adventure Archives ⋆ The Whoa Podcast

Competitive Trail Riding with NATRC

July 27, 2021 by John Leave a Comment

Competitive Trail Riding with North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC)

Are you looking for a little adventure? Give competitive trail riding a try. The North American Trail Ride Conference is a governing body over competitive trail riding (CTR). In this episode, I talk to Sarah Rinne, NATRC’s Executive Director about the sport. Involved with the organization since 1988, Sarah is a wealth of knowledge.

The NATRC sets rules and has guidelines for trail rides. Sanctioned NATRC rides judge riders on horsemanship and horse care. Their competitions place an emphasis on rider and horse safety. The conference establishes levels so riders can compete with others of similar ability. All horses, including mules, are eligible to take part in every ride. A competitive trail ride is not a speed event. Riders have to manage the course and speed to arrive at checkpoints within a certain time frame. Horses have mandatory breaks and veterinary checks to insure they are fit to continue. Riders can also expect to be judged negotiating natural trail obstacles during a ride.

Links to Competitive Trail Riding Heard in this Episode

NATRC Event Calendar

Public Facebook Page for the NATRC

NATRC YouTube Page with lots of good information

Email for more information on the Old West CTR in Tehachapi September 4 & 5

OldwestCTR@gmail.com

Join Us on this Journey

We want you to be a part of the show. Tell us about your horse. Share your challenges, triumphs, or just everyday items that make horse ownership unique. Create an audio file using the memo app on your phone. Or contact me and we’ll set up a time to talk on Skype or phone. Perhaps what you have to share can help someone in THEIR horse journey.

You are an enormous part of why we do a podcast. We really love getting your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show. Email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening.

John & Ranae

Episode #189

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Nancy McKnight and Pony Club

June 15, 2021 by John Leave a Comment

Nancy McKnight and Pony Club

Kelly McKnight emailed me to say his mother, Nancy, would be a delightful guest on the podcast. Nancy McKnight is 89 years old and spent much of her adult life helping children learn horses and horsemanship through her affiliation with the US Pony Club. The mission statement of the Pony Club is:

The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. is an educational organization which builds the foundations of teamwork and sportsmanship through riding, mounted sports, care of horses and ponies, while developing and enhancing leadership, confidence, responsibility, and a sense of community in its youth and adult members.

Nancy’s father was a dealer in farm machinery. Farmers were trading in their horses for modern implements. Nancy’s father would take the horses in trade, give them to Nancy and her sister to work with a while, then sell them. When Nancy had children of her own, she wanted them to share her love of horses. To fill in her horsemanship knowledge, Nancy turned to the United States Pony Club and its teachings. She began a chapter of the organization in Northern California. Later, when she moved to Willamette, Oregon, she began a chapter there.

Nancy taught countless children about horses. She has wonderful memories and stories to tell about her experiences teaching children through Pony Club.

Nancy remains active riding a different type of horsepower.

Thanks to Kelly of McKnight Farms for contacting me about his mother. She is a very special woman.

Join Us on this Journey

You are an enormous part of why we do a podcast. We really love getting your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show. Email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening.

John & Ranae

Episode #187

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Horseback Archery

May 11, 2021 by John 2 Comments

Horseback Archery

When I think of horseback archery, I think of Robin Hood and Medieval Times. I didn’t realize people were practicing it today. We did a podcast on Cowboy Mounted Shooting a few years ago, and that was fun. While riding through nearby Rancho Rio Equestrian Center, we noticed them setting up the arena for an event. I keep a watch for happenings here because it is one of my favorite stables. We can ride right along the Kern River. But I hadn’t heard of this.

When I asked around, I discovered that clinicians, Elizabeth Tinnan and Heather Lomax, were holding a horseback archery and bridle-less riding clinic for about 10 students. I grabbed my portable recorder and began asking questions. Elizabeth Tinnan told me that horseback archery was growing fast in the US. There were two national organizations, including the Mounted Archery Association of the Americas, and many smaller clubs around the country. Elizabeth is from middle Tennessee and rides with the Chattahoochee Horse Archers at Tennessee Valley Archery. I had not realized that there was a group less than an hour away. Judy Osborne told me about the Poseidon Horse Archers who meet at Hidden Creek Ranch.

