Stay Ready: Crafting Trust With Horses And People

A tough mare, a winter shock, and a door that opened at just the right time—this is how LC Horsemanship found its footing in the heart of Lexington. We sit down with LaRodre to trace his journey from Mississippi’s gaited culture and dirt-road Standardbred racing to the Thoroughbred capital, where attention to detail, patience, and timing rewired his approach to training and business.

We unpack his clear, repeatable process for starting Colts: create quiet, build willingness, and make point-and-go confidence the default. Whether the horse is headed for the track, the show pen, or the ranch, he applies the same foundation and avoids shortcuts that turn into baggage later. He explains why he caps his program at six outside horses, handles every detail himself, and keeps owners informed so progress never stalls. Along the way, we talk race, Colts, first rides, trail exposure, and the difference a calm mind makes when pressure shows up.

Visibility becomes the next frontier. LaRodre shares the struggle to get on camera, why word of mouth has kept him busy, and how simple video habits can scale trust without diluting quality. We trade tips on low-friction tools, the value of weekly training snippets, and why a vlog can connect with horse people and newcomers alike. There’s plenty of Kentucky flavor, too: the electricity of Keeneland week, Road to the Horse, clinic takeaways, and a spirited detour into Lexington food favorites. And yes, we make the case for a good mule as a sure-footed, loyal partner that can anchor the whole program.

If you’re building a horsemanship business, training a young horse, or chasing a steadier seat in the saddle, you’ll leave with practical ideas you can use tomorrow: tighter communication, better routines, honest updates, and a mindset built on readiness. Enjoy the ride, then subscribe, share this with a friend who loves horses, and leave a review to tell us your favorite takeaway.

Check out LaRodra' Cox Website- https://www.lchorsemanship.com/

www.drafthorsesandmulesforsale.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Welcome to the hardest talk with Hraft Forces and News, where we talk all things related to these magnetics and their history and news. We cover all join test with Xport. Export or podcast is the new. So harness up. Enjoy Hayes Draft Horses and Mules.

SPEAKER_03 1:04

Hey folks, Stephen Haste here with Harnessed Up Podcast with Haste Draft Horses and Meals. How's everybody doing? Guys, we're coming right back at you with another podcast. I'm still down here in South Carolina, and I we've missed a lot of podcasts, guys. I was real busy, and I'm sorry I didn't get to keep a regular schedule, but I'm making up for lost time now. And this guy here, me and him have been trying to do a podcast, I guess, probably a couple years now.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Yeah, it's been about three years, I'd say.

From Mississippi To UK Equine Program

SPEAKER_03 1:31

It has been. And uh we finally made it happen. We wanted to meet up together and do it at the studio, but it's just so hard with what I do and what he does, which you're gonna learn a lot more about here real soon. But uh it's hard to meet up. So we're doing it this way, the live stream version, and uh it's a lot easier this way. So this is a Kentucky boy now. I see that UK on that hoodie there. So that's Yes, sir. Yes, sir. This is uh Lerodres with LC Horsemanship, correct? Yes, sir. Tell the folks where you're from a little bit and a little bit about you.

SPEAKER_01 2:03

So from North Mississippi, I decided to come up here in January of 2020, and I went to UK and pursued a degree in Equine Science and Management.

SPEAKER_03 2:14

So, North Mississippi, what town was that? Ripley. All right. I recorded the podcast with some boys in Taylorsville. Mm-hmm. And uh went down there and hung out with them and had the best time. Shout out to you, Quan and Tay, down there in Taylorsville, Mississippi. Hope maybe you all are watching this, who knows? But uh had you always been around horses your whole life down in Mississippi, too?

SPEAKER_01 2:37

Yeah, somewhat. Not quite like I am now. You know, uh well, you met them fellas, I'm sure they talked a whole lot about gated horses down that way, and that's kind of what I grew up riding, a lot of Tennessee walking horses and standard breads, and you know, crosses of the two and whatnot. So that was that's the beginning of it, and that's pretty much what's still there for the most part.

SPEAKER_03 3:00

That's their main thing. They text me all the time. Standard bread, standard bread, standard bread. Yeah, that's it. Which I help 'em out. Quan texts me the other day and said, run this tattoo for me, help me out. What is this horse? He's all about them now, they love him. Which I'd love to go down there. You know, they race them down there on straight dirt roads.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

Yep, we did it all.

SPEAKER_03 3:22

As I was a part of stuff like that growing up. And see, I've been invited and I want to go. As soon as I get a chance, I'm gonna go down there with them boys and hang out and watch it because it is kind of interesting.

SPEAKER_01 3:33

Oh, it's a good time. It's very different from what you know what we're accustomed to up here in Kentucky now. It's like night and day.

SPEAKER_03 3:39

Yeah. So you moved up here and started your degree, but now you're training horses for a living. Uh-huh. How long you been doing that full time?

SPEAKER_01 3:50

So I've been training horses full time for two years now. Once I graduated, I worked in a lab for two years, and that was my full time job, and then outside of that, every day I was leaving to go train horses till after dark.

SPEAKER_03 4:04

What type of discipline are you training now? What's the main thing you're training?

SPEAKER_01 4:09

Everything, man. I'm doing everything from dressage horses to eventing to cow horses, rope horses, barrel horses, you name it, I'm gonna That's good.

