October 7, 2024 • 49 mins
Discover the equestrian world through the eyes of our inspiring guests, Kaylea Marionneaux and Professor Neely Heidorn. Both have unique stories that showcase their love and dedication to horses, from Kaylea’s heartfelt adventures with her beloved horse Smoke to Neely's tales of life with her spirited mare, Daisy. Unravel the opportunities available for young horse enthusiasts through programs like the Louisiana 4-H Equine Ambassador Program and the Master Horseman program, where passion meets purpose in the vibrant fields of agriculture and equestrian activities.
Celebrate the triumphs and camaraderie that define the horse industry, as we share tales of monumental achievements and the supportive community that makes them possible. Dive into the competitive spirit with stories of winning multiple buckles, juggling motherhood with riding, and savoring post-show rituals. Reflect on the establishment of the Louisiana Equine Promotion and Research Board and the incredible journey with a mare named Lucille, all of which highlight the dedication and perseverance fueling their accomplishments.
Explore the expansive world of equine science and the mentorship that drives progress in this field. Learn about the pioneering research at Louisiana State University, covering everything from exercise physiology to reproductive technologies. Hear from Kaylea as she shares her hands-on experiences as an ambassador trainee, navigating the practical and scientific aspects of working with horses. We also shine a light on the invaluable support within the equine community, the lifelong bonds formed, and the impactful events and mentors that shape the future of the equestrian industry. Join this engaging conversation and be inspired by stories of passion, hard work, and the enduring love for horses.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
I'm Kaylee Marino.
Keep listening to Porch andParish the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Dr Neely Heidorn.
Keep listening to Porch andParish the podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
A horse that can count to 10 is a remarkable
horse, not a remarkablemathematician Something to
ponder from Warren Buffett.
Our guests today are remarkablescholastically and
knowledgeable in all thingshorse related.
From my perspective, as a kidfrom Metairie, louisiana, I only
encountered horses ridden bymounted patrols and Mardi Gras
parades.
4-h was foreign to me and myhigh school didn't have a
(00:35):
chapter, even though I wasincredibly fascinated by all
things of the farm from a youngage.
Today, I'd like to shed light onKaylee Marino's and Professor
Neely Heidorn's agriculturaljourney and how it has impacted
both of their lives.
We're also going to highlightsome of the programs that are
available to our youth in theregion, so they don't let these
opportunities slip away as I did.
(00:56):
Kaylee is actively involved inthe Louisiana 4-H Equine
Ambassador Program.
She's also the ZHSFFA President, four-year member of varsity
cheer team, varsity powerliftingteam and varsity track and
field team.
Her mentor, lsu professor DrNeely Heidland, from the School
of Animal Sciences, runs theMaster Horseman program and
volunteers her time in manyother ways throughout our state.
(01:19):
As always, we're here to bringyou the best of Zachary and the
Baton Rouge area throughengaging conversations every
Monday from our Virginia Streetheadquarters.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
This is Portion Parish the podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Stay tuned because the lightning round is coming up
.
Looking for a family outing offthe beaten path?
Trot over to Breck's Far ParkEquestrian Center for a unique
experience.
Far Park offers guided trailrides throughout the fall.
Starting on September 22nd, youand the family can enjoy the
fresh air, beautiful scenery andquality time with loved ones
(01:51):
Perfect for all ages.
Follow the link to sign up.
Spots are limited, All right,and we are back with the
lightning round.
So these questions are reallyfun because y'all.
Agriculture just lights me up.
I don't know why, Like I wasthat kid that was incubating
(02:13):
chickens in seventh grade andhad a victory garden when nobody
knew what that was in my class.
You know All right, so pleasedescribe your favorite horse.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
You want to go first.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Yeah, I will.
I was actually thinking aboutthis question earlier.
So even though I've been veryfortunate to ride and experience
a bunch of different horses,one of my favorite horses, I
think of all time, was Mark andBetty Ann Browning's black
gelding called Six's Sanjolinaand his barn name was Smoke.
I'm not really for sure whatabout this horse I like, but
(02:48):
ever since he's been in the barnhe's just been one that's stuck
in.
He's an incredible athlete,gives his all every time and is
just amazing on the cow.
He's just one of my favorites.
That since a young age.
I started working with him whenhe was in my trainer's barn and
he's just kind of developedalong the way.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Yeah, awesome, that was a really cool description,
all right.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Um, you know I'll.
I'll mirror some of what Kayleesaid.
I've been really fortunate tohave some really cool animals in
my life along the way that kindof developed my passion and led
me to this point in my life.
My all time favorite favoritehas to be American Quarter
Horses, and it's hard to put apin in just one, but I have been
known to be partial to spicyred mares.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
My current one is Spicy.
In what way?
Like color.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
No personality and demeanor.
In the industry.
Spicy just kind of gives you,the average person, an idea that
the thing that you're sittingon isn't like a plug, isn't just
quiet, isn't falling asleepwhen you're trying to do things.
She's extra.
And I kind of like me personally, I like a mare.
(04:00):
They tend to give a little bitmore when you're in the weeds
per se.
Um the current one that I'mriding right now, uh, she's an
eight-year-old um merida catsmarada, and she is her.
Her name is dazzling catalina.
My son affectionately calls herdaisy.
I call her daisy may, becausedaisy may win everything, or
(04:21):
daisy may really mess you up.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
No, Do y'all both do the same type of riding?
Speaker 2 (04:29):
She does it a lot more successfully than I do.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Yeah, I am currently in my mom era, but yes,
generally the same like categorystyle is like all there.
We both have done a lot ofstock horse together.
That's kind of where we met.
I took it and just went the cowhorse route and Dr Neely has
shown the cow horse too, butmore of the ranch type event is
(04:54):
where she is best, I think.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Once I had children, I realized my mortality.
Yeah, okay, right, and Ihaven't had the opportunities to
kind of go and do some of themore adrenaline pumping things
that kaylee's been able to doyeah but that's in my future.
I just have to wait till thesekids grow up nice night, all
right.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Uh, kaylee, please define cowhorsing okay.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
So to me, the best way I describe it to people is I
take it in two parts.
So the first part is the rainwork part, or your dry work.
In this part we guide ourhorses through a pattern.
It'll be between loping circles, speeding up, slowing down.
Then we have our turnarounds,which is spins, where they plant
(05:42):
one of their back feet and turnquickly in a circle, crossing
their front legs over, and thenyou have the sliding stop.
That's very intriguing, that alot of people look for when they
run down the center of the pinand then their behind end goes
to the ground and they pedal ontheir front end.
In the rain work there's a lotof little minute things that go
(06:02):
into it, but those are like theoverall main maneuvers.
And then the second part is thecow work, the fence work, which
is the adrenaline pumping sideof everything.
They'll release one cow intothe arena.
You box the cow on one endbetween two markers.
Once you do that, you'll driveit around the corner, go down
the fence and execute threeturns.
(06:23):
Well, I think you only have todo two, one each direction, but
usually it's three turns mostpeople do and then you'll scoop
that cow off the fence andcircle it both directions in the
middle of the arena.
Now the fence work can be verytricky and very hard, especially
when it gets really fast andyou have a tough cow.
So there is is and a lot ofassociations like builder
(06:46):
classes.
So I started off in the youthclass and that's just the boxing
.
So we just do the first part ofthe fence work.
We just keep it on one end ofthe fence, go side, like go
drive it down one side and oneside in between those middle
markers and then you have oneclass that's boxing, and then
you drive it down the other sideand box it again on the other
side and just practice goingdown the fence, getting out of
(07:08):
the corner, practicing thatdrive.
And those all are just babysteps and a building you to go
down the fence so that wepractice being safe, practice
controlling our horse at fastrates and moving a cow in the
arena.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Nice Going down the fence is where the majority of
the wrecks will happen ifthey're going to happen.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
If you think about it .
I know it's hard to visualize,but she's mirroring on her horse
.
She's mirroring the cow goingdown the fence and then when she
gets to a specific marker, it'sher horse's job technically to
turn that cow back.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
The other direction.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
And if you're watching it it's almost like
they're turning together.
There's very little space andvery little room for error.
So if she didn't have thesebuilder classes and we didn't
practice all of these skills andlearning how to read a cow and
learning how to rate our horseappropriately, there's a lot of
oopses that can happen veryquickly.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Get squished up against the side.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Well, cows, jump over the top of you.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Your horse can fall.
There was one that happened atthe, I think the Hackamore
Classic, if I'm not mistaken, inTulsa, oklahoma.
In the youth classic a girl wasgoing down the fence.
Her horse stopped perfectlywith the cow.
The cow actually jumped overthe horse, hit her, knocked her
off of the horse and on theground, so it could have been
very bad.
Thankfully I'm pretty sure shewas okay.
(08:29):
But there it's a lot of thingshappen in the snap of a finger,
so you have to learn how to readyour cow, how to train your
horse to read the cow into all.
It's like thinking three mindsat once and it's that's where
the adrenaline's going.
Everything's happened so fast.
You have to think quick.
That's the fun part that I likeabout it, because everything
just happens super fast.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Do you have your driver's license yet?
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I do.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Because it reminds me of, like, if you can drive a
horse like that.
Yeah, exactly, probably bepretty good in a vehicle, all
right.
What is your favorite cowboy orcowgirl movie?
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Do you have one?
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Well, I've actually watched all the like horse
movies on Netflix, so any ofthose like Heartland.
I love the like show Heartland.
Ever since I was like 12 yearsold I've always watched that.
Um down the fence is adocumentary that talks about the
rain cow horse.
So I really really like thatone because it's a lot of the
industry professionals that wesee every day and you get to see
(09:23):
them.
A few years ago when they werestarting up I know Aaron Tormino
is big featured in that andjust seeing her journey starting
young and now where she is, Idon't I think there's one that's
like the last cowboy orsomething like that and it's
pretty good yeah, but.
I mean, and you have Yellowstone, that everyone knows
Yellowstone.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
That's the first time I've seen reigned cowhorses.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
That's how I another way I relate.
I'm like do you see what theydo on Yellowstone.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
That's what we do, that's like a big money version
of it.
Yes, all right what you got.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
I'm a little old school, I think my favorite is
going to be Lonesome Dove.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Oh, I watched that with Growing up.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Yeah, it's definitely rated R Well For a cowboy movie
.
I mean, all the cowboy moviesare kind of like on the fringe,
it can be yeah.
It can be no, I loved that onewho was in it, kenny Rogers.
No, not Kenny.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Rogers, wasn't he?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Didn't he make a cameo?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
No, he may have, but that's not, that were not the
main character gosh, what aretheir names?
Speaker 3 (10:22):
now you're gonna have to make me look it up I didn't
remember the characters names,but I don't remember who their
real names were everybody's factchecking this I know I don't
want to like misspeak all right,I'm gonna ask kaylee one
favorite food or snack afterriding or while in the saddle
it's robert devol and tommy leejones oh yeah, yeah, robert.
(10:42):
Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones.
Oh, yeah yeah, kenny Rogersdidn't make a cameo.
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
I don't think so.
I mean the.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Fine, I mean Robert Duvall had this.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Like you know, gray yeah Was gray and old in it.
He's so cool.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
I like him in secondhand lines.
All right.
Favorite food or snack afterriding or while in the saddle?
Speaker 1 (11:03):
So my all-time favorite drink is a Red Tummy
Yummy.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Never heard of it.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Is that like Prime or something?
Speaker 1 (11:13):
No, it's actually something that's for, like,
little kids.
