Ep. 32 Mike Kevil

I try not to use the platform for direct self-promotion very often. That being said, I am a business owner and my purpose in all of this is to help you get along better with your horses and still feed my family. Hopefully, this podcast has served to let you get a feel for Daniel's way of presenting information, his personality, and the quality and depth of his knowledge base.
 
Capitalizing on all of that, we're really excited about our latest offering. We've been working for a while on an online course that is based off of The Bit Video, but brings even more to the table and I think we've got something pretty exciting for you. The Bit Course 2.0: Understanding How and Why Bits Function is now live!

The Bit Course incorporates The Bit Video, but we've added in a lot of stuff. After all, it was 7 years ago that I did the research for and recorded that video. I've done even more research, talked to even more interesting people, and answered a lot of questions since. So, I know more and have even better ways to explain things than back then. There was also a lot of content that had to be sacrificed so that we could fit The Bit Video on 4 DVD disks.

With The Bit Course 2.0, you'll get all of that added back into the course, and a lot more. The course takes place over 6 weeks. Each week participants will get a link to that week's module. You'll have video to watch and a PDF to download and print. The PDF will have an outline on that module's video, plus some points that we want to make sure you noted. There will also be a place to take notes or write down questions as you go through that module. Finally, each week's PDF will have some questions for you to answer. We'll also have a live  Zoom meeting where we'll discuss what we learned, go over your critical thinking questions, and any other questions you might have. There will also be a couple of the collaborators that will join us on those live meetings.

Additionally, there will be an online community. You and your fellow participants will be able to chat with each other and pose questions and answers among yourselves. This will also help to keep everyone accountable and make sure that they are keeping up with and will finish the course.

We're really excited to bring you this opportunity and are certain that it will become a pivotal point in your horsemanship journey! Go to TheBitCourse.com to learn more or to sign up. You can also enter your email to sign up for our newsletter and get a peak of the exclusive content. 

Mark Lyon has been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and wore out the t-shirt. I really enjoy getting to talk with fellow horsemen/women that specialize in colt starting. Especially, when they also start a variety of breeds for a variety of disciplines, like I do. When Mark and I had our feeling each other out pre-call, I knew immediately that we were going to have a cool conversation.

Mark's been out there in the trenches for most of his life. He's been a traveling colt starter and makes his rounds across the country, going back to the same places, because once you've seen him do his thing, anyone would recognize that he knows his stuff.

I always aim for these conversations to be like we are sitting on a back porch at sunset, drinking a beverage, watching a fire and talking horses. I think you'll almost be able to hear the fire crackling in the background on this one. If you've been particularly enjoying the episodes where we talk horses, training, philosophy, and our views of the industry, this one's for you.

I generally always leave conversations with guests by saying that I hope we get to ride together somewhere down the road. That's as true with Mark Lyon as it's ever been. I think he and I would be two peas in a pod.

While he does have a truly epic waxed up handle bar mustache, Mark doesn't have  much social media, but his Youtube channel is well worth your time. He does post on Facebook some too, and between our interview and this release of the audio, he's gotten a website up.

https://www.lyonhorses.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@Lyonhorses
https://www.facebook.com/people/Lyon-horses/

Once you listen to this one, the title will make sense. I was encouraged to talk with Colton by a mutual friend, and I feel like I owe that friend a bottle of something. Colton is a very thoughtful guy with a heart for helping people, but in pragmatic ways. He's ambitious and driven, but he's clear on what that ambition and drive is for. His business is there to help him serve others and to provide for his family and their future.
It is for sure the case that horse trainers don't tend to be good at the business side of their business. We get engrossed in the horses, and often only do the things outside of that that are absolutely necessary to keep the horse work moving along. Colton is a breathe of fresh air in that regard. He's encouraging trainers to run their business with purpose, and offering help in how to go about that. I do know of another friend who has used his services that got a significant bump in their business almost immediately.
All of the business talk is a big part of what separates him from the crowd, but I do want to make sure to say that he's a horseman too. Colton has a successful training and clinic schedule and he's smart enough to make sure his family has also made it onto the calendar. I really enjoyed talking with him and got a ton out of the talk. While it may seem like this is a discussion only for horse pros, I think it's also important for owners to understand the real costs of running a training operation and what all should be entailed in that responsibility. I have certainly noticed that far too many of us are operating our businesses on the edge of a cliff. You should want the people taking care of your animals to be safe and secure in their personal lives so that they aren't in a constant state of personally putting out fires while trying to do their best with your business. A rising tide raises all ships.
Colton also has/had his own podcast, Heart of Horsemanship Podcast, which is well worth your time. He hasn't had a new episode in a good while, but the old ones are great. Check out Colton's offerings at the following links:

https://www.coltonwoodshorsemanship.com/
https://www.tiktok.com/@coltonwoodshorseman
https://www.facebook.com/ColtonWoodsHorsemanship/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzFS05e5ap3SPe4g-5T6Nw
https://www.instagram.com/coltonwoodshorseman/
 

