Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten.  This podcast interview will move you!  Pam Gardner lost an eye in a horse accident.  She believes she crossed over and her horse and dog were waiting for her on the other side.  She wanted to stay with God but he said she wasn't ready and sent her back to do three things: Learn Something, Teach Something, & Finish Your Horse.  Pam said, &q...

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten.  Lee Hart is the longest returning clinician at our facility (Von Holten Ranch in Mora, MO).  Lee has had one to two clinics a year since we opened our facility to the public.  Yes, Lee is a fierce competitor and horse trainer, but that is not why we keep singing his praises.  Lee has a way of connecting with clinic participants that helps take them...

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten!  Colton Kiso is a self taught bladesmith that lives in Missouri.  Colton competed on the TV show Forged Under Fire and placed 2nd when he was 19 years old.  He is now a full time bladesmith.  Colton married his high school sweetheart that is a mortician.  I bet you won't find another couple quite like them.  You will love listening to Colton Ki...

Welcome back to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten.  Jason Worthley is a returning guest.  Just a good guy that cares about his county and country.  Jason has served under three different law enforcement agencies all while living in Morgan County.  Jason in running for the Morgan County Western District Commissioner.  The election is August 6, 2024.  I was honored to get to just chat with Jason...

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten.  I found today's guest as a featured business in a magazine called Rural Missouri.  Their business is called "The Little Farm Store".  They are located East of Springfield in Mansfield, Missouri.  The Little Farm Store is an online farmers market connecting fresh foods grown from local farmers to the public through home delivery.  No...

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten.  Meet female cattle rancher, Gina Kuda.  Her passion is with the Limousin breed.  Gina offers bull and replacement heifers.  She also goes above and beyond to increase safety by halter breaking most of the bulls she sells.  You are going to love this down-to-Earth, knowledgeable, hardworking cowgirl.  Her website is www.kudalimousinranch.com  

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten.  It is my pleasure to introduce Amber Watkins, the owner of Reclaiming Dawn.  She is done with putting poisons into her body and designed a healthy line of products for skin, hair, laundry, and wellness.  Amber is doing the research and finding lie after lie.  One common thought that she has had to help people overcome is thinking "clean"...

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten.  I respect the man in this interview today!  Meet Bruce Whittle, DVM!  Not only did I have him as a guest on the podcast but I also wrote an article in Mules and More Magazine about the difficult tooth extraction he successfully completed on my mule, JoJo.   Bruce Whittle is located in Trenton, Missouri with his wife who is also a veterinarian, Hone...

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten.  My guest today knows how to raise a good steak!  Derek Riggs and his wife, Karla, own MidMissouriBeef.com  Here is what their website says, "We are a family owned and operated ranch that produces a quality cut of beef. Karla is a 5th generation rancher that grew up raising and showing purebred Charolais. Derek is a 4th generation rancher that...

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten.  From a century farm in ruins to Missouri's Best Ranch to Country Tough Homesteading.  My mission in life is to help others by helping them gain the forgotten skills to help them become more self sufficient  with hands on homesteading classes.

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten.  Today's guest is an Oklahoma cowboy named Chris May.  He and his wife and kids own a equine facility in Oklahoma.  Chris has been to every continent except Antarctica with the oil and gas industry.  I met Chris through Facebook and it turned out that we had a lot of the same interest in helping people become safer with their equine.  He wants...

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten.  I have to take a back seat to today's very distinguished guest, Brenda Valentine, the First Lady of Hunting.  Brenda has been the host of multiple TV shows:  Turkey Country and Bass Pro Shop/Outdoor World.  She has modeled hunting attire and even authored a book titled "Hunting MisAdventures with the First Lady of Hunting".  Brenda w...

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten!  It is my pleasure to introduce Erica Graham with Graham Equine.  She is a self taught leather maker!  Mother of three, K-State graduate, and excellent horsewoman!  Erica's daughter followed in her footsteps.  I love to support others that are blazing their own path.  It is my pleasure to introduce leather maker and cowgirl, Erica Graham!