Yeah, it's like a little bittylike juice in a thing.
It has like, you know, like thetwist tops on like Gatorades,
but it's like that, but it'slike smaller.
Yeah, the twist tops on likegatorades, but it's like that
but it's like smaller.
Yeah, it's really weird, butthey're like my favorite thing,
I don't know why, and a crunchbar, those two nestle crunch,
that's classic my favoritethings, anytime, any part of the
(11:35):
day.
I will take a red tummy yummyand a crunch bar and you have
made me happy where are yousourcing these?
Um, I don't, this is just myfavorite.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
I mean like where you buy it, oh, where.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Oh um, jets has them.
Actually jets is the only one Ithink.
Well, actually most gross, mostlike gas stations have um bread
tummy on me.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
But like some don't.
So then I just don't drink ared tummy yummy, or I just drink
a Dr Pepper.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
So All right.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I think mine's not as unique as that.
I feel like, though, if you'rein the horse industry like
driving lawn hours everybody'sgot that weird thing that they
take in the truck when they'redriving.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Mine's red vines and a peach tea.
What's red vines?
A peach tea.
What's red vines?
Licorice like red oh really,yeah, yeah it's just easy to eat
while you're driving.
I guess I don't know yeah, thatis.
That's kind of cowboy-esque,and then um anything after hands
down after a horse show it'salways mexican food okay, 100
percent, it's usually becauseit's the only thing left open,
(12:43):
and Asian Pearl and Zachary alot of times after a ride I
bring my wall bottle everywhere.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
A big thing of cold water is.
After the ride I'm like justgive me cold water.
I am a cold water drinker, butjust water in general, and then
give me my snack, my favoritething, and then we're probably
going to be seen at a Mexicanplace, somewhere we will find
find the nearest Mexican.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
It doesn't have to be good.
We're recording on a Friday,don't tempt me.
Yeah, all right.
Um, what is one careermilestone that you are proud of?
Lightning round version.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Do you want to go first?
Yeah, I'll go first.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
I mean, I'm looking for like a belt, buckle or
something well, okay, so I'vegot two, if you don't mind um
sure?
Speaker 2 (13:29):
so I had a really tumultuous 2020, like we all did
, and I, in that year I was, Ihad my first son in 2019 and, no
, um, no, what am I talkingabout?
I had my second son in 2019 andI bought a mare while I was six
months pregnant and, um, wewere riding and show was it 2020
(13:51):
.
Gosh, I feel like it's 2019, Ithink it was 19, it was 19 um.
I bought this mare while I waspregnant and the lady was like I
can't sell you or if you'repregnant, and I was like I want
this horse because if I don'tbuy it now I'm not going to.
Yeah, so I bought this mare andI hauled and showed pregnant
and um a month after I had thebaby, I was riding and showing
and in that year we won um gosh.
(14:13):
I think we won 20 buckles and Iwon um amateur rookie of the
year for louisiana quarter horseassociation um, but we were, we
were booking it and that babywas on my hip and in the saddle
and yeah I think it was thisthing that I had to like prove
to myself that I could do it.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
So it was one of those challenges.
I was like I'm going to put mymind to it, I'm going to do this
, and I lucked up in a reallyfancy mare and we had a really
good time.
What kind of mare was it?
She was a reining horse, butthey had tried to turn her into
a cow horse and that they didn'thave a lot of success with her
because she didn't really likethe cutting aspect of things.
She was a little too slow, butshe was really great in the dry
(14:50):
work and just really a hardworker and love to be at a show
and kind of thrived in thatenvironment.
So she took really good care ofme.
Thankfully I was not in shaperight after having that baby but
she took good care of me.
But I think my second one andthis is really trying to hit on
some of the things that I wouldlove for you guys to promote we
(15:12):
just got the creation of theLouisiana Equine Promotion and
Research Board and that's anorganization that was created
through the state government andis housed through LDAF with the
Commissioner of Agriculture,and this year we were able to
get permanent dedicated fundsallocated to this board to
create a grant program thatsupports the Louisiana equine
(15:35):
industry.
And fortunately this has beenlike a lifelong journey for a
lot of my colleagues and a lotof the my predecessor, a lot of
people in the industry and kindof everything happened.
I was in the right place at theright time and all of the
things just kind of workedmagically and it was a little
bit of a David and Goliath story.
Everyone kept telling us we'llnever get this done, it's not
(15:56):
going to happen, it's the wrongtime, and every time we'd go to
the legislature it was unanimousvotes, positive votes, so
really excited, I think.
Honestly, besides helping kidsalong and getting them in this
industry and pushing them tomeet their goals, this is the
thing that I'm most proud of isthat we're able to have a legacy
for the equine industry here inlouisiana.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
So yeah, I'm pretty proud of that one awesome okay,
so my um what is my biggestaccomplishment or?
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Just one career milestone that you're proud of.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Okay, yeah, one that I'm really, really proud of,
which is probably one of thebiggest thing I've accomplished,
was in 2022.
So I got my mare in 1920.
I don't know.
Anyways, it kind of takes along time for you and a horse to
click and really start likegetting on the same path,
because I mean, you have tothink you're like two different
(16:49):
people trying to like be a teamand do this really complicated
thing.
2022, we were me and my mare.
She's a smart gal, but we callher Lucille.
We were at one of my mostmemorable things.
We were on fire that year.
We showed in our southern raincow horse association, went all
over the place.
We run the region in thelimited non-pro boxing and I got
(17:13):
reserved in the youth boxingand then I went to the world
show.
I made finals for the firsttime and I placed seventh I
think it was seventh out of 96people and then I ended up being
fifth out of 300-somethingnationally.
So it was just a really goodyear for us.
I came home with a reallypretty belt buckle I think I
(17:35):
actually have it on right nowWow.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
So it's, one that I'm Just happened to have it on.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Yeah, it's one that's very special to me because it
was a few years of just hardwork and I stopped showing not
really stopped showing, but Ididn't show as much to practice
and get better.
And then that year we hit ithard and yeah, so that's my year
and I won the non-pro of theLouisiana Stock Horse
(18:04):
Association.
I won the all-around, won asaddle and picked up a few belt
buckles there.
So it's just a really good year.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Final question what's on those belt buckles?
Speaker 2 (18:16):
I never want to stare , Get too close yeah right, but
what's on it?
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Is it different?
It's different for each one,kind of different.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
What's on?
Almost everything is going tobe the year that it was won.
It's going to be theassociation that's awarding it
and you'll have either thediscipline, the class or
whatever it is that you'reshowing in.
So if it was non-pro boxingshe'll have it.
It'll say Southern Reign CowHorse Association or World
Champion and whatever class.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
So, like on the top of mine, it says 2022.
It has the NRCHA logo, saysSoutheastern Regional Champion,
with the other NRCHA logo and itsays the class that I won.
And then it just has some cooldesigns and then they'll put
like stones and colors in it.
And there's some that are likegold and they're like so pretty
(19:04):
when they come out the box andthey're shiny, You're like well,
I'm just going to put this oneon the wall.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Yeah, yeah Cool, and I like your story, professor,
because it means that it's notlike out of the question to get
a buckle, absolutely not Do youhave kids and stuff?
Speaker 2 (19:20):
I think the thing about this industry and really
is, if there is a desire, yeah.
If you're willing to put thework in, people are going to be
willing to help you get there.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
I can't tell you how many mamas I mean.
Kaylee rode around with my babyin her arms more times than I
can kind of like shake a stickat and all of the other mamas in
the industry are like give methat baby, go ride.
So, it's not impossible if youreally want to get it done.
There's a will, there's a waythat's cool.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Yeah, does all of 4-h work like that too?
I mean most places yeah, prettymuch.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
The equine industry is like a big family and
everybody's helping everyone,because we all realize how hard
it is.
It's not something that you canjust show up one day and try to
be the best.
You have to work every day, putin the hours, put in the work,
be willing to go outside andsweat, get up early in the
morning whenever it's a hundreddegrees outside, um, stay late
up at, stay late at night.
(20:11):
You know, make a accommodationsjust so you can accomplish what
you want.
But, like she said, if there'sa will, there's definitely a way
to make it happen, Awesome.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Um, all right, let's get into a little bit more
heavier questions here.
So mentorship is so criticallyimportant to all of us as we
learn and grow.
It's one of my favoriteinterview formats to have a
pupil and professor or coach andtheir student athlete.
So, Kaylee, if you will pleaseintroduce how you met Dr Heidorn
(20:43):
and what she's meant to you.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Right.
So, um, a few, oh gosh, five,six, seven years ago however
long it was um, I was just on alittle plug horse learning how
to ride horses and there'salways going to be at horse
shows.
There are so many people there,but there's those people that
you always stick around when yougo to this horse shows every.
But there's those people thatyou always stick around when you
(21:06):
go to the horse shows everymonth, multiple times a year,
and Dr Neely was one of thosethat kind of helped take me
under her wing and show me howto ride my horse, how to
correctly do things.
Whenever I would get upset andI would sometimes shed a few
tears, she was there to be like,hey, it's okay, she was my
biggest cheerleader.
There's been a lot of times thatI can say Dr Neely has had my
(21:31):
back when I felt like nobodyelse did um, through the stock
horse and stuff, I went througha master horseman program um, I
learned some things there.
I've met some good friendsthrough Dr Neely and had a bunch
of connections um, and Iprobably wouldn't be as far if I
wouldn't have the connectionsand stuff that she sent along my
way and she's just one personthat's kind of stayed constant
through my horse career and myequine industry and kind of
helped me be the woman I amtoday.
(21:54):
So yeah, that's a little bitabout Dr Neely and how she's
impacted me.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Awesome, awesome.
All right, how did each of youget into ag?
Awesome, awesome.
Um, all right, how did each ofyou get into ag?
I kind of want to know aboutyou know, like, you the little
kid, yeah, me the little kid.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Okay, so I got involved in the horse industry,
really as a joke.
Um, I grew up in southerncalifornia and my parents and
grandparents owned a bar andgrill in an rv park and we had
sounds.
It was uh.
We had a patron that, um, owneda large ranch out in the desert
that would regularly get behindon his bar tap.
(22:33):
So my grandmother said I'llmake you a deal you keep the kid
out of the bar and out of ourhair and teach her how to ride
horses, and we'll call it even.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Fast forward.
You know great decision-making,right?
Yeah, just go with the guy thatcan't pay the tab Just off by
yourself.
Yeah, he was actually, itsounds terrible, but he was a
colonel in the Marine Corps,that's cool.
And he was actually thedirector and created the Marine
Corps Mounted Color Guard at thetime.
(23:04):
So he was really a fantasticrole model and a really great
guy.
But you know the things he didon the weekend.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Yeah, just don't look at a lot of people like that.
Yeah, see the good.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Yeah, I spent a lot of time we called him Colonel
Bob.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Spent a lot of time with Colonel Bob riding horses.
I started there literally whenI was two to keep me out of
trouble, um, and I kind ofalways knew that I wanted to be
in the industry.
I didn't know how or why, Um, Ialways wanted to fix broken
horses, Um, but then I realizedthat that wasn't.
It was really good at takingthings apart, but I hated the
(23:41):
responsibility of putting themback together.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
We're talking about horses here, right?
Yeah, yeah, yes, okay.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Yes, and I wanted to be a vet.
So I figured out let me figureout how all these things work
and I'm going to fix thesebroken horses and it really just
came.
