Porch and Parish The Podcast
Our mission is to make sure every Zachary resident feels heard and engaged! Host Mike Gennaro facilitates candid conversations with local leaders, influencers and innovators in Zachary, Louisiana and beyond with the help of producer Mike Holt. New episode every Monday at noon!
Porch and Parish The Podcast
Horsing Around with Kaylea Marionneaux and LSU Ag Professor Dr. Neely Heidorn
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.
It's Jesus Christ Superstar meets Sister Act! Inspired bt4 gospels of the New Testament!
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I'm Kaylee Marino. Keep listening to Porch and Parish the podcast.
Speaker 2:I'm Dr Neely Heidorn. Keep listening to Porch and Parish the podcast.
Speaker 3:A horse that can count to 10 is a remarkable horse, not a remarkable mathematician Something to ponder from Warren Buffett. Our guests today are remarkable scholastically and knowledgeable in all things horse related. From my perspective, as a kid from Metairie, louisiana, I only encountered horses ridden by mounted patrols and Mardi Gras parades. 4-h was foreign to me and my high school didn't have a chapter, even though I was incredibly fascinated by all things of the farm from a young age.
Speaker 3:Today, I'd like to shed light on Kaylee Marino's and Professor Neely Heidorn's agricultural journey and how it has impacted both of their lives. We're also going to highlight some of the programs that are available to our youth in the region, so they don't let these opportunities slip away as I did. Kaylee is actively involved in the Louisiana 4-H Equine Ambassador Program. She's also the ZHSFFA President, four-year member of varsity cheer team, varsity powerlifting team and varsity track and field team. Her mentor, lsu professor Dr Neely Heidland, from the School of Animal Sciences, runs the Master Horseman program and volunteers her time in many other ways throughout our state. As always, we're here to bring you the best of Zachary and the Baton Rouge area through engaging conversations every Monday from our Virginia Street headquarters.
Speaker 1:This is Portion Parish the podcast.
Speaker 3:Stay tuned because the lightning round is coming up. Looking for a family outing off the beaten path? Trot over to Breck's Far Park Equestrian Center for a unique experience. Far Park offers guided trail rides throughout the fall. Starting on September 22nd, you and the family can enjoy the fresh air, beautiful scenery and quality time with loved ones 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 really fun because y'all. Agriculture just lights me up. I don't know why, Like I was that kid that was incubating chickens in seventh grade and had a victory garden when nobody knew what that was in my class. You know All right, so please describe your favorite horse.
Speaker 2:You want to go first.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I will. I was actually thinking about this question earlier. So even though I've been very fortunate to ride and experience a bunch of different horses, one of my favorite horses, I think of all time, was Mark and Betty Ann Browning's black gelding called Six's Sanjolina and his barn name was Smoke. I'm not really for sure what about this horse I like, but ever since he's been in the barn he'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 when he was in my trainer's barn and he's just kind of developed along the way.
Speaker 3:Yeah, awesome, that was a really cool description, all right.
Speaker 2:Um, you know I'll. I'll mirror some of what Kaylee said. I've been really fortunate to have some really cool animals in my life along the way that kind of developed my passion and led me to this point in my life. My all time favorite favorite has to be American Quarter Horses, and it's hard to put a pin in just one, but I have been known to be partial to spicy red mares.
Speaker 3:My current one is Spicy. In what way? Like color.
Speaker 2:No personality and demeanor. In the industry. Spicy just kind of gives you, the average person, an idea that the thing that you're sitting on isn't like a plug, isn't just quiet, isn't falling asleep when you're trying to do things. She's extra.
Speaker 2:And I kind of like me personally, I like a mare. They tend to give a little bit more when you're in the weeds per se. Um the current one that I'm riding right now, uh, she's an eight-year-old um merida cats marada, and she is her. Her name is dazzling catalina. My son affectionately calls her daisy. I call her daisy may, because daisy may win everything, or daisy may really mess you up.
Speaker 3:No, Do y'all both do the same type of riding?
Speaker 2:She does it a lot more successfully than I do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I am currently in my mom era, but yes, generally the same like category style is like all there. We both have done a lot of stock horse together. That's kind of where we met. I took it and just went the cow horse route and Dr Neely has shown the cow horse too, but more of the ranch type event is where she is best, I think.
Speaker 2:Once I had children, I realized my mortality. Yeah, okay, right, and I haven't had the opportunities to kind of go and do some of the more adrenaline pumping things that kaylee's been able to do yeah but that's in my future. I just have to wait till these kids grow up nice night, all right.
Speaker 3:Uh, kaylee, please define cowhorsing okay.