SPEAKER_03 4:21

Do you have a YouTube channel?

SPEAKER_01 4:23

I don't. I don't. I've thought about it, but I've been I don't know, man. I've kinda it's it's kinda hard to kind of figure out all the analytical stuff and the recording and editing and all that, you know.

SPEAKER_03 4:35

That's the best channels. Really? When somebody don't know what they're doing and they just go around and do it, yeah. I'm serious. I'm dead serious. That's how I started. Really? I had I had not a clue. And what made you get into it?

SPEAKER_01 4:53

Selling horses. I I mean I mean it makes sense. I guess that's a good way to sell 'em.

SPEAKER_03 4:58

Well, when I first started the channel in twenty eleven all I used it for was a platform to be able to share a long form video. That's it. 'Cause I you know on cell phones back then and even today, you can't text a twenty minute video. Not at all. So I used YouTube as the platform to get the link to share it. And that's what I learned. And I didn't get really serious about promoting on YouTube and learning it till about twenty twenty three. Well you've come a long way in the last couple of years, yeah. It's hard though. It is hard. I believe it. YouTube's hard to hard to do, but hey, it's just building them relationships. Just like you working with your clients, you know, training horses. Mm-hmm. You gotta build that relationship. That's what it's about. That's true.

SPEAKER_01 5:50

Yeah, and I mean I've been pretty fortunate to have some pretty you know, some pretty good clients here as long as I've been going, so it's been it's been nice because, you know, I have I have seen, you know, the other end of the spectrum too, in some cases, but I've been very fortunate.

SPEAKER_03 6:05

I wanna know what your first impressions was when you came out of North Mississippi. Probably the rural country. Kinda, yeah, for the most part. To the horse capital of the world, Lexington.

Breaking Into Training And Client Wins

SPEAKER_01 6:19

Well, coming here in January, I thought it was I thought it was colder than hell. I I didn't know if I was gonna make it. I ain't gonna lie to you. I came up here and I don't know what I was thinking. I had everything packed but a coat. And I got here and I was going I was unpacking all of my stuff and I was kind of going around seeing the town, and then I go to bed that night and I get up the next morning, and it's well below freezing. And that wind was cold. I called my folks and I told them, hey, I don't I don't know if I'm gonna make it up here. I said, Y'all may have to turn around and come back up here and get this stuff because I this cold ain't for me. But after a while it got it got alright. I mean, just just learning, I did a whole lot with like thoroughbred starting out. That was that was very different. That was just just to see the money and all the little stuff that goes into it with thoroughbreds. That was that was uh that was probably the biggest change to me, really. But it's cool. I like that. I like the thoroughbred industry a a lot as well.

SPEAKER_03 7:20

Are you have you ever trained started any race cults? I've started quite a few. Don't they just one I heard this one guy interviewed Eric Reed, trained Rich Strike and won the Derby in 22. He's a super good guy. Have you ever met him?

SPEAKER_01 7:38

I haven't met him. I've heard a lot of good stuff about him.

SPEAKER_03 7:41

He's top shelf. I think the world of him. He's so nice to me. But uh he told me, he said, when they're starting these race colts, they just want somebody to get them started under saddle and take them to the trail and put them in water, crossing logs or anything. Just get them started riding.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

Mm-hmm. So, well, for me, my clients know I'm not gonna take like the same approach as like a lot of those other racehorse guys and whatnot. So I start them the same way I start anything else. I want to get you quiet, I want to get you to where you're willing, and I want to get you to where you just you don't mind a job at hand. You see whatever I want to do, kind of point and shoot, let's go at it.

SPEAKER_03 8:19

That's awesome, yeah. The racehorse industry is wild. Like a lot of people don't know Lexington, Kentucky, but when you go to like FaZe and Tipton or the Red Mile or Keeneland or any of those barns in the race season, there's just something in the air there.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

I agree. It's awesome really. It just feels electric to walk down through there and just like you can feel like the you the intensity's so thick there, especially on race day if you walk down through there. It's like it's it's hard to explain. I think people just kind of gotta experience it.

SPEAKER_03 8:55

Yeah. How tall are you, LaRodre? I am five eleven. You won't make it as a jockey program.

SPEAKER_02 9:02

Nah, not in the slightest.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

You're too tall. Yeah, too heavy too. I'm about sixty pounds over the limit. Oh Lord, you'd have to go on a diet.

SPEAKER_03 9:12

Man, a rough one at that. Lord, so are you using your degree now any at all? Are you still working any?

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Um, not really. I I mean I guess you could say I am, working working for myself for the most part, but uh it's nice to have. Not that I necessarily needed to to do what I do. I really once I started it, I was like, I may as well get something out of this. I'm already in debt. I've already come up here and endured the cold. Let's get this sheet of paper.

SPEAKER_03 9:39

So you've been there since twenty twenty. Uh-huh. Right when COVID started. Another question I got for you. Being a young man, how old are you? Twenty-six. Young as you are, starting fresh up there in that area. It's expensive in Lexington, like to buy property and stuff. What'd you do?

