.png)
Horns N Hooves
🐄 Horns and Hooves: The Highland Cattle Podcast
Are you tired of sorting through bad advice about raising Highland and Highland Cross cattle? Do you need practical, proven strategies to make smart decisions for your farm? You've come to the right place!
Welcome to Horns and Hooves, the podcast dedicated to being your go-to source for all things Highland and Highland Cross cattle.
Join your hosts, Lori Racicky (from Creekside Highland Haven) and Taylor Hauser (from Hausers Homestead). We started this podcast because we learned the hard way - through our own mistakes and by trusting the wrong advice. We know what it's like to feel all alone, juggling costly decisions and second-guessing every move.
The good news is: You don't have to anymore!
What We Cover:
We dive into topics that truly matter to the everyday cattle owner, offering real stories and honest advice from people who live it. We keep it real and share what works, learning from experience, not nonsense.
- Farm Economics: Expert tips on managing feed costs and making financially savvy choices.
- Buying & Selling: Strategies for navigating the complexity of livestock auctions and sales.
- The Hard Truths: We tackle the subjects others avoid, like getting straight answers about cattle sizes, temperament, and quality.
- Community Support: Our mission is to build a strong community where everybody feels welcome, no matter how long you've been in the game.
Our goal is to cut through the noise and give you the practical takeaways you need to raise a healthy, successful herd.
Hit that subscribe button and give us a five-star rating to help our community grow!
Follow Us on Social Media: Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok
Episodes
28 episodes
Can Highland Cattle Survive Florida? Here's The Truth | With Bennye, Happy Meadows Farm
What does it actually take to raise Highland and High Park cattle in Central Florida - forty-five minutes north of Orlando, in year-round humidity and heat? This week Lori sits down with Bennye of Happy Meadows Farm in Oviedo, Florida to talk a...
.png)
18 Million Views & The Cattle Business Nobody Saw Coming | Sophia Poignant, Magnolia Minis
She started in eighth grade with three heifers and a bull, went viral with 18 million views overnight, and now runs Magnolia Minis, a thriving mini and Highland cattle business in Central Illinois with close to fifty head. This week Taylor sits...
How Highland Cows Became Real Therapy | With Lou Ann & Mike Kramer, Remark-Able Ranch
Some farms breed cattle, this one breeds connection. This week Lori sits down with Lou Ann and Mike Kramer of Remark-Able Ranch in Greenfield, Indiana, a 501c3 nonprofit using Highland cattle to bring joy, healing, and confidence to people of a...
Chondro, BVD & The Truth About Mini Highlands — With Annie, FW Cattle Company
Going from boat days on the river to calving checks at 3am is not a small leap — and Annie from FW Cattle Company is here to tell you exactly what that transition really looks like. This week Lori sits down with Annie to talk fencing failures, ...
The Mineral Mistakes Costing You Money — With Karson Rippstein, Redmond Agriculture
Mineral supplementation is one of the most confusing and most expensive parts of raising cattle, and most of us are doing it wrong without even knowing it. This week Taylor sits down with Karson Rippstein, soil and grazing specialist at Redmond...
250,000 Followers, A Hacker & The Story of Hamish and Kyloe — With Marc Stewart, Thistle Do Farm
He saw a Highland cow lift her head from a hay bale in a field in Scotland and knew right then that he would own one someday. It took Marc Stewart ten years to find Hamish, but what followed was fifteen years of one of the most heartfelt bonds ...
Mini Cows As Therapy: Grief, Illness & An Accidental Business — Shantell Goodenough, Posh Mini Farm
What happens when a mini Highland cow shows up in a nursing home and a lady sits down at the piano to play for her? That is the kind of moment Shantell Goodenough lives for. Based in Shelley, Idaho, Shantell started Posh Mini Farm less than a y...
A Mini Cow Changed Our Lives Forever | Milk & Honey Ranch
What happens when a software engineer from South Africa loses everything, buys a mini Highland cow on a credit card, and builds a miracle from scratch? This week Lori and Taylor sit down with Brent and Daniela Phillips of Milk and Honey Ranch i...
The DNA Test Mistakes Every Cattle Owner Makes - With Stefanie Oppenheim, UC Davis VGL
If you've ever sent off a hair sample and wondered if you were doing it right — this episode is going to stop you in your tracks. Lori and Taylor sit down with Stefanie Oppenheim, animal scientist and senior analyst at the UC Davis Veterinary G...