Speaker 1:So to me, the best way I describe it to people is I take it in two parts. So the first part is the rain work part, or your dry work. In this part we guide our horses through a pattern. It'll be between loping circles, speeding up, slowing down. Then we have our turnarounds, which is spins, where they plant one of their back feet and turn quickly in a circle, crossing their front legs over, and then you have the sliding stop. That's very intriguing, that a lot of people look for when they run down the center of the pin and then their behind end goes to the ground and they pedal on their front end.
Speaker 1:In the rain work there's a lot of little minute things that go into it, but those are like the overall main maneuvers. And then the second part is the cow work, the fence work, which is the adrenaline pumping side of everything. They'll release one cow into the arena. You box the cow on one end between two markers. Once you do that, you'll drive it around the corner, go down the fence and execute three turns. Well, I think you only have to do two, one each direction, but usually it's three turns most people do and then you'll scoop that cow off the fence and circle it both directions in the middle of the arena.
Speaker 1:Now the fence work can be very tricky and very hard, especially when it gets really fast and you have a tough cow. So there is is and a lot of associations like builder classes. So I started off in the youth class and that's just the boxing. So we just do the first part of the fence work. We just keep it on one end of the fence, go side, like go drive it down one side and one side in between those middle markers and then you have one class that's boxing, and then you drive it down the other side and box it again on the other side and just practice going down the fence, getting out of the corner, practicing that drive. And those all are just baby steps and a building you to go down the fence so that we practice being safe, practice controlling our horse at fast rates and moving a cow in the arena.
Speaker 2:Nice Going down the fence is where the majority of the wrecks will happen if they're going to happen.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:If you think about it. I know it's hard to visualize, but she's mirroring on her horse. She's mirroring the cow going down the fence and then when she gets to a specific marker, it's her horse's job technically to turn that cow back.
Speaker 3:The other direction.
Speaker 2:And if you're watching it it's almost like they're turning together. There's very little space and very little room for error. So if she didn't have these builder classes and we didn't practice all of these skills and learning how to read a cow and learning how to rate our horse appropriately, there's a lot of oopses that can happen very quickly.
Speaker 3:Get squished up against the side.
Speaker 2:Well, cows, jump over the top of you.
Speaker 1:Your horse can fall. There was one that happened at the, I think the Hackamore Classic, if I'm not mistaken, in Tulsa, oklahoma. In the youth classic a girl was going down the fence. Her horse stopped perfectly with the cow. The cow actually jumped over the horse, hit her, knocked her off of the horse and on the ground, so it could have been very bad.
Speaker 1:Thankfully I'm pretty sure she was okay. But there it's a lot of things happen in the snap of a finger, so you have to learn how to read your cow, how to train your horse to read the cow into all. It's like thinking three minds at 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 like about it, because everything just happens super fast.
Speaker 3:Do you have your driver's license yet?
Speaker 1:I do.
Speaker 3:Because it reminds me of, like, if you can drive a horse like that. Yeah, exactly, probably be pretty good in a vehicle, all right. What is your favorite cowboy or cowgirl movie?
Speaker 2:Do you have one?
Speaker 1:Well, I've actually watched all the like horse movies on Netflix, so any of those like Heartland. I love the like show Heartland. Ever since I was like 12 years old I've always watched that. Um down the fence is a documentary that talks about the rain cow horse. So I really really like that one because it's a lot of the industry professionals that we see every day and you get to see them. A few years ago when they were starting up I know Aaron Tormino is big featured in that and just seeing her journey starting young and now where she is, I don't I think there's one that's like the last cowboy or something like that and it's pretty good yeah, but.
Speaker 1:I mean, and you have Yellowstone, that everyone knows Yellowstone.
Speaker 3:That's the first time I've seen reigned cowhorses.
Speaker 1:That's how I another way I relate. I'm like do you see what they do on Yellowstone.
Speaker 3:That's what we do, that's like a big money version of it. Yes, all right what you got.
Speaker 2:I'm a little old school, I think my favorite is going to be Lonesome Dove.
Speaker 3:Oh, I watched that with Growing up.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's definitely rated R Well For a cowboy movie. I mean, all the cowboy movies are kind of like on the fringe, it can be yeah. It can be no, I loved that one who was in it, kenny Rogers. No, not Kenny.
Speaker 2:Rogers, wasn't he?
Speaker 3:Didn't he make a cameo?
Speaker 2:No, he may have, but that's not, that were not the main character gosh, what are their names?
Speaker 3: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 fact checking this I know I don't want to like misspeak all right, I'm gonna ask kaylee one favorite food or snack after riding or while in the saddle it's robert devol and tommy lee jones oh yeah, yeah, robert. Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. Oh, yeah yeah, kenny Rogers didn't make a cameo. I don't think so.
Speaker 2:I don't think so. I mean the.
Speaker 3:Fine, I mean Robert Duvall had this.
Speaker 2:Like you know, gray yeah Was gray and old in it. He's so cool.
Speaker 3:I like him in secondhand lines. All right. Favorite food or snack after riding or while in the saddle?
Speaker 1:So my all-time favorite drink is a Red Tummy Yummy.
Speaker 3:Never heard of it.
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 3:Is that like Prime or something?
Speaker 1:No, it's actually something that's for, like, little kids. Yeah, it's like a little bitty like juice in a thing. It has like, you know, like the twist tops on like Gatorades, but it's like that, but it's like smaller. Yeah, the twist tops on like gatorades, but it's like that but it's like smaller. Yeah, it's really weird, but they're like my favorite thing, I don't know why, and a crunch bar, those two nestle crunch, that's classic my favorite things, anytime, any part of the day.
Speaker 1:I will take a red tummy yummy and a crunch bar and you have made me happy where are you sourcing these? Um, I don't, this is just my favorite.
Speaker 3:I mean like where you buy it, oh, where.
Speaker 1:Oh um, jets has them. Actually jets is the only one I think. Well, actually most gross, most like gas stations have um bread tummy on me.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But like some don't. So then I just don't drink a red tummy yummy, or I just drink a Dr Pepper.
Speaker 3:So All right.
Speaker 2:I think mine's not as unique as that. I feel like, though, if you're in the horse industry like driving lawn hours everybody's got that weird thing that they take in the truck when they're driving.
Speaker 3:Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2: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, that is. That's kind of cowboy-esque, and then um anything after hands down after a horse show it's always mexican food okay, 100 percent, it's usually because it's the only thing left open, and Asian Pearl and Zachary a lot of times after a ride I bring my wall bottle everywhere.
Speaker 1:A big thing of cold water is. After the ride I'm like just give me cold water. I am a cold water drinker, but just water in general, and then give me my snack, my favorite thing, and then we're probably going to be seen at a Mexican place, somewhere we will find find the nearest Mexican.
Speaker 3:It doesn't have to be good. We're recording on a Friday, don't tempt me. Yeah, all right. Um, what is one career milestone that you are proud of? Lightning round version.
Speaker 1:Do you want to go first? Yeah, I'll go first.
Speaker 3:I mean, I'm looking for like a belt, buckle or something well, okay, so I've got two, if you don't mind um sure?
Speaker 2:so I had a really tumultuous 2020, like we all did, and I, in that year I was, I had my first son in 2019 and, no, um, no, what am I talking about? I had my second son in 2019 and I bought a mare while I was six months pregnant and, um, we were riding and show was it 2020.
Speaker 2:Gosh, I feel like it's 2019, I think it was 19, it was 19 um. I bought this mare while I was pregnant and the lady was like I can't sell you or if you're pregnant, and I was like I want this horse because if I don't buy it now I'm not going to. Yeah, so I bought this mare and I hauled and showed pregnant and um a month after I had the baby, I was riding and showing and in that year we won um gosh. I think we won 20 buckles and I won um amateur rookie of the year for louisiana quarter horse association um, but we were, we were booking it and that baby was on my hip and in the saddle and yeah I think it was this thing that I had to like prove to myself that I could do it.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So it was one of those challenges. I was like I'm going to put my mind to it, I'm going to do this, and I lucked up in a really fancy mare and we had a really good time. What kind of mare was it?
Speaker 2:She was a reining horse, but they had tried to turn her into a cow horse and that they didn't have a lot of success with her because she didn't really like the cutting aspect of things. She was a little too slow, but she was really great in the dry work and just really a hard worker and love to be at a show and kind of thrived in that environment. So she took really good care of me. Thankfully I was not in shape right after having that baby but she took good care of me. But I think my second one and this is really trying to hit on some of the things that I would love for you guys to promote we just got the creation of the Louisiana Equine Promotion and Research Board and that's an organization that was created through the state government and is housed through LDAF with the Commissioner of Agriculture, and this year we were able to get permanent dedicated funds allocated to this board to create a grant program that supports the Louisiana equine industry.
Speaker 2:And fortunately this has been like a lifelong journey for a lot of my colleagues and a lot of the my predecessor, a lot of people in the industry and kind of everything happened. I was in the right place at the right time and all of the things just kind of worked magically and it was a little bit of a David and Goliath story. Everyone kept telling us we'll never get this done, it's not going to happen, it's the wrong time, and every time we'd go to the legislature it was unanimous votes, positive votes, so really excited, I think. Honestly, besides helping kids along and getting them in this industry and pushing them to meet their goals, this is the thing that I'm most proud of is that we're able to have a legacy for the equine industry here in louisiana.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I'm pretty proud of that one awesome okay, so my um what is my biggest accomplishment or?
Speaker 3:Just one career milestone that you're proud of.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, one that I'm really, really proud of, which is probably one of the biggest thing I've accomplished, was in 2022. So I got my mare in 1920. I don't know. Anyways, it kind of takes a long time for you and a horse to click and really start like getting on the same path, because I mean, you have to think you're like two different people trying to like be a team and do this really complicated thing. 2022, we were me and my mare. She's a smart gal, but we call her Lucille.
Speaker 1:We were at one of my most memorable things. We were on fire that year. We showed in our southern rain cow horse association, went all over the place. We run the region in the limited non-pro boxing and I got reserved in the youth boxing and then I went to the world show. I made finals for the first time and I placed seventh I think it was seventh out of 96 people and then I ended up being fifth out of 300-something nationally. So it was just a really good year for us. I came home with a really pretty belt buckle I think I actually have it on right now Wow.
Speaker 3:So it's, one that I'm Just happened to have it on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's one that's very special to me because it was a few years of just hard work and I stopped showing not really stopped showing, but I didn't show as much to practice and get better. And then that year we hit it hard and yeah, so that's my year and I won the non-pro of the Louisiana Stock Horse Association. I won the all-around, won a saddle and picked up a few belt buckles there. So it's just a really good year.
Speaker 3:Final question what's on those belt buckles?
Speaker 2:I never want to stare, Get too close yeah right, but what's on it?
Speaker 3:Is it different? It's different for each one, kind of different.
Speaker 2:What's on? Almost everything is going to be the year that it was won. It's going to be the association that's awarding it and you'll have either the discipline, the class or whatever it is that you're showing in. So if it was non-pro boxing she'll have it. It'll say Southern Reign Cow Horse Association or World Champion and whatever class.
Speaker 1:So, like on the top of mine, it says 2022. It has the NRCHA logo, says Southeastern Regional Champion, with the other NRCHA logo and it says the class that I won. And then it just has some cool designs and then they'll put like stones and colors in it. And there's some that are like gold and they're like so pretty when they come out the box and they're shiny, You're like well, I'm just going to put this one on the wall.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah Cool, and I like your story, professor, because it means that it's not like out of the question to get a buckle, absolutely not Do you have kids and stuff?
Speaker 2:I think the thing about this industry and really is, if there is a desire, yeah. If you're willing to put the work in, people are going to be willing to help you get there.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I can't tell you how many mamas I mean. Kaylee rode around with my baby in her arms more times than I can kind of like shake a stick at and all of the other mamas in the industry are like give me that baby, go ride. So, it's not impossible if you really want to get it done. There's a will, there's a way that's cool.
Speaker 3:Yeah, does all of 4-h work like that too? I mean most places yeah, pretty much.
Speaker 1: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 can just show up one day and try to be the best. You have to work every day, put in the hours, put in the work, be willing to go outside and sweat, get up early in the morning whenever it's a hundred degrees outside, um, stay late up at, stay late at night. You know, make a accommodations just so you can accomplish what you want. But, like she said, if there's a will, there's definitely a way to make it happen, Awesome.
Speaker 3:Um, all right, let's get into a little bit more heavier questions here. So mentorship is so critically important to all of us as we learn and grow. It's one of my favorite interview formats to have a pupil and professor or coach and their student athlete. So, Kaylee, if you will please introduce how you met Dr Heidorn and what she's meant to you.
Speaker 1:Right. So, um, a few, oh gosh, five, six, seven years ago however long it was um, I was just on a little plug horse learning how to ride horses and there's always going to be at horse shows. There are so many people there, but there's those people that you always stick around when you go to this horse shows every. But there's those people that you always stick around when you go to the horse shows every month, multiple times a year, and Dr Neely was one of those that kind of helped take me under her wing and show me how to ride my horse, how to correctly do things. Whenever I would get upset and I would sometimes shed a few tears, she was there to be like, hey, it's okay, she was my biggest cheerleader.
Speaker 1:There's been a lot of times that I can say Dr Neely has had my back when I felt like nobody else did um, through the stock horse and stuff, I went through a master horseman program um, I learned some things there. I've met some good friends through Dr Neely and had a bunch of connections um, and I probably wouldn't be as far if I wouldn't have the connections and stuff that she sent along my way and she's just one person that's kind of stayed constant through my horse career and my equine industry and kind of helped me be the woman I am today. So yeah, that's a little bit about Dr Neely and how she's impacted me.
Speaker 3:Awesome, awesome. All right, how did each of you get into ag? Awesome, awesome. Um, all right, how did each of you get into ag? I kind of want to know about you know, like, you the little kid, yeah, me the little kid.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I got involved in the horse industry, really as a joke. Um, I grew up in southern california and my parents and grandparents owned a bar and grill in an rv park and we had sounds. It was uh. We had a patron that, um, owned a large ranch out in the desert that would regularly get behind on his bar tap. So my grandmother said I'll make you a deal you keep the kid out of the bar and out of our hair and teach her how to ride horses, and we'll call it even.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 2:Fast forward. You know great decision-making, right? Yeah, just go with the guy that can't pay the tab Just off by yourself. Yeah, he was actually, it sounds terrible, but he was a colonel in the Marine Corps, that's cool. And he was actually the director and created the Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard at the time. So he was really a fantastic role model and a really great guy. But you know the things he did on the weekend.
Speaker 3:Yeah, just don't look at a lot of people like that. Yeah, see the good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I spent a lot of time we called him Colonel Bob.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Spent a lot of time with Colonel Bob riding horses. I started there literally when I was two to keep me out of trouble, um, and I kind of always knew that I wanted to be in the industry. I didn't know how or why, Um, I always wanted to fix broken horses, Um, but then I realized that that wasn't. It was really good at taking things apart, but I hated the responsibility of putting them back together.
Speaker 3:We're talking about horses here, right? Yeah, yeah, yes, okay.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I wanted to be a vet.
Speaker 2:So I figured out let me figure out how all these things work and I'm going to fix these broken horses and it really just came. I had so many fantastic mentors, just like Kaylee, like I had Colonel Bob and he introduced me to a thousand different people who just really, if I wanted to know something, bob and he introduced me to a thousand different people who just really, if I wanted to know something, they were so willing to show me how to get it done. All the different techniques, whether it was right or wrong they were willing.
Speaker 2:If I was hungry enough to learn it, they were willing to show me how to do it and how to get there. Um and I, just I was like this is where I need to be. These people are welcoming. This feels like home. I'm going to stay in ag.
Speaker 3:Awesome.
Speaker 1:Okay, so I didn't get into ag till I was, I think, nine or 10 years old. Ever since growing up, I've always loved horses. I was like I we passed by a field of horses. I'm like mom, look, there's horses or there's cows over there. I was always intrigued by it, but I, my family, we didn't have any horses or anything like that. My great aunt had horses and when I was a little bit younger than that we would go ride at her house, but they live in Mississippi so we never really went that often and I'm pretty sure I hear the story that I didn't want to get off the horse, that I was just like trying to.
Speaker 1:I didn't. I was pulled off. I really didn't um want to get off, and then I begged my dad for two years ish, and he finally found a place and put me in riding lessons at Fraser's homestead in central and started the basics there and it's just went from there.
Speaker 3:Awesome, awesome. Now, when I was doing some research on you, you were a cow hand at one point, right.
Speaker 1:Yes, so I my horse train. I've been through a few horse trainers because my discipline has changed a little bit.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But when I got to the rain, cow horse John Hawthorne used to live in slaughter which is 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 was actually during, uh, covid, during 2022 my dad dropped me off one morning at 7 am and said, okay, I'll be back later, and I 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 it and it's pretty true.
Speaker 1:I cleaned stalls, I saddled horses, bathed horses, rode some horses around just kind of keep them warmed up for them, before my horse, john, got on them, yeah. And then it kind of grew after that. They kind of became my second family. They had two little boys that I would watch, uh, whenever I had a break or whatever, and I'd go play with them in the yard. But other than that, like that's what I did, that was like my job. I would get paid to, um, which I really didn't get paid because it was just going like for training my horses.
Speaker 3:So I never like got money, but like my dad got money for you know what I'm trying to say like trade yeah, when he hears this episode he's gonna be like thanks for making me look great well I, because I technically like didn't get, I didn't get paid, but like my horse and like my bill got paid yeah there it is, yeah, pretty much so. At least it wasn't with someone that owed money on a bar tip. Yeah, but it was A safer environment.
Speaker 1:And there's been a lot of things that have happened at the barn that have helped me grow into the person I am today.
Speaker 3:All right, those will have to stay in the barn. Yeah, all right. Um, all right, those will have to stay in the barn. Yeah, all right, professor