SPEAKER_01 9:58

Lease a barn and lease land or so I had a client that called me. It was like it was one of my very first clients here. Actually, they had a horse that was that was pretty tough, and they had called a couple people and they just they just couldn't they couldn't find anybody that wasn't very scared of this horse. She was rough. And they were like, Hey, can you can you see what you can do with her? And I was like, Yeah, I'll come play around with her and see what I can get going. And I worked with her and worked with her and got her to where she was one of the more quiet things that they've ever owned. And they were like, So what do you want to do? And I told them, and they were like, Well, we have a facility here if you'd like to run your business out of it. And that man, it's uh that's been it ever since. It's been it's been amazing. They're great people, they've they've taken care of me.

SPEAKER_03 10:47

I bet she was happy that day. That that's an opportunity right there.

Inside Lexington’s Thoroughbred Energy

SPEAKER_01 10:50

Man, it was one of the better days I had, I tell you that much. The Lord blessed you with that opportunity. Oh, I agree. I agree. It's really hard to put into words like how how ecstatic I was at that point in time. 'Cause like I didn't know I didn't know what it would what it you know what would come of the situation at hand. I was just like, you know, they say you stay ready so you ain't gotta get ready. Well the opportunity presented itself and I was ready and I did what it took. You know, they decided to lend a hand, I guess you would say.

SPEAKER_03 11:22

I like that quote. You stay ready, you don't have to get ready. That's a good one. Yeah, for sure. I like that a lot.

SPEAKER_01 11:29

Man, my mama said that to me a million times growing up, and she she was right. I didn't you know, as a kid you don't pay it much attention, but now looking back at it, oh she was right.

SPEAKER_03 11:39

Are you folks still in Mississippi?

SPEAKER_01 11:43

You get to go see 'em much or not too often, you know, kind of this horse deal, it's really hard to get away from Yeah, if you got horses there you're training, you gotta feed 'em.

SPEAKER_03 11:52

Yeah. Seven days a week. They gotta eat. Sure is. Yeah, that's something, man, to be able to have your own barn and facility like that right there in Lexington. It's you got a major opportunity to grow right there.

SPEAKER_01 12:14

So I mean, um I have no excuse on like any reason not to succeed yet. Everything's there. I just gotta put in the legwork. That's what everything is. You gotta work, man.

SPEAKER_03 12:23

Like in this business we're in, that's why I'm sitting here recording a podcast with you at 9 30 at night. My family's in there in the bed.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

Yep, my dog's right here beside me sleep. He knows we got an early morning.

SPEAKER_03 12:34

There may be something come out of this, you know. It's just it's publicity, it's that's what it is. And it may not happen right away, but it may happen down the road, you know. You never know. You just gotta you gotta put in the legwork, and I try to put it in on all ends of everything. Just push, push. And like where I met you at road to the horse. Why in the world would somebody that trains draft horses and mules set up a booth at a quarter horse cult starting championship?

SPEAKER_01 13:02

Man, that was that was that was a tough time for me because I'm I'm naturally somebody that just wants to kind of stay in the back of the room and like, you know, out of sight and out of mind, but then kind of being forced to step to the front of the room and kind of draw a little bit of attention to myself. I had a rough time that weekend because that was my first time I had ever had my own booth there. So trying to digest, meeting all the different people and talking to them about what I do and selling myself essentially, that was hard for me. I thought you'd done good when you talked to me. Well, I appreciate it, but man, that was I was it was tough. It really was. I I mean I'm better at it now because I've done it a couple years, but that was very tough.

SPEAKER_03 13:45

You know, I got so much out of that deal. People still reach out to me. I seen you at Road to the Horse. I seen you at Road to the Horse, and I'm going this year.

SPEAKER_01 13:55

Oh, you are? Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna be there. I won't have a booth there this year, but I'm gonna be there spectating. Yeah, I got me and Nick Dowers, I've been going out west and riding with him and and whatnot off and on, trying to pick up what I can and pick his brain here or there. So him showing that I kinda gotta be there, you know, whether I want it to or not, but I'm gonna be there to support a friend for sure.

SPEAKER_03 14:20

We was going down the road today down here in South Carolina, and my wife said Nick's gonna win road to the horse just out of the blue, and I'm like, where'd that come from? She's gonna win. I believe I've actually got his sticker on the back of my laptop here. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:38

Yeah, that's where this hat come from. It's um their family's uh cattle company, El Smoralda. Yeah. His dad Rod hooked me up with it whenever I was out there.

SPEAKER_03 14:48

Alright, well you gotta do something for me now. You gotta tell Nick to do a podcast with me.

SPEAKER_02 14:55

Alright, I'll talk to him.

SPEAKER_03 14:56

Yeah, tell him you done one show in the podcast, maybe he will. Yeah. That'd be cool.

SPEAKER_02 15:01

Yeah, he's a cool guy.

SPEAKER_03 15:03

I wanna get him on before he wins road to the horse though.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

Alright, I'm ooh, that's gonna be tough. I don't know. I texted him the other day and he was just letting me know when he was coming into town. Man, he he's not coming in with a whole lot of time to play before time before he gets rolling. He was like, We'll probably haul in that Tuesday night. And I said, Tuesday night? And he was like, Yeah, why not? And I was like, All right, man.

SPEAKER_03 15:32

When I was at Road to the Horse the first year, 2024. When I met you, I got my first podcast while I was there.

