Life In The Saddle

It is always an incredible time catching up with Wade. This is a whirlwind of an interview squeezing his fascinating history and adventurous life in the horse industry into 20mins. Bonus Virtual Event: https://true-west-horsemanship.mvt.so/video-library/website-virtual-events About Wade Black: Wade Black was born on the Stampede Ranch in Nevada and spent the early part of his life on the Winecup G...

"Trust & Understanding"...are these simply catch-phrases that horse people toss out into thin air without understanding the true depth of what those fundamentals have to do with their communication and the perspective of the horse? Tune in today for a dive into the true meaning of what working horses with Trust and Understanding is! About "Life in the Saddle" Podcast:  Join horseman Ben Longwe...

I've followed Amy Raymond's work online for a long time, as silversmithing is one of my interests, and it was great to finally meet her at the Pendelton Round Up last year. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Amy as much as I did. She is a super talented artist and maker! About Amy Raymond: Amy is a mom, talented silversmith and engraver who has been working as a maker since 2004.  She doesn’t b...

It was so much fun to visit with Daniel, whose podcast I was privileged to be on late last year. This guy will keep you guessing and I think you'll enjoy hearing more about his history with a few stories and lessons learned along the way. About Daniel Dauphin: Daniel has trained horses for three decades. He’s given blood, sweat and tears and that was just last Tuesday. He earned a B.S. in Animal S...

I really enjoyed my visit with Carlos, whose work I've followed a long time. It was great to hear about his different adventures with horses and ranching and where it led him to become the craftsman he is today. We had a few technical sound issues during the call, but I hope you can get the heart of his story. About Carlos Macias: Carlos grew up in California and has lived a fascinating life, incl...

Why do those without a job to do with their horses often take too long to make progress and those having a job to do with their horses often rush the progress instead of taking the necessary time? I commonly see these two extremes in my work with horses and their owners. Tune in today to my thoughts on achieving balance in making progress with individual horses. **Want to help support Life In The...

I've followed Ryan's adventures on social media for several years and was finally privileged to meet him earlier this year in Salt Lake City. We had a fantastic conversation about ranching, history & horses! About "Rancher Ryan" Ryan is a 5th generation rancher based in southern Idaho. The family has raised beef cattle & bred horses there for over 140 years. Ryan has a great social media f...

I don't think there is a principle that is more universal and applicable to horse riders, regardless of breed or discipline. What does a horse, and thus a rider, need to understand in order for this crucial foundation to be in place before there's trouble? Tune it today as I dive deeper into this question and more to set you and your equine up for success no matter what you may face. **Want to hel...

There can be such a tricky balance between exposing your horse to something that bothers him, but not making it a traumatic experience that confirms his initial fears or even makes it worse. How do we work on the right amount of exposure to build confidence? Where is the balance between expanding the comfort zone vs. destroying confidence? Tune in today to gain insights into these situations and p...

Ben caught up and recorded this podcast live with Ryan Rose at the Western States Horse Expo. It was fantastic to get to know him better and find out we have a lot of horsemanship philosophies in common. Tune in to hear some of his story and lessons learnt working with horses and people.   About Ryan Rose:  Ryan Rose is a professional horse trainer and clinician and teaches workshops and clinics a...

"Wet saddle blankets" What does this old saying mean? Is it something beneficial or detrimental for our horses? What else does it take to make a great saddle horse? Join me in looking deeper into this topic and some common misunderstandings in the horse world! **Want to help support "Life In The Saddle Podcast"? It takes a lot of time to write, record and edit quality podcast to arrive free to you...

Ben was recently interviewed for Best Horse Practices Podcast with Maddy Butcher and we share it here with permission.   This will make a third visit for Ben on the show. In past interviews, he’s had great insight to bitless options as well as nervous horse help. In this episode, we talk about the evolution of horsemanship and different directions people are taking the horse-rider partnership. He...

I hope you enjoy this fun conversation as much as I did! Jess and I followed each other on social media for a couple of years before finally meeting face to face last October on my way through Burns, Oregon for this 'in person' podcast. She and her family have an interesting story to tell and adventures we can all learn something from. About Jessica Hedges:  Jess is a cowboy’s wife, mama and homes...