I had so many fantastic mentors, just like Kaylee, like I had
Colonel Bob and he introduced meto a thousand different people
who just really, if I wanted toknow something, bob and he
introduced me to a thousanddifferent people who just really
, if I wanted to know something,they were so willing to show me
(24:07):
how to get it done.
All the different techniques,whether it was right or wrong
they were willing.
If I was hungry enough to learnit, they were willing to show me
how to do it and how to getthere.
Um and I, just I was like thisis where I need to be.
These people are welcoming.
This feels like home.
I'm going to stay in ag.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Awesome.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Okay, so I didn't get into ag till I was, I think,
nine or 10 years old.
Ever since growing up, I'vealways loved horses.
I was like I we passed by afield of horses.
I'm like mom, look, there'shorses or there's cows over
there.
I was always intrigued by it,but I, my family, we didn't have
any horses or anything likethat.
(24:45):
My great aunt had horses andwhen I was a little bit younger
than that we would go ride ather house, but they live in
Mississippi so we never reallywent that often and I'm pretty
sure I hear the story that Ididn't want to get off the horse
, that I was just like trying to.
I didn't.
I was pulled off.
I really didn't um want to getoff, and then I begged my dad
(25:06):
for two years ish, and hefinally found a place and put me
in riding lessons at Fraser'shomestead in central and started
the basics there and it's justwent from there.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
Awesome, awesome.
Now, when I was doing someresearch on you, you were a cow
hand at one point, right.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yes, so I my horse train.
I've been through a few horsetrainers because my discipline
has changed a little bit.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
But when I got to the rain, cow horse John Hawthorne
used to live in slaughter whichis like 15, 10, 15 minutes from
here and I worked.
He helped with my horses,helped train some of my horses.
Um, in the summer it wasactually during, uh, covid,
during 2022 my dad dropped meoff one morning at 7 am and said
(25:55):
, okay, I'll be back later, andI was there till about five that
afternoon he didn't tell you,you just got a job um yeah, so I
was just kind of thrown into itand it's pretty true.
I cleaned stalls, I saddledhorses, bathed horses, rode some
horses around just kind of keepthem warmed up for them, before
(26:16):
my horse, john, got on them,yeah.
And then it kind of grew afterthat.
They kind of became my secondfamily.
They had two little boys that Iwould watch, uh, whenever I had
a break or whatever, and I'd goplay with them in the yard.
But other than that, likethat's what I did, that was like
my job.
I would get paid to, um, whichI really didn't get paid because
(26:39):
it was just going like fortraining my horses.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
So I never like got money, but like my dad got money
for you know what I'm trying tosay like trade yeah, when he
hears this episode he's gonna belike thanks for making me look
great well I, because Itechnically like didn't get, I
didn't get paid, but like myhorse and like my bill got paid
yeah there it is, yeah, prettymuch so.
(27:02):
At least it wasn't with someonethat owed money on a bar tip.
Yeah, but it was A saferenvironment.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
And there's been a lot of things that have happened
at the barn that have helped megrow into the person I am today
.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
All right, those will have to stay in the barn.
Yeah, all right.
Um, all right, those will haveto stay in the barn.
Yeah, all right, professorheidorn.
Um, please take the lead andtell us about your work at lsu
these days and with the equineambassador program.
So you know this.
This is one of the main reasonswe're here and you know all the
lore around horses.
That just makes it fun.
(27:43):
But the equine ambassadorprogram, it's open to who what.
What is it?
When did it start?
Speaker 2 (27:50):
yeah, so equine ambassadors actually started.
This is our first year, um.
We tried to get it off theground last year, but it was um
we didn't have enough applicantsto make it the program happen
yeah so this year we actuallyhad enough applicants and what
it is is.
it is a 4-H based program.
You have to be high school agedand you have to be enrolled in
the 4-H horse project.
(28:11):
So we're taking those elitemembers of the 4-H horse project
and giving them um training inleadership skills.
We're giving them um trainingin just basic horse management
and horse science, as well asequine advocacy, and we're
giving them and challenging themto create their own
opportunities as a member ofthis board really to educate
(28:34):
others to mentor other youth intheir areas and in their parish
and in their 4-H parish programs.
And then we're also challengingthem to advocate for the equine
industry in whatever disciplinethat they're involved in.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Got it Okay, and what type of advocacy is taking
place?
Speaker 2 (28:52):
So really what we're doing is we're trying to make
the entire state and the rest ofour 4-H counterparts really
aware of what the 4-H horseprogram has to offer.
We're also giving them anopportunity to network and to
get more involved in some of thestatewide organizations and
(29:12):
some of the opportunities thatare happening there.
So we're trying to train themin um, job training, skills,
networking there.
We're also trying to get themto get the word out that hey,
4-h has a fantastic 4-H horseprogram.
We want you to come be involved.
Let me show you some of thethings that we're learning in
the horse program and then let'stalk about some of the big
things that are happening,happening on the state level in
(29:35):
the horse industry.
So really they're becoming, um,we like to say ambassadors, but
they're really the face,hopefully, of the equine
industry that is in Louisianaand I think so far they're doing
a pretty good job.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
Awesome, it seems fun .
Uh, Kaylee, what's yourperspective on the the program?
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Um.
So one of the um I guess not Idon't want to call it like a
rule, but like one of the jobs Ihave as an equine ambassadors
kind of like what Dr Neely saidis just advocating for the
equine industry.
Because a lot of people inLouisiana, I don't think,
realize how big the equineindustry is and how much it
(30:14):
impacts our economy and thingslike that.
Because with horses becomes alot of money comes right behind
that.
So when we have shows and stuff, you're bringing in people from
other states from around usthat have to pay gas, that helps
us.
I mean you obviously paying gas, you're eating here, you're
experienced Louisiana, all thosethings.
So just taking the little bitof knowledge that we have,
(30:38):
asking our mentors like, hey,how can we do this, how can we
make Louisiana equine better?
And just going to places thatmaybe don't know about it and
just letting like educating themon what the equine industry has
to offer and having fun whilewe do it yeah, awesome.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
And where do some of these shows happen?
Speaker 2 (30:56):
everywhere, yeah, all across the state, anywhere that
has a covered arena andsometimes even places that don't
have covered pens every weekendthere's something going on.
Yeah, that's the big problem.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
That don't have covered pens every weekend
there's something going on, yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
That's the big problem that we actually have
right now.
We're trying to grow theindustry and that's what some of
the grants I had spoken aboutbefore has been able to do is
attract larger national scaleshows to our state.
Unfortunately, what hashappened is none of our
facilities in the state arecapable of hosting shows that
are that large.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
Got it Spectators or the general arena?
Speaker 2 (31:30):
The spectators, we can handle.
Okay, the thing that we can'thandle is a lot of the
facilities if we're talkingabout a national based show they
need a minimum of 750 stalls.
And none of our facilities havethat much space or that much
stall space Like none.
No, not a single one.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Wow, that seems like an advocacy issue right there.
Right, it's also a real estateproblem, which we like.
It is a real estate problem.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
And, like Kaylee said , the economic impact of the
equine industry in this statealone is massive and I think
it's very underrepresented and Ifeel like that's one of the
jobs we're really trying toeducate not only the people of
the state of Louisiana, but alsoour senators and our
legislators.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Yeah, if you could put an arena in one city in
Louisiana, which would be themost reasonable spot.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Honestly anywhere along that I-10 corridor.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Our most popular one is going to be in West Monroe at
the I-Camelton.
Yeah, because it's airconditioned.
Um, it's what?
Speaker 1 (32:29):
air conditioner like the superdome, air conditioned,
like it's air conditioned yeah,it's pretty nice in the summer
when it's when you look at theyopen up that door, you look out
the stalls and there's like heatwaves or whatever and we're
like feels nice in here yeah wecall it the icy ike that's cool
yeah, um, but unfortunatelythey're in a place.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
They're in a great location.
We've got a lot of traffic fromtexas from arkansas, from
florida.
That's just a really goodlocation for us, yeah, um,
unfortunately they're kind oflandlocked, so we're stuck.
I think they have a maximum of500 stalls and that's with
temporary stalls, gotcha.
So, um, we're trying to dothings where we can attract
national level shows, and that'sone of the things.
(33:07):
We're trying to do, thingswhere we can attract national
level shows, and that's one ofthe things we're trying to
address is how can we make thisbigger?
How can we bring more shows hereto affect our local and
statewide economy?
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Yeah, Well, so many cities are looking for draws it
just seems like a smart one, anda lot of people on the cow
horse, believe it or not, likecoming to Louisiana because of
the culture we have here.
There was a show we usually wehave here.
There was a show.
We usually have a show inMarch-ish February whenever we
have Mardi Gras, and a lot ofpeople in Texas, oklahoma, don't
know what Mardi Gras is.
(33:35):
So then you have your beads,going everywhere and just
experiencing that kind of thing.
I mean, everyone's favorite,the food here, there's just
little things that we just haveevery day because we're used to
it that they're like, wow, thisis so cool.
And we're like, yeah, youdidn't know about it, but that's
what attracts the people toLouisiana from other states.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Yeah, um, it's kind of like I was describing earlier
.
For me, horses are justsynonymous with a parade, you
know, um, but it's aninteresting way to to mix it all
up.
Um, tell me about some of thescience that's going on and,
kaylee, maybe you can speak towhat you learned and you can
talk about the more scholasticaspects, professor.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
What do you mean?
Science?
You have to be more specific.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Well, I thought you were going to just help me there
.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
I have no idea, say like maybe what we kind of did
at ambassador training Likebreed science or so um.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Equine science in general is a massive topic right
, yeah there are so manydifferent avenues.
not only is there currentresearch going on at lsu on how
to better maintain our animalsoverall health at the vet school
right, we're also doing a tonof research looking at exercise
physiology.
Actually, the LSU vet school isin works to try to build a
(34:54):
whole new facility to targetjust equine exercise physiology
and maintain some of theathletes that we have in our
state between the racetracks andsome of our rain cow horse
professionals.
We also have equ?
Um equine researchers in theschool of animal science that
focus primarily on umendocrinologies and like insulin
(35:14):
sensitivity and reproductivetechnologies.
Um, well, we could talk for along time about the science that
goes on in our state, andthat's just at LSU.
Um, there's a lot of reallycool programs that go on at
other universities like McNeeseand Louisiana tech.
It's hard to say yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
What's your specialty ?
Speaker 2 (35:32):
So my specialty, um, I haven't used in the better
part of 20 years.
Um, I went to grad school, gotmy PhD in reproductive
endocrinology.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Um, but my appointment Cal poly, that's no,
she's very smart.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
Oh wait, you went.
I went to university of Georgiato finish that one.
So, um, I actually got um.
Animal health science was my,my um undergrad, my BS, my
master's was in stallionreproduction and then my PhD was
in reproductive endocrinology,so the hormones at the brain
level, um was in reproductiveendocrinology so the hormones at
(36:09):
the brain level, um.
And then I applied for the jobhere at LSU and my appointment
actually is 90% extension and10% teaching, so I personally
don't have a researchappointment.
Um, I do, however, help out ona lot of different programs and
I partner with our equineresearchers, just to kind of
stay abreast of what's going on,yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
Um.
So when you say extension, helpus understand what that means,
cause I see that word everywhereag extension.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
So extension, the cooperative extension system, is
basically tasked with takingscience-based information from
our research partners and takingthat information and
disseminating it to thestakeholders, which would just
be people in our industry.
