Episode 47: The Ride – EB Combs

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Right now, it's just me, Jillian, introducing our guests to you today because at the time of recording this horse and rider is getting ready to send their fall issue to print. So Nicole is super busy getting the little last minute details finished up there, but y'all the fall issue is going to be so good. I am so honored to have been a part of it. This is, you know, my first issue with the magazines since I've only been here about three months now. So it was just really great seeing how hard Nicole and everyone at the magazine works to put out this, this incredible magazine for you guys. So look for that in a few weeks, but let's talk about AB Combs who. Is a multiple world champion horsemanship writer who has kind of transitioned into a career in the horse industry, but it's almost the opposite of the horse show world that she got her start in. So she runs a photography studio in Denver with her husband called realm Denver. But the real reason we had her on the show, it was to talk about this new venture that she and her friend and business partner, Amy Morrison have started called the ranch lands, restorative retreat, Eby, and Amy are hosting their second annual retreat at the ranch lands in Colorado. This may. And if you aren't familiar with the ranch lands because I definitely wasn't. I am from Florida as y'all know. So I haven't really been out to Colorado, but. When I saw the pictures of the ranch lands, I was blown away. They are a group of ranches out west that are real working cattle ranches, but a huge part of their business is promoting the conservation of the ranch lands with, you know, innovation and sustainability that also supports the American ranchers. So it sounds like an incredible experience that Eby and Amy are offering. Really the chance to just go out and unplug from the stress of your normal day-to-day life and reconnect with yourself in the ranch lands while learning. Some really great techniques for stress relief, with breathing and yoga and things like that, that will just help keep you grounded and focused. Once you return back to your normal life outside of the ranch lands. But obviously this retreat has a lot to do with horses, which means you get to ride through. And Eby even said that you can Gallop through the sand dunes and other incredible parts of the ranch lands. I don't want to spoil it because Amy is going to explain the whole retreat during the episode, but I can't think of anything better than spending a week in the most beautiful and remote part of Colorado, riding horses all day and learning how to manage your stress and just reconnecting with yourself and your mind. So for more information and pictures of the experience, check out the website, which I've linked in the episode notes below, but it's, um, at true core health.com/ranch lands retreat 2022. And like I said, y'all go look at these pictures because I can't even describe the ranch lands and the amazing landscape that's out there. So just go look at these pictures that Eby has taken. She is an incredible photographer and they'll blow you away. So let's get to know Eby and how she started showing horses to becoming a multiple world champion. And isn't how hosting an equine focused restorative retreat in Colorado. Let's get into. Hi guys. Welcome back to another episode today. We are sitting down with ed Combs, who I actually I've known you since I was like 12 years old. So it's like really exciting to have you on the podcast and talk about things that not aren't necessarily about showing horses. Cause that's how we met. But. You have kind of extended your career past the show horse industry and have started to do some other really fun things within, uh, horses. So thank you for coming on the podcast. And why don't you kind of explain who you are and what you do and all that fun stuff for anybody who hasn't gotten the chance to know you. Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be on this. I grew up writing and showed in quarter horses and the all around events. Um, and I'm now a, and I'm now a photographer up here in Denver, Colorado. Um, I've been up here for about eight years shooting and kind of building a life here with my husband, Jonathan, we have a fleet of animals in our household. Always have, um, I'm a big animal lover, so that's kind of the scope of my life. Right. It's so funny to me that, you know, either we're both living in Denver now yet, we've like, we're doing those over zoom and we haven't seen each other in years. Uh, so we need to change that first of all. But yeah, no, I, the, the reason that we decided to have you on the podcast is that you're kind of. Involved in a really new, cool event. That is something that you're really passionate about. And it's something that's totally opposite from the horse show world, which we'll definitely get into here in a second, but do you, and we'll definitely talk about this event a little further down in the podcast, but do you want to briefly explain what you're doing like within this retreat that you've helped create? Yeah. This is something that I've kind of stumbled into. Um, ranch lands is this kind of experience. At different ranches, one specifically just south of the great sand dunes in Colorado. Um, it's a Potter ranch and you can actually go and stay at the ranch. You like eat their incredible food. It's all inclusive. And then every day you're meeting a Wrangler who you ride with. It's just your group and the Wrangler. And you go out on and ride on one of their three different locations. It's incredible environments. It's nothing like any kind of writing that I had done before. Mostly because it's. In an arena and it's also not nose to tail. You're pretty much encouraged to spread out across these like thousands of acres of ranch lands or even the sand dunes and just like open up the horses. And it's, it's just like wildly intoxicating and super foreign to me. Like, I didn't realize that people like my age group. You know, like ranching still, like I thought this was like a movie moment, like cinematic, not something that like people had actually created like a lifestyle and like lived their life doing that. It's just like wholly natural and familiar to them. Isn't it wild after coming from like the all around and the show performance stuff. And I know that, especially out here in Colorado, uh, I'm sure you can agree to that. Like, I feel like the ranching heritage and the cowboy lifestyle. So much and you're from Texas. So obviously that's, you know, your idea of that kind of stuff. Growing up was probably a little skewed from mine, which I'm from Chicago. So. It's like a totally different thing. And, um, but like out here, like you really do learn that these people live on these huge ranches and they're working ranches and