Nicole Brass Horsemanship

10/24/2026

10/21/2026

It’s been a journey with this handsome stud and I’m grinning wide on this ride ~

hoofbeats, crunching leaves, rhythmic breathing and the crisp Fall morning air.

Make it a great day!

10/17/2026

. Larry LongEars

A melancholy day at the ranch yesterday as we said a massive, collective goodbye to the donkey, the myth, the legend, Larry LongEars

Even though his goodbye had been a long time coming (thankful to the compassion of the ranch crew who helped him get up each morning for the past year), it sure didn’t make it any easier.

Many from his fan club gathered and we grieved together. He left indelible marks everywhere at the ranch and far beyond on horses and humans and he will be deeply missed

He was not only deeply kind, he was mischievous and really funny in his sly, casual way

And boy did he love the ladies! A consummate ladies man, the mares equally adored him and he was their guardian and also helped raise our foals

The past few months, I just Larry wander wherever he wanted at the ranch. He’d head out back or sometimes wander down the neighborhood, and would always end up in the hay barn and then make his way back inside at the dnd if the day

And then he stopped wandering. And when we helped him up he would just lie back down. And it was time.

Although it was clear yesterday that he wanted to get up one last time, and while it took the effort of 4 of us, as soon as he steadied himself, he went straight out to the hay barn, and then over to the grass by the pond so he could lie down one final time under the trees and the bright blue sky

The are so many moments of Larry I could share, although I decided on my two most favorite memories: the first was some years ago when he was out with his lady friends running about. Larry was always a bit clumsy and yet was supercool to play it off with a side glance of ‘no one saw me trip, did they?’ ‘Yeah, nah, I’m cool, just shake it off and swagger’

And then up at Busterback Ranch with a group of the babies he raised (Santos, Barbaro, Zeus in this clip), when he came over to the fence and friend Danielle climbed on him (Larry wasn’t ridden), and he took her for a walks out with his kids following along

And then his final trip to the hay barn.

We love you big guy. You will be deeply missed far and wide,
I hope your spirit sticks around for a long time 🤍🙏

10/15/2026

Des, our homegrown 5-year-old, just did his 4th trailer ride away from home, up into the mountains.

Every ride out with a youngster is well thought out. Rides need to be short, as mileage on a young body is just mileage on the skeletal structure.

Trailer rides out start with just one calm companion horse, then a group is slowly layered in thoughtfully. Is the horse ready for group energy? Are the other riders willing to accommodate a "training ride" when needed?

Since Des has excelled while going out, I pushed him to see where holes may be. And he positively shone on this ride with 6 others.

He led, he followed, and he was purposefully left calmly behind. And he stayed calm because I've earned the trust to be his ‘herd’ and bellwether.

He was calm and thoughtful and even led over a few tricky water and mud crossings.

As we are going into winter, I'll let the push of this ride settle in, and we’ll finish out the season by backing off and taking solo rides or rides with just one other horse.

It takes seasons to finish a mountain horse. Miles only wear them out skeletally, so keep rides short and packed with lessons. One solid step at a time.

There are unicorns out there who aren't hot-blooded, who are calm or a bit ‘born dull’ to their environment. Although for the hotter blooded horses who work off of trust, go slow. Let each ride and lesson sink in. Otherwise, when they turn 7, 8, 9 and mentally "wake up," they can implode if those thoughtful steps weren't laid down first.

There will always be hiccups. Our job as their caretakers is to give them the slow foundation to handle them.

A true trail horse isn't made by miles or speed. It's made by patience, trust, and one thoughtful lesson at a time.

Our horses give us so much, and the time we invest now is what lets them stay sound, steady, and happy for the long haul~

If you're on the fence about slowing down, I hope this encourages you. The horse will thank you for it.

10/10/2026

These two have been out together several times this summer, although this was the first ‘real’ trail for both.

Meaning there are consequences if you don’t actually stay on the trail. If you wiggle or don’t pay attention you could just slide right off. It took them both a moment to sort it and then they were great.

They also both handled a tricky water crossing slowly and thoughtfully. It did make me laugh with Max grabbed a bite of emotional support snacks to hold in his mouth while he kept an ear and eye on the steep downhill side.

It takes a few seasons to create a truly solid mountain horse as there are so many many different things they need to experience that various rides have to offer.

It’s much more time consuming than teaching arena ‘things.’ All the show horses need to be a trail horse as that’s their primary job. And the views from the office are grand !

10/08/2026

Learning to ride is one thing. Becoming an artist in your horsemanship is another.

It takes countless hours of observation, mistakes, and reflection, and a real curiosity about the horse himself. How he feels, what he understands, and what your approach has done to his confidence and willingness.

The deeper you go, the more you realize good horsemanship isn't measured by what you can get a horse to do, but by what he experiences along the way.

Knowledge can be shared. Understanding has to be earned, and it depends on how much of yourself you're willing to give the horse ~

10/08/2026

Tru, giving a tour of all the construction that’s been happening around the ranch this summer

The ranch house is being fully rebuilt and a new barn is going up for the horses. I’m really excited about this project as all the stalls will be either 16x24 or 24x24 with open dividers so the horses can socialize and live as species appropriate as possible when we are inside during the winter

I’d love any ideas you all have for the insides!

10/08/2026

Fun fall day on the trail with Aunt Jo and Rachel Clifford with homegrown 5-year-old Desi, on just his third trailer-out ride.

He carried himself like a seasoned veteran. Calm, forward, soft, responsive, bitless and just happy to be out there with me in the scenes of changing seasons

He even handled the haul down the long, bumpy gravel road like a pro, after I started him on smooth roads and he graduated up from there. He just stood quietly and rode it out.

None of that is luck. It's layers of paint. Every slow, quiet, boring day at home is another coat of paint, and when you build the foundation one thin layer at a time, it holds up when life gets exciting.

He’s just 5, so I’ve still yet to break a sweat on him as that will come at 6-7 when his skeletal structure has fully formed. And yet he can do all the trail things and obstacles and reining maneuvers off seat and leg from stacks of 15-30 min rides

Rush a horse and you'll spend years trying to unwind the holes you skipped. Take your time up front and you get a day like today

He will likely still face holes down the road, and if he starts to get mentally squirrelly, I know him well enough from years of work that I’ll know if I need to push or back off as they are all different. Not one time frame fits them all

Start them slow and they will carry you far ~