SPEAKER_01 15:41

Wasn't it with um Ken?

SPEAKER_02 15:45

Yeah, yeah, I remember. Yeah, he's a nice guy, I like him.

Starting Race Colts The Right Way

SPEAKER_03 15:51

I met him in the line. Everybody goes down in the arena and shakes the contestants, they shake their hands. And I just give him a card and said, Hey, I'm starting a podcast. Will you help me and be my first guest? He said, What's it about? And I said, Horses? You He said, Let's do it. When do you want to record it? And I said, Well, I'd like to record it at the studio while you're here. He said, Give me a little bit of time. I'll get back with you. Well, about a couple hours went by and I was walking around the big circle. He grabbed a hold of my jacket and pulled me over and he said, I'm gonna reschedule my flight and I'm gonna record with you Monday night. No way. And he did. It's the first podcast I done. Man, that's awesome. That meant something to me. That was really cool. And uh I recorded with a lot of cool people. I'm not gonna mention the name yet, but I'm real excited for Tuesda this coming Tuesday night. Yeah. I'm gonna record with a guy that wrote at the Run for the Million out in Vegas, a Rayner. Mm-hmm. We're recording Tuesday night at nine o'clock, so Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:55

I wonder I wonder who it is.

SPEAKER_03 16:58

I wonder who it is. I'll tell you. I don't want to say it on here because I want it to be a surprise to all people. Yeah, yeah. I want to surprise everybody. So but um what do you think's been the biggest struggle? I want to know like what you struggled with since you started your own training business. Like what's been the hardest to get going?

SPEAKER_01 17:14

Really just getting like getting in the public eye, man. Like you, you know, like the YouTube thing you said. Like I've had so many people stop me and ask me, Hey, do you have a YouTube? Do you have this? Do you have that? And I haven't, but I've been I've been working on it. Like I've started like recording a lot of my rides here lately and stuff like that, and trying to learn how to, you know, take quality videos and edits and stuff, and I've even got like a heck, I went out on a limb and bought a brand new phone with a better camera and all this other stuff for it. So I'm trying to I'm trying to, you know, do that. I'm getting a big push from a lot of people that support me to kind of go that way, but that's been the toughest part for sure, because I've always been kinda out of sight and out of mind.

SPEAKER_03 17:58

I ain't no genius at it. I learned myself. I just learned myself. But I'm gonna tell you a program online called Cap Cut. You gotta learn how to use that thing to put your videos together. That's the tool. Okay. Okay, yeah. I can help you. Hey, if you ever need thumbnails designed or you know, any suggestions, like I said, I'm not a pro. I just learnt from myself and watching videos online, really. But uh I'd help you any way I can. But I do agree, that's so important. And it's not all about just your training. It's not about your style. It's about building that relationship with these people. Mm-hmm. And they like ya, and when they like you, they're gonna come to you.

SPEAKER_01 18:51

Oh, a hundred percent, a hundred percent. That's why I feel like I've been very blessed to have made it as far as I have and done as much as I have, you know, in these last couple years, and I've been like word of mouth and I've I've stayed busy. Like I haven't been able to sit still, even if I wanted to. So just that alone says a lot about, you know, like the work that I'm putting out and the impression that I'm leaving on people.

SPEAKER_03 19:14

I think it's gonna be good. You get a YouTube channel and you start a vlog with LaRodre. Them things work like some of these horse trainers, they do a weekly vlog with a phone saying what they're doing each day. Show a little training, just show people your daily life. Mm-hmm. People that don't even know horses love watching that stuff.

SPEAKER_02 19:40

I believe it actually.

SPEAKER_03 19:41

I know. I got YouTubers I watch that I don't even know.

SPEAKER_01 19:46

Yeah, there's there's a lot of car guys I used to be with like that. I ain't know I ain't know the guys, but I can sit down and watch these 30, 40 minute, hour long videos just to see what they had going on.

SPEAKER_03 19:57

We got a lot of time on our hands if we're doing that, don't we? Well man, that was back in the day now. Hey, I wind down every night. Like when we get done doing this, I'm gonna go inside this little house here that I'm staying at, and I'm gonna upload this video. Because to be honest with you, at home all I got is satellite internet. I can't get nothing else in rural Kentucky. Really? And here they got fiber optic, and this stuff goes I can upload an air long 4K video like that. And I'm gonna take advantage of this internet. You may as well upload this podcast, but no, I gotta get home tomorrow because I got a lot to do. Got a lot of people coming this week from Texas, and tomorrow I get a guy be there in the morning at eight o'clock. I won't be there yet, but from Arkansas and just people every day. Are you training a lot of people a long ways from Lexington?