Um, and my job is to take someof the research and the latest
techniques and managementtechniques in the horse industry
(36:53):
and spread it throughout thestate of Louisiana to help our
horsemen to make their liveseasier, better, easier to manage
.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
Awesome.
All right, kaylee, what'd youlearn through the program?
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Oh, I saw some interesting pictures, oh yeah,
um, the famous one of me, uh,palpating a mare, that's
probably one that's I've gottena lot of comments on.
But um, through ambassadortraining, they um exposed us to
a lot of different parts ofequine in the state of Louisiana
I know we went to um the lasersplace.
Uh, we went and visited aracetrack and kind of learned a
(37:28):
little bit.
At the racehorse industry wedid some reproductive stuff.
We made poo slurries.
Learned about parasites.
Right, right but we got to makepoop slurries, which is I know
that sounds really weird, butjust learning how to test for
different parasites and thingsout of your house, because it's
actually not as hard as somepeople might think it is.
(37:50):
Then we got to palpate a mare.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
What is that?
Second time I'm hearing it.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
So you get to in the most basic way stick your hand
in the horse's bottom.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Yeah, and it's anus rectum.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
And you go all the way.
We have to edit this out.
The horse's bottom, yeah, andit's rectus, rectum.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
And you go all the way.
We have to edit this out.
It's science, it's all thatgoes, you just.
Mandy Bradley at the schoolboard is just going to be like
all right.
You know you're really skirtingthe line here.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Yeah, well, I mean you have to know, like in the
horse industry you have to kindof know, but know.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
but it was really cool because, um, the some of
the uh, dr aaron oberhaus, whois over the reproductive yeah,
she's the equine researcher inthe school of animal sciences
and the co-sponsor of theprogram awesome so she was
really.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
It was really fun getting to see her um gosh,
what's the word?
X-ray?
Speaker 3 (38:40):
no, ultrasound, ultrasound, gosh see I don't
know what you're gonna say thisis why I need dr new year
ultrasound.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
It's like right there in my head ultrasound.
I don't know what you're gonnasay.
This is why I need dr neal hereultrasound.
It's like right there in myhead ultrasound.
I don't even know why I didn'tthink of that.
But ultrasound um a mare andlike get to see actually the
reproductive side that you seepictures of but you never like
actually get to see it.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
And then we got to go in and feel different types of
things and we do this to examinereproductive function and where
they are in their cycle.
This is all for breedingpurposes.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
Right right.
This is some of thereproductive technologies that
we can use on mares to kind oftime things a little bit more
effectively, so you don't haveto pay for stud services and
then you get the wrong day.
I'm sure Exactly exactly thoseguys are very important.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
We did other things but those were like my two
favorite.
I mean, palpating a mare was myactual favorite.
At first I was a little scaredand I was like this is weird and
fun fact.
I actually was the only personwho got pooped on because I went
full fledged on one, on thefirst on the mare that we had.
I was the first one and itseems weird, but you have to
(39:44):
clean them out, pull the manureout so you can go in and find
the different parts that youneed to see, and I just got
pooped on yeah, and fortunatelythis was a professional training
for them, right?
Speaker 2 (39:56):
so they were all dressed in business casual
clothes and yes her mom saiddon't worry, I'll order you a
new shirt.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
Yes, this kind of stuff sends my kids at least my
older two running in the otherdirection from egg.
But I'm intrigued.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
Yeah, yeah, my son's afraid of birds.
I mean, I don't like birdseither.
Birds are terrible.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
I don't like birds I like reptiles and birds a lot.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
I don't do snakes, though.
Snakes are a no-go.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
Yeah, snakes are a no-go.
Yeah, that's.
That's one for me, though evena garden snake.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
I'm not gonna pick it up.
I respect it, but go ahead.
Yep, somebody can come get it,because it won't be me and
you'll never see me run so fast,that's why we have barn cats.
Speaker 3 (40:36):
Yep oh cool, um over here.
Uh, I'll have to show you allthe the tortoises that we have
here very, very cool, that's mything that's cool.
We've got a couple of turkeyscoming this week too.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
Oh yeah, you're raising turkeys.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
Somebody was selling full grown well, almost full
grown turkeys over at.
I'll give her a shout out.
What was it?
Cajun Cuties.
Nigerian dwarf goat farm.
Okay so.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Hey, I actually have two Nigerian dwarf goats.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
Are those going to be dinner?
Oh, do you what?
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Yeah, at the high school we have two.
Their names are Timmy and Turbo.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
I think I've met them before.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (41:14):
At the Ag Day.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Yes, you did.
They were at the petting zooand they are a mess.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
They are.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
They are so cute and so fun and our ag buddies love
them.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
Aw and ag buddies are the little kids over at the
school.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
So our ag buddies is actually our special needs
program.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
So they come to us, our ag three and four students.
We interact with them, showthem different ag things.
They actually will go and showbroiler chickens and yeah, we
just kind of interact and helpthem build those social skills
that they don't get to see intheir classroom and interact
with, you know, um yeah, yeah,that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
When's the um the big lsu ag day?
I want to take the kids out agmagic I think ag magic.
Yeah, where they have the holein the side of the cow and you
stick your hand in that.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Oh God I'd be.
I feel like it's like March orApril, but I could be lying.
I think it is an April.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
That was an incredible experience.
I loved it All right.
So any closing thoughts thaty'all would like to share before
we head out.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
So I just think that one of the things I want to
share and help promote is thatthere's a lot of people in the
ag industry and, being an equineambassador, there's a lot of
people that are willing to helpand they're looking for those
people that are hungry andwanting to do more.
I feel like I was one of thosekids that wanted to do more and
I wanted to find a way.
There's a little things in agthat I'm very good at, some that
(42:49):
I'm like that is not my forte.
I don't want to go down that.
But there's also a lot ofpeople along the way because I
was hungry.
I had a lot of horse show momsthat some people don't realize.
Dr O'Neely, I know LizWaggis-Pack, mark and Betty Ann
Browning.
They've helped me a few times.
Danae Castles is where my horseis at my trainers all the way
(43:16):
from Mike Frazier and Kathy Buttto Celine Perry and John
Hawthorne and the people atshows who help me when my horse
trainers can't be there or myparents can't be there.
There's been multiple times thatI've gone to Tennessee by
myself and I had no one but myhorse show moms and friends
because I needed to go show butno one else could be there.
So having those trainers andpeople step in the agriculture
world and the equine industrymore specifically is a big
(43:39):
family and there's a lot ofpeople in there that are willing
to help and I'm just verythankful for my village and the
people that put in and myparents that have legit given a
lot.
I know my both my mom and dadhave traveled many, many miles
and done a whole lot for me.
So I'm very thankful for all mypeople and just hope the youth
in the East Baton Rouge parishand in Louisiana and whole just
(44:02):
see that there's people outthere, adults out there, willing
to help, but you just have tohave the drive to go do it.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
So I'll echo the same thing we're here, If you want
to join us we would love to haveyou.
It takes a village to get donewhat we do and there is no
shortage of experienced peopleand sometimes in all industries
there can be some negativeconnotations.
But what I would saywholeheartedly about the equine
(44:29):
industry here in Louisiana is ifyou want to work hard, you want
to put in the time.
We're here to help you and we'dlove to see you.
Speaker 3 (44:37):
Yeah, when's the next extension event that we can
look forward to?
Speaker 2 (44:42):
Oh, there's a ton yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:44):
What's the next one that we'll see you at?
Speaker 2 (44:47):
Let me check my schedule.
I think it's going to beLivingston EBR 4-H Horse Club.
Speaker 3 (44:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
We're doing a horse judging clinic in two weeks.
Speaker 1 (44:59):
Yeah, it's at the end of October.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
What website would that be through?
Speaker 2 (45:05):
You can check that out on facebook, okay, the
livingston ebr 4-h horse clubpage, I believe yeah, kaylee, do
you belong to any um facebookgroups that that people might
need to join?
Speaker 1 (45:18):
um, yeah, I'm a part of any of the horse club groups
louisiana 4-h, any of thosetypes of things that just to
stay in the know.
And I didn't forget this person, but one person that has been
very instrumental on my journey,especially because my horse
trainer moved from Slaughter toGainesville, texas, which is
about nine hours from here, andthere's not a lot of people in
(45:45):
South Louisiana that can helpwith.
There is people thatspecifically do rain work or
cutting or stuff, but there'snot been a lot of people that do
everything and have everythingat their fingertips.
But Mr Clint Depew lives justright down the road and he's one
that I see on Sunday morningsat church with a smiling face
greeting me.
Hey, when do you want to comeride again, do you?
want to come ride.
(46:05):
Do you want to come work theflag?
Just someone who is very, veryknowledgeable in the equine
industry and is very willing togive back to the youth.
So I wanted to give him a shoutout before you know we ended
this, because he's also actuallymy predecessor, oh gotcha okay.
Speaker 3 (46:20):
So he's kind of he's at mastery level with everything
he's amazing and he helped.
Speaker 1 (46:24):
He helps you understand not just why we do it
, but how we do it and the thethinking part of it, the mental
like we do this because of this,and it makes us think and he
just connects it all on alldifferent types of levels.
Speaker 2 (46:38):
So he's pretty great yeah, I don't know if you've
caught on to any of these things, but, um, horses and working
with people in the horseindustry is not just about
horses generally.
Um, there's a whole lot ofsolving the world's problems on
these long truck drives and umwhen we're eating at our Mexican
food, there's a lot of laughs,but there's also a whole lot of
encouragement and a whole lot ofsupport.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
Um, and it doesn't matter if it's your horse show
mom, your real mom, justsomebody down the road who's
helping give lessons.
There's just a breadth ofknowledge and people really
trying to make their livesbetter by helping you make your
life better.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
Yeah, cool, I will say that.
And even like my FFA advisor atthe high school, miss Melissa
Brumbo she and any any of mylike mentors and horse show moms
and stuff they it's not justlike Dr Neely said, it's not
just about you becoming betteron the horse, but like my
(47:39):
character and the way the personI've become today wouldn't be
without those laughs at theMexican restaurant or just the
little things along the way thatyou don't realize you pick up,
cause there's, um, I got reallybusy with sports and things like
you mentioned.
I'm involved really a lot inthe high school and just
enjoying my time as a highschool student before I graduate
(48:00):
and move off to Texas.
But where are you?
Speaker 3 (48:03):
going.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
I don't know yet.
So, I don't I don't want topublicly say but, somewhere
Texas, oklahoma I'm looking togo um on a ranch horse team and
ride out there somewhere.
Speaker 3 (48:18):
You can do that through college, yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
And you can get some, uh, some scholarships.
Speaker 2 (48:22):
It's not it's not an NCAA recognized sport, but a lot
of.
It's not an NCAA recognizedsport but there's a lot of
colleges that have significantdonors and they've been able to
build a scholarship program toattract nationally ranked
equestrians to come representtheir university.
Speaker 3 (48:38):
If lacrosse is recognized, come on.
Speaker 1 (48:41):
Yeah, so doing that and then getting a degree in ag
business and hopefully get mymaster's one day.
But yeah, just the littlethings growing how to speak in
front of people, because I cantell you 13 year old me would
never believe that I'm sittingright here advocating for
Louisiana equine industry, sojust all the people along the
(49:03):
way.
you just don't realize how manypeople are there just to help
you.
That's the only thing I canstress.
Enough is just go be hungry, gobe and try it.
Go be great, like everyone hasthe opportunity to be great, but
you have to want it more thanthe person next to you.
