Episodes

  • J.B. Zielke - The Lost Cowboy

    J.B. Zielke - The Lost Cowboy
    Jul 15 2024

    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 2 of Season 5 and in it, I interview J.B. Zeilke, a writer, music video producer, and most of all, a cowboy. JB has cowboyed on six continents and written about it in The Lost Cowboy. This book, with a drawing of a cowboy riding a bucking reindeer on the cover, recently one two Spur awards, prizes given out by Western Writers of America. He won the Best Contemporary Non Fiction and Best First Non Fiction Book. Find him on Instagram at the.lost.cowboy!

    He had returned from the awards ceremony in Tulsa, Oklahoma when I talked to him last week.

    I was so pleased to talk with J.B. but decided to leave the details of his trips for listeners to check out on their own. So, yes, please check it out. You can find it on The Lost Cowboy.com and on Amazon. Read about his making connections, meeting folks, dodging bullets, and trying to get along in Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Argentina, Mexico, and Mongolia. Great stuff!

    I thought listeners would love to hear what JB has learned over his many years of travel, specifically things that apply to horsemanship, riding, and partnership building. He does a great job of articulating some essential elements of the horse – rider connection, things he found somewhat universal, across the contients. It’s a delightful interview that I’m happy to share.

    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.

    How has your summer been going?

    As I’ve returned to podcasting responsibilities, I’ve been thinking about our title. Best Horse Practices.

    Do you have any best horse practices that are top of mind lately?

    Do you have any worst horse practices that are top of mind lately?

    Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our show. Check out Pharm Aloe’s aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse’s feed and Redmond’s Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you’ll love ‘em.

    Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you’ll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items 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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    36 mins
  • Worst Horse Practices and News

    Worst Horse Practices and News
    Jul 3 2024
    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 1 of Season 5. For this show, I’m speaking on behalf or maybe I should say as half. Half of the interview crew for this podcast. Jec and I have had a hiatus and Jec is still doing her thing and enjoying summer. She’ll be back later this season. I thought I’d make this a short episode to let you know what I’ve been up to and to ask you what you’ve been up to. As I mentioned, we love hearing from listeners and, as always, folks who get in touch with us with feedback or suggestions for guests and topics are in the running for freebies. 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 Also, a shout out to a clothing company that’s putting a trot in our steps lately: Dovetail, a women-owned maker of tough, very horse-rider friendly pants. Try the bootcut jeans – stretchy, durable, and they look good. Since our last episode for Season 4, I’ve been working on several projects. I have been day working for a rancher here in Montezuma County. That means I do a bit of everything. Lately, there has been a lot of fencing and moving cows. My go-to gelding, Ray, has an injury, so my younger, greener horse, Table, has been relied on quite a bit. There is a silver lining in Ray’s injury, I try to tell myself, because really, as a young horse in training, Table should be ridden a lot. We have had our circus moments, but mostly I’m very pleased with his progress. He’s becoming more patient and confident. And he’s able to do more, like open gates, side pass, move through thick brush without freaking out, and ride away from buddies without freaking out. We took a spill the other day when, in the midst of trotting a big circle, we went down in a big gopher hole. I hurt my cheek (it looked like I got into a bar fight) but anyway, I was really pleased that Table trotted a few steps and then waited for me to collect myself. Way better than a few months ago, when I think he would have bolted and headed for the next county. So, even though it was painful and unfortunate, I counted that moment as a win! Table has been behind cows several times and while he’s not “cow-y” (like cow-bred quarter horses who pin their ears and love to boss around cattle), he’s engaged with what’s going on and, surprisingly, is not flustered by the process of moving cows, fetching cows, and all the things you tend to do when handling cattle in open spaces and then smaller confines, like pens and corrals. He does get more stressed and more excited when other horse and rider pairs are involved. I think some of that can be attributed to me getting more amped when there are other horse and rider pairs. You know how that goes, right? Many of us horse owners are also dog owners, so I’ll let you know that I’m also bringing up a young dog this year. His name is Chuck. He’s mostly border collie and he’s eight months old. He’s seeing some cows and has come along when we’re working them a few times. He knows down. He comes when he’s called. And he’s pretty excited about the cattle. I’ve been watching Chuck as he watches my adult dogs work. It’s pretty cool to see and be part of this on-the-job training. My job, as I see it, is to keep him safe and give him a long leash, figuratively speaking. That is, to not scold him too much when he does something wrong and to really praise him when he does something right, like staying in a down position even when he’d rather be getting after cows or moving a cow correctly and not overdoing it. How has your summer been going? As I’ve returned to podcasting responsibilities, I’ve been thinking about its title. Best Horse Practices. Do you have any best horse practices that are top of mind lately? Do you have any worst horse practices that are top of mind lately? I’m laughing here because I think very few of us are perfect all the time. I think, in fact, that many of us advocate for best practices, for being safe rather than sorry, for taking our time and doing it right, for being deliberate and intentional. But, at the end of the day, or sometimes, in the middle of the day, when rain has started and you’re tired from a fitful night, or stressed by too many things to do, well, we can slump toward worst horse practices. We might cut a corner or do something in haste, something we know better not to do, like tying a horse to something insecure (that would not stay put if the horse pulled back) or, like leaving a gate open because we’re coming right back. 9 times out of 10, we get ...
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    11 mins
  • Season Finale: On the Fence with Jec and Maddy

    Season Finale: On the Fence with Jec and Maddy
    Apr 4 2024

    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 27 of Season 4. In it, Jec and I have a fun On the Fence conversation in which we talk some about identity and, mmm, maybe a bit of barn politics and shenanigans that we sometimes see in horse communities. The topic came up when I was listening to an interview that Ezra Klein did with Agnes Callard, a professor at the University of Chicago.

    Oh, and we also give a nod, or maybe a shake of the head, to the cover art for Beyonce’s new country album, which has, of course, a horse on it.

    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.

    Also, a shout out to two clothing companies who are putting a trot in our steps lately: Kuhl and Dovetail.

    We’re trying out a stretchy jean jacket as well as a fleece-lined vest from Kuhl. And we are absolutely loving the boot cut jeans from Dovetail.

    It's been a good season! We’re one of the top horse podcasts and we consistently rank well in the natural sciences category of podcast. Thank you so much for your enthusiasm, for recommending us to friends, and for being in touch. Jec and I really love the many connections we’ve made with listeners and appreciate what we see as two-way conversations. Thank you!

    Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe’s aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse’s feed and Redmond’s Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you’ll love ‘em.

    Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you’ll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items 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.

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    22 mins
  • Buck the Trend, Wyoming Clinician Sara Lowe

    Buck the Trend, Wyoming Clinician Sara Lowe
    Mar 8 2024

    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 26 of Season 4. In it, I interview Sara Lowe, a horsewoman and police detective from Wyoming. She’s a clinician and colt starter, and she participated in the Buck the Trend mental health forum held last month here in southwest Colorado.

    This is the fourth in a series of interviews around Buck the Trend. You can find links to conversations with BTT therapists and other participants in the show notes.

    Buck the Trend got its start thanks to a generous grant from the LOR Foundation and with the support of Patagonia WorkWear. Donations have been extremely helpful, too. Big thanks to all who contributed.

    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

    Sara mentioned growth mindset a few times. For those of you who might be wondering what that means, it’s roughly when folks believe their talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and input from others. This is opposed to a fixed mindset, in which one thinks one’s talents are innate gifts. Here's a helpful link.

    Sara's website.

    Find her on Facebook.

    If you’re interested in learning more about Buck the Trend, getting involved, coming to the next one, supporting BTT, or joining the conversation, head here.

    Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe’s aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse’s feed and Redmond’s Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you’ll love ‘em.

    Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you’ll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items 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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    33 mins
  • Daniel Dauphin, Buck the Trend Mental Health Forum

    Daniel Dauphin, Buck the Trend Mental Health Forum
    Mar 5 2024
    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 25 of Season 4. In it, Daniel Dauphin is back, not to talk about bits and horse mouth anatomy but to talk about Buck the Trend, the mental health forum held last month. Daniel attended BTT and we have been visiting on the phone about mental health in our horse community since the Best Horse Practices Summit in 2022, which I directed and at which he presented two sessions. This is the third in a series of interviews around Buck the Trend, which is funded in part by the LOR Foundation. You can find interviews with the therapists and with another participant, Dan Flitner here. And next week, I’ll post my interview with Sara Lowe, a Wyoming horse trainer and clinician who attended BTT. Buck the Trend got its start thanks to a generous grant from the LOR Foundation and with the support of Patagonia WorkWear. Donations have been extremely helpful, too. Big thanks to all who contributed. 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 out Daniel and his bit course here. Check out his YouTube video on BTT. Check out his Best Horse Practices presentations. If you’re interested in learning more about Buck the Trend, getting involved, coming to the next one, supporting BTT, or joining the conversation, head here to read our posts or hit the contact button to reach out. Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe’s aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse’s feed and Redmond’s Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you’ll love ‘em. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you’ll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Don’t forget that 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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    29 mins
  • Buck the Trend Therapists, KD Bryant and Joseph Prekup

    Buck the Trend Therapists, KD Bryant and Joseph Prekup
    Mar 4 2024

    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 24 of Season 4. In it, I interview KD Bryant and Joseph Prekup, the two therapists who anchored the development and facilitation of Buck the Trend, the mental health forum held recently in southwestern Colorado. BTT got its start thanks to a generous grant from the LOR Foundation and with the support of Patagonia WorkWear. Donations have been extremely helpful, too. Big thanks to all who contributed.

    Buck the Trend is a two-and-a-half day, all expenses paid workshop focused on skill-building and elevating the mental health conversation in our community. It’s an opportunity to focus on ourselves for a moment, so that we can enhance and improve what’s around us, specifically, the well-being of those close to us, humans and non-humans alike, as well as the greater horse community.

    Let’s give a nod to our sponsors. We welcome Hoka and Skratch Labs the show. Jec and I consider ourselves athletes and we hope you do, too. These folks are centered around helping athletes do great things. Hoka shoes help with the outside, with the best running shoes and Skratch Labs helps with the inside with hydration drinks and trail snacks. Check them out at hoka.com and skratchlabs.com

    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

    If you’re interested in learning more about Buck the Trend, getting involved, coming to the next one, supporting BTT, or joining the conversation, head here.

    Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe’s aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse’s feed and Redmond’s Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you’ll love ‘em.

    Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you’ll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Don’t forget that 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 mins
  • Dan Flitner - Buck the Trend Mental Health Forum

    Dan Flitner - Buck the Trend Mental Health Forum
    Feb 28 2024
    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 23 of Season 4. In it, I interview Dan Flitner in one of several new episodes about Buck the Trend, the mental health forum held recently in southwestern Colorado. Buck the Trend, operated under the auspices of the Best Horse Practices Summit, attempts to address the following issues: -- Our work can be isolating and demanding and there are cultural, logistical, economic, and social impediments to getting help and being well. -- Our mental health and wellness impact not just us, but those around us, including family, friends, coworkers, and, of course, the animals. -- Horses may be “therapeutic.” They can make us feel better. But they can’t necessarily help us build skills to navigate interpersonal relationships and feel better about ourselves. Buck the Trend is focused on skill-building and elevating the mental health conversation in our community. It’s an opportunity to focus on ourselves for a moment, so that we can enhance and improve what’s around us, specifically, the well-being of those close to us, humans and non-humans alike, as well as the greater horse community. Dan is a rancher in Oregon. He hails from Wyoming and has ranched all his life. Dan got involved in BTT several months ago as a supporter and consultant. His nephew, Luke Bell, a cowboy and rising star in country music, had serious mental health concerns and was found dead in Tuscon, Arizona, about 18 months ago. Mental health has been on his mind and on the minds of his family for some time. Let’s first give a nod to our sponsors. We welcome Hoka and Skratch Labs the show. Jec and I consider ourselves athletes and we hope you do, too. Like they say with horses and hooves, for want of a shoe a horse was lost, for want of a horse, a rider was lost. Well, we think the same goes for happy human feet. When they’re not in riding boots, keep your feet happy in Hokas. Also, did you know that Skratch labs offers milk and cookies? They have chocolate milk mix with probiotics, to which you simply add water. And they have cookie mix to which you add butter and things like chocolate chips and nuts. Or whatever you want. Check these new show supporters out at hoka.com and skratch labs .com 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 I’ll be featuring a few more interviews from Buck the Trend. Next up, KD Bryant and Joseph Prekup, the two therapists at BTT. Stay tuned for that next week. If you’re interested in getting involved or supporting this effort, head here. Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe’s aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse’s feed and Redmond’s Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you’ll love ‘em. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you’ll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Don’t forget that 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.
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    31 mins
  • Katrin Silva and Jec Ballou talk books

    Katrin Silva and Jec Ballou talk books
    Feb 27 2024

    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 22 of Season 4. In it, Jec interviews Katrin Silva for a Coaches’ Corner. It’s always fun when these two get together because they know so much. A bit humbling sometimes because their depth of knowledge is vast. Katrin is an accomplished teacher and trainer based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

    In this conversation, Jec asks Katrin about book learning and how it weaves into riders’ sensibilities. An informative and inspiring talk.

    We will link to the several books mentioned in the show notes.

    Also, we welcome Hoka and Skratch Labs to our family of sponsors. Jec and I consider ourselves athletes and we hope you do, too. Like they say with horses and hooves, for want of a shoe a horse was lost, for want of a horse, a rider was lost. Well, we think the same goes for happy human feet. When they’re not in riding boots, keep your feet happy in Hokas.

    Also, did you know that Skratch Labs offers milk and cookies? They have chocolate milk mix with probiotics, to which you simply add water. And they have cookie mix to which you add butter and things like chocolate chips and nuts. Or whatever you want. Check these new show supporters out at hoka.com and skratch labs .com

    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

    Jec and Katrin mention:

    A Horseman’s Notes, Eric Herbermann

    Riding Logic, Wilhelm Museler

    The Way to Perfect Horsemanship, Udo Burger

    Dressage for All of Us, Katrin Silva

    Ride with Feel, Katrin Silva

    Books by Jec Ballou

    Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe’s aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse’s feed and Redmond’s Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you’ll love ‘em.

    Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you’ll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Don’t forget that 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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    26 mins