Degree, Costs, And Landing A Facility

SPEAKER_01 20:50

I've had people from all types of ways. Like a lot of people, they've just sent me horses and they've been like, all right, you know, they send them to me 90 days. You know, I keep them updated, posted on the deal throughout the time, and then like once it gets a little bit closer to time for the horse to leave, then I have them come out and they come ride with me and kind of get, you know, a couple days' lessons with me before I send their horse back home with them. Give 'em, give them quite a bit of homework. What's your personal horse? I know you got a horse. Well, I tell you, I just got her started. I've been bad about keeping anything for the longest time. Everything I've ridden, somebody else wanted more than I did, and they put a price on her that I couldn't refuse. I was like, you know what, take it. It's I I'll take the money. Take it. But now I got a little metallic cat Philly. She's a two-year-old. I just got started, and she's fun. I got about twenty rides on her right now, and I've never seen anything like it. Is she red round? Yeah, and yeah, she's she's cute. She's she's real small, you know. know still being two year old cow horse, but man, she's like she's she's really athletic, got a lot of feel to her. Kind of opinionated at times, but I expect that. But I I see I see a lot in the future for her. I hope to take her down the road and show her in cow horse at some point.

SPEAKER_03 22:19

Oh, that'd be cool. Would you say you're doing more colt starting fresh or are you doing more problem fixing or what?

SPEAKER_01 22:27

A little bit of both really earlier in the year, later in the year, it's a lot of like colt starting. A lot of people want to get their youngsters going before they either go to the track or you know their futurity prospects and want to see kind of where they're gonna be if they want to get off from under before they put too much time and money into them or you know or whatever the case may be. But I'd say it's a it's a decent balance. I don't get too many problem horses but I I definitely get my fair share. What do you like doing the best? I love starting the babies. I love starting them. They're easy. Even even the tougher ones are easy because like it's always a blank canvas. I don't have to kind of go back and unpack baggage and try to make strides forward. Let's just do it all right the first time.

SPEAKER_03 23:15

It's like training a kid if you train them right from the start, you don't yeah see I don't know nothing about that but I can imagine it it overlaps.

SPEAKER_01 23:23

At least I hear it does a lot.

SPEAKER_03 23:26

Someday you might Yeah maybe one day in the future I started I'm thirty eight and I still got a three year old and a seven month old man and South Carolina with my wife she she loves to ride and she is Clinton Anderson. Really? She loves his stuff loves him watched her watched him since she was eleven years old. Wow and Jeff Davis was having a clinic down here. Do you know Jeff? Mm-hmm that's his assistant right yeah he was having a clinic down here in South Carolina and she booked it a year ago so I told her I would come and you know stay with the kids while she done her thing. Mm-hmm I had a three year old and a seven month old for three days. I know they're keeping you busy I went to the clinic with them though. I didn't stay here at the place. I took 'em oh man how was that it was hey I wouldn't trade it for nothing. I wouldn't I love my kids God bless 'em I mean I wouldn't trade it. But uh to see her happy and out there doing what she loves, you know, and see them playing it it's a bl it's a huge blessing. It really is. That's awesome. But it's pretty hectic.

SPEAKER_01 24:43

I would imagine so I mean especially like the little ones like just being out and about and seeing people like with their little kids and like you sit one down and then they take off running and then you got another one going in the other direction. And it's just it's just the funniest thing 'cause they don't it's always innocent. Like they don't have the time they don't know what they're doing. They're just you know they're just wanting to have a good time too.

SPEAKER_03 25:04

Yeah. Well my little boy he's three and he's he's been around horses you know since he was born. Mules. And he knows you don't walk up behind a horse, you don't you know stay away from him if we don't tell him to so that's not a problem. It's the other little things like today. I don't know where he got this from. But that sucker it rained a f it come a flood down here today. Mm-hmm He got down on his hands and knees and put his head in a mud puddle drinking water. I thought what are you doing? He came up like he he coughed the whole way back to the Airbnb and I said well maybe you'll learn not to drink out of a mud puddle they say little boys are off.

Work Ethic, Visibility, And Road To The Horse

SPEAKER_01 25:44

That's what they say. They say they're they're a hoot yeah they're a hoot he gets something and throw it he loves to throw stuff.

SPEAKER_03 25:53

Loves it. Which at home you know I let him go out and run wild in a place like that he's kind of got to be confined a little bit but no it was good. I I like going to those clinics because see we do clinics for draft horses like we train people to drive horses I like to see other people do clinics to see how they do 'em see their structure even though it's a whole different discipline from draft horses, it's still the same principle. Right. And I enjoy watching it. We're actually going to Clinton's last walkabout tour in Vegas in in August. Really? Yep.

SPEAKER_01 26:32

Well that'll be cool yeah I I love clinics. I like to go all I go audit clinics all the time because you never know what you might pick up from who or whatever, you know everybody's got a little bit of a different way of going about things but I find little little gems everywhere I go I feel like when's your first clinic you're gonna put on ooh that's a tough one. I don't know we gotta we gotta we gotta you know one thing at a time let's let's get in front of this camera a little bit and then and then maybe maybe in the future I'll you know I may start that way.

SPEAKER_03 27:08

It'd be cool I think you'd really enjoy it and it's a lot of fun meet a lot of people and I I think you'd really enjoy it. Mm-hmm sure do well I'm glad you come on here with me. I want you to do you have a website yet or yeah folks I can get a hold of you.

SPEAKER_01 27:25

So if you go on my website at www dot lchorsemanship dot com it'll have my contact information it'll tell you a little bit about what I do and where I'm located and everything and if you ever have any questions or concerns you can reach out through there. Also do you have a Facebook? I do I do I have a personal Facebook but I'm I'm actually making a just a just business account so I'll have that on there. It'll be the same handle as my website just LC Horsemanship on there.