Speaker 3 (49:16):
Yeah, it's a great place to end it and hey, I might
be ISO a mini horse.
Have you know of any?
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Actually I just found one.
A friend of mine was trying tosell.
I don't know if it's a mini,but it's a pony.
Speaker 3 (49:30):
Doesn't bite, does it ?
Speaker 2 (49:31):
I mean, all ponies are from the devil, so maybe
Y'all.
Speaker 3 (49:35):
That's it for this week's episode of P&P.
Catch us on all localnewsstands or on the World Wide
Web at fortuneparishcom andfortuneparishcom.
And it's thanks to all of oursponsors who make this content
free to you.
Please go out and support them.
Bye, bye now, until next week.
I'm Kaylee Marino.
Keep listening to Porch andParish the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Dr Neely Heidorn.
Keep listening to Porch andParish the podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
A horse that can count to 10 is a remarkable
horse, not a remarkablemathematician Something to
ponder from Warren Buffett.
Our guests today are remarkablescholastically and
knowledgeable in all thingshorse related.
From my perspective, as a kidfrom Metairie, louisiana, I only
encountered horses ridden bymounted patrols and Mardi Gras
parades.
4-h was foreign to me and myhigh school didn't have a
(00:35):
chapter, even though I wasincredibly fascinated by all
things of the farm from a youngage.
Today, I'd like to shed light onKaylee Marino's and Professor
Neely Heidorn's agriculturaljourney and how it has impacted
both of their lives.
We're also going to highlightsome of the programs that are
available to our youth in theregion, so they don't let these
opportunities slip away as I did.
(00:56):
Kaylee is actively involved inthe Louisiana 4-H Equine
Ambassador Program.
She's also the ZHSFFA President, four-year member of varsity
cheer team, varsity powerliftingteam and varsity track and
field team.
Her mentor, lsu professor DrNeely Heidland, from the School
of Animal Sciences, runs theMaster Horseman program and
volunteers her time in manyother ways throughout our state.
(01:19):
As always, we're here to bringyou the best of Zachary and the
Baton Rouge area throughengaging conversations every
Monday from our Virginia Streetheadquarters.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
This is Portion Parish the podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Stay tuned because the lightning round is coming up
.
Looking for a family outing offthe beaten path?
Trot over to Breck's Far ParkEquestrian Center for a unique
experience.
Far Park offers guided trailrides throughout the fall.
Starting on September 22nd, youand the family can enjoy the
fresh air, beautiful scenery andquality time with loved ones
(01:51):
Perfect for all ages.
Follow the link to sign up.
Spots are limited, All right,and we are back with the
lightning round.
So these questions are reallyfun because y'all.
Agriculture just lights me up.
I don't know why, Like I wasthat kid that was incubating
(02:13):
chickens in seventh grade andhad a victory garden when nobody
knew what that was in my class.
You know All right, so pleasedescribe your favorite horse.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
You want to go first.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Yeah, I will.
I was actually thinking aboutthis question earlier.
So even though I've been veryfortunate to ride and experience
a bunch of different horses,one of my favorite horses, I
think of all time, was Mark andBetty Ann Browning's black
gelding called Six's Sanjolinaand his barn name was Smoke.
I'm not really for sure whatabout this horse I like, but
(02:48):
ever since he's been in the barnhe's just been one that's stuck
in.
He's an incredible athlete,gives his all every time and is
just amazing on the cow.
He's just one of my favorites.
That since a young age.
I started working with him whenhe was in my trainer's barn and
he's just kind of developedalong the way.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Yeah, awesome, that was a really cool description,
all right.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Um, you know I'll.
I'll mirror some of what Kayleesaid.
I've been really fortunate tohave some really cool animals in
my life along the way that kindof developed my passion and led
me to this point in my life.
My all time favorite favoritehas to be American Quarter
Horses, and it's hard to put apin in just one, but I have been
known to be partial to spicyred mares.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
My current one is Spicy.
In what way?
Like color.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
No personality and demeanor.
In the industry.
Spicy just kind of gives you,the average person, an idea that
the thing that you're sittingon isn't like a plug, isn't just
quiet, isn't falling asleepwhen you're trying to do things.
She's extra.
And I kind of like me personally, I like a mare.
(04:00):
They tend to give a little bitmore when you're in the weeds
per se.
Um the current one that I'mriding right now, uh, she's an
eight-year-old um merida catsmarada, and she is her.
Her name is dazzling catalina.
My son affectionately calls herdaisy.
I call her daisy may, becausedaisy may win everything, or
(04:21):
daisy may really mess you up.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
No, Do y'all both do the same type of riding?
Speaker 2 (04:29):
She does it a lot more successfully than I do.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Yeah, I am currently in my mom era, but yes,
generally the same like categorystyle is like all there.
We both have done a lot ofstock horse together.
That's kind of where we met.
I took it and just went the cowhorse route and Dr Neely has
shown the cow horse too, butmore of the ranch type event is
(04:54):
where she is best, I think.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Once I had children, I realized my mortality.
Yeah, okay, right, and Ihaven't had the opportunities to
kind of go and do some of themore adrenaline pumping things
that kaylee's been able to doyeah but that's in my future.
I just have to wait till thesekids grow up nice night, all
right.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Uh, kaylee, please define cowhorsing okay.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
So to me, the best way I describe it to people is I
take it in two parts.
So the first part is the rainwork part, or your dry work.
In this part we guide ourhorses through a pattern.
It'll be between loping circles, speeding up, slowing down.
Then we have our turnarounds,which is spins, where they plant
(05:42):
one of their back feet and turnquickly in a circle, crossing
their front legs over, and thenyou have the sliding stop.
That's very intriguing, that alot of people look for when they
run down the center of the pinand then their behind end goes
to the ground and they pedal ontheir front end.
In the rain work there's a lotof little minute things that go
(06:02):
into it, but those are like theoverall main maneuvers.
And then the second part is thecow work, the fence work, which
is the adrenaline pumping sideof everything.
They'll release one cow intothe arena.
You box the cow on one endbetween two markers.
Once you do that, you'll driveit around the corner, go down
the fence and execute threeturns.
(06:23):
Well, I think you only have todo two, one each direction, but
usually it's three turns mostpeople do and then you'll scoop
that cow off the fence andcircle it both directions in the
middle of the arena.
Now the fence work can be verytricky and very hard, especially
when it gets really fast andyou have a tough cow.
So there is is and a lot ofassociations like builder
(06:46):
classes.
So I started off in the youthclass and that's just the boxing
.
So we just do the first part ofthe fence work.
We just keep it on one end ofthe fence, go side, like go
drive it down one side and oneside in between those middle
markers and then you have oneclass that's boxing, and then
you drive it down the other sideand box it again on the other
side and just practice goingdown the fence, getting out of
(07:08):
the corner, practicing thatdrive.
And those all are just babysteps and a building you to go
down the fence so that wepractice being safe, practice
controlling our horse at fastrates and moving a cow in the
arena.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Nice Going down the fence is where the majority of
the wrecks will happen ifthey're going to happen.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
If you think about it .
I know it's hard to visualize,but she's mirroring on her horse
.
She's mirroring the cow goingdown the fence and then when she
gets to a specific marker, it'sher horse's job technically to
turn that cow back.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
The other direction.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
And if you're watching it it's almost like
they're turning together.
There's very little space andvery little room for error.
So if she didn't have thesebuilder classes and we didn't
practice all of these skills andlearning how to read a cow and
learning how to rate our horseappropriately, there's a lot of
oopses that can happen veryquickly.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Get squished up against the side.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Well, cows, jump over the top of you.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Your horse can fall.
There was one that happened atthe, I think the Hackamore
Classic, if I'm not mistaken, inTulsa, oklahoma.
In the youth classic a girl wasgoing down the fence.
Her horse stopped perfectlywith the cow.
The cow actually jumped overthe horse, hit her, knocked her
off of the horse and on theground, so it could have been
very bad.
Thankfully I'm pretty sure shewas okay.
(08:29):
But there it's a lot of thingshappen in the snap of a finger,
so you have to learn how to readyour cow, how to train your
horse to read the cow into all.
It's like thinking three mindsat once and it's that's where
the adrenaline's going.
Everything's happened so fast.
You have to think quick.
That's the fun part that I likeabout it, because everything
just happens super fast.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Do you have your driver's license yet?
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I do.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Because it reminds me of, like, if you can drive a
horse like that.
Yeah, exactly, probably bepretty good in a vehicle, all
right.
What is your favorite cowboy orcowgirl movie?
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Do you have one?
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Well, I've actually watched all the like horse
movies on Netflix, so any ofthose like Heartland.
I love the like show Heartland.
Ever since I was like 12 yearsold I've always watched that.
Um down the fence is adocumentary that talks about the
rain cow horse.
So I really really like thatone because it's a lot of the
industry professionals that wesee every day and you get to see
(09:23):
them.
A few years ago when they werestarting up I know Aaron Tormino
is big featured in that andjust seeing her journey starting
young and now where she is, Idon't I think there's one that's
like the last cowboy orsomething like that and it's
pretty good yeah, but.
I mean, and you have Yellowstone, that everyone knows
Yellowstone.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
That's the first time I've seen reigned cowhorses.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
That's how I another way I relate.
I'm like do you see what theydo on Yellowstone.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
That's what we do, that's like a big money version
of it.
Yes, all right what you got.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
I'm a little old school, I think my favorite is
going to be Lonesome Dove.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Oh, I watched that with Growing up.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Yeah, it's definitely rated R Well For a cowboy movie
.
I mean, all the cowboy moviesare kind of like on the fringe,
it can be yeah.
It can be no, I loved that onewho was in it, kenny Rogers.
No, not Kenny.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Rogers, wasn't he?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Didn't he make a cameo?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
No, he may have, but that's not, that were not the
main character gosh, what aretheir names?
Speaker 3 (10:22):
now you're gonna have to make me look it up I didn't
remember the characters names,but I don't remember who their
real names were everybody's factchecking this I know I don't
want to like misspeak all right,I'm gonna ask kaylee one
favorite food or snack afterriding or while in the saddle
it's robert devol and tommy leejones oh yeah, yeah, robert.
(10:42):
Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones.
Oh, yeah yeah, kenny Rogersdidn't make a cameo.
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
I don't think so.
I mean the.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Fine, I mean Robert Duvall had this.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Like you know, gray yeah Was gray and old in it.
He's so cool.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
I like him in secondhand lines.
All right.
Favorite food or snack afterriding or while in the saddle?
Speaker 1 (11:03):
So my all-time favorite drink is a Red Tummy
Yummy.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Never heard of it.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Is that like Prime or something?
Speaker 1 (11:13):
No, it's actually something that's for, like,
little kids.
Yeah, it's like a little bittylike juice in a thing.
It has like, you know, like thetwist tops on like Gatorades,
but it's like that, but it'slike smaller.
Yeah, the twist tops on likegatorades, but it's like that
but it's like smaller.
Yeah, it's really weird, butthey're like my favorite thing,
I don't know why, and a crunchbar, those two nestle crunch,
that's classic my favoritethings, anytime, any part of the
(11:35):
day.
I will take a red tummy yummyand a crunch bar and you have
made me happy where are yousourcing these?
Um, I don't, this is just myfavorite.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
I mean like where you buy it, oh, where.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Oh um, jets has them.
Actually jets is the only one Ithink.