I always aim for candid conversations and Jim showed up in spades. He's got a lot of experience training a variety of horses over a 4 decades long career. He's also very well read and uses that to form the basis for his opinions. He's trained mules, packed in the mountains, done the vaquero thing, and now trains Lusitanos for Working Equitation.
We're both a bit on the ADHD side of things, so I hope you can keep up as we chase a few squirrels. There is a lot to digest and learn from in this conversation though. I really hope y'all enjoy it. You can find Jim at the following links:

https://www.facebook.com/jimgroesbeckhorsemanship
https://www.youtube.com/@shortbus390

I really do try to get guests that I genuinely find interesting and those won't all be horse trainers/breeders/vets. Sometimes we go to the peripheral. Kent Rollins is the King of the Cowboy Cooks. "Can't get full on fancy" is his motto. He's been on more cooking shows than you can count. He's beaten Bobby Flay in a head to head Chicken Fried Steak Competition. He's been named the Official Chuck Wagon of Oklahoma by the Governor.  More than just a pretty face, Kent has also been named the Best Cowboy Humorist and Storyteller of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists. He's the author of 3 cookbooks, "Comfort Food the Cowboy Way," "Faith, Family & the Feast," and "A Taste of Cowboy."
Folks, this guy's funny, tanned, grizzled and smoked. We talk about his 1870's chuckwagon, his 385 lb. stove, Bertha, and much more. How did a cowboy cook grow to have one of the largest cooking channels on YouTube with 2.6 million subscribers? This is a really enjoyable conversation and I can't thank Kent enough for taking time out of his very busy schedule. You can find him and his wife, Shannon, at the following links:

https://kentrollins.com/home/
https://www.youtube.com/@CowboyKentRollins
https://www.instagram.com/cowboykentrollins/
https://www.facebook.com/cowboykentrollins

It was my pleasure to speak with a horseman that I have admired for a long time, and one who probably doesn't need an introduction. There are those horseman that you like and respect, and then there are those that you've never heard say a single thing that you didn't agree with. Richard is in that second camp for me.
He's the 2005 NRCHA World Champ, and the 2009 Road to the Horse Champion. He's also Sarah Dawson's dad, and his son is a rescue swimmer in the Coast Guard. It's obvious from the results here that there's something to this guy. He's been giving clinics for over 35 years now.
He was the Artist in Residence at the Thacher School and ran their horse program for a couple of years. He and his wife have now built a place in Weatherford, TX. Richard is letting his teaching take a back seat so he can focus more on showing in the National Reined Cow Horse Assoc. and continue his learning about horses and horsemanship. He and his wife, Cheryl, also host a weekly Christian Fellowship on Zoom called Unbridled.

https://www.wintersranch.com/ (the Unbridled Podcast is hosted at the bottom of their website homepage)
https://www.youtube.com/@richardwintershorsemanship7033
https://www.facebook.com/RichardWintersHorsemanship

Sarah Dawson and Shiney Outlaw's run:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIGRhZH63SA

Steve Rother first hit my radar years ago when I saw a video of him doing a demo at an expo. The skill and horsemanship was evident, but he also had a set of jokes that his horse was in on, as he mimicked characatures of different disciplines. A skilled horseman and a man after my own sense of humor has to be a guest, so here's our chat.
Steve's written an e-book called "How Not to Ruin Your Horse", he does liberty work, cow work stuff, has roped off of a Friesian, plays around with the Garrocha, makes bridlehorses, has won 3 of the Canadian Mane Event Trainer's Challenges, including the last one made up of previous winners, and more.
He teaches and reside on the beautiful Horse Creek Ranch in Eastern Washington where he travels some, but not too far, and gives 5 day horse camps there at his ranch. We talk about his courses, clinics, and online offerings, but we also get into how he started out. He was the kind of kid who would audit a clinic and bring his saddle just in case there was a tough one the owner couldn't handle. His story about getting into liberty work begins with every trainer's nightmare. He also shares with us his way of learning, which is to be very open and not afraid of messing it all up for a while.
Steve is one cool cat and I think if you close your eyes, you could imagine Mathew McConaughey being the person talking. Alright, alright, alright.
https://schoolofhorse.com/
http://www.onerideaway.com/
https://www.instagram.com/horseteacher/
https://www.facebook.com/TheHorseTeacher
https://www.youtube.com/@TheHorseteacher

As with several past guests, I met Katrin Silva at the Best Horse Practices Summit last fall. I immediately liked her and could tell within seconds that she was a technical and experienced rider.  She specialized in Classical Dressage, but does still compete. She kicks butt in Western Dressage too, gives lessons, and works with problem horses.