SPEAKER_03 27:58

I'm gonna put your website in the description on this podcast. Okay. Folks can see and um hey if you got a horse and you want somebody to train it and you're able to get it to Lexington, Kentucky this guy may help you. Is your schedule pretty full or you got a lot of openings?

SPEAKER_01 28:13

I stay pretty full but I mean I keep I keep a revolving door so whenever whenever I have something coming open I try to you know be as transparent with people as I can and let them know hey I got something in a month or so or I have one horse that the owner said they might not be able to you know if they have something coming up they might not be able to make it or you know and whatnot but for the most part I stay relatively full but I don't keep I don't keep a whole lot of horses at once. I like to be able to take my time with them and kind of camp out on them I guess you'd say and just really get really get them going.

SPEAKER_03 28:52

How many do you do a month? How many do you keep a month?

SPEAKER_01 28:55

So I won't take no more than six outside horses because I typically I have my own to ride and then I keep maybe two to sell so I say I mean that's a lot for just one person you know I feed I pick my own stalls I I'm giving baths I'm talking to owners it's it's I got I got a full plate. You don't have no help you don't hire nobody not right now. It seems like just looking at other people's situations it looks like good help is pretty hard to come by and I don't want to try to like outgrow myself too soon and I don't want to get put in a bind expecting you know expecting something to be something that it's probably not so I kind of just I'm gonna stay small as small as I can for a while and then maybe in the future stuff will change.

SPEAKER_03 29:45

That's probably the best I mean if you're doing it by yourself it's kinda like me and Henry my partner it's just me and him we don't hire nobody's just me and him we know what's going on and we can handle it and we don't have to worry about nobody else.

SPEAKER_01 29:57

Exactly exactly and I mean that's what's that's the best thing about I'd say about like just knowing because big on all the little stuff so I know no horse is getting shortchanged no horse is getting cheated I know if somebody calls me today and asks me hey how's my horse doing where is it at I can tell you right now on the phone I don't have to say hey let me put the phone down and go ask such and such or I haven't sat on it in a week or because my assistant's been riding you know or whatever I know exactly where everything is. I like to be I like to be as involved as I can have you ever started a mule? I haven't I want one I kinda I kinda want one I've seen so when I was out at Nick's he has uh he has two mules and both of them they're out of cowbred horses and they're pretty good athletes and they'll you know they'll stop and they'll turn around pretty good and he ranches on them in the mountains and it kinda got me it kind of got me wanting one That's the best thing I heard you say all night.

SPEAKER_03 31:00

What that you want a mule yeah I kinda I kinda do I'm a mule man I love mules.

Networking, First Podcasts, And Big Goals

SPEAKER_01 31:07

There are I mean I even wear a mule hat yeah they're awesome I I think they're cool I think they're so different if I did have me a good mule that's probably something I would keep and I'd use it like my saddle horse probably I'd use that thing to pony other ones get other ones started and stuff like that because majority of the time I'm on the ground so I'm taking I'm taking the brute force of all these other horses a lot of the time because I don't keep anything long enough to to just really have a consistent saddle horse. Typically once I get one that where I'm like man I like this thing it's a pretty good saddle horse somebody wants it so I just let it go.

SPEAKER_03 31:48

I tell you what I'm gonna do I'm gonna find me I'm gonna find a good coming two year old mule. Alright nice straight back nice quality mule like some I've had in the past good riding and I'm gonna bring it to you and let you train it for me. Alright do that I'm gonna hold you to it I'm going to I'm gonna do it because it's hard to get anybody to ride a mule nowadays. Why? It's just hard to get people don't want to train them, they don't want to fool with them.

SPEAKER_01 32:17

I from what from what I understand which I've never really dealt with them but I hear they're not all that different than a horse like just they're just a little smarter so they might kind of work a little harder to get out of things but other than that I mean it takes they say it takes a mule to train a mule.

SPEAKER_03 32:36

Well they'll meet when they meet me. No they are good animals there. Once you got a mule there's one thing about a mule you buddy up to that mule and you become that mule's friend you got something I believe it.

SPEAKER_01 32:51

And you can about get away with anything with a good mule I believe it I've I've seen a lot of them in the mountains and they're so sure footed man that that alone makes me really want one.

SPEAKER_03 33:03

What did you think about it out west? Is that your first time going out?

SPEAKER_01 33:07

Yeah that was my first time like out out you know kind of way away from civilization Where'd you go to? So I went out to Knicks in Dyer Nevada. Yeah man that was that was something I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I went out there and I went out there and I was I was looking and I you know not being from out that way I had never seen like a tumbleweed before and the first time I saw one I was like no way that's actually what they look like kinda and then that thing the wind it was really windy and the wind blew one into me and I didn't know they hurt when they hit you.

SPEAKER_03 33:44

Man them things will scratch you up good I tell you what I in twenty twenty three me and my wife went to Nevada to deliver mules and horses and we had three stops in Nevada one down south and then we stayed in Vegas at a horse motel and actually stayed in the Trump Tower for two or three nights and checked out Vegas I did not know there was a horse motel in downtown Vegas but there is. Me neither and it it was pretty cool. But we went up on up north out of Vegas the most homesick I've ever been in my life was on that road ninety three or it's a ninety something road outside of area fifty one they shoot the where the aliens are they say I was homesick bad.