Well, actually most gross, mostlike gas stations have um bread
tummy on me.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
But like some don't.
So then I just don't drink ared tummy yummy, or I just drink
a Dr Pepper.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
So All right.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
I think mine's not as unique as that.
I feel like, though, if you'rein the horse industry like
driving lawn hours everybody'sgot that weird thing that they
take in the truck when they'redriving.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Mine's red vines and a peach tea.
What's red vines?
A peach tea.
What's red vines?
Licorice like red oh really,yeah, yeah it's just easy to eat
while you're driving.
I guess I don't know yeah, thatis.
That's kind of cowboy-esque,and then um anything after hands
down after a horse show it'salways mexican food okay, 100
percent, it's usually becauseit's the only thing left open,
(12:43):
and Asian Pearl and Zachary alot of times after a ride I
bring my wall bottle everywhere.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
A big thing of cold water is.
After the ride I'm like justgive me cold water.
I am a cold water drinker, butjust water in general, and then
give me my snack, my favoritething, and then we're probably
going to be seen at a Mexicanplace, somewhere we will find
find the nearest Mexican.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
It doesn't have to be good.
We're recording on a Friday,don't tempt me.
Yeah, all right.
Um, what is one careermilestone that you are proud of?
Lightning round version.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Do you want to go first?
Yeah, I'll go first.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
I mean, I'm looking for like a belt, buckle or
something well, okay, so I'vegot two, if you don't mind um
sure?
Speaker 2 (13:29):
so I had a really tumultuous 2020, like we all did
, and I, in that year I was, Ihad my first son in 2019 and, no
, um, no, what am I talkingabout?
I had my second son in 2019 andI bought a mare while I was six
months pregnant and, um, wewere riding and show was it 2020
(13:51):
.
Gosh, I feel like it's 2019, Ithink it was 19, it was 19 um.
I bought this mare while I waspregnant and the lady was like I
can't sell you or if you'repregnant, and I was like I want
this horse because if I don'tbuy it now I'm not going to.
Yeah, so I bought this mare andI hauled and showed pregnant
and um a month after I had thebaby, I was riding and showing
and in that year we won um gosh.
(14:13):
I think we won 20 buckles and Iwon um amateur rookie of the
year for louisiana quarter horseassociation um, but we were, we
were booking it and that babywas on my hip and in the saddle
and yeah I think it was thisthing that I had to like prove
to myself that I could do it.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
So it was one of those challenges.
I was like I'm going to put mymind to it, I'm going to do this
, and I lucked up in a reallyfancy mare and we had a really
good time.
What kind of mare was it?
She was a reining horse, butthey had tried to turn her into
a cow horse and that they didn'thave a lot of success with her
because she didn't really likethe cutting aspect of things.
She was a little too slow, butshe was really great in the dry
(14:50):
work and just really a hardworker and love to be at a show
and kind of thrived in thatenvironment.
So she took really good care ofme.
Thankfully I was not in shaperight after having that baby but
she took good care of me.
But I think my second one andthis is really trying to hit on
some of the things that I wouldlove for you guys to promote we
(15:12):
just got the creation of theLouisiana Equine Promotion and
Research Board and that's anorganization that was created
through the state government andis housed through LDAF with the
Commissioner of Agriculture,and this year we were able to
get permanent dedicated fundsallocated to this board to
create a grant program thatsupports the Louisiana equine
(15:35):
industry.
And fortunately this has beenlike a lifelong journey for a
lot of my colleagues and a lotof the my predecessor, a lot of
people in the industry and kindof everything happened.
I was in the right place at theright time and all of the
things just kind of workedmagically and it was a little
bit of a David and Goliath story.
Everyone kept telling us we'llnever get this done, it's not
(15:56):
going to happen, it's the wrongtime, and every time we'd go to
the legislature it was unanimousvotes, positive votes, so
really excited, I think.
Honestly, besides helping kidsalong and getting them in this
industry and pushing them tomeet their goals, this is the
thing that I'm most proud of isthat we're able to have a legacy
for the equine industry here inlouisiana.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
So yeah, I'm pretty proud of that one awesome okay,
so my um what is my biggestaccomplishment or?
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Just one career milestone that you're proud of.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Okay, yeah, one that I'm really, really proud of,
which is probably one of thebiggest thing I've accomplished,
was in 2022.
So I got my mare in 1920.
I don't know.
Anyways, it kind of takes along time for you and a horse to
click and really start likegetting on the same path,
because I mean, you have tothink you're like two different
(16:49):
people trying to like be a teamand do this really complicated
thing.
2022, we were me and my mare.
She's a smart gal, but we callher Lucille.
We were at one of my mostmemorable things.
We were on fire that year.
We showed in our southern raincow horse association, went all
over the place.
We run the region in thelimited non-pro boxing and I got
(17:13):
reserved in the youth boxingand then I went to the world
show.
I made finals for the firsttime and I placed seventh I
think it was seventh out of 96people and then I ended up being
fifth out of 300-somethingnationally.
So it was just a really goodyear for us.
I came home with a reallypretty belt buckle I think I
(17:35):
actually have it on right nowWow.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
So it's, one that I'm Just happened to have it on.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Yeah, it's one that's very special to me because it
was a few years of just hardwork and I stopped showing not
really stopped showing, but Ididn't show as much to practice
and get better.
And then that year we hit ithard and yeah, so that's my year
and I won the non-pro of theLouisiana Stock Horse
(18:04):
Association.
I won the all-around, won asaddle and picked up a few belt
buckles there.
So it's just a really good year.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Final question what's on those belt buckles?
Speaker 2 (18:16):
I never want to stare , Get too close yeah right, but
what's on it?
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Is it different?
It's different for each one,kind of different.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
What's on?
Almost everything is going tobe the year that it was won.
It's going to be theassociation that's awarding it
and you'll have either thediscipline, the class or
whatever it is that you'reshowing in.
So if it was non-pro boxingshe'll have it.
It'll say Southern Reign CowHorse Association or World
Champion and whatever class.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
So, like on the top of mine, it says 2022.
It has the NRCHA logo, saysSoutheastern Regional Champion,
with the other NRCHA logo and itsays the class that I won.
And then it just has some cooldesigns and then they'll put
like stones and colors in it.
And there's some that are likegold and they're like so pretty
(19:04):
when they come out the box andthey're shiny, You're like well,
I'm just going to put this oneon the wall.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Yeah, yeah Cool, and I like your story, professor,
because it means that it's notlike out of the question to get
a buckle, absolutely not Do youhave kids and stuff?
Speaker 2 (19:20):
I think the thing about this industry and really
is, if there is a desire, yeah.
If you're willing to put thework in, people are going to be
willing to help you get there.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
I can't tell you how many mamas I mean.
Kaylee rode around with my babyin her arms more times than I
can kind of like shake a stickat and all of the other mamas in
the industry are like give methat baby, go ride.
So, it's not impossible if youreally want to get it done.
There's a will, there's a waythat's cool.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Yeah, does all of 4-h work like that too?
I mean most places yeah, prettymuch.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
The equine industry is like a big family and
everybody's helping everyone,because we all realize how hard
it is.
It's not something that you canjust show up one day and try to
be the best.
You have to work every day, putin the hours, put in the work,
be willing to go outside andsweat, get up early in the
morning whenever it's a hundreddegrees outside, um, stay late
up at, stay late at night.
(20:11):
You know, make a accommodationsjust so you can accomplish what
you want.
But, like she said, if there'sa will, there's definitely a way
to make it happen, Awesome.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Um, all right, let's get into a little bit more
heavier questions here.
So mentorship is so criticallyimportant to all of us as we
learn and grow.
It's one of my favoriteinterview formats to have a
pupil and professor or coach andtheir student athlete.
So, Kaylee, if you will pleaseintroduce how you met Dr Heidorn
(20:43):
and what she's meant to you.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Right.
So, um, a few, oh gosh, five,six, seven years ago however
long it was um, I was just on alittle plug horse learning how
to ride horses and there'salways going to be at horse
shows.
There are so many people there,but there's those people that
you always stick around when yougo to this horse shows every.
But there's those people thatyou always stick around when you
(21:06):
go to the horse shows everymonth, multiple times a year,
and Dr Neely was one of thosethat kind of helped take me
under her wing and show me howto ride my horse, how to
correctly do things.
Whenever I would get upset andI would sometimes shed a few
tears, she was there to be like,hey, it's okay, she was my
biggest cheerleader.
There's been a lot of times thatI can say Dr Neely has had my
(21:31):
back when I felt like nobodyelse did um, through the stock
horse and stuff, I went througha master horseman program um, I
learned some things there.
I've met some good friendsthrough Dr Neely and had a bunch
of connections um, and Iprobably wouldn't be as far if I
wouldn't have the connectionsand stuff that she sent along my
way and she's just one personthat's kind of stayed constant
through my horse career and myequine industry and kind of
helped me be the woman I amtoday.
(21:54):
So yeah, that's a little bitabout Dr Neely and how she's
impacted me.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Awesome, awesome.
All right, how did each of youget into ag?
Awesome, awesome.
Um, all right, how did each ofyou get into ag?
I kind of want to know aboutyou know, like, you the little
kid, yeah, me the little kid.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Okay, so I got involved in the horse industry,
really as a joke.
Um, I grew up in southerncalifornia and my parents and
grandparents owned a bar andgrill in an rv park and we had
sounds.
It was uh.
We had a patron that, um, owneda large ranch out in the desert
that would regularly get behindon his bar tap.
(22:33):
So my grandmother said I'llmake you a deal you keep the kid
out of the bar and out of ourhair and teach her how to ride
horses, and we'll call it even.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Fast forward.
You know great decision-making,right?
Yeah, just go with the guy thatcan't pay the tab Just off by
yourself.
Yeah, he was actually, itsounds terrible, but he was a
colonel in the Marine Corps,that's cool.
And he was actually thedirector and created the Marine
Corps Mounted Color Guard at thetime.
(23:04):
So he was really a fantasticrole model and a really great
guy.
But you know the things he didon the weekend.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Yeah, just don't look at a lot of people like that.
Yeah, see the good.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Yeah, I spent a lot of time we called him Colonel
Bob.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Spent a lot of time with Colonel Bob riding horses.
I started there literally whenI was two to keep me out of
trouble, um, and I kind ofalways knew that I wanted to be
in the industry.
I didn't know how or why, Um, Ialways wanted to fix broken
horses, Um, but then I realizedthat that wasn't.
It was really good at takingthings apart, but I hated the
(23:41):
responsibility of putting themback together.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
We're talking about horses here, right?
Yeah, yeah, yes, okay.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Yes, and I wanted to be a vet.
So I figured out let me figureout how all these things work
and I'm going to fix thesebroken horses and it really just
came.
I had so many fantastic mentors, just like Kaylee, like I had
Colonel Bob and he introduced meto a thousand different people
who just really, if I wanted toknow something, bob and he
introduced me to a thousanddifferent people who just really
, if I wanted to know something,they were so willing to show me
(24:07):
how to get it done.
All the different techniques,whether it was right or wrong
they were willing.
If I was hungry enough to learnit, they were willing to show me
how to do it and how to getthere.
Um and I, just I was like thisis where I need to be.
These people are welcoming.
This feels like home.
I'm going to stay in ag.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Awesome.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Okay, so I didn't get into ag till I was, I think,
nine or 10 years old.
Ever since growing up, I'vealways loved horses.
I was like I we passed by afield of horses.
I'm like mom, look, there'shorses or there's cows over
there.
