews Donna-Maria Flood of DMventions. Donna Mari...
Coaches' Corner on Round Pens with Amy Skinner
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 28 of Season 3 and in it, Jec interviews Amy Skinner for another Coaches’ Corner. ...
Mother's Day Special: Super Short & Horse-y Fiction
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 27 of Season 3. I decided to do something a bit different with this episode. While I...
Considering Science with Dr. Sheryl King
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 26 of Season 3 and in it, Jec and I talk with Dr. Sheree King about science, specifi...
On the Fence: Breed Bias and the Stories We Tell Ourselves
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Best Horse Practices with Jec Ballou. My name is Maddy Butcher. I produce this podcast a...
Daniel Dauphin and Jec discuss Equine Pain
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 24 of Season 3 and in it, Jec interviews Daniel Dauphin of Dauphin Horsemanship. He...
Vision Science and a Scary Colic
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 23 of Season 3 and in it, I’m going to talk a bit about brain science as well as a...
Coaches' Corner with Lynn Acton
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's good to remind listeners of our mission once in a while. Here it is: Our show is a space for ...
Kristen Vlietstra on Saddle Fit and More
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 21 of Season 3 and in it, Jec is back and interviewing Kristen Vliestra, who runs S...
Stories & Poetry, II
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Please accept my apologies as we initially uploaded an erroneous file for this great episode. Sorry...
Summit Stories and "Heirloom" by Sampson Moss
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We offer this podcast for free. If you find it worthy of your support. Please contribute here. Thi...
Fear to Joy: On the Fence with Jec and Maddy
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We offer these shows for free. If you think they're worthy of a small contribution, we sure would a...
Coaches' Corner with Amy Skinner
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 17 of Season Three and it’s time for another Coaches’ Corner with Jec and Amy S...
BHPS presenters discuss, II
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 16 of Season Three. Another special episode! We offer this week another recorded Que...
BHPS presenters discuss!
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 15 of Season Three. A special episode! You listeners might know that I direct the Be...
WiseAssWallace on Helmets and Colt-Starting
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 14 of Season Three. And in it, we give Wise Ass Wallace the mic again to talk about ...
Hoof Rehabilitation with Alicia Harlov
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jec interviews Alicia Harlov, owner of the Humble Hoof and the Humble Hoof podcast. In their convers...
Coaches' Corner with Amy Skinner
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 12 of Season Three and in it, Jec interviews Amy Skinner for a Coaches’ Corner. Je...
Dr. Sheryl King - Mythbusting our horse keeping ways
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is Episode 11 of Season three and in it, Jec interviews Dr. Sheryl King, this year’s keynote ...
The Warm & Fuzzies and introducing WiseAssWallace
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode marks the beginning of what Jec and I believe will be intermittent commentary on a trou...
Andria Massie - Rehabilitation and Integrative Therapies
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is episode 9 of season three and in it, Jec interviews Andria Massie, an integrative therapist ...
Dr. Stacie Boswell Talks about gastric ulcers and other stress-related ailments
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jec interviews Dr. Stacie Boswell, a vet and author based in Montana. Stacie wrote The Ultimate Guid...
Episode 7, Death Comes
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A departure from our usual episode, in both format and content, in which producer Maddy Butcher visi...
Molly Gloss
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 6 of Season 3, Jec interviews Molly Gloss, an author from Oregon. She has been decorated ...
Maintenance Work with Amy Skinner
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jec interviews Amy Skinner for a Coaches’ Corner around maintenance. It’s a fun...
Anna Blake, Calming Signals
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jec interviews Anna Blake, a Colorado horsewoman with a popular blog and several vo...
On the Fence: Adult Learning
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about adult learning. It’s a topic suggested by Natalie in Montana and we...
Ali Kermeen and Working Equitation
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this is episode, Jec chats with Ali Kermeen about working equitation. It’s a relatively new dis...
Season 3 Premiere
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season 3! Our show is a space for riders and horse owners of all disciplines to learn bes...
Season Finale - Running and Riding
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is dedicated to a listener question from Julie in New Mexico. Her question has to do wi...