Katrin's Professional Accolades include:
USDF Bronze Medallist
2022 SFDA High-Point Third Level Dressage
2022 AQHA Reserve World Champion, Level 3 Western Dressage
2022 AQHA Bronze Champion, Level 3 Western Dressage
Coached 2022 AQHA Western Dressage Amateur Level 2 Reserve World Champion
Coached 2022 AQHA Western Dressage Amateur Level 2 Year-End High-Point Champion
2020 WDAA World Champion, Level 3 Western Dressage

She's also a genuine badass! As I sit at my desk, in the A/C, Katrin is trying for her 9th Leadville 100 Ultramarathon buckle. She'll have just finished up that race the day prior to this episode going live.
A native of Germany, and married to a native of Old Mexico, Katrin and her husband David live in New Mexico, where Katrin trains both English and Western Dressage Horses. We talk about her journey apprenticing, her views on some of the common misconceptions,  and her vision on inclusion and opportunity in the horse industry.

https://www.katrinsilvadressage.com/
https://www.facebook.com/katrinsilvadressage
https://www.instagram.com/katrinsilvadressage/

A prime guest for a prime number, Patrick King is a product of two worlds. He apprenticed under Ray Hunt in his early 20s until Mark Russel brought him into the world of dressage. This might be the highest level and most technical episode we've had to date, but I think it will be enlightening to riders of every level.

You'll soon learn that Patrick has a deep and well thought out understanding of how horses function, both in spirit/emotion and physically. His particular blend of backgrounds also makes his explanations accessible to those who haven't also spent a decade or so studying dressage specifically. I think he does a very good job of breaking things down so that we're all on the same page,  which pairs perfectly with his technical knowledge. There are loads of terms that float around in the ether of the horse industry that I hear all the time and am convinced that 95% of the people using the term don't actually understand. This episode will clear up quite a few of those for you.

We talk about how he got to where he is, the tours and lessons that he does every winter in Portugal and Spain, and his Academy for Classical Horsemanship and other on-line training offerings. You'll find Patrick warm and engaging, a lifelong student, and pretty funny as well. You can find his online stuff that we discuss and his social media at the following links:

https://pkhorsemanship.com/
https://www.academyforclassicalhorsemanship.com/
https://www.academyforclassicalhorsemanship.com/opt-in
https://www.balanceinhand.com/
https://www.facebook.com/PKHorsemanship
https://www.instagram.com/patrickkinghorsemanship/
https://www.youtube.com/@PatrickKingHorsemanship

Becky is from California and is a barrel racer. Despite those handicaps, she is quite the horsewoman. She is the only person ever inducted into the California Gymkhana Assoc. Hall of Fame and did it on a purebred Arab.  Becky has a bachelors and masters from Cal Poly, Pamona. She's been a trainer's assistant to trainers in Western Pleasure, Dressage, Reining, and Halter. She finished up her apprenticeships under Certified Monte Foreman Instructors.
She's now been training professionally for 18 years and specializes in halter breaking and 60 day colt starting. She's a 3X World Show Qualifier in Barrels and Poles and has won back to back Ranch Horse Futurities in 2013 and 2014.

She now lives in South Dakota with her boyfriend, JD and starts lots of the ranch's colts, rides some outside colts too, and works on developing her barrel horses. Becky's a hand. A customer, friend, and former podcast guest, Claire Dupuis, told me I should contact Becky and have a chat with her and I wasn't disappointed. We're very much on the same page and there's lots of great tips on colt starting and halter breaking in this one.

Their ranch and a few others also put on the Blue Valentine and Driftwood Sale each year with select colts for the public. They haul down to Springfield, MO, and this year it's Sept. 9th at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds. This sale isn't only special because of the bloodlines and select nature. JD has seen to it that each year they select a colt that's just for the kids. You have to be 16 or under to bid/buy it, and the proceeds from the colt go into a scholarship each year for a young adult going into agriculture or an agriculture related field.

Becky also lost her mother to cancer earlier this year, so they have a cancer research fundraiser too. Each year they donate the proceeds to a different cancer charity. This year it's going to breast cancer. The premise behind this one is to get people outside and moving around more. This began July 21st and runs through Oct. 4th. Becky encourages everyone to ride/walk/run 76 miles in 76 days and donate at least $100 to the cause, hopefully raising $7600. Her mother would have been 76 on Oct. 4th and what an awesome daughter to honor her mother's memory this way!

Please find the link to Becky's website, Facebook Business page, wonderful YouTube channel, and sale website below.

https://beckyamiohorsetraining.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Beckyamiohorsetraining/
https://www.youtube.com/c/BeckyAmio/videos
https://bvdheritagesale.com/