SPEAKER_01 34:35

Oh man you had a hell of a haul back to already be homesick too we had to go to Oregon next when you get to Oregon we was way out in there the Dallas Oregon John Day Oregon you twenty three hundred miles from Lexington or Liberty Kentucky goodness yeah see I don't I don't know I tell you what that rule life is cool but it ain't for me. I flying into Vegas and then renting a car and driving three and a half hours out into the middle of nowhere to his ranch and and seeing range cattle and all that you have to watch for range cattle like we do deer here. That that within itself that was that had me confused. I did not expect that I didn't know what I was going to expect but that wasn't it's a whole different type of life I agree I respect it.

SPEAKER_03 35:28

I mean I respect it I have so many good Nevada customers shout out to all y'all out there God bless Nevada we love y'all too but uh I could not live in Nevada and I tell them all that too I could not live in Nevada I'd be a bad shape. You know around here you know Mississippi Kentucky it's kind of it's a little different culture. But it's kind of the same in a way you know we're all f close to each other civilization as you're saying it and I'm used to that too like at night when I get done working I can go to mom and dad's I can go anywhere and have a meal and everybody hangs out and it's just it's life.

Marketing Hurdles And Content Plans

SPEAKER_01 36:10

Far from anything Yeah and that's a big thing man I told 'em all right so like I living here I staying here in Lexington if I want anything at the drop of a hat I can go get it or I can have it dropped off at the door. Living way out there if you ain't got it you just won't have it. It's like it you have to prepare well in advance and I I'm not I'm not cut out for I eat Chick-fil-A twice a week I really I can't make it way out there. They I didn't even see a Chick-fil-a the whole time I was I don't know what I Chick fil A is good. Yeah it and it's quick. I mean that's the biggest thing and it's not expensive so I I'll do that. You know you're in and out quick.

SPEAKER_03 36:51

They got that new jalapeno ranch sandwich out too now. Have you tried it? No but I'm wanting to I'm going to when I get to one I'm gonna try it. I may try it tomorrow then I've been eating bow jangles down here for four days straight. Really I love that stuff. It's alright it ain't all that at least not to me I don't know why their breakfast their country hand biscuits and stuff is so good I I haven't tried it one thing about Mississippi though the food in Mississippi knock you down.

SPEAKER_01 37:29

Yeah that that if there's nothing else I miss about Mississippi it's knowing I had amazing home cooked meals on any given night you work hard all day I come home I know either my mama's got something cooked or I can go to my grandmother's house and I'm gonna be alright. But here being here by myself as well I don't got that option. I had to learn how to cook and all that other stuff coming up here and that wasn't that wasn't very fun I tell you I wasted a lot of food early on there was a lot of stuff that just wasn't edible.

SPEAKER_03 38:05

Every time I go through Mississippi you know where Meridian is there's a restaurant right by the railroad tracks right off the interstate and I don't know what it's called Mom's Soul Food or something. Mm-hmm sets back behind a liquor store back in a pretty rough place I stop at that old restaurant and it's like a buffet and I go in there and get sweet cornbread chitlins collard greens and yams.

SPEAKER_01 38:32

You said chitlins chitlins no man no you don't like them? Dude I'm not eating that I'm not I'm I'm not that you can't you can't pay me enough money to eat that like I'm southern I'm very southern but a lot of my like a lot of my tendencies in that regard I don't really eat vegetables man I don't drink sweet tea I'm not uh uh you know man you're missing out on sweet I like sweet tea I've tried it I've tried different different brands I've had people all my life saying well you ain't never had my mama sweet tea and then I have their mama sweet tea and they didn't do it either it just I I'll pass more for everybody else y'all can have it it is good but the people down there is so good and it's it's good and I was down there recording that podcast and uh them boys they treated me with so much respect and we had a ball down there. I love Mississippi I go I've sold horses horses down there all the way to Pikayun way down New Orleans all over the whole state oh yeah Mississippi I tell you I think people in Mississippi compared to here are a lot are a lot nicer I guess you would say like here you have like you have a lot it's a lot more diverse here so you have like a lot more northerners and stuff like that and you know what's what's common to them and that's common to us or I'd say me really because like something as simple as driving down the road down there whether you know anybody or not everybody speaks everybody you know throws a hand up going down the road and like you open the door for somebody it's always thank you I appreciate it. Will you go on to like it's always thank you I appreciate it or you know something as simple as that but here you open a door for people and they look at you like you're crazy sometimes.

SPEAKER_03 40:21

It's like well won't do that again I guess I don't know you need to come down to Liberty Kentucky where we live come in our south whole different world I believe it it is it's a whole different world an Ire South it is I believe it. Lexington is a big Lexington's big city feel yes it especially me.

SPEAKER_01 40:43

I mean I come from a place with three stoplights really three or four or whatever yeah and what boy everybody knew everybody and I stay in Hamburg. Okay. But where I train out of is only a couple miles away from here between here and like Winchester I'm really close to you ever been to Windy Corner?

SPEAKER_03 41:00

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:01

Right down the road from Windy Corner You know where Double Dan's at?