Listener Speaks on Power, Personality, and Horses
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hello listeners! Since I last recorded an episode, there has been the death of my mare, Shea, the we...
Bitless Options with Ben Longwell
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we respond to a listener question about bitless options. Ellie writes from Zimbabwe...
Horsekeeping in a Changing Climate with Alayne Blickle
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jec visits with Alayne Blickle of Horses for Clean Water. Alayne is a former Best H...
Coaches' Corner with Lynn Acton: Treats
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jec visits with Lynn Acton for a Coaches' Corner discussion around treats. I am rea...
Sex, Power, and Best Horse Practices? Yes
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Best practices. Most of the time, we are talking about the very tangible, practical matters of care ...
Mary Ann Simonds
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jec visits with Mary Ann Simonds in a discussion around how to keep horses happy in...
Coaches' Corner with Amy Skinner
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jec visits with Amy Skinner for a Coaches’ Corner. Always a good listen! As liste...
Astrid Larsen and Humanship
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Humanship. It’s an idea that has been tossed around the horse world for a few years now. During th...
Karen Rohlf
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the things Jec and I are working on, here on the podcast, in writing, on social media, at at ...
Cathy Woods - Yoga & Riding
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For this episode, Jec interviews Cathy Woods. Cathy teaches yoga to riders and has a book on this in...
Dr. Doug Thal
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For this episode, Jec interviews Dr. Doug Thal of Thal Equine in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I first start...
Coaches' Corner with Amy Skinner
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to episode 18 of season two and thank you so much for listening. As you have probably heard,...
Positive Reinforcement with Kerry O'Brien & Kimberly Loveless
27 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For this episode, I take the mic from Jec and visit with Kimberly Loveless and Kerry O’Brien, hors...
What Horses Want for the Holidays
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Episode 16 of Season 2 This episode is an On the Fence segment with myself and Jec. We’...
Ann Firestone - Save Your Ass Rescue
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Ann Firestone of Save Your Ass Long Eared Rescue joins Jec in California-to-New Ham...
On the Fence - The Best Horse Practices Summit
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is an On the Fence segment, a time for Jec and me to talk about what’s up lately. And...
Lynn Acton and Investigative Behavior
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Episode 13 of Season Two and thank you so much for listening. As I talk into the mic from...
West Taylor
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For this episode, Maddy talks with West Taylor. West runs Wild West Mustang Ranch in central Utah an...
Virtual Lessons
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For this episode, Jec invites Patrick King, the renown clinician and trainer with a very active onli...
Dr. Geoff Tucker - Nutrition
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For this episode, Jec invites Dr. Geoff Tucker of The Horse's Advocate to chat about equine nutritio...
Daniel Dauphin
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For this episode, I’m taking the reins, like ya do, from my colleague Jec, to talk with Daniel Dau...
Rider Fear
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As we like to say on the show, this is an enlightened space for riders and horse owners of all disc...
Larry Whitesell
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jec interviews Larry Whitesell of Baxter, Tennessee, east of Nashville. Larry is re...
Coaches' Corner: Cross Training
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2, Episode Six is a Coaches' Corner with Amy Skinner in North Carolina. Here, Jec and Amy vis...
What Horses & Riders Need to Know
31 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is episode 5 (sorry about the error on the audio, in which we identified it as episode ...
Dr. Rebecca Husted - Equine Emergencies
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jec talks with Dr. Rebecca Husted, president of Technical Large Animal Emergency Re...
Dr. Martin Nielsen
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jec talks with Dr. Martin Nielsen, a parasitologist at the University of Kentucky and one of our sup...
Grooming Pros and Cons - Robin Foster
07 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jec talks with Robin Foster, a certified applied animal behaviorist and a professor...
Ben Longwell and a Sufferfest Sidenote
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Even though we haven’t really taken a break, we’re calling this Season 2. That makes this episod...
Horse Shows
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I’m feeling pretty pleased that here we are at Episode 30. Thirty! It was about a year ago when Je...
Whit Hibbard
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Jec loans the mic to me for an interview with Whit Hibbard, a fourth generation Montana ranch...
Jane Myers & Equiculture
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Jec interviews Jane Myers. Jane runs the educational website Equiculture with her husband, St...