Nicole Brass Horsemanship

05/27/2026

The week is on the front end and just two days in. And yet of the 17 horses I’ve worked (plus 4 that others rode), every single one of them was better than they’ve ever been before.
Every. Single. One.

I just wish I knew why as I’m not that lucky

Did the universe shift? Did I shift? Did some astrological event occur where planets aligned? Should I buy a lottery ticket? Did the new supplement plan kick in en masse? Were they all just feeling sorry for me as I had a crummy past week? Should I just hang up my hat for the rest of the week? Is it a conspiracy? Calm before the storm? Or has a uniform barge turned a collective corner?

These are the things I shall never understand as many days tilt in the reverse. As a rule, they are a mixed bag of tricks. But generally never ever do they all improve on the same day

Perhaps the lesson is to give thanks when needed, try again if necessary, and always always keep listening and wondering as to what goes on in the magical world of the equine mind and and strive for a better connection to the beautiful creatures who give so much to us, so that one day maybe we will understand ~

05/27/2026

05/25/2026

Took a drive to near where my Dad passed while I was with him. A special place with views of God’s country in all directions. I loved the optimism of the bright yellow flowers popping through rocks at the tippy top.

Thank you to all who have served on this Memorial Day and gratitude for the optimism that saw you through ~

05/25/2026

Peace in the hills

Michelle + Santos
Algis + LB Cortez
Myself + HMS Maximus

05/17/2026

. More trailer tips

I again encourage everyone to ride in the back of their trailer before asking their horse to do so

This is a top of the line, big, heavy 120k trailer with WERM flooring, air ride suspension and deep shavings. And yet all of that is relative sh*te as this is what the horses go through in the back

Imagine what horses experience when in a standard stock trailer without shavings or suspension or mats when being bounced down a gravel road

I encourage everyone to see and experience from the horses’ perspective so that expectations at destination arrival are on par with what their experience has been. Oh to one day design a trailer from the horse’s perspective 🤍

05/16/2026

05/16/2026

I’ve often said that my goal in life is to be able to design a horse trailer that actually puts the comfort of the horse first.

This video was taken at the start of our trip to Arizona. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times; if you haul a horse, then you get in back while someone else is driving and experience what they are going through.

I’m lucky enough to haul this trailer that is owned by my boss. And yet…$120,000, top of the line, and there seems to be zero consideration during manufacturing for what the horses are hearing and experiencing.

While it seems relatively quiet in this clio, that doesn’t do the experience justice and most trailers out there do not have the ‘comfort’ features this one does. It doesn’t seem that hard to dip all the parts in a rubber coating to prevent the hundred moving parts from banging, clanging and rattling.

How is it possible that trollers cannot be properly climate controlled given the money the high end ones cost? (My last ‘a/c’ spit barely cool air and the generator caught fire. Again from the ‘best in the business.)

This trailer has WERM flooring and Air Ride suspension and yet it trailers like a box of rocks. Shouldn’t it be possible to have an actual ‘air ride’ suspension system instead of one that bounces around so much I could lose a filling?

There isn’t much that irritates me more than people who haul without shavings or closed windows without fans or a/c in high temps . I’ve seen a horse arrive with a broken neck as they slipped on manure and urine and other horses who have slipped and fallen and not died. Not to mention the incredible road concussion and heat that comes through the floorboards that can be mitigated somewhat by shavings (it is best to really water them down before hauling to reduce dust).

Please, I beg of all horse owners, ride in the back of your trailer. Experience dirt roads and stops and turns and highway sounds. Understand what you are asking of your horse and have latitude for any attitude or physical expressions they may have after hauling them

And know that no matter how many years of experience you have, the unknown is just around the corner (as my last post highlighted when I was caught in a heat wave). Do your best to be prepared, listen to your fellow horsemen, and experience your trailer before you ask your horse to

05/15/2026

Horses and humans are still recovering from the hellish drive home from Arizona.

We unexpectedly had to go through Yuma, which meant that we couldn’t head straight north to cooler temps through Utah. The weather was freakishly and unexpectedly hot and a series of road construction and traffic jams sent my anxiety for the horses through the roof

If you know me you know I panic if I’m hauling and it’s 85* out. Over a hundred for 10 hours (total day was 14 hrs) and 112* while stuck in traffic? Forget it.
So many curse words and panic over the horse’s well being

Here’s the tip that saved everyone’s health and sanity; we poured 20 bags of ice into the deep shavings and bottom shelf of their hay bags and made stops for water and water/ice baths

The shavings insulated the ice so well that after 10 hrs over a hundred degrees, the ice still hadn’t melted. Combined with open windows and fans, the air was circulating much cooler than outside and the horses didn’t even break a sweat

Another tip is to hang a block of ice in a hay net and hang that in an open window to create cooler air flow. Unfortunately I didn’t have any nets with me as I did not anticipate such a long, hot day. (If they had been sweaty, I also would’ve poured alcohol over their backs, chest, armpits to help them cool)

One more thing to add to the emergency bin

Grateful for ice and that the truck ran well!

*the Vegas traffic was due to a vehicle that caught fire, so a heavy dose of PTSD was layered into my anxiety. My angels clearly want me to just avoid Vegas …