Clients From Afar And Training Flow

SPEAKER_03 41:05

Yeah in the midway I sold him a big gray Persian mare two months ago. Oh yeah went up there to his house with him and Elizabeth actually well I didn't sell it to him I sold it to Elizabeth she called me and did the deals but it was for Dan and uh we had a great time but if you ever go to Midway there's a restaurant up there that has the best hamburger you would ever put your mouth into. What's it called? It's a bourbon barrel or something it's a restaurant up there right in Midway. It's a big barrel on the corner down there at the very corner of town I can't remember the name of it but it's you'll see it if you go. It's got a big horse statue out front. It's a bourbon something restaurant. Okay yeah I'll give that a try in there called the Kentucky burger and it's made with a fried green mater on it and you get an L8 with it and it's a Kentucky burger. Mm-hmm so good.

SPEAKER_01 42:06

Okay yeah I'll have to go give that a try there's a there's a lot of like smaller places like that that I love going to around here I think that kind of you know is part of the whole Kentucky experience in my opinion. One of my favorite places in Lexington is that uh big kahuna man I used to wear that place out when I first moved here and found out what it was it's amazing. I I love it. Yes yes but what's your favorite like what's your f all time favorite place to eat at around here? We when we come to Lexington we always go to a Japanese restaurant over by Best Buy by over in that Hamburg area a shook something I don't know the name of Teka yes Teka yeah it's great I love it I I used to go there a whole lot but I kinda started burning myself out on it so I had to switch it up a little bit but my thing's really just been Carson's I can't get over Carson's many is good it's it's I mean the quality the the aesthetic of the place like it feels very Kentucky like when you go in there. The portions and it's in my opinion it's really it's really cheap for the quality of the food and like the portions for sure. Like I always get two meals out of whatever I get.

SPEAKER_03 43:30

Oh yeah and another place I love in Lexington to go eat at is uh if you go downtown and you go over by Waller Avenue there's uh Candlewood and a couple hotels and you ever eat them Greek gyros they call 'em?

SPEAKER_01 43:47

Oh yeah them Euros.

SPEAKER_03 43:50

Yeah that was good right in behind that Candlewood hotel back in there there's a gyro or whatever you call it place. I love it. Oh them things are good Lexington now has got food trucks out of this world that are amazing. There's always a Mexican food truck over by the Greyhound bus station. And they make ribs for twenty-five dollars a whole rack. And it is when I go to Ohio to get horses or buy equipment, I always swing through there and pull there and get a rack of ribs and put them right on the console and eat ribs going up to your table. It's worth it. It's great. Alright, well, I appreciate you. This has been fun. I know you a lot better now than I did, I feel like.

SPEAKER_01 44:41

Oh yeah, I mean heck, we've known each other for years and hadn't really just sat down and talked a whole lot, you know. It's always been kinda in passing or trying to get this trying to get this deal orchestrated.

SPEAKER_03 44:52

Well, I'll see you in a couple weeks, that road to the horse. Oh yeah. I don't have to holler at you then. Yeah, we'll pass by sometime there anyway. This year it's gonna be big though. It's gonna be a lot of people there.

SPEAKER_01 45:05

I believe it. It's gonna be a lot going on at the horse park too, that whole week and weekend, I believe. It's uh I think a rodeo and I wanna say it's something with either hunters or something like that. It's it's it's gonna be packed. It's gonna be a madhouse.

SPEAKER_03 45:20

Guys, if you've never been to Lexington, Kentucky in the horse park, make it a trip. Go. If you're a horse enthusiast or if you ain't, you will love Lexington. It is a lot of fun. A lot of horses, a lot of horse racing, and all that good stuff. But what we're talking about is Road to the Horse. It's the World Championship Colt Starting event put on by some folks out of Texas. And uh it'll be coming up, I think, in a couple weeks. The dates, I can't remember the dates, but my wife's got the tickets bought and everything. I just get in the truck and ride with her. I'm going, I'll tell you that much. It's a lot of fun. Meet a lot of people, a lot of people. And uh I like people, I like to talk as you can tell. But anyway, guys, thank y'all for listening. We appreciate you. God bless each and every one of you. If you want to get a hold of LaRodre, his website again is www.lchorsemanship.com. Get on there and tell him you've seen him on Harness Up Podcast with Hays Draft Horses and Mules. Guys, thank you for listening. It's been a great one. Check us out on the website at www.drafthorses and mulesforsale.com. Also, guys, we're all across all social media. All you gotta do is type at Haste Draft Horses and Mules on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, you name it, we're on there. If you need anything, reach out. Give us a call. We're here to help you. God bless you, and until the next podcast, keep harnessing up, and we'll see you real soon.

SPEAKER_00 46:44

As another captivating episode of Harness Up with Haste Draft Horses and Mules draws to a close, we extend our sincere gratitude to our listeners for joining us on this enlightening journey. We hope today's discussions have deepened your appreciation and understanding of these magnificent creatures. Remember, the adventure continues beyond this podcast. Stay connected with us on social media and share your stories. For more information and to explore further, visit drafthorses and mulesforsales.com. Thank you for being part of our community. Until next time, keep harnessing your curiosity and passion for these God given creatures. Farewell for now.