cattle drives are a necessity. They're not just a tourist thing that you do at a guest ranch. And, um, I learned a lot about that too. Just like joining into like, kind of. Starting my life into like the cow horse industry where like a lot of these guys show these horses, but then those horses are also loping 10 miles checking fence line in their free time. You know, like they're, they're like high end horses show horses, but they still work. They don't get bubble wrapped and put in his stall and, you know, have all this stuff on them. Slinkies blink, like they're usually turned out in a pasture and they're working. Yeah. Like it blows our mind. We're like, wait, can we not brush the horses? And they're like, nah, we don't like we don't do. We're like, we can't pay them. We're not going to like wrap their legs and they don't wear shoes. Like what's happening. We don't understand this, but they're just like such Hardy horses and they're good. Like they, the Wranglers like pair you with a horse that kind of matches what experience you're looking for. So like you might be on a hot horse, Marianne, who I found as a paint horse. And she is who I keep going back to because I can like, um, you're not supposed to drop the rhinestone, drop the rates, but I like dropped the reins and I'll be like shooting on Maryann's back while we're like galloping around these beautiful places. And it's just like so fun to like, see these horses, how. Comfortable. They are in this environment. And the main thing that we tend to try and stay aware of is that they're pack animals. Right. They're going to be like really responsive to how they're moving around as a group. But like, otherwise they're like super happy to be in those environments. Where, when I had taken my like show horse on a trail ride in Oregon, between like circuits, one time he was out of control, he was like nuts. Like couldn't handle the like stimulation of like being outside of the arena. And it's just. It's kind of interesting how, like those show horses kind of respond to it. Like how we do is like, oh, this is like, this is like really different. Should we be nervous about like, what's around the corner or like the footing of this, but like these horses, it's like natural environment for them. And it's just like really beautiful to like settle into that and to be like, oh, this can, this can be like, not only safe, but like invigorating and like healing in a way to be like riding in those environments and to kind of remove this. And control elements of competition. And just to really get to connect with like being around horses, being with people who love horses, who are like-minded and get to enjoy that well, coming from Florida, I can't even imagine what it must be like out there. I mean, I've never even really been on a trail ride and anything in Florida is just flat and swampy and hot. So compared to, you know, the sand dunes out there and everything, I had no idea that Colorado even had that. I mean, that just must be. Such an amazing experience. I'm really, really jealous actually. Uh, yeah. Jillian has an actually ever experienced Colorado and she's going to come out here in a couple of weeks so that we can do some team bonding and, uh, we're definitely taking her on some trail rides. So she will, she will be part of the exciting, uh, you know, trail riding adventures here in Colorado here. Yeah, I'm excited. All right. So anyway, we've talked a little bit, but let's go back to the beginning because you have been involved in horses your entire life. I know that, uh, you showed a lot as a kid, as a youth because you and I showed together a lot. Um, but w how did you even get involved with horses to begin with? I, when I was little, probably like four years old, we kind of did like the face style. Activities in sports, like anything from like piano lessons to gymnastics, to ballet, which I hit my leotard under the couch cushions. Cause I really don't want to go. Um, but I kind of tried everything. And then when my parents were like, she, she's not like connecting with anything, like we're not going to force anything on this kid and she's not loving any of these things. And then one of their next door neighbors was like, you should go to this lady, you call a Phillips. And get her some lessons with horses. And they were like, okay, like my dad and my brother were golfers. Like this was like not a space that they were really familiar with. Um, and my mom's originally from Dallas. So city slicker is how she would describe herself, um, originally. And so we started writing, I would go out every Wednesday and ride and it turned out that any day, it wasn't Wednesday. And I didn't get to go read. I was usually in tears, so that was a pretty obvious, like connect the dots there. Um, and I started just like writing casually and it was pretty soon that we were just competing because it was like low key county shows just like around there wasn't anything fancy. Um, but I loved it more than anything. And I, like, I showed dogs for a hot second too. Um, and so that was a part of us getting to have our own dogs was we had to like teach them and train them obedient. So we actually had to go to like shows and like actually get them titled, which was really fun, but it was clear like working with animals and getting to compete was like, really, like, it was my lifeblood practically, but it wasn't again, like nothing fancy until. My barn like went to, I think it was the paint world. And I saw like an actual world show from the stands perspective. And I was like done. I was like, this is where I want to be. Like, I want to be doing this. I don't know how to get here. And I just like, I need to be a part of this world. So we actually started showing paint horses and quarter horses. We had a double registered Palomino. Um, Palomino paint that we could go quarters and to the paint horse association. So we did that for a while and then I ended up just like leaning heavily into quarters. And that's kind of how I got more, more into competing. I would imagine being located in the part of Texas that you were in, definitely made it easier to kind of. You know, get involved with that lifestyle. Cause there are so many barns over there and so many events, I think at like a local level, a regional level, a national level, you know, there's so much going on in that part of Texas and going to. You know, being able to go to Fort worth and see the paint world. And, you know, at the time I think the quarter horse world was probably still there the youth world anyway. Um, and so, yeah, that would definitely, uh, you know, my, my way into it was a little different, whereas we just kind of like fell into it. I didn't ever see a world show until I was at the world show competing. Like it was just. It's. I can't imagine that. That's crazy. Yeah. So like that literally, like, I, I