Heather Lomax owns Hidden Creek Ranch and teaches bridle-less riding among other disciplines. She discovered mounted archery fit in nicely with this type of riding. It takes two hands to fire an arrow, so one needs a horse that knows how to carry a rider with little direction.

Join Us on this Journey

We want you to be a part of the show. Tell us about your horse. Share your challenges, triumphs, or just everyday items that make horse ownership unique. Create an audio file using the memo app on your phone. Or contact me and we’ll set up a time to talk by Skype or phone. Perhaps what you have to share can help someone in THEIR horse journey.

You are an enormous part of why we do a podcast. We really love getting your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show. Email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening,

John & Ranae

Episode #185

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Working Cowboy Lane Selz Ranch Life in California

August 25, 2020 by John Leave a Comment

Working Cowboy – Lane Selz

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a working cowboy in 2020? My friend, Lane Selz, day-works for several ranches in the area. He describes life in today’s ranching world.

When I first met Lane, he was still in high school. He was so good at riding bulls in high school, he earned his permit to ride in PRCA. From there, Lane spent a few years riding on the professional circuit, traveling to rodeos across the country. Lane returned to Bakersfield, CA to open up his own farrier service business after working for several prominent farriers locally, including Ernest Forsberg and Sean McRoberts.

But Lane grew up wanting to be a cowboy. As a kid he rode his bike to Denny Watkins place and helped where he could. In Central California, where we both live, there are several big ranches. Lane contracts with many of them as a day-worker. When the ranch needs extra help, they call in day-working cowboys. As extra help, Lane never knows what job he might get for the day. It could be sorting, branding, or gathering. It’s not a total mystery, Lane can usually predict what work needs done by the season. They may brand in the fall, calve in the spring, etc.

I talked to Lane about what it’s like for today’s working cowboy in California. For more info on the Californio Tradition, check out this video with Tommy Thompson.

Join Us on this Journey

We want you to be a part of the show. Tell us about your horse. Share your challenges, triumphs, or just everyday items that make horse ownership unique. Create an audio file using the memo app on your phone. Or contact me and we’ll set up a time to talk by Skype or phone. Perhaps what you have to share can help someone in THEIR horse journey.

You are an enormous part of why we do a podcast. We really love getting your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show. Email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening,

John & Ranae

Episode #174

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Stallion Springs Trail Ride

August 7, 2020 by John Leave a Comment

Stallion Springs Trail Ride

Friends and I explored the Stallion Springs area of the Tehachapi Mountains in Central California. There is plenty of room for your horse trailer at the intersection of Horse Thief and Mustang, called Buckskin Park. You’ll find a few horse pens, hitching posts, and picnic tables to enjoy. From here (our elevation was about 4,000 feet), you can horseback ride in a couple of directions. Some trails are alongside the streets, but the residents are very respectful of horseback riders and take care.

At the time of this video, some trails needed maintenance, but that won’t always be the case. Stallion Springs Trail Maps: https://www.stallionspringscsd.com/equestrian-hiking-trails

There were five of us riding on this outing. Two of the people knew the area well. Stallion Springs, and the Tehachapi area is a very horse-friendly. While we ride through residential areas, the lots are big and far apart. There are lots of oak trees. I believe there are five distinct types of oaks in the area. As we rode through one area, a group had labeled many of the plants.

Most of the group drove from places with a little elevation. Scratch lives at 500 feet. I found he was huffing and puffing going up the hills. The temps can reach the high 80s in the summer. At that elevation, it feels even warmer.

As we wound around the mountains, magnificent vistas of the Tehachapi valley would emerge. Then, we would turn around another corner and trees and mountains surrounded us.

Wildlife and the Old Golf Course

Real estate in the area took a hit a few years back. As a result, the Stallion Springs golf course lost its owner. It’s overgrown now. Golfers knew the course for its fast greens and rocky terrain.

We saw a few deer from the trail. Two elk walked through Buckskin Park as we unsaddled. There have been some reports of rattlesnakes in the area. Keep an eye out.

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