I was always intrigued by it,but I, my family, we didn't have
any horses or anything likethat.
(24:45):
My great aunt had horses andwhen I was a little bit younger
than that we would go ride ather house, but they live in
Mississippi so we never reallywent that often and I'm pretty
sure I hear the story that Ididn't want to get off the horse
, that I was just like trying to.
I didn't.
I was pulled off.
I really didn't um want to getoff, and then I begged my dad
(25:06):
for two years ish, and hefinally found a place and put me
in riding lessons at Fraser'shomestead in central and started
the basics there and it's justwent from there.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
Awesome, awesome.
Now, when I was doing someresearch on you, you were a cow
hand at one point, right.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Yes, so I my horse train.
I've been through a few horsetrainers because my discipline
has changed a little bit.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
But when I got to the rain, cow horse John Hawthorne
used to live in slaughter whichis like 15, 10, 15 minutes from
here and I worked.
He helped with my horses,helped train some of my horses.
Um, in the summer it wasactually during, uh, covid,
during 2022 my dad dropped meoff one morning at 7 am and said
(25:55):
, okay, I'll be back later, andI was there till about five that
afternoon he didn't tell you,you just got a job um yeah, so I
was just kind of thrown into itand it's pretty true.
I cleaned stalls, I saddledhorses, bathed horses, rode some
horses around just kind of keepthem warmed up for them, before
(26:16):
my horse, john, got on them,yeah.
And then it kind of grew afterthat.
They kind of became my secondfamily.
They had two little boys that Iwould watch, uh, whenever I had
a break or whatever, and I'd goplay with them in the yard.
But other than that, likethat's what I did, that was like
my job.
I would get paid to, um, whichI really didn't get paid because
(26:39):
it was just going like fortraining my horses.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
So I never like got money, but like my dad got money
for you know what I'm trying tosay like trade yeah, when he
hears this episode he's gonna belike thanks for making me look
great well I, because Itechnically like didn't get, I
didn't get paid, but like myhorse and like my bill got paid
yeah there it is, yeah, prettymuch so.
(27:02):
At least it wasn't with someonethat owed money on a bar tip.
Yeah, but it was A saferenvironment.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
And there's been a lot of things that have happened
at the barn that have helped megrow into the person I am today
.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
All right, those will have to stay in the barn.
Yeah, all right.
Um, all right, those will haveto stay in the barn.
Yeah, all right, professorheidorn.
Um, please take the lead andtell us about your work at lsu
these days and with the equineambassador program.
So you know this.
This is one of the main reasonswe're here and you know all the
lore around horses.
That just makes it fun.
(27:43):
But the equine ambassadorprogram, it's open to who what.
What is it?
When did it start?
Speaker 2 (27:50):
yeah, so equine ambassadors actually started.
This is our first year, um.
We tried to get it off theground last year, but it was um
we didn't have enough applicantsto make it the program happen
yeah so this year we actuallyhad enough applicants and what
it is is.
it is a 4-H based program.
You have to be high school agedand you have to be enrolled in
the 4-H horse project.
(28:11):
So we're taking those elitemembers of the 4-H horse project
and giving them um training inleadership skills.
We're giving them um trainingin just basic horse management
and horse science, as well asequine advocacy, and we're
giving them and challenging themto create their own
opportunities as a member ofthis board really to educate
(28:34):
others to mentor other youth intheir areas and in their parish
and in their 4-H parish programs.
And then we're also challengingthem to advocate for the equine
industry in whatever disciplinethat they're involved in.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Got it Okay, and what type of advocacy is taking
place?
Speaker 2 (28:52):
So really what we're doing is we're trying to make
the entire state and the rest ofour 4-H counterparts really
aware of what the 4-H horseprogram has to offer.
We're also giving them anopportunity to network and to
get more involved in some of thestatewide organizations and
(29:12):
some of the opportunities thatare happening there.
So we're trying to train themin um, job training, skills,
networking there.
We're also trying to get themto get the word out that hey,
4-h has a fantastic 4-H horseprogram.
We want you to come be involved.
Let me show you some of thethings that we're learning in
the horse program and then let'stalk about some of the big
things that are happening,happening on the state level in
(29:35):
the horse industry.
So really they're becoming, um,we like to say ambassadors, but
they're really the face,hopefully, of the equine
industry that is in Louisianaand I think so far they're doing
a pretty good job.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
Awesome, it seems fun .
Uh, Kaylee, what's yourperspective on the the program?
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Um.
So one of the um I guess not Idon't want to call it like a
rule, but like one of the jobs Ihave as an equine ambassadors
kind of like what Dr Neely saidis just advocating for the
equine industry.
Because a lot of people inLouisiana, I don't think,
realize how big the equineindustry is and how much it
(30:14):
impacts our economy and thingslike that.
Because with horses becomes alot of money comes right behind
that.
So when we have shows and stuff, you're bringing in people from
other states from around usthat have to pay gas, that helps
us.
I mean you obviously paying gas, you're eating here, you're
experienced Louisiana, all thosethings.
So just taking the little bitof knowledge that we have,
(30:38):
asking our mentors like, hey,how can we do this, how can we
make Louisiana equine better?
And just going to places thatmaybe don't know about it and
just letting like educating themon what the equine industry has
to offer and having fun whilewe do it yeah, awesome.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
And where do some of these shows happen?
Speaker 2 (30:56):
everywhere, yeah, all across the state, anywhere that
has a covered arena andsometimes even places that don't
have covered pens every weekendthere's something going on.
Yeah, that's the big problem.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
That don't have covered pens every weekend
there's something going on, yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
That's the big problem that we actually have
right now.
We're trying to grow theindustry and that's what some of
the grants I had spoken aboutbefore has been able to do is
attract larger national scaleshows to our state.
Unfortunately, what hashappened is none of our
facilities in the state arecapable of hosting shows that
are that large.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
Got it Spectators or the general arena?
Speaker 2 (31:30):
The spectators, we can handle.
Okay, the thing that we can'thandle is a lot of the
facilities if we're talkingabout a national based show they
need a minimum of 750 stalls.
And none of our facilities havethat much space or that much
stall space Like none.
No, not a single one.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Wow, that seems like an advocacy issue right there.
Right, it's also a real estateproblem, which we like.
It is a real estate problem.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
And, like Kaylee said , the economic impact of the
equine industry in this statealone is massive and I think
it's very underrepresented and Ifeel like that's one of the
jobs we're really trying toeducate not only the people of
the state of Louisiana, but alsoour senators and our
legislators.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Yeah, if you could put an arena in one city in
Louisiana, which would be themost reasonable spot.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Honestly anywhere along that I-10 corridor.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Our most popular one is going to be in West Monroe at
the I-Camelton.
Yeah, because it's airconditioned.
Um, it's what?
Speaker 1 (32:29):
air conditioner like the superdome, air conditioned,
like it's air conditioned yeah,it's pretty nice in the summer
when it's when you look at theyopen up that door, you look out
the stalls and there's like heatwaves or whatever and we're
like feels nice in here yeah wecall it the icy ike that's cool
yeah, um, but unfortunatelythey're in a place.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
They're in a great location.
We've got a lot of traffic fromtexas from arkansas, from
florida.
That's just a really goodlocation for us, yeah, um,
unfortunately they're kind oflandlocked, so we're stuck.
I think they have a maximum of500 stalls and that's with
temporary stalls, gotcha.
So, um, we're trying to dothings where we can attract
national level shows, and that'sone of the things.
(33:07):
We're trying to do, thingswhere we can attract national
level shows, and that's one ofthe things we're trying to
address is how can we make thisbigger?
How can we bring more shows hereto affect our local and
statewide economy?
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Yeah, Well, so many cities are looking for draws it
just seems like a smart one, anda lot of people on the cow
horse, believe it or not, likecoming to Louisiana because of
the culture we have here.
There was a show we usually wehave here.
There was a show.
We usually have a show inMarch-ish February whenever we
have Mardi Gras, and a lot ofpeople in Texas, oklahoma, don't
know what Mardi Gras is.
(33:35):
So then you have your beads,going everywhere and just
experiencing that kind of thing.
I mean, everyone's favorite,the food here, there's just
little things that we just haveevery day because we're used to
it that they're like, wow, thisis so cool.
And we're like, yeah, youdidn't know about it, but that's
what attracts the people toLouisiana from other states.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Yeah, um, it's kind of like I was describing earlier
.
For me, horses are justsynonymous with a parade, you
know, um, but it's aninteresting way to to mix it all
up.
Um, tell me about some of thescience that's going on and,
kaylee, maybe you can speak towhat you learned and you can
talk about the more scholasticaspects, professor.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
What do you mean?
Science?
You have to be more specific.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Well, I thought you were going to just help me there
.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
I have no idea, say like maybe what we kind of did
at ambassador training Likebreed science or so um.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Equine science in general is a massive topic right
, yeah there are so manydifferent avenues.
not only is there currentresearch going on at lsu on how
to better maintain our animalsoverall health at the vet school
right, we're also doing a tonof research looking at exercise
physiology.
Actually, the LSU vet school isin works to try to build a
(34:54):
whole new facility to targetjust equine exercise physiology
and maintain some of theathletes that we have in our
state between the racetracks andsome of our rain cow horse
professionals.
We also have equ?
Um equine researchers in theschool of animal science that
focus primarily on umendocrinologies and like insulin
(35:14):
sensitivity and reproductivetechnologies.
Um, well, we could talk for along time about the science that
goes on in our state, andthat's just at LSU.
Um, there's a lot of reallycool programs that go on at
other universities like McNeeseand Louisiana tech.
It's hard to say yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
What's your specialty ?
Speaker 2 (35:32):
So my specialty, um, I haven't used in the better
part of 20 years.
Um, I went to grad school, gotmy PhD in reproductive
endocrinology.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Um, but my appointment Cal poly, that's no,
she's very smart.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
Oh wait, you went.
I went to university of Georgiato finish that one.
So, um, I actually got um.
Animal health science was my,my um undergrad, my BS, my
master's was in stallionreproduction and then my PhD was
in reproductive endocrinology,so the hormones at the brain
level, um was in reproductiveendocrinology so the hormones at
(36:09):
the brain level, um.
And then I applied for the jobhere at LSU and my appointment
actually is 90% extension and10% teaching, so I personally
don't have a researchappointment.
Um, I do, however, help out ona lot of different programs and
I partner with our equineresearchers, just to kind of
stay abreast of what's going on,yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
Um.
So when you say extension, helpus understand what that means,
cause I see that word everywhereag extension.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
So extension, the cooperative extension system, is
basically tasked with takingscience-based information from
our research partners and takingthat information and
disseminating it to thestakeholders, which would just
be people in our industry.
Um, and my job is to take someof the research and the latest
techniques and managementtechniques in the horse industry
(36:53):
and spread it throughout thestate of Louisiana to help our
horsemen to make their liveseasier, better, easier to manage
.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
Awesome.
All right, kaylee, what'd youlearn through the program?
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Oh, I saw some interesting pictures, oh yeah,
um, the famous one of me, uh,palpating a mare, that's
probably one that's I've gottena lot of comments on.
But um, through ambassadortraining, they um exposed us to
a lot of different parts ofequine in the state of Louisiana
I know we went to um the lasersplace.
Uh, we went and visited aracetrack and kind of learned a
(37:28):
little bit.
At the racehorse industry wedid some reproductive stuff.
We made poo slurries.
Learned about parasites.
