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Home » Entertainment » Page 3

Comanche the Horse of Little Big Horn

October 29, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

Comanche the Horse of Little Big Horn

ComancheJanet Barret wrote a fascinating book about Comanche, the sole surviving horse of the Battle of Little Big Horn.  The story begins with Captain Myles Keogh an Irish immigrant who was a soldier for hire.   After riding for the Pope in Italy, he came to America to fight in the Civil War.  After much research, Janet pieced together the life of Captain Keogh and the story of how he gained Comanche.   Titled, Comanche and his Captain, The Warhorse and the Soldier of Fortune, the book is available on Amazon.

You may remember Janet from a previous podcast about They Called Her Reckless, the story of a Korean Warhorse.  A dedicated author, Janet tells the story of Comanche after delving into volumes of research, stories, and anecdotes about the Battle of Little Bighorn.  Because the only survivors were Indians, the details of the actual battle are often difficult to determine.  That’s not to disparage Indian storytellers, only to say that the details they relayed were heard weeks after the actual battle, then passed on through newspaper editors who were trying to sell papers.   But, Janet cuts through all that and lays out a wonderful story of a Mustang horse named Comanche.

Links Heard in the Comanche Show

Comanche and his Captain, The Warhorse and the Soldier of Fortune

They Called Her Reckless

Total Saddle Fit, Shoulder Relief Cinch

Janet Barrett email

 

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 a big part of why we do this 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 #158

Support the Whoa Podcast with this Amazon Link.

 

http://traffic.libsyn.com/duhpodcast/EP_158_Janet_Barrett_and_Comanche.mp3

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Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: adventure, Books, Education, Entertainment, horse, Inspiration, storytelling

Anna Supp – Inspiration from a Listener

August 27, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

inspiration

Inspiration from Listener Anna Supp 

Listener Anna Supp sent us this email in the hopes it would provide inspiration for others.

If you have a story to share with others in our horse-loving community,  we would love to hear it. It can be about anything – your favorite trainer, your biggest “ah ha” moment, or the story of your horse.  Email to John@WhoaPodcast.com and I’ll do the rest.

Hi John,

I discovered your podcast recently, and thanks to an 11 hour drive that day, got to listen through for most of the trip.

I thought I’d share with you a story, whether you’ll read it or have any interest in it, I have no idea. But perhaps there’s a piece of it you may want to share with someone that needs inspiration. My story is about coming back from an injury and redefining myself as a horse(wo)man in the wake of an accident.

I’m 32 years old, and my horsemanship background is a little unique. I grew up very poor, in a family that did not (nor was able to) support my passion for horses, but I always found a way to be around them. Occasional rides on friends horses, hanging around barns to work for rides, and devouring every book I could get my hands on eventually found me with the opportunity to exercise a backyard horse for my teenage years, and then through good grades and good fortune I was able to go on to college for Equine Business, eventually changing to Agricultural Business Management, and ride on an IHSA team. This college program was really the foundation of my formal riding education, even though I’d spent years researching and learning through trial and error on my own. I went on to manage a summer horse camp, trail and lesson program, eventually building a show program. After graduating college, I moved on to a career outside the industry but continued to coach an Interscholastic Equestrian Program team, lead a 4H club, and teach lessons on the side. It was exhausting but deeply fulfilling.

As my outside career progressed, I pulled back from teaching, and spent a few years on the paying side of the industry, leasing a horse, riding with a trainer, and competing in the jumpers. I had a lot of fun being the customer, but I found myself slightly unfulfilled in that role. Along came marriage and a baby, and another job change, and I pulled back even farther. After having my daughter I gave lessons again occasionally at another barn, but I felt more and more disconnected. As I closed in on my daughter’s first birthday, I was lessoning and leasing half-heartedly, and I had just made the decision to begin pursuing an MBA along with my full-time career.

Three weeks before my daughter turned one, and five before the start of my MBA program, I was letting a young horse catch his breath after a warm up, when a car pulled into the parking lot. I remember the blinding flash of light as the sun hit the windshield just right; the mane disappearing out from underneath me, and then the realization that I could not get up. Throughout the ambulance ride, I was certain it couldn’t be anything serious, but as I lay in the ER, I overheard the diagnosis over the nurse’s radio, and I vowed then and there I was done riding. I had broken my pelvis in four places, including the base of my spine. After surgery, it was six days in the hospital before I could l lift myself out of bed.

By the time I got home, the shock had worn off, and the first thing I did was rope a friend into driving me back to a barn. My daughter learned to walk by holding onto my crutches, and within a few months I was able to drag myself onto a mounting block and onto a horse. That’s when the real pain started. Physically I was fine, secured with plenty of hardware. Mentally, though, I was broken. Trying to push through riding, I began having panic attacks, nightmares, anxiety, and eventually depression. The thing I loved most in life had become a source of fear and pain.

For anyone who has ever been in this place, here’s what you need to know: this story can have a happy ending. It takes perseverance, pro-activeness, and self-advocacy.

  1. Do not worry about anyone else but yourself. I have always been very conscious of the feelings of others, so this was hard. The first and hardest thing I had to do was leave the barn where the accident had happened and ride somewhere else. As much as I didn’t want to hurt the feelings of the trainer, or risk damaging their reputation in any way (especially since it was in no way her fault), being in the same atmosphere was too much for me. I moved back to a barn I had ridden at earlier in the area and had always felt safe, and got a few rides under my belt, and slowly started to feel progress.
  2. Don’t expect your progress to be linear. I would make progress and then have setbacks. Within my first half dozen rides, I sat a few small spooks, that set me back, and each time I wondered if I should just give up. If I would go too long between rides, I would start to wonder if I would have the nerve to get back on. These setbacks became fewer and farther between over time, and less impactful.
  3. Surround yourself with cheerleaders, whatever that takes. I am so fortunate to have a lot of good horse people in my life, that I’ve accumulated from my various adventures. Every time I felt like I couldn’t do it, I reached out to one of them, and they cheered me on from every corner. Their belief in me sometimes is all that pushed me forward. I didn’t want to let them down as much as I didn’t want to let myself down.
  4. Remember why you fell in love in the first place. Despite the progress I was making, I was still struggling. About 9 months after the accident, I had the opportunity to travel to Arizona for school, and decided on a whim to spend two extra days there, by myself, at a dude ranch. By good fortune, the one I found on google was just reopening, so I got a lot of one on one time with the wranglers there. By the second day, I was loping through the desert, and doing some team penning with the other guests. The spark had been reignited.
  5. Find something that makes you hungry to keep going. I came home from Arizona, and after riding hunter jumpers for most of my adult life, I went at the recommendation of a friend and took a reining lesson. In the first fifteen minutes I found myself laughing for the first time in a very long time, and by the end of the hour I was hooked. I haven’t looked back. Around the same time, I stumbled across the documentary “Down the Fence,” and as corny as it sounds, it changed my life. It fueled a new fire, stronger than ever. I knew it was the challenge that I needed. I watched it again, and again, and started making phone calls. I now own two quarter horses, riding several times a week at multiple places, reining and working cows. While wrapping up my MBA is still taking a good chunk of my time, I plan to compete this coming year.

Most importantly, my now two-year-old daughter has fallen in love with horses and riding as well. I don’t struggle to get out of bed. I’m back and more determined and focused than I’ve ever been. My next goal in life is to meet Doug Williamson, and while I don’t know how I’m going to do that yet, I’m sure that I’ll make it happen. Watching him tell his story, the challenges he’d faced, and his straightforward determination changed the way I thought of myself. I know there have been many who were not as fortunate as I have been, to be able to return from an injury. At the same time, there have been others who have had it so much worse than I and didn’t let it stop them from pursuing their dreams. To steal the phrase from Doug, I’ve been given the chance to ride a few more good horses, and I don’t intend to waste a minute of it.

Anna

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 a big part of why we do this 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

Bonus Episode 

Support the Whoa Podcast with this Amazon Link.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/duhpodcast/Anna_Supp_bonus_episode.mp3

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Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Entertainment, Fun Stuff, horseback riding, Inspiration

The Medicine Bucket

May 24, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

medicine bucketThe Medicine Bucket

We have three horses.  Occasionally, they have to take medicine by mouth.  Sometimes that medicine is bitter. That’s where the medicine bucket come in handy.

One supplement we regularly give our horses is a mineral product designed to fill in the deficiencies of the alfalfa hay grown in our area.  Our vet recommends it.  Each horse gets 2 cups a day in pellet form mixed with a bit of water to soften it up.  The minerals are not overwhelming.  The consistency is like straight alfalfa pellets.   All three horses enjoy getting it in the afternoon.  As a matter of fact, when I am mixing up the medicine buckets, they hear me stirring the mixture and nicker.

Different Horses, Different Reactions

Scratch, the mustang, had to learn about the medicine bucket.  Being out in the wild, he had no knowledge a bucket of goodies existed.  He learned quickly.  If there is a flake of alfalfa in his stall and the bucket on the fence, Scratch will start with the alfalfa.  If I add medicine to the bucket, I better add some sugar or salt to improve the flavor, or he will ignore it.

Dusty is the most skeptical.  If there is a hint of anything else in his bucket, he’ll hold out for his alfalfa.  Bute, an anti-inflammatory, must taste bitter.  For dusty, I have to start off with a low dose and gradually work my way up to the prescribed dose.  He is the toughest of the three.

Jessie is the easiest.  She lives for food.  Jessie doesn’t think of treats as treats, she believes them to be essential.  And necessary to her survival.  And she better get them every day or she has a tantrum.  Yeah, I spoil her. But, giving her medicine is a snap.  If a medication is extremely bitter, adding a tablespoon of sugar is all that is necessary.