Is it difficult to mount your horse? This can be a common issue but is not the actual problem. Tune into this episode as we dive deeper into the roots of this symptom and address key communication and principles as well as looking at the bigger picture. About "Life in the Saddle" Podcast:  Join horseman Ben Longwell as he shares stories & adventures and interviews extraordinary men and women i...

Are you just a trail rider? I hear this statement all the time in my clinics and on social media - "I'm just a trail rider..." As if to set the expectation low right out the gate. In this episode, we discuss the need for great communication and proper riding no matter what you intend to be doing in the future with your horse. The need for a trust-based partnership to deal with the 'unexpected' whe...

It was fascinating to catch up with Michelle earlier in the year and hear more about her history with horses, a wreck breaking her back, and the journey to ride again which she writes about in her books. About Michelle: Michelle R Scully is an avid horsewoman and animal lover. Michelle and her husband live in northern California where they are part of a multi-generational farming operation. A bad...

In this episode, we are going to discuss some communication keys for preparing your horse to be haltered with trust and understanding. These principles apply not only to young horses/foals (starting to halter) and problem-solving cases (where a horse has developed evasive ideas), but also may help you think about your approach to simple tasks, even if you don't have a problem. About "Life in the S...

Welcome to 'Tales from the Trail' which is a special podcast series we are recording in person as we travel the west during our Winter Clinic Tour. From gear makers and ranchers, to horsemen and other interesting people - tune in to enjoy as they share their stories. I have followed Jeff's work for a number of years now and it was awesome to finally be able to meet in person on the historic Gabila...

Welcome to 'Tales from the Trail' which is a special podcast series we are recording in person as we travel the west during our Winter Clinic Tour. From gear makers and ranchers, to horsemen and other interesting people - tune in to enjoy as they share their stories. I first met Joni when I was about 8 and she gave me my very first paying job - fixing fence on her leases for $2 per hour (I thought...

It is always an honor to be able to talk to someone I admire. I have loved Mike Beck's music about horses and the west for as long as I can remember.  Enjoy his stories and wisdom of horses and music.   About Mike Beck: Mike Beck is an engaging acoustic solo artist who regularly performs in the United States and Europe. He is a regularly featured performer at The National Cowboy Poetry and Music G...

Welcome to 'Tales from the Trail' which is a special podcast series we are recording in person as we travel the west during our Winter Clinic Tour. From gear makers and ranchers, to horsemen and other interesting people - tune in to enjoy as they share their stories. It was an absolute privilege to visit with John & Susan Wright of Capriola's and learn more about history of this awesome company su...

Welcome to 'Tales from the Trail' which is a special podcast series we are recording in person as we travel the west during our Winter Clinic Tour. From gear makers and ranchers, to horsemen and other interesting people - tune in to enjoy as they share their stories. Had a great visit with Keith Seidel of Seidel Saddlery in Cody, Wyoming where we talked about saddle fitting, his history, saddle ma...

I was very excited to visit with Duke Phillips - a person I have looked up to for a long time and whose work I find very inspiring. Don't miss this one!!! About Duke Phillips: Duke Phillips III, the Founder and CEO of Ranchlands. More than 20 years ago and with only 35 cows to his name, Duke moved his family to the Chico Basin Ranch located on the prairie just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado...

Welcome to 'Tales from the Trail' which is a special podcast series we are recording in person as we travel the west during our Winter Clinic Tour. From gear makers and ranchers, to horsemen and other interesting people - tune in to enjoy as they share their stories. Fun to visit Three Forks Saddelrey again after bringing our 2019 Ranch Tour Guests there for a tour of the workshop. Tune in to hear...

Welcome to 'Tales from the Trail' which is a special podcast series we are recording in person as we travel the west during our Winter Clinic Tour. From gear makers and ranchers, to horsemen and other interesting people - tune in to enjoy as they share their stories. It was great to sit down and visit with Scott & Brad from Buckaroo Businesses in Billings, Montana. We have worked with Buckaroo Bus...