Right, right but we got to makepoop slurries, which is I know
that sounds really weird, butjust learning how to test for
different parasites and thingsout of your house, because it's
actually not as hard as somepeople might think it is.
(37:50):
Then we got to palpate a mare.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
What is that?
Second time I'm hearing it.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
So you get to in the most basic way stick your hand
in the horse's bottom.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Yeah, and it's anus rectum.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
And you go all the way.
We have to edit this out.
The horse's bottom, yeah, andit's rectus, rectum.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
And you go all the way.
We have to edit this out.
It's science, it's all thatgoes, you just.
Mandy Bradley at the schoolboard is just going to be like
all right.
You know you're really skirtingthe line here.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Yeah, well, I mean you have to know, like in the
horse industry you have to kindof know, but know.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
but it was really cool because, um, the some of
the uh, dr aaron oberhaus, whois over the reproductive yeah,
she's the equine researcher inthe school of animal sciences
and the co-sponsor of theprogram awesome so she was
really.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
It was really fun getting to see her um gosh,
what's the word?
X-ray?
Speaker 3 (38:40):
no, ultrasound, ultrasound, gosh see I don't
know what you're gonna say thisis why I need dr new year
ultrasound.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
It's like right there in my head ultrasound.
I don't know what you're gonnasay.
This is why I need dr neal hereultrasound.
It's like right there in myhead ultrasound.
I don't even know why I didn'tthink of that.
But ultrasound um a mare andlike get to see actually the
reproductive side that you seepictures of but you never like
actually get to see it.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
And then we got to go in and feel different types of
things and we do this to examinereproductive function and where
they are in their cycle.
This is all for breedingpurposes.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
Right right.
This is some of thereproductive technologies that
we can use on mares to kind oftime things a little bit more
effectively, so you don't haveto pay for stud services and
then you get the wrong day.
I'm sure Exactly exactly thoseguys are very important.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
We did other things but those were like my two
favorite.
I mean, palpating a mare was myactual favorite.
At first I was a little scaredand I was like this is weird and
fun fact.
I actually was the only personwho got pooped on because I went
full fledged on one, on thefirst on the mare that we had.
I was the first one and itseems weird, but you have to
(39:44):
clean them out, pull the manureout so you can go in and find
the different parts that youneed to see, and I just got
pooped on yeah, and fortunatelythis was a professional training
for them, right?
Speaker 2 (39:56):
so they were all dressed in business casual
clothes and yes her mom saiddon't worry, I'll order you a
new shirt.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
Yes, this kind of stuff sends my kids at least my
older two running in the otherdirection from egg.
But I'm intrigued.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
Yeah, yeah, my son's afraid of birds.
I mean, I don't like birdseither.
Birds are terrible.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
I don't like birds I like reptiles and birds a lot.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
I don't do snakes, though.
Snakes are a no-go.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
Yeah, snakes are a no-go.
Yeah, that's.
That's one for me, though evena garden snake.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
I'm not gonna pick it up.
I respect it, but go ahead.
Yep, somebody can come get it,because it won't be me and
you'll never see me run so fast,that's why we have barn cats.
Speaker 3 (40:36):
Yep oh cool, um over here.
Uh, I'll have to show you allthe the tortoises that we have
here very, very cool, that's mything that's cool.
We've got a couple of turkeyscoming this week too.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
Oh yeah, you're raising turkeys.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
Somebody was selling full grown well, almost full
grown turkeys over at.
I'll give her a shout out.
What was it?
Cajun Cuties.
Nigerian dwarf goat farm.
Okay so.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Hey, I actually have two Nigerian dwarf goats.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
Are those going to be dinner?
Oh, do you what?
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Yeah, at the high school we have two.
Their names are Timmy and Turbo.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
I think I've met them before.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (41:14):
At the Ag Day.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Yes, you did.
They were at the petting zooand they are a mess.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
They are.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
They are so cute and so fun and our ag buddies love
them.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
Aw and ag buddies are the little kids over at the
school.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
So our ag buddies is actually our special needs
program.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
So they come to us, our ag three and four students.
We interact with them, showthem different ag things.
They actually will go and showbroiler chickens and yeah, we
just kind of interact and helpthem build those social skills
that they don't get to see intheir classroom and interact
with, you know, um yeah, yeah,that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
When's the um the big lsu ag day?
I want to take the kids out agmagic I think ag magic.
Yeah, where they have the holein the side of the cow and you
stick your hand in that.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Oh God I'd be.
I feel like it's like March orApril, but I could be lying.
I think it is an April.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
That was an incredible experience.
I loved it All right.
So any closing thoughts thaty'all would like to share before
we head out.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
So I just think that one of the things I want to
share and help promote is thatthere's a lot of people in the
ag industry and, being an equineambassador, there's a lot of
people that are willing to helpand they're looking for those
people that are hungry andwanting to do more.
I feel like I was one of thosekids that wanted to do more and
I wanted to find a way.
There's a little things in agthat I'm very good at, some that
(42:49):
I'm like that is not my forte.
I don't want to go down that.
But there's also a lot ofpeople along the way because I
was hungry.
I had a lot of horse show momsthat some people don't realize.
Dr O'Neely, I know LizWaggis-Pack, mark and Betty Ann
Browning.
They've helped me a few times.
Danae Castles is where my horseis at my trainers all the way
(43:16):
from Mike Frazier and Kathy Buttto Celine Perry and John
Hawthorne and the people atshows who help me when my horse
trainers can't be there or myparents can't be there.
There's been multiple times thatI've gone to Tennessee by
myself and I had no one but myhorse show moms and friends
because I needed to go show butno one else could be there.
So having those trainers andpeople step in the agriculture
world and the equine industrymore specifically is a big
(43:39):
family and there's a lot ofpeople in there that are willing
to help and I'm just verythankful for my village and the
people that put in and myparents that have legit given a
lot.
I know my both my mom and dadhave traveled many, many miles
and done a whole lot for me.
So I'm very thankful for all mypeople and just hope the youth
in the East Baton Rouge parishand in Louisiana and whole just
(44:02):
see that there's people outthere, adults out there, willing
to help, but you just have tohave the drive to go do it.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
So I'll echo the same thing we're here, If you want
to join us we would love to haveyou.
It takes a village to get donewhat we do and there is no
shortage of experienced peopleand sometimes in all industries
there can be some negativeconnotations.
But what I would saywholeheartedly about the equine
(44:29):
industry here in Louisiana is ifyou want to work hard, you want
to put in the time.
We're here to help you and we'dlove to see you.
Speaker 3 (44:37):
Yeah, when's the next extension event that we can
look forward to?
Speaker 2 (44:42):
Oh, there's a ton yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:44):
What's the next one that we'll see you at?
Speaker 2 (44:47):
Let me check my schedule.
I think it's going to beLivingston EBR 4-H Horse Club.
Speaker 3 (44:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
We're doing a horse judging clinic in two weeks.
Speaker 1 (44:59):
Yeah, it's at the end of October.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
What website would that be through?
Speaker 2 (45:05):
You can check that out on facebook, okay, the
livingston ebr 4-h horse clubpage, I believe yeah, kaylee, do
you belong to any um facebookgroups that that people might
need to join?
Speaker 1 (45:18):
um, yeah, I'm a part of any of the horse club groups
louisiana 4-h, any of thosetypes of things that just to
stay in the know.
And I didn't forget this person, but one person that has been
very instrumental on my journey,especially because my horse
trainer moved from Slaughter toGainesville, texas, which is
about nine hours from here, andthere's not a lot of people in
(45:45):
South Louisiana that can helpwith.
There is people thatspecifically do rain work or
cutting or stuff, but there'snot been a lot of people that do
everything and have everythingat their fingertips.
But Mr Clint Depew lives justright down the road and he's one
that I see on Sunday morningsat church with a smiling face
greeting me.
Hey, when do you want to comeride again, do you?
want to come ride.
(46:05):
Do you want to come work theflag?
Just someone who is very, veryknowledgeable in the equine
industry and is very willing togive back to the youth.
So I wanted to give him a shoutout before you know we ended
this, because he's also actuallymy predecessor, oh gotcha okay.
Speaker 3 (46:20):
So he's kind of he's at mastery level with everything
he's amazing and he helped.
Speaker 1 (46:24):
He helps you understand not just why we do it
, but how we do it and the thethinking part of it, the mental
like we do this because of this,and it makes us think and he
just connects it all on alldifferent types of levels.
Speaker 2 (46:38):
So he's pretty great yeah, I don't know if you've
caught on to any of these things, but, um, horses and working
with people in the horseindustry is not just about
horses generally.
Um, there's a whole lot ofsolving the world's problems on
these long truck drives and umwhen we're eating at our Mexican
food, there's a lot of laughs,but there's also a whole lot of
encouragement and a whole lot ofsupport.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
Um, and it doesn't matter if it's your horse show
mom, your real mom, justsomebody down the road who's
helping give lessons.
There's just a breadth ofknowledge and people really
trying to make their livesbetter by helping you make your
life better.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
Yeah, cool, I will say that.
And even like my FFA advisor atthe high school, miss Melissa
Brumbo she and any any of mylike mentors and horse show moms
and stuff they it's not justlike Dr Neely said, it's not
just about you becoming betteron the horse, but like my
(47:39):
character and the way the personI've become today wouldn't be
without those laughs at theMexican restaurant or just the
little things along the way thatyou don't realize you pick up,
cause there's, um, I got reallybusy with sports and things like
you mentioned.
I'm involved really a lot inthe high school and just
enjoying my time as a highschool student before I graduate
(48:00):
and move off to Texas.
But where are you?
Speaker 3 (48:03):
going.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
I don't know yet.
So, I don't I don't want topublicly say but, somewhere
Texas, oklahoma I'm looking togo um on a ranch horse team and
ride out there somewhere.
Speaker 3 (48:18):
You can do that through college, yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
And you can get some, uh, some scholarships.
Speaker 2 (48:22):
It's not it's not an NCAA recognized sport, but a lot
of.
It's not an NCAA recognizedsport but there's a lot of
colleges that have significantdonors and they've been able to
build a scholarship program toattract nationally ranked
equestrians to come representtheir university.
Speaker 3 (48:38):
If lacrosse is recognized, come on.
Speaker 1 (48:41):
Yeah, so doing that and then getting a degree in ag
business and hopefully get mymaster's one day.
But yeah, just the littlethings growing how to speak in
front of people, because I cantell you 13 year old me would
never believe that I'm sittingright here advocating for
Louisiana equine industry, sojust all the people along the
(49:03):
way.
you just don't realize how manypeople are there just to help
you.
That's the only thing I canstress.
Enough is just go be hungry, gobe and try it.
Go be great, like everyone hasthe opportunity to be great, but
you have to want it more thanthe person next to you.
Speaker 3 (49:16):
Yeah, it's a great place to end it and hey, I might
be ISO a mini horse.
Have you know of any?
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Actually I just found one.
A friend of mine was trying tosell.
I don't know if it's a mini,but it's a pony.
Speaker 3 (49:30):
Doesn't bite, does it ?
Speaker 2 (49:31):
I mean, all ponies are from the devil, so maybe
Y'all.
Speaker 3 (49:35):
That's it for this week's episode of P&P.
Catch us on all localnewsstands or on the World Wide
Web at fortuneparishcom andfortuneparishcom.
And it's thanks to all of oursponsors who make this content
free to you.
Please go out and support them.
Bye, bye now, until next week.
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