definitely knew about it, you know, from the barn that I was in there, they had more than, you know, enough people going to the world show you're in your again and you, before I even went. But like, yeah, we never, we never went until it was time to go. So yeah. It's just like crazy how, you know, you, that's how you got involved. Whereas like, I was just like, oh, I guess I'm going to a world show this year. I don't know what that means, but we're going. My sister, she trains a lot of youth kids and there before she like, lets them go and compete. Usually she's always like, you need to go out like for a year and just like, watch it and experience so that when you get there, it's not so overwhelming and you know what to expect. And it's amazing how much of a difference that makes for the kids that are just show up and are like, oh my gosh, what's going on? Then the ones that have actually like seen the pressure and understand how big of a show it is. Yeah. To, I think I was probably. Nine years old. And I was like sitting in the stands, watching, I think it was the horsemanship finals. And it was like the last girl out there. And I was like, it has to be me. I have to do it. Like I have to do this. Like, this is my goal. This is my mission from like nine years old. I was like, this is where I'm headed. I'm going to go for it. And my parents were like, oh, we're going to try and figure this out. This is like a whole different level of this ball game. Like, we'll see if we can figure something out. Yeah. I was obsessed from that moment on, but it is really different. Like when you're told to sit there in the stands and you can't go back to the barn and like get on a horse and you're like stuck in the stands that like energy of like, what do I do with this? Like kind of anxious energy around like wanting to be out there. So I think that definitely made a difference for. Um, first of all, it sounds like you manifested your entire career at the age of nine because you ended up being the only person in that arena. Like several times, I can't even count how many times you beat me. Um, but I feel that yeah, with the sitting in the stands part and just like having, you were just like, I want to do something. I want to be part of it. I want to, like, I wouldn't, you know, I that's me, my entire adult life now that I'm working for a magazine and I met all these horror shows and I'm like, I just want to be out there. I just want to do this photos or writing. And I'm just like, I just want to, I just want to go to a barn and ride a horse and just be productive. Yeah. It's like even going to some of the shows and like working with Kelly's kids when I wasn't writing, that's how I kind of like, got back into showing for a minute. There was like going and I'm like not writing and I'm like, this is terrible. I, why am I here and not on a horse? Like, it doesn't make any sense. Yeah. I travel all over with my sister and I went to the paint world this year in Pinto world. And I go to every horse show with them and it's almost like it's so hard just being there and not like, I feel useless. I'm just like, what am I doing here? I need to go show my horse. Pretty green still. And I'm like every, like, I, I need to show and she's like, well, unless you can buy like a finished chores, it's not going to happen right now. And which obviously that's why I have green doors, but, um, it's just like, it's so hard just going there and watching rather than being a part of it. So you eventually get involved with the national competition of the quarter horse stuff, and you've had quite a few phenomenal horses throughout your career. Um, You know, were there any specific horses that really made an impact on you as a rider? I mean, I specifically remember seeing you and Riley compete, you know, my entire youth career, and that was, you know, such an iconic, you guys were such an iconic duo that that's kind of like the first horse that I think of when I think of you, but I know you've had so many nice horses since, so Riley was like hands down, like the horse who's made the biggest impact in my life. I was around like 14 when we got him. And I showed him, I think till I was 21. And he was just like this big, beautiful bay, like crazy hair, like just, he was a whole mood and like both. So John, John, and Joe Briggs were my trainers when I was writing. Okay. And John and I like loved this horse, but he was like, he was always playing games with us, always had us on our toes. It was like every single ride. When I got to a horse show, I would like get on his back to go, just say, do the initial ride, which we expected was going to be like a little bit of fireworks. Cause every time he would try to unhook me, um, and throw me off at the beginning of every show. And every trainer in that arena knew that. And it wasn't like, normally you would look and see somebody who's like out of control and you'd be like, oh, let's go get someone. We got to get her off this horse. But everyone like understood. Like this was like a part of his mojo was just like trying to like mess with me. Um, and when he was on, he was like, incredible. It was like the most. But he was one of the most challenging courses. And I think that's kind of like what made me the writer I ended up becoming, so I like, yeah, he was difficult and I loved him in all of it. Like it was all so good. And then I think like the other side of that coin is like getting to ride my mom's worst Stanley let's be radical was just like super healing. Like a puppy, he's a puppy dog. Like he's the most trustworthy horse and to get to like ride and compete on a horse that you can expect what you got in the warm-up pen is exactly what you get in the show. Pen is just kind of, it was unheard of to me. So like getting to experience that with him and then with chip the Roan horse that I rode vs CoStar, it was like, It was just like kind of healing and unsettling at the same time to be like, oh, this is kind of predictable. That's cool. Like, I can like lean into it and push buttons and like, I won't get like something unexpected or like they won't kick out randomly on like a Gallup circles. So that's great. Oh my God. So I ended up buying a horse out of a pasture when I became an amateur. And that was kind of my way of staying in the horse industry. And, um, he was so Henri and it was kind of the same thing. Like I would be literally on my hind legs, in the warm-up pen. And rearing and the minute he would step foot in the show pen, he would be on because he loved attention. And I swear he would go on his hind legs and leap around and act like an idiot because he wanted attention. So it was, it was, yeah, he was always telling me. And again, the same thing, like even though I had shown and I had done very well with horses before him, he was definitely the horse that taught me. Mount up and