I made a short video of my bucket procedure with jessie.  You can watch it below.

Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Entertainment, Fun Stuff, Horse care, horse health, horse tips, Horse-keeping, Training Jessie

Coming Back To Horses Susan Hoskins

May 21, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

Coming Back To Horses

Coming Back To Horses 

Women are coming back to horses after raising a family.  There is a lot of life left after your children leave the nest.  Many people use these “Golden Years” to follow their dreams of once again owning a horse.

Long-time listener Susan Hoskins raised eight children.  As they gradually left home to lead their own lives, Susan saw the writing on the wall.  She would need something to fill the void – both of time and passion – that her family left behind.  Coming back to horses is a dream come true.

Challenges

But, things are always easier the second time around.  Mother Nature imposes some physical restrictions on the second half century of life.  While it was not always easy, Susan overcame many of those challenges.  She shares her tips on this episode.

Susan’s Suggestions if You’re Coming Back to Horses

 Susan sent me a great email with many of the items we talked about on the show.  She added this note:  “I am not associated with these companies / organizations, except that I have purchased some of them.”
~ Booma Rein  – https://boomarein.com/
I use this and am weaning off of it.   The owner of this little business started it because she witnessed or knew of a rider that died from an accident involving a horse at high speed that dropped the reins while barrel racing.
~ Horse Holster –https://thehorseholster.com/
NOW I wear my phone on my person!   ha ha   I can still hear my trainer laughing about this with that “told ya” tone about her!   UGH
~ Landsafe –https://landsafeequestrian.com/
This company sells safety equipment.   They also travel around doing clinics on “How to Fall”.   They teach you using a horse simulator with giant, thick mats.  This equips you to fall in a way that potentially minimizes injury.   Also builds confidence from fear of falling.   With  practice you develop muscle memory.
~ Pre twisted / swivel stirrups are a great idea for those with knee-replacement.   Or just knee problems.
~ Cushioned saddles can encourage more time in the saddle.

Join Us on this Journey

I’m not the best community builder.  I will need your help for that.  I’m not the best at conversation. Let’s change it up together.  I hope you will join me.

You are a big part of why we do this podcast.  We really love getting your feedback.  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 #143

Support the Whoa Podcast with this Amazon Link.

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Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Education, Entertainment, Fun Stuff, horse tips, horseback riding, Horsemanship, Inspiration, Training

The Mustang, The Movie

March 19, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

The Mustang, The Movie

Mustang

Matthias Schoenaerts stars as Roman Coleman in Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s THE MUSTANG, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Tara Violet Niami / Focus Features

We talk to French filmmaker and director of the just-released movie, The Mustang, Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre.  If you’re a listener to this show, we know you love horses. However, many of you have had some tough horses to deal with. It doesn’t matter whether your horse is a wild mustang or one of the domestic breeds, one thing we’ve probably all had to deal with is our relationship with the horse.  The Mustang takes this relationship to the limit with a prison inmate and a tough-as-nails wild horse.

Back in August of 2017, we interviewed Joe Misner who runs the RCC Wild Horse Program for the Sacramento Sheriff’s office.  We talked about the symbiotic relationship between the BLM Wild Horse Management and the prison system. In taking responsibility for the care and training of horses, these inmates learn not only horsemanship, but how their attitude, actions, and body language affects the world around them in both the horse world and the human world.  The recidivism rate for inmates in the program is substantially lower than those in other programs. You would think more prisons would take advantage of this.

Exploring the Plot

In the movie The Mustang, a hardened, angry criminal – just looking to do his time and get out – is paired with a wild horse freshly plucked by the BLM and thrown into his own prison system. Now, it might be argued that neither the prisoner or the horse did anything other than what nature taught them to do, but they both found themselves in the same predicament – stuck behind the prison fences.  Could they rely on one another to help them work their way through this situation?

Bruce Dern stars as Myles in Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s THE MUSTANG, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Tara Violet Niami / Focus Features

Director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre spent years researching and working on the script for this movie.  We sat down over Skype on a recent afternoon and talked about what it was like making this movie. The Mustang was released last Friday and I know you will enjoy watching it. Also, check out the BLM website about their Wild Horse & Burro Program. Far too many horses in this country will spend their entire lives behind the fences of holding facilities.

 

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The Whoa Podcast is independently produced by John & Ranae Harrer.  Show your support and keep us inspired to make more by visiting the Patreon Page .  Help defray some of our expenses.

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Our library contains well over 200 episodes 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 tell us how it works.  We are on Google Play too!  Find every episode and more about the show at whoapodcast.com.  Please take a moment and join our email list. Get in on the conversation with Facebook and Twitter and Instagram– just look for WhoaPodcast.

You are a big part of why we do this podcast.  We really love getting your feedback.  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 #139

Support the Whoa Podcast with this Amazon Link.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/duhpodcast/The_Mustang_Movie_Podcast.mp3

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Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Education, Entertainment, Fun Stuff, Horsemanship, wild mustang

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