The Whoa Podcast

About Horses and Horsemanship

Listen to the Podcast NOW

Support the Show. Become a Patron!

  • Home
  • Podcast
    • My Favorite Podcasts – Audio Only
  • Every Podcast
  • YouTube Videos
  • Support the Whoa Podcast
  • Horse Tips
Home » Travel » Page 3

Stone Horse Mongolian Horseback Expeditions

March 28, 2017 by John 4 Comments

Stone Horse Mongolian Horseback Expeditions

horse expeditionsDo you have a bucket list?  Have you ever thought of taking a horseback expedition? How about a desire to travel to exotic places?  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ride a Mongolian horse?  After all, the Mongols were one of the first horse cultures.  

When I began doing this podcast I never dreamt it would go around the world. Through the internet, the show has downloads in over 80 different countries. It is amazing and, just between you and me, I hope some of those listeners aren’t trying to learn English from me.

When Keith Swenson emailed me from Mongolia wanting to talk about his horseback expedition rides I was immediately captivated. I’m not sure what your picture of Mongolia is, but mine was a cold, dark, barren place I had seen in a “b” movie.   After talking with Keith and visiting his website and YouTube Channel I had a totally different picture.  I really needed to know more about his company, Stone Horse Expeditions.  Stone Horse has expeditions to Gorkhi Terelj National Park, Mongolia Wilderness, Khan Khentii Mountains, as well as excursions to the Gobi Desert.

If you are exploring using the Trans-Siberian Railway you can take advantage of their Train to Ger and experience authentic Ger hospitality and culture.

Stone Horse Expedition Links Heard on The Show

Stone Horse Expedition Website

Stone Horse on Facebook

Stone Horse on Instagram

Stone Horse on Pinterest

Stone Horse on Twitter

Stone Horse on YouTube

Get Free Helpful Horse Tips

There is a “Join Our Email” list at the top of this page.  Signup.  Each week I’ll send you something useful you can use to build a better relationship with your horse. Thanks!

Contact Us

We have well over 100 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 tell us how it works.  We are on Google Play too!  You can also 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 – 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

Become a Patron!

Episode #93

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: adventure, Entertainment, Fun Stuff, horse, horseback riding, Horsemanship, Inspiration, Travel

Guest Blogger Equitrekking Travel

February 5, 2015 by John Leave a Comment

Guest Blogger Equitrekking Travel Expert Darley Newman

When I had the opportunity to interview Darley Newman, Producer of the Emmy Award winning travel show on PBS Equitrekking, earlier this year, I jumped at the chance.  Darley has a wealth of knowledge and a life of adventure as she travels the world looking for places people can enjoy with horses.  I asked Darley for an article my readers could use to plan an exciting vacation.  Darley came up with three great national parks where you can experience the wonders of nature from the back of a horse.

Three Great National Parks for Horseback Riding

By Darley Newman

Being a conservation minded traveler and horsewoman, I relish the chance to explore America’s wild spaces on horseback and have been privileged to ride and film in many of our great National Parks as I travel the world for my TV show Equitrekking®. Horseback riding is a great way to experience the remarkable landscapes, wildlife and adventures in National Parks as far flung as Maui and as close to home for me as North Carolina.

There are many advantages to seeing these natural spaces on horseback. Riding horses, you may feel more at tune with nature and the environment. By riding with local guides, you can learn things that aren’t in the guidebooks and not published on the internet, like the horse traditions of the Cherokee in the Great Smoky Mountains or the Navajo in Canyon de Chelly. I also really like being able to share my adventures with an equine friend.

Here are several wonderful parks through which I’ve been fortunate to ride that you can saddle up to explore as well.

#1 Bryce Canyon National Park

Equitrekking TravelIt helps to have a good equine partner for any trail riding, but especially in areas that are new to you with challenging terrain. In Bryce Canyon National Park, one of my favorite National Parks, I was paired up with a veteran mount named “The Kid,” a 10-year-old black Quarter Horse Thoroughbred Cross who knew the trails well. As you descend into the canyon on the Rim Trail, there’s a drop off on the other side that can make a rider nervous. The Kid gave me confidence as we descended amid the wild hoodoos that define Bryce’s landscapes.

Hoodoos are pinnacle shaped rocks that have been sculpted away by the elements over time. Abundant in Bryce Canyon, part of the fun of riding here is picking out shapes within the eclectic hoodoos. My guide Tawn, who’d ridden the Rim Trail countless times, had his own vision for each formation we spotted, including boats, seals and castles. Hearing Tawn share stories of local myths and legends, brought the hoodoos of Bryce to life.

Paiute Native Americans, who lived in the area for centuries called the hoodoos of Bryce, The Legend People, believing that they resembled people who had been turned to stone as a punishment for bad deeds. 19th century settlers, who harvested timber in the canyon, had other ideas about the maze-like formations of hoodoos.

Equitrekking TravelSome of these weathered rock spires tower as high as a ten-story building. Riding here, you’ll often look up, so packing sunglasses or having a brim on your riding helmet is a good idea. The skies were a beautiful bright blue for the first half of my day of riding in Bryce. Exceptional air quality, along with the park’s isolation from development and high elevation, can grant over 100 miles of views.

You’ll want to be prepared for the changing altitudes in Bryce. In particular, keep yourself and your horse well hydrated. Pack layers, because the weather can change quickly. While I started the day with blue skies, I ended it with massive cloud cover.

You can saddle up in Bryce with Canyon Trail Rides or bring your own horse or mule to take on the trails. If you do plan to ride here on your own, you’ll need to coordinate with Canyon Trail Rides, who runs regularly scheduled rides in the park.

#2 Capitol Reef National Park

Equitrekking TravelOften overlooked for Bryce and Zion, Capitol Reef National Park in South Central Utah is a great place to discover on horseback, especially if you can ride out with local outfitter Pat Kearney, who has a vast knowledge of the land and its history. Less visited than some of the other U.S. Parks, Capitol Reef showcases dramatic geology and history, much of which is unreachable by modern roads.

The park’s dome-shaped cliffs and canyons have been compared to the U.S. Capitol, granting the park part of its name. These tall sandstone cliffs have created a barrier to travel, just as a reef is a barrier for sailors, so the park is aptly named “Capitol Reef.”

Large sandstone canyons reveal the earth’s geologic progression, defined in the Waterpocket Fold, almost 100 miles where layers and layers of earth have been thrust upwards, collapsing over each other. This fold in the earth occurred tens of millions of years ago, perhaps when the continental plates were colliding to form the great Rocky Mountains.

Equitrekking TravelRiding horses may put you in the mindset of some of the famous outlaws who are thought to have hidden out in Capitol Reef, like Butch Cassidy or the cowboys of the 19th and 20th centuries who used the land here as winter grazing areas, camping out for weeks at a time. Rock art in the form of petroglyphs also sheds light on the park’s human history. The Fremont people, a group of hunter-gatherers lived in this area from around the 7th to the 14th centuries. Later in the 1800’s Morman settlers would form a tight community here, using the Fremont River to sustain life. Their orchards and the old one room schoolhouse still remain.

If you want to explore Captiol Reef National Park on horseback, you can book a camping or inn to inn ride with Pat Kearney (http://www.equitrekkingtravel.com/destinations/view/utahs-canyonlands-national-parks-horseback-riding/ )or bring your own horse. Check the National Park Service website for the most up to date information. (http://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/horsepack.htm) Currently, overnight camping is only allowed for horses and riders with advanced reservations within the Post Corral at Equestrian Staging Area in the Waterpocket District.

#3 Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Equitrekking TravelThe most visited of our national parks, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park rests along the border of North Carolina and Tennessee in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. There are several horseback riding stables in the park that lead visitors on guided rides or you can bring your own horse. There are around 550 miles of trails open to equestrians in the park and dozens of backcountry horse camps, making for abundant and diverse trail riding. The park also boasts wondrous biological diversity and is designated as an International Biosphere Reserve by United Nations.

Forrest Parker and members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians guided my ride through the Great Smoky Mountains, telling me the history of the Cherokee in these mountains and making the riding experience much more intimate. It was a plus to ride smooth Tennessee Walking horses here, as some of the trails can be steep, rocky and narrow.

On our outing, I found an abundance of shade and water, which made for easy going on the horses. We passed by beautiful rushing streams, mossy covered boulders and colorful wild flowers, including blue phlox and the magnolia tree’s delicate white blooms. Though we had no encounters, there are an estimated 1,500 black bears that reside in the park boundaries.

History buffs may enjoy the park’s old log barns and houses, as well as at the nearby Oconaluftee Village, which replicates an 18th century Cherokee Village. In planning your adventures here, definitely check out the National Park Service website for the Great Smokies, (http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/horseriding.htm) which has more extensive information on riding and camping here, including the option to reserve horse camps online.

About the Author

Darley Newman is the host and producer of the Emmy-winning Equitrekking TV show. She travels the world horseback riding with local people and sharing her knowledge of places you can ride, too, at Top20Ranches.com, EquitrekkingTravel.com and Equitrekking.com.  

Listen to our Audio Conversation

Listen to our podcast with Equitrekking Travel Expert, Darley Newman on the Whoa Podcast about Horses and Horsemanship.

Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Equitrekking, Fun Stuff, horse, Inspiration, Travel

Ojai Valley Cowboy School

February 3, 2015 by John 1 Comment

Ojai Valley Cowboy School

IMG_6280

Learning to pack at cowboy school

When you come to horses late in life there are too many things you just don’t know.  More importantly, you’re not left with enough time to learn them through experience.  You think to yourself, “Oh, if there were only a cowboy school“.  Well, guess what?  There is.  Husband and wife team, Jeff and Jay Ohaco have teamed up with Vaquero Boone Campbell and Laura Fullilove to create a unique experience at the Ojai Valley Cowboy School.  This is the place for horse lovers looking to expand their knowledge.  The idea for a cowboy school came about for a couple of reasons.  The real-life group of cowboys found themselves with extra time as the drought in California affected the cattle business.  But, they also saw many horse people who could benefit from their knowledge.

Ojai Valley Cowboy School

Cowboys gotta eat. The food was great at Ojai Valley Cowboy School

The question became how to present years of experience into easy-to-understand instruction?  Cowboys have a wealth of knowledge beyond just horses.  They camp and backpack.  They repair their own leather.  They make their own reins.  They cook their own meals.  If they tried to present everything all at once it would be overwhelming.  One way would be to break it down into smaller chunks.  The group at the Ojai Valley Cowboy School came up with a “menu” of sorts – a cowboy school menu.  It includes items from how to set up a tepee, to what to do if your horse throws a shoe.

Ranae and I contacted Jeff at the cowboy school and told him we wanted to learn a little about packing with our horses, a horsemanship lesson, and the philosophy of the Vaquero.  There “standard” menu has over twenty items on it.  Although you could ask them about literally anything and they would make a “course” out of it.  Each of our three courses were set up at a station on the ranch property in the beautiful Ojai Valley. (Even though it was mid-January the temperatures were in the mid 70’s) There were two other local horse lovers, Bruce Freeman and Gretel Compton, at the cowboy school.  While we were at one station learning horsemanship, they were at another station learning about packing and camping.  At the end of a session, we switched places.

This setup offers very personalized one-on-one interaction and you are free to ask any and all questions.  The group is very knowledgeable.  Graham Goodfield of Los Padres Outfitters in Carpenteria demonstrated how he packs for one of his day trips on the beach or to the backcountry.  Graham went into such detail, we’ll feature his interview in a future podcast.

IMG_6282

Instructors Boone Campbell and Graham Goodfield take a break between sessions of the cowboy school

Boone Campbell starts his horses the Vaquero way.  It’s a different style of horsemanship and one he gets to share at the cowboy school.  Boone shared his thoughts on the hackamore and bits he uses on his working horses.