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten.  Today's guest is Kody Hanner!  If one day we find out that we are related, it would explain a lot.  We look a like, have a lot of the same values, and found each other at a homeschool expo.  I love her business and she loves mine!  She has written an elaborate homeschool curriculum for homesteaders!  It is K-12 and is nothing shy of being call...

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten!  You are about to meet one of my MOST people on this planet!  Taressa Rankin!!!  She is such a wonderful trainer, mom, wife, and friend!  She is a horse trainer, homeschooler, and homesteader.  This podcast is the first but not the last.  If you would like to find Taressa, check her out on Facebook at Taressa Rankin Horsemanship, LLC.  To find more...

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten!  Today's guest is Diana Thebo- Markworth!   She has been a familiar face at Von Holten Ranch throughout the years.  From clinics, to judging, to competing, to getting married....when there's a horse involved, Diana's favorite mount is a MUSTANG.  Diana is a gift to every mustang she comes across.  Just a friend in general to the breed...

Welcome back to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten.  Today's guest is Logan Schrag, a Kansas cowboy that owns Diamond Springs Ranch.  His facility offers guided trail rides, a massive treehouse that is more like a beautiful apartment for the weekend, an event venue, and something he calls the "Cowboy Experience".  No horse, no problem.  Logan Schrag and Michael W. Green also do bu...

Welcome to Country Tough with Brandy Von Holten!  Meet Michael Green!  He's the owner of Watkins C Ranch in Leavenworth Kansas.  It is a third generation trail facility for people that do not own their own horses.  Michael also does business consulting.  Check them out at www.watkinscranch.net 

Welcome back to Big Boss Mare with Brandy Von Holten!  OMG, you are going to love today's guest, Liz Dingus!  You will join me in rooting for her.  2021 was extremely rough on a lot of people, but it was over the top hard on Liz and her family.  In 2021, she lost her mother-in-law, father-in-law, her mother, and her 21 year old son (her 5th child out of 8).  Liz talks about this experience an...

Welcome back to Big Boss Mare with Brandy Von Holten!  Let's meet Tony & Merry Kroeger with Heartland Eq Stables located in Sedalia, Missouri.  Before the stables, they dove into a business called The Weed Zapper.  This dynamic duo also pastor a church together where they have done everything from "preach, teach, and play bass" for over 30 years.   The world really is such a sma...

Welcome back to Big Boss mare with Brandy Von Holten!  Today's guests are a horsemanship instruction duo named Tony & Jenny Vaught!  They are a dynamic duo that has been helping horses, mules, and riders reach their next level.  This is a homeschooling, ministry, karate, and amazing horsemanship married couple.  They now live in Florida but frequent the Midwest to share their teachings. ...

Welcome to Big Boss Mare with Brandy Von Holten!  Tina Dulaban is our guest today!  She is the Vice Chair for the Central Region for the Missouri Women in Agriculture.  MO Women in Ag put on a yearly conference called the Women in Ag Conference.  The conference started in 2001 and has been going strong ever since.  The event is in September and on a Monday-Tuesday-and Wednesday.  Weekends are extr...

Welcome back to Big Boss Mare with Brandy Von Holten!  Meet DVM Greg Houtsma with the Warrensburg Animal Hospital located in Warrensburg, Missouri.  Born in Canada, but settled in Missouri, DVM Greg Houtsma is a highly respected vet in the Midwest.  He emphasizes in equine reproduction, lameness, and dentistry.  He has helped us at Von Holten Ranch with equine dentistry, lameness, eye injuries, an...

Welcome back to Big Boss Mare with Brandy Von Holten!  We have two guests today, Russ and Dina Brown, the owners of R Bar B in Topeka, Kansas!  Their store is family owned with their three sons also working for the business.  They sell saddles, tack, clothing, cowboy hats, trailers, bits, and everything in between!  R Bar B is also hosts all sorts of clinicians and events in their outdoor arena. ...

Welcome back to Big Boss Mare with Brandy Von Holten!  Today's guest is Mark Kestner.  Our businesses parallel from close to the same start date and roughly the same industry.  Mark has a company that is divided into three categories:  rental RV, RV park, and now a crappie fishing guide service.  You will love his down to Earth business plan and his willingness to venture out to live the life...