Why Your Fly Control Isn't Working - With Jessica Starcevich
Flies are one of the biggest battles livestock owners face every summer - and most of us are fighting them wrong. This week Lori sits down with Jessica Starcevich, entomologist and fly control expert at Spalding Labs, to break down what's actua...
Calves, Chaos & The Mother's Day Sale - Lori Racicky & Taylor Hauser
Lori and Taylor are back solo and they've got a lot going on - from weaning 60 calves single-handed in a storm to setting up 77 head for AI in ice pellets and sleet. This episode is a real peek behind the barn door at what it actually takes to ...
Online Livestock Auctions Demystified - with Carol and Becky of W2 Auction Solutions
📣 Horns N Hooves are back with another auction - Mother's Day Sale, May 10th. More details to follow!Ever wondered how online livestock auctions actually work - and whether to trust them? Lori and Taylor sit down with C...
Registered vs Unregistered, Calving Chaos and Farm Life Realities with Lauren of Grand Marsh Highlands
What does it really take to build a Highland cattle herd from scratch? This week Taylor sits down with Lauren of Grand Marsh Highlands - a small-scale farmer from Northwest Indiana who went from suburban life to mini Highlands in just six years...
The Calving Season No One Prepared Us For
Lori's back after a scary health battle - a heart ablation that changed everything - and she's not holding back. In this raw, just-us episode, Lori and Taylor catch up on the chaos of calving season: surprise twins, backwards calves, stillbirth...
They Made Me Do WHAT at Cattle School?!
In this episode of Horns N’ Hooves, host Taylor sits down with Shane Stout, an instructor from the renowned Graham School, to talk about hands-on cattle education and why proper training is so valuable for both beginners and experienced produce...
Genetics, Nutrition, and Structural Soundness with Adam Marshall
In this episode of Horns and Hooves, professional hoof trimmer Adam Marshall joins the show to discuss the critical importance of hoof health and structural confirmation in miniature cattle and Highland crosses. Adam shares his expe...
Hands-on Cattle Management and Pregnancy Checking with Taylor Hauser
In this episode of Horns and Hooves, Taylor returns from a transformative week at the Graham School in Garnett, Kansas. Stepping far outside her comfort zone, she dives into the technical world of cattle management, covering everything from ult...
Progress Not Perfection in Livestock Management with Courtney Henson
In this episode of Hooves and Horns, we sit down with Courtney Henson from Little Finger Farms to discuss the reality of starting and scaling a small livestock operation. We dive deep into the lessons learned when transitioning from a hobby to ...
Building a Healthier Herd from the Inside Out with Trevor and Nichole Warren
In this episode of Horns N Hooves, we are joined by Trevor and Nichole Warren, the founders of North True Feeds. They share the science and passion behind their cold-pressed livestock tubs, explaining how this unique process preserves vital nut...
Navigating the Risks of Modern Ranching with Jake Tollman
In this episode of the Horns N Hooves podcast, we dive into the complex world of livestock and ranch insurance with special guest Jake Tollman from the Hartford Agency. From protecting high-value Highland cattle to understanding the nuances of ...
How To Build A Cattle Business At 11 Years Old
Join us for an inspiring journey into the heart of cattle ranching as we sit down with a guest who began her agricultural empire at just 11 years old. From starting with a small bottle calf to navigating the high-stakes world of embryo transfer...
The Dangers of Horned Cattle and Breed Integrity with Annie Howe
In this episode of Horns n Hooves, we are joined by special guest Annie Howe to discuss her deep-rooted history in the cattle industry and her transition into showing high-quality registered Highland cattle. From Craigslist beginnings to winnin...
Cold Weather Cattle Management: Water, Hay, and Calving Horror Stories
In this episode, we're diving deep into the realities of winter cattle management, sharing tips, tricks, and a few crazy farm stories. We're talking about the challenges of keeping water thawed, how we're adapting our feeding programs, and the ...
Stop Guessing! The VITAL First 24 Hours for a Healthy Mini Calf (with Dr. McKenzie Hendrix)
Welcome to a very blessed and important episode of the Horns N Hooves Auction Podcast! This week, we are joined by a special guest, Dr. McKenzie Hendrix, a phenomenal and amazing veterinarian, to talk about the crucial basics of mini cattle ...
The Blueprint for Show-Stopping Highlands: Nutrition from Calf to Ring) with Randy Lenz
In this episode, we dive deep into the essential, and often overlooked, aspects of beef cattle nutrition and animal husbandry that create a successful herd, particularly for Highland cattle breeders and those involved in showmanship. From the c...