We also learned our fellow students at the cowboy school were wine makers.  Bruce bottles under the label Clos de Amis wines.  Sitting around the campfire during a break between classes, I got to talk to Bruce about his wines.  That interview will also be included in a future podcast.

Chris West came out to our cowboy school session to show us some of his handcrafted leather products.  Chris owns Boot Purse and Barn.  Chris creates unique western accessories that are useful and fashionable.

Links

Ojai Vally Cowboy School – Website – Facebook

Boone Campbell – Website

Los Padres Outfitters – Website – Facebook

Chris West Creations

Clos de Amis Wines

 About Us

Welcome to the Whoa Podcast about Horses and Horsemanship.   I am your host  John Harrer.  Along with my wife, Ranae, each week on the show we talk about some aspect of owning a horse.  It could be feeding or supplementation.  It could be bits and bridles, tack, or cowboy boots.  We cover training problems, or competing in shows.  We talk about farriers and horse chiropractors.  And we travel to places we think you would like to take your horse.   That’s what the Whoa Podcast is all about.

Contact Us

We have well over 80 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.

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 #047

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: Entertainment, Horsemanship, Travel, Vaquero

Equitrekking with Darley Newman

January 27, 2015 by John Leave a Comment

EquitrekkingEquitrekking Talking Travel with Darley Newman

Darley Newman has carved out a career we would all love to have.  She travels to exotic and faraway places AND she get to ride horses.  While that sounds like a whole lot of fun and games, there can be some harrowing experiences, like the time she was charged by an elephant!  Today we meet up with travel expert Darley Newman.  Darley is the producer and host of the Emmy award winning Equitrekking show on PBS.  Her program showcases some of the best places to experience horses around the globe.  Her websites Equitrekkingtravel.com and Top20Ranches.com help people find exceptional horse vacations all across the country and around the world.

Equitrekking grew out of a love of travel and horses.  Darley maintains a travel blog where readers are treated to her well-written articles about the places she has traveled.  Always full of great horse stories and wonderful adventures, the Equitrekking website can help you find a great place to travel for a unique equestrian experience.

You can also find Darley Newman at these links:

Facebook Equitrekking

Twitter

YouTube EquitrekkingTV

About Us

Welcome to the Whoa Podcast about Horses and Horsemanship.   I am your host  John Harrer.  Each week on the show we talk about some aspect of owning a horse.  It could be feeding or supplementation.  It could be bits and bridles, tack, or cowboy boots.  We cover training problems, or competing in shows.  We talk about farriers and horse chiropracters.  And we travel to places we think you would like to take your horse.   That’s what the Whoa Podcast is all about.

Contact Us

We have well over 80 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.

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 #046

http://traffic.libsyn.com/duhpodcast/Equitrekking_Podcast_01272015.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Filed Under: The Podcast Tagged With: adventure, horseback riding, Travel

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

Search

Subscribe to the Whoa Podcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen On Google Music

Click To Amazon and Support Us!

Check out My YouTube

John Harrer & Horses Whoa Podcast Jana Goode
 

Tell Us About Your Horse

Email Us ~ John@WhoaPodcast.com

Artwork For The Whoa Podcast Provided By Jana Goode
Whoa Podcast Jana Goode
 

This Week’s Featured Podcast

Gabrielle Diakon

Gabrielle Diakon and Equestrian Yoga

Gabrielle Diakon and Equestrian Yoga We last visited with Gabrielle Diakon, Gabby, nearly two years ago amid quarantine and COVID. Gabby is still doing yoga for equestrians and working with horses. Now, she is podcasting. Gabrielle Diakon's Rolling My Third Eye Podcast is available on all podcast platforms. Her show focuses on equestrian mindfulness and deals with fear, anxiety, and many other issues competitive horse riders deal with. But, … [Read More...]

Copyright © 2022 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in