🌟 community_updates

William Fox-Pitt, a living legend in the sport of eventing, joins us this week for a wide-ranging conversation on resilience, recovery, and a life spent chasing something deeper than ribbons.

From his childhood on horseback to his first five-star win at just 25, the horses who shaped his iconic career, and the fall that nearly ended it — William reflects on the highs and lows of a lifetime in the saddle, and shares what he’s come to believe really matters in the end.

🎧 Listen now on NF+, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube!

Our very own Tik Maynard is back at Road to the Horse — and we’re throwing a weekend-long watch party to cheer him on!

Fire up the livestream and join us here in the NF+ community from March 28 – 30 as Tik defends his title at the World Championship of Colt Starting in Lexington, KY.

How to join us:

📺 Catch all the action live (and free!) on the official Road to the Horse YouTube.

🗣️ Join our daily watch party threads in the RTTH forum to chat about the competition, because...

🎁 Everyone who comments in the RTTH threads this weekend will be entered for a chance to win a free, private 30-minute Office Hours session with Tik! 

When we'll be tuning in:

🗓 Friday, March 28 

• 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT – Championship Round 1

🗓 Saturday, March 29

• 11:00 AM ET / 8:00 AM PT – Tik’s Clinic

• 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT – Championship Round 2

🗓 Sunday, March 30 (Tik’s time slot TBD—stay tuned!)

• 10:45 AM ET / 7:45 AM PT – Championship Round 3, Competitor 1 & 2

• 1:15 PM ET / 10:15 AM PT – Championship Round 3, Competitor 3 & 4

PS — if you're attending in person in Lexington, drop by the NF+ booth on the sponsor concourse to meet the team & Tik!

If you have any questions about the schedule, accessing the livestream, or more, we're all ears. And whether it's IRL or online, we'll see you this weekend! Go Tik! 🤠

The first three episodes of our brand-new case study series, Riding with Tik Maynard, are now streaming on NF+!

In each case study, Tik works with real riders and horses in unscripted sessions. The initial three episodes introduce you to Diane and her young horse, Chico, as they move the early stages of backing with patience, precision, and a whole lot of listening.

Plus, these new episodes come just in time to cheer Tik on as he defends his title at Road to the Horse! More to come on that in 3... 2... 1...

Noëlle will be sitting down soon with financial coach Mary Hurston for a No Stupid Questions episode of Dear Horse World, and we want your questions on money, finances, and budgeting as a rider and horse owner!

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the financial side of horse ownership — whether it’s covering unexpected vet bills, the expense of show season, or just managing the month-to-month costs — this is your chance to ask an expert. Mary is a financial coach (and fellow equestrian) who knows firsthand that no two months of horse ownership look the same.

Drop your questions for Mary below and we'll ask as many as we can during the episode. (And no question is too basic or simple: when we say "no stupid questions," we mean it!) 

Join us tomorrow, Tuesday, March 18th at 2 pm ET / 11 am PT for a "Review My Ride" virtual clinic with Josh Nichol! 

This is a great opportunity to get personalized advice from Josh on your training questions, and to learn from other riders' experiences and challenges. 

Let us know you'll be there and add the clinic to your calendar! (And if you can't make it, the full replay will be available on NF+). Then, submit your video here for a chance to have Josh review it during the event.

Let us know if you have any questions & see you tomorrow!

🔴 We’re LIVE with Josh Nichol – Tune in Now!

Josh is breaking down real rider videos right now and sharing his expert insights on everything from contact issues to jumping pace, ground handling, and herd-bound behaviors. Here’s a look at some of the challenges he’s may tackle today:

✅ How to encourage a "space horse" to respond to pressure without escalation
✅ Exercises to steady a strong, experienced jumper after fences
✅ Whether mares in heat could be affecting a young stallion’s behavior
✅ Supporting an ex-broodmare’s transition to dressage
✅ Helping an anxious Andalusian gelding feel more secure on the ground
✅ Finding the right balance between rhythm and impulsion over fences
✅ Managing a spooky horse with vision limitations and a barn mate who evades by running backward

Josh is sharing tailored strategies to help each rider—and you can learn alongside them! Jump in now and ask questions live.

Join the webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tU1BmIVNTbueGr6ulf_LPQ

The first two episodes of Tik Maynard’s Building Blocks to Better Horsemanship are here! 🎉

This new docuseries isn’t about step-by-step training techniques — it’s about changing the way you see and think about working with horses. Tik takes you beyond mechanics and into the four building blocks at the heart of true horsemanship: Observation, Communication, Motivation, and Play.

In Episode 1: Observation, Tik sets out to observe wild horses in British Columbia, only to find the herd has already been rounded up — a reminder of how human intervention shapes a horse’s world. Shifting focus to a skeptical colt at Caleb Smith’s ranch, he demonstrates how horsemanship begins with seeing, listening, and understanding.

In Episode 2: Communication, Tik explores the art of clear, intentional communication with Andrea Taylor, a top dressage rider and Paralympic coach. Working with her young horse, Freddie, he unpacks the small, everyday moments that either build connection or break it — proving that real communication is more than cues, it’s a conversation.

We can't wait for you to watch —  tune in now on NF+!

Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt shaped modern horsemanship not through rigid techniques, but through their ability to read a horse. Their influence runs deep, and their lessons on feel, timing, and intuition still shape the way we train and ride today.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Martin Black, we take a closer look at their philosophies, the impact they had on generations of horsemen, and how their wisdom continues to resonate in today’s horse world.

🎧 Listen now on NF+, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube!

The final episodes of Tik Maynard's Four Building Blocks to Better Horsemanship are now live on NF+!

In Episode 3: Motivation, Tik meets Sienna, a skeptical pony with a history of avoiding contact. With the help of animal behavior scientist Amelia McCray, he unpacks what truly motivates horses—and how understanding fear, curiosity, and reward can build trust instead of resistance. Through a thoughtful mix of pressure and release, clicker training, and food rewards, Tik shifts Sienna’s experience from one of fear to curiosity.

In Episode 4: Play, Tik explores the essential yet often-overlooked role of play in training. With liberty expert Michelle Young, he breaks down how play fosters connection, transforms the way horses feel about learning, and turns training into an invitation rather than an obligation.

Have you been tuning in? Let us know your thoughts!

The latest episode of Dear Horse World is here, featuring the fascinating Martin Black, who grew up learning from legends like Ray Hunt and Tom Dorrance and has spent a lifetime blending traditional Vaquero techniques with modern, evidence-based methods.

Join Martin and Noelle as they dig into the balance between tradition and innovation, the lessons English and Western riders can learn from each other, and why intuition should always come before labels.

🎧 Listen now on NF+, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube!