Whoa Podcast About Horses and Horsemanship

The Whoa Podcast About Horses and Horsemanship is just that - a conversation about all things horse related. Join us, John & Ranae Harrer as we explore this wonder world of equine ownership.

Vaquero Heritage Trainers Challenge

September 30, 2014 by John 3 Comments

Vaquero Heritage Trainers Challenge

Photo by Diana Palmer

The Vaquero Heritage Trainers Challenge is happening October 10th, 11th, and 12th at the Sterling Arena in Tehachapi. Using the feral horses of the Oak Creek Canyon Ranch, five trainers are working ten horses. The first horse each trainer will show is one they received from Oak Creek back in June. They have been able to work with the horse, create a bond, and will be showing off their talents.

The second horse they will be seeing for the first time at the Vaquero Heritage Trainers Challenge. They will have three days to build a relationship and put a start on the horse. The horses of Oak Creek Canyon are believed to be descended from Morgan horses that were turned loose or escaped from some early Morgan horse breeders in the area. With California in the midst of a severe drought, the feral herd has taken its toll on the land. In an effort to bring the land and the horses back in balance, efforts are being made to more effectively manage the herd. The horses are smart, sure-footed, and have a good disposition.

Photo by Diana Palmer

Jeremy Dunn of the JB Cattle Co. is the organizer of the Vaquero Heritage Trainers Challenge and joins us on the show to talk about the format of the event, the trainers up for the challenge and these very unique horses.

Contact Us

We have well over 60 episodes up now and you can find them all for free on iTunes, with our Android App in the Amazon store, and now Stitcher, or wherever podcasts are distributed. Get the Stitcher app and let us know how it works. It’s Free. You can also find every episode and more about the show at whoapodcast.com. Please join our email list. Get in on the conversation with Facebook and Twitter – just look for WhoaPodcast.

Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show. You can email us at: John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening.

John & Ranae

Episode #036

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Reckless Korean War Horse Marine Hero

September 23, 2014 by John 3 Comments

Reckless Korean War Horse Marine Hero

Episode #035

Have you heard the story of Reckless Korean War Horse Marine hero? Janet Barrett has written a wonderful account of a Jeju pony “drafted” by the U.S. Marines Fifth Regiment’s Recoilless Rifle Platoon. From the racetrack of Korea, Reckless grew into a real-life hero of the Korean War. On today’s show Janet joins us to share some of the stories about this amazing little horse. We get to know about the background of the men who took a chance on Reckless. We also gain some insight into how Reckless returned that trust.

Janet’s has written the book, They Called Her Reckless – A True Story of War, Love and One Extraordinary Horse. It is a fascinating true story of how a horse bonded with her Marine “herd” to become an integral part in the Battle of Outpost Vegas of the Korean War.

Janet not only tells the story of Reckless’ war heroics, but she also paints a wonderful portrait of her personality that endeared her to generals, officers, and enlisted men alike. The book covers the life of Reckless based on extensive interviews with over 60 Korean War veterans. The book is a wonderful read. Janet is a great storyteller and wonderful interview. More importantly, Janet offers background on the Korean War, sometimes referred to as The Forgotten War.

Returning home to Camp Pendleton in California, Reckless attended ceremonies for the Marine Corp. She continued receiving promotions and reached the rank of Staff Sergeant before her retirement. A statue of Reckless charging up a hill stands at the National Museum of the Marine Corp in Virginia.

If you have a soft spot for heartwarming horse stories, you will love the story of Reckless Korean war horse Marine hero.

Links for this show:

Janet Barrett

Order Reckless from Amazon

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National Museum of the Marine Corp

Contact Us

Please let us know your thought, ideas, and suggestions for the show. You can email us at: John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening.

John & Ranae

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Matt Sheridan Horsemanship

July 15, 2014 by John 1 Comment

Matt Sheridan Horsemanship

Episode #034

Horse and people trainer Matt Sheridan stopped by the Whoa Podcast studios in 2011. We were there to plug his appearance on an RFD-TV show, but the best part of a sit down with Matt Sheridan is the stories he tells. Oh, and he has a lot of them. Matt Sheridan is a fifth generation horseman and I think, if it has been done on a horse, Matt or someone in his family has done it. Matt’s been an extra in the movies. He’s taken a Mustang through the Mustang Makeover project, and he is an AHCA judge. This is a fun little interview, but we pass – well Matt passes – along some great horsemanship advice. Matt tells us about his early years in horsemanship.

You can find out more about Matt Sheridan Performance Horses by visiting his Facebook Page. You can find his five steps to body control on YouTube. Matt also has a website, Matt Sheridan Performance Horse, with lots of great stuff and chronicles his training of Luna, a Mustang.

Get a Lesson – Attend a Clinic with Matt Sheridan

Need help with your horse or want to improve things like your horsemanship, show, or trail skills? Matt has a variety of clinics available every year. Check out his clinic schedule HERE.

If you would like to see what our Clinic Experience was like with Matt Sheridan, check out this video we produced: Matt Sheridan Trail Clinic

Contact Us

Please let us know your thought, ideas, and suggestions for the show. You can email us at: John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening.

John & Ranae

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Horse Rescue Bakersfield Hooves Paws

July 8, 2014 by John 2 Comments

Horse Rescue Bakersfield Hooves-Paws.Org

Episode #033

Our show is dedicated to a Horse Rescue in Bakersfield. I have always admired people who actively seek out horses or other animals in need, then help them out. While there are probably hundreds of these organizations across the country, there is always a need for more. On todays show we take a look at a local organization here in Bakersfield helping horses. Affectionately known as Whiskers Paws Hooves and Claws, the group’s website is hooves-paws.org and is a 501c3 non-profit. Hooves and Paws helps in a number of ways – Whether it’s rescuing horses from an abusive relationship or educating new owners of the basics of horse husbandry. They started out as just a group of people who saw a need. They knew they could make a difference. As an organization, the group soon realized they needed to have a concise and focused mission statement to guide them. Their mission statement is simple, yet effective:

They want to:

Supply financial support to foster homes and assist in horse rescue efforts and rehabilitation.
Help with the medical financial burdens of animals suffering from abuse.
Support local adoptions by donating funds to lower adoption fees, thus reducing the load placed on animal shelters.
Promote a volunteer program that helps people who have struggled with abuse, medical issues, and other personal hardship’s. Their volunteers learn marketing, animal care, particularly horse-keeping, and public relations through fundraising programs.

Funded through donations, sponsorship, grants, and fundraisers Whiskers, Paws, Hooves, and Claws is making a difference as a horse rescue Bakersfield.

Horse Rescue Bakersfield Success Stories

Sampson Today

Sampson Before

Chance when rescued

Chance Today

We caught up with the group’s director, Julie Sugg at a local stable where she boards and cares for the horses that are part of the organization.

No matter where you live there is a group of people working hard to improve the welfare of horses. They can use your help. Look them up. Help them if you can. Maybe it’s money. Maybe it’s a few hours with helping with the horses (is that work? I don’t think so). Maybe it’s donating an old bit, bridle or saddle for a fundraiser. Any way you can help would be appreciated. If you would like to help Whiskers, Paws, Hooves, and Claws head on over to hooves-paw.org and find out how you can lend a hand. Or, better yet, like them on Facebook at Whiskers, Paws, Hooves, and Claws

Contact Us

Please let us know your thought, ideas, and suggestions for the show. You can email us at: John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening.

John & Ranae

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Tommy Thompson Cowhorses

July 1, 2014 by John Leave a Comment

Tommy Thompson Cowhorses

Episode #032

Our visit to Tommy Thompson Cowhorses. I first met Tommy Thompson at a recent campdraft event. When I saw him ride I knew he would be a great guest for our show. He agreed to come on and asked me what I wanted to do. I have been struggling with making a transition from the snaffle to the bridle. While I had never been too concerned with this, the snaffle is easy to ride in and Jessie responds well to it, I wanted to do more sorting and rope work and needed to move to a one-handed set up. Normally Tommy would not tackle such a complicated topic, but he agreed. As it turns out there was a lot of good horsemanship information in this episode.

Of course, when you are inexperienced like me, you begin to expect every trainer you run into to tell you are doing everything wrong. It goes with the territory. I don’t take it personal. So, when Tommy Thompson said I was doing it wrong, it was no surprise. But like many things, there is more than one way to get the job done. When you go to a trainer like Tommy Thompson you get the value of all of HIS years of experience. He was able to evaluate the tools I had and offer me the best way to reach my goal.

Ride Along With Me

We tried to produce this podcast so you could take it along when you ride. Give it a try. There are a lot of little parts to each maneuver. Having someone in your ear giving you the little adjustments will help you learn faster. There is also a companion video to this podcast. You can see what it’s like for me to get instruction form an experienced trainer and how much we struggle.

About Tommy Thompson Cowhorses

Tommy Thompson has trained and competed in the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity. He has won the Limited Open, Fence Work Open, and Intermediate Open Reserve Champion. Located in Shafter, California, Tommy Thompson is available to train your horse, train you, coach you, or give a clinic. You can reach him at (661)-496-8729 or by email at: CACowhorse@Yahoo.com

Contact Us

Please let us know your thought, ideas, and suggestions for the show. You can email us at: John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening.

John & Ranae

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