ride and be a rider and not just be a passenger. And, uh, actually John Briggs was nice enough to at the world show with him. He was nice enough. It was like the pattern where you had like a judge on each side or something. So I was getting help from Brad Kearns and, and John was in the arena at the time. So he was nice enough to stand as my judge. I would have to practice in a one blind because he would just randomly go up in the air and start rearing. And he figured out that if he would flip my lead rope around, he could twist it in his leg and start running. So I got distracted with the lunch line because he learned that if you could twist the Libra around, like get away from me. Oh my God. He was such a mess of a horse. I promise this is not good behavior. Don't take advice from me. He was, that was just his personality. And I just remember John was like, if you get a trophy, I want to be in your picture. I was like, okay. Oh, yeah. I think those, those are like the most important horses, the ones that make you work for it, they make the ones that are so dependable and easy. It makes it feel so much better because you feel like you kind of earned it. Yeah. And it's like, we need seasons of that. Like sometimes you need to be pushed, but sometimes you just need to like show up and just like, get what you expect and, you know, get to go have a margarita after that's great. That's fun too. Yeah, no, I'm, I'm thankful. I showed it in a cow horse event last year and I didn't own the horse, but the people that owned them was nice enough to let me show just so I could kind of like, see if I wanted to do it. And they were like, he's quirky, you know, he's, he'll get, he'll get CalFresh, I'll do this. And like, quite honestly, he was the most reliable horse I've ever shown. And I was like, when I asked for something, he did it. And like, I'm not like sometimes when I'd asked for stuff with my old horse, he would be like, nah, not today. So I was like, it was really nice being on a horse where you could ask for something and you knew that they were just going to be like, okay, like, sounds good. Yeah. That was really cool. Okay. So you, I mean, we've talked a little bit about Riley. We talked about chip, but didn't you I'm like just remembering this, you showed your mom's horse for a minute. And did you, did you wait on him too? So I. Riley had a career ending injury. I was, I think I was a junior in college at the time, and I was competing at the world show. I had actually, I finished all of my prelims qualified for all of my finals and something was like wrong when we were practicing it, of course at like 1:00 AM in the Coliseum in Oklahoma. And I just like, knew like something was wrong in his front feet. And so we like took him to the vet first thing in the morning, I had finals that day and we kind of like iced them and then we were putting him on the lunch. And he, of course like reverses in bucks and like, I forget what he ended up doing, but that was like the moment when he like hurt himself permanently. And we like left the world show, had to withdraw from like all the finals. And from that moment, it was kind of like the natural, like time for me to withdraw from competition. Like I had lost my partner and I was in the process at the beginning of my senior year in school. So it was like my natural transition to kind of step away from competing for work. Um, so I did. And like for the next four years or so, I would like go to a show with my mom. Sometimes I was kind of helping her finish Stanley and the horsemanship, like he was such a good boy, but he was just kinda needed this polished elements. So we did those things. I am graduated college. I moved up to Colorado and had been here for a little bit. Um, and at that point, like my mom had chosen to send her horse up to Kelly McDowell and Frank town. Um, so she started riding with Kelly and then, you know, there were forces in our way. And I was meeting this new trainer, which was easily the most awkward interaction I have. It was like, no, okay. It's Kelly. I'm going to like compare this to a first day because it's like, you're going to meet this person, but it's Kelly McDowell. And like, it's not a first. Sorry, Marnie. But like, he was like there and like showing me around and it was, he's a great friend now, but like, I was like, where are the brushes? Like, I know all of these things, but this isn't the barn I've ever written in. So I like don't know where, how we do things here. And he's like showing me all the wind pictures in the barn and like pointing out all these writers and it was hilarious. Um, and definitely got the awkward out of the way. And now I know how dry and hilarious Kelly. Um, but it was just like great to have a bar, like an hour away to get to like, get to go and kind of like, hang out with my mom, ride some horses. They were quickly putting me on all of the horses in the barn. And I was like meeting the kids and they were great and also babies back then. Um, but yeah, it was just like really great to be back in a writing environment. And that's where I kind of. Ended up at some Colorado shows and we were kind of thrown me back on Stanley. And then, you know, as I was finishing him in the horsemanship for my mom, I got qualified accidentally. And then we were like, that's funny, let's go to the real show. And it was the first time I had actually showed to John Briggs before in my entire life, which was also torture. Um, but yeah, it worked out and we ended up, you know, after having a hiatus from the world show ever since we left with Riley that day, I ended up winning the horsemanship, which was the most unexpected thing I think in my entire career. I vaguely remember that like story. And it was probably because I saw it on social media or somebody wrote an article about it or whatever it was, but I mean, to be able to take a horse that you've shown probably the amount of times you can count on one hand, um, and then go to a world show against, and you're by no means a new competitor. You know how the world show works, how you know how to prepare one for it, but to compete against. Horses and riders who have been showing it every major wars show for the last, you know, five years with their horse or whatever, you know, they hadn't missed a big horse show in that amount of years. And to, to take one that you're like, I showed locally a couple of times and I accidentally got qualified and you know, but why not? Like, you know what, like what's the worst that can happen and, you know, to, to take on the win on that. That's that's that says a lot about your ability as a rider, which is huge. I do think it has, like that says a lot about like how starches have to break in a line in a finals for you to, you know, be able to pull that off. And it definitely did in an exceptional way for me that day. Well, and showing, you know, when you're showing against a judge that you've worked with or that, you know, it seems like it should make it easier, but it just adds so much more pressure. It makes it so much harder. Um, so. That was probably very, very stressful for you. Yeah. And John actually placed me the lowest out of all of the judges. I think he's, I'm sorry. I was also stressed. Well, I mean, you know, he's going to judge you the hardest cause he knows. I mean, he knows when you're you're your best and you know, I, you know, it happens I've, I've been in those shoes, not at the world show, but you know, it was showing to your old horse trainer. Very intimidating. I couldn't imagine in a world. So yeah. I hope, I think mine was at a local Missouri show and I was still like, I don't want to do this. It's like, yeah, the stakes were way too high. Yeah. Oh, y'all so much stress. Like I get stressed when I compete, like hands down, like yeah. Well, just like so much bodily physical anxiety, but just showing to him that was like the precipice of like the worst experience of my life, but it worked out. So that was great. Okay. So you've shown your mom's horse. You want a world, so title there, you had chip afterward, but then you kind of, uh, you, you sold your last one and then you kind of made the switch from showing horses. To just being a person and not being part of the horse industry, which like, I can relate to that because I sold my horse. And when I moved to Colorado, I was like, I'm done with the horses. It's the only thing I've ever known and done. And I was ready to like, Branch out and do something new. Now I'm the managing editor of a horse magazine. So that worked out very, very well. Um, but you, you kind of took a step away a little bit to kind of, you know, work on other projects. You're a photographer, you and your husband do a lot of, you know, photography, videography, all sorts of fun stuff. You know, what, what made you decide to end your career temporarily to, to focus on other things? Yeah. I mean, showing chip was like incredible. It was getting to work with a young horse and finishing him. And I love being a part of that process. I had always wanted to do that, but it was never opportune when you're like in a limited career of number of years as a youth, you don't really get that option necessarily. So it was fun to do that. But at a certain point, I was like, okay, I love to be all in on everything. Like I've loved being all in as a youth competitor, as an amateur, it doesn't really fit for me. Like I have other things going on in my life. That I really want to show up for. And I've like really explored the horse world. I've like hit my goals repeatedly. I think it's time for me to step away from this. Um, so that was kind of when that occurred. I still like go and ride with Kelly, which has been great, but I just started shooting more Jonathan and I traveled quite a bit. And then we actually opened up a photo studio and venue called realm here in Denver. So that like takes a ton of our time, um, which was especially interesting to have a physical business during COVID. Um, that was like crisis management 1 0 1. Um, and yeah, I, I think just, cause I can't be all in with something that I always, that that was my relationship with it is that it's kind of like different for me and to like step away and just like the, I guess to some degree that like sparkle around competition has. Um, settled for me a bit. And it's just kind of returned to the fundamentals around spending time with people who love horses and spending time, like with horses, like just being in the presence of horses. Like I was telling someone the other day when they watched one of our Angela Ann's videos and they were like, wow, horses are incredible. And I was like, yeah, I don't even know why we took the time to come up with unicorns. Cause like, horses are good as it is. Like they are so majestic. And like, so hilarious, like they have such bold personalities. Yeah. I think just returning to that has been just truly like a quieting of my soul. When, you know, we talked about like these anxious elements, that stressful elements around competition. And I love getting to remove that with my relationship towards horses. Um, so how, what brought you to Colorado from frontier? Right. When we got engaged, I actually was on a trajectory to move up to Colorado. And so we kind of put that on the back burner, ended up getting married in Texas and staying there for about a year. And Jonathan was also, um, really passionate about moving up here. And so we ended up doing that as a couple. Um, so we came up and have been up here for a little over eight years now. Um, and it's just been like our home base, like being outside so frequently getting to go up to the mountains, just like a little bit slower than the DFW lifestyle that we were in, I think has just been really good. It's been a fit for us. Yeah. I lived in, um, Fort worth for a little bit, so, um, it's me. I loved it there and like would easily move there in a heartbeat if I could. Yeah. Um, I I've never been to Colorado, but I feel like for someone that, you know, with the photography and being all of that, that's like the place to be. So yeah, I still love Fort worth to this day, but we were like, at the time we were wedding photographers and getting to shoot weddings up here was just like absurd and like, you know, shooting with adventurous couples and going out for engagement shoots on like these eight hour hikes that, you know, you're also getting. See, beautiful things while you do it and getting to like be active, it's just like really intoxicating to us. Yeah, I bet. No, it's amazing. It's definitely the outdoor lifestyle is what attracted me as well. My partner he's from Steamboat, so he was like, I want to move to Colorado. And I was like, I don't want to stay in Oklahoma. So that sounds good. So, um, yeah. It's like Colorado sounds great. Uh, Oklahoma, too many tornadoes. Yeah, it's really like, we actually had a couple of tornado warnings. The first summer we moved up here and I was like, no, no, no, I've left. And like, Nope. But no one took them seriously. They were like, we're doing close to the Hills. It'll be fine. The airport. But I was like in, I had literally everyone, all of our animals in the bathroom the first two times. And then I was like, okay, I think we're going to be okay. And I don't think we've had a tornado warning since that. So anyway. Yeah. That's, that's why I was like, color. That sounds great. I'm done with tornadoes and I'm not going to live in the part of Colorado, so, yeah. Sorry, photography. You've talked a little bit about it. You own a studio? Uh, you're obviously very involved. But you recently started doing, uh, the photos for this retreat and doing a lot of equine photography in a different sense of all the equine photographers who do portrait stuff, which is great too. I do that on the side. And, um, but the stuff you're doing, you're on a horse taking photos while you're kind of exploring and doing adventures and all that fun stuff. And I've done that. And it is, there is something so much fun about shooting photos off of the back of a horse while you are getting to explore. Yeah, it it's really great. And it helps to be in like smaller groups where they're like totally fine for just for me to stop. We're actually going back to like game plan for next year's retreat later this fall, um, our retreats in may and we're going into September to ride through just a couple of days, Amy and I, and we'll kind of like, you know, strategize exactly how we want to do the retreat and fine tune it for next year. And during those days, I get there's like one day where we've agreed that like, I get to have creative license, I'm bringing like a tripod, cause I'm gonna get it. And we're going to shoot a couple of video clips because I learned you can't necessarily shoot slow-mo video horseback, like the focal points and everything. Like it's a little too chaotic, but like shooting photo on horseback and just kind of like running and gunning is like incredible in those environments. Like, it just feels silly to like, be able to kind of all of those pieces together in that setting. Insanely beautiful. And like the way that the weather changes, even if it's like hard weather, one day, it shoots beautifully. I can only imagine. Do you have a drone? Are you shooting anything with it? Hi, we do have a drone. Jonathan's technically the drone pilot operator. Yeah. We've talked about him coming out there and shooting some because I would just love some drone footage of it. I've there's been a few different videographers out at ranch, Lance who have shot even like the cattle moving from overhead. And like cows bodies from overhead are like, ridiculous. They're like so goofy, but like cool. And I just like, love seeing that perspective. The drones give us just like. Really different angle and like distance from an environment that I think is so captivating. That was like my, when I was going crazy in quarantine last year, I was like, you know what? Sounds like a good idea. Buying a drone. So I bought a very expensive drone and I like, I have to get certified now and all this fun stuff that comes with owning a drone. And, uh, yeah. It's, it's cool though. Like, it's just like, why not? Yeah, they're really cool. Jonathan, unfortunately flew his Intuit tree and Guanella pass one time and had to get it repaired. So I suggest avoiding the trees. That's like my worst nightmare and which is why I don't use it as much as I should. Cause I'm like, this thing was so expensive. I don't want it to break. Yeah. I would say get it insured and then just go fly it. Definitely insured. Um, but anyway, uh, so let, you've talked a little bit about those events. I mean, we can kind of wrap up, we've had you on the phone for an hour now. Um, so you've talked a little bit about, you know, how you guys came up with it. Uh, can you talk a little bit about where people can find more info? What dates they're happening in may, how people can, you know, sign up what they can look forward to if they do sign up all that fun stuff. Yeah. So I'll give you a little background. So Amy and I had wanted to go to ranch lands for like a number of years. Finally made it out there last fall. Um, in 2020, I think for everyone had been a really hard year and this was like an opportunity to go do this like outdoor experience where everyone has like their private room, it's all social distance outdoors. So we went, we were like, you know what? We wanted to go. This has been a rough year. I lost like a number of family members last year. So it was just like, I need, I needed a win. Um, so we went down there and it was. The most like restorative, like week with her, um, just like out writing Amy's background is barrels. Mine is like, you know, glitzy show, clothes, horses. Um, so just like two very different backgrounds that we intersected each other in Denver. She's a counselor, a licensed there. Um, she's also the XPT master coach, which XPT is Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reese's, um, like performance athlete brand. So it's a lot about breath work, connection, how we like become better athletes and connecting through like our nervous system as well. So that's where Amy's like expertise really dials in for this restorative retreat. And she actually leads the guided restoration portions of it. So it's breath work. It's like. You know, kind of yoga style and movement, which honestly feels like incredible after you've been on a horse for four, four to six hours in a day to just get to like, get on a mat and kind of like work those kinks out those little, like more attention spots. Um, so Amy and I were out there and we were just kind of like spending a week for pleasure and we kind of came home after that completely like reset. And it allowed me to connect with like writing in this most fundamental capacity of just like being with horses without a goal, without a mission, without trying to shape their bodies. Like, I walked up to the arena and the first day, and I had my spurs on and they were like, oh, you can't read the horses with your spurs. I can't tell you the last time I rode a horse without spurs. It was probably because I was getting like discipline for overusing my spurs and had to like work on my calf muscles. I was like, are you sure I can't have spurs? And so I literally had to leave them in my car, which was great. Like the horses are like so cool. They will like open up and pick up. You don't have to kick them. Like you would need to a less slowly lazy show horse. But yeah, it was just this incredible experience. The writing was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. So Amy and I kind of got home and just simmered on it without like an intention to necessarily do something. And then I like woke up and was like, we ha we have to share this with other people. Like, what if we took this inherently restorative environment? And we leveled it up. Like we added these pieces because I had attended a number of her breath work workshops about teaching her your nervous system and how to kind of shape that. And I just knew that that work was really powerful. And I was like, this is the perfect environment to do that in because you can get people out of the, their like busy lives and get them to settle down, prioritize like spending time for pleasure, writing, eating, incredible food. And just being able to send them home pretty much with the secret weapon of these tools that they can learn how to regulate, you know, their stress and anxiety that we're interacting with on a daily basis and a much more powerful. You know that breathing like breathing techniques, they're not only good for relaxation and stress relief and, and just overall meditation. But I am actually, I just got done editing a trail riding article and like one of the main points was remembering to breathe. And so like having that in your toolbox is huge because you can apply it to the horses without even realizing. Yeah. I remember like showing as a youth and if I were like ever about to enter the arena, you know, right there at the gate, if my body got tense, I guess who was like guaranteed to be a total hot mess in the arena, my horse, like every time, like I had to learn how to even, even if I was faking it, I knew how to, I had to like, settle my seat. Like quiet. My body do like specific things. Bedding his neck or something, just to help him understand that I was at peace, even if that was faking it again. Um, and it's, it's just interesting to learn, like from truly scientific based research, like how we can connect with our bodies in this like, tangible way to shape our life's experience. Cause like earlier this June, we had a lot coming up on the work pipeline and I was like seeing this panic attack coming. For me, like it was moments away and I like got out of the shower and I just like lay down on the bed and started doing these like long extended Bach box breath, like practices that Amy has taught me. And I like completely detoured around this panic attack that I would have otherwise been like totally a victim to. And I was like, okay, it's not, it's none of this like crazy, crazy. It's not woo- hoo. Yeah, it's not, woo-hoo, it's real. Like this is real, it actually impacts us. And like, even when I first got exposed to like, Amy's breathwork was right when I was starting to work with some of Kelly's kids. So like clay in Italia, I was kind of like mentoring them and coaching them through the world show. And it was, I think Natalia's last year and youth, and she really wanted to win the horsemanship and she just could not. Like settle herself down before she went in to do her finals pattern. And I like, we, she wasn't on checks yet. And we did like a detour down a barn alley, and I just started guiding her through these like breath movements. And she was totally able to like settle herself down, get on her horse, go warm up, go knock out her pattern. And she got the trophy. Yep. That's powerful. That matters. It's small, it's nuanced. And it's, again like that secret weapon that we're equipping people with. That I love that part of it. If you hear a lot of trainers saying, like, remember to breathe and that's like, it's such an important thing, because like you were saying, when you're tense and stressed and not breathing, like your horses, carrying that too. And it's amazing how much of a difference it makes. I went from a horse that was. Strictly hunt seat. That's pretty much all we did. And then I got a horse that was like phenomenal at the trail and I had never done trail before. And so it was like, I was so tense and not breathing and freaking, it was just, it was bad. And then I just like, before every class, my trainers would look at me, just go breathe. And I would breathe before I like left this start cone. And, and it made all the difference in the world. Cause, cause they feel everything that you feel. Yeah, for sure. It's wild. How much that they take from that. And. I love the idea of this retreat for like active competitors right now. Cause like being able to take that back home, like one, getting the opportunity to just ride for pleasure without the strings attached, like I was talking about and how healing that can be just like returning to that fundamental love. And then to actually getting these tangible tools that if you've ever had. Overheard someone like, I can't tell you how many trainers I've heard be like she would have done so great. She just, the nerves got the best of her. Even if you aren't just like repeatedly having your nerves get in the way there are going to be days that are just more stressful that we just wake up and our bodies are more active. And being able to have ways to, you know, pivot in that, you know, because those are going to happen on days when it's the finals and you needed the resources to be able to tap into every possible tool. You could have to set yourself up for success. There's so much out of our control when we're competing, right? These are judged events. We're on thousand pound animals who have minds of their own that if we can have. Every bit of resource possible to set our own selves up for success, to be like the best writer and the best Sherman that we can be. Why not? No, I think that's huge. We've actually even done interviews with, um, a guy who is a mental coach and, and, um, he's, he's a former rating trainer. He actually lives in Israel. So, uh, he would come over to the states and do like full on clinics about like mentally preparing for when you're riding and, and specifically, you know, showing and doing raining. And, uh, yeah, it was fascinating to talk about it because even. You know, decorated competitors who you would think are, you know, so accomplished and you know, what w what do they have to get nervous about? They've won everything. They've done everything, you know, they're, they're human. They're going to get nervous just like everybody else. And, um, yeah, it was fascinating to talk with him about that stuff. So I've, I've really kind of been in tune. With the mental aspect of it, because essentially horse showing is, you know, just as much mental as it is physical. And, um, you know, I, I do boxing now, so I get hit in the head. Um, and, uh, it's, you know, kind of the same in the sense that it's really about mentally, you know, Being able to read your opponent or, you know, your horse or your cow or whatever it is you having to read and, you know, be able to react before it happens. And so it's definitely it's mental. It really is. And if you're not breathing, if you're not thinking, and if your nerves are getting in the way, it's hard to be, you know, on the ball and, and prepared and ready for anything, that's coming your way. So I think it's. Okay. The retreat you can actually get to on Amy's website, true core health, and we'll drop it. Um, Nicole, can you drop that in the notes? Yep. Great. Um, and that'll kind of give you an overview and also an idea of the photos again, cause I'm taking photos of the entire retreat. So all of our attendees are being sent home with a gallery of the entire experience. So not only is it. In the moment. Absolutely beautiful. But like, after the fact you get the actual images in, of us being at their writing to remember, remember the experience by, and I just love, like, I'll be kind of going through my rhythms, like busy with work or whatever, and I'll see a snapshot of us out at the ranch. And it just like immediately takes me back there. It is such that this like tactile and like heavy on the census experience that it just, I love having the images for it. And then like each day of the retreat, it's four nights, it's five days. And you're staying in your own private room with your private bathroom. And all of the meals are cooked by chase the resident chef. And they're incredible. Like we typically say you might be coming for the horses, but expect to stay for the food. Like the food is where it's every ranch lands, which is, I think unexpected for everyone. I can't tell you how, how many of the attendees, like we had told them all how incredible. But it was then being there every day. All of the meals, just being blown away. It's like locally sourced, like responsible meats, all of that good stuff. So it is absolutely delicious. So good morning. We're starting with breath work. Um, kind of connecting with that nervous system, seeing where everyone's at that morning, then we're headed to breakfast before we go out to ride with our Wranglers and we'll actually be in smaller groups for the retreat. Anywhere from two to four writers with a Wrangler, um, and that will kind of create this curated writing experience. I'm going to connect with each one of our attendees to make sure we understand what kind of like pace they want to be reading at, um, how much they want to be moving out or kind of like back on their heels, kind of just cruise them for the day. Um, so that'll be a really curated writing experience. And we actually stopped for lunch on the ride, which is like packed. We have like some saddlebags where you can bring your things with you, and it's rather gorgeous to like tie up your horses. Yeah. And these thousands of acres and like just sitting on a log in your fancy lunch. So when we get back from writing, we'll kind of take a break and everybody heads back. We pretty much do like a shower, a reset on the dust situation. Um, and then we all meet up for guided movement that Amy leads as well. Um, and that kind of helps you manage any of those things. Or points that you got from writing and also helps connect the dots of like that breath work that we did feeling, how it impacted your writing experience for the day, and then getting to incorporate those smaller approaches to movement with the breath as well. And then we had to dinner altogether. Um, we also have some surprises that I can't quite give away yet that are going to be incorporated next year that are, um, exceptionally beautiful and involve horses and carts. Love it. No, I think that sounds so much fun. I've um, I've been really fortunate on behalf of the magazine. I've gone to a few different guests, ranches, um, for events, uh, different events. And, uh, it's, it's so much fun. You bond with people who you've never met and, uh, you know, everybody, there are people at these kinds of things that go with friends, but a lot of the time people come by themselves cause they just want to like get away and they want to, you know, at the place. Gone to any way they'd wanted to like live the cowgirl life for a week because some of them live in New York city or LA or, you know, and, and some of them ride some of them don't, they just want to be a cowgirl for the day. And, um, I think it's, it's so much fun in, in the tying, in of the yoga and the, and the movement and the breath work is a really great way to kind of. You know, there's so much adrenaline and there's so much that goes with the horses that it's kind of nice to be able to reel it in and, and kind of regroup yourself before going on to the next activity. And so it sounds like, it sounds like it's going to be great. And, and the photography aspect. I wish that like, when I went to these gastronomy, That there was a photographer there too, to share these photos and memories with. And you know, a lot of the times the Wranglers are so sweet and they'll take photos with your phone and, and this and that. But you know, the, the photography that ed has done that I've seen is stunning. So you're going to get some stunning images that are going to be part of your memories for the rest of your life. And, and it's an experience that you're, you know, you don't get to experience every. Yeah, I would say this is a once in a lifetime experience, but we have people who came to our first retreat this year, who were I already signed up for next year. So they're, they're coming back for it. So if that doesn't say anything about it, I mean, that's huge. And two of the girls, they came by themselves. They actually rode from the airport together though. Cause they were on a similar itinerary and they were just like immediate, fast friends. Right. So like coming by yourself, But, I mean, you're going to have things in common with the people who are there, like, right. I mean, nature, horses, food, relaxation, and it's just beautiful. Right? Cause you get to like, come, you're getting plugged in your remote as can be. And we're pretty much guiding you through that. So you get like, we're gonna send you a packing list. It's pretty much like cruise control once you're there. It's, if you can show up to it, it's going to be like incredibly impactful for your life in the moment for that experience. And then how you get to take that home with you. Right. No, it's huge. Uh, it sounds so much fun. Congratulations on the journey. I know that's been a really big project for you and it was kind of your baby and, and, you know, putting all that love into it and seeing it, you know, come together and, and be, you know, There and functioning and all that stuff that goes into the planning of it. And so that's huge. We're so excited to see it. And hopefully we can maybe talk you into like covering it while you're there maybe doing some social media coverage for us so that we can explore. The gorgeous sand dunes like everybody else, but, you know, it sounds like it's going to be so much fun. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you for coming on here and talking about, you know, not only what you're doing now, but your whole horse life, you, you have such an inspiration, inspiring story. And you know, you've done so much in the show pen, but also outside of it, which, you know, I think is huge. It's kind of seems like it's either one or the other, you know, people either gravitate to the Chopin or they don't. And it's great when we can talk to somebody that's seen both sides of it and enjoys both sides of it. So thank you so much for coming on and talking with us. Thank you guys for tuning into the ride podcast. We hope you enjoyed this episode and please be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, follow horse and rider magazine on social media and find [email protected]. If you guys have any questions. Please be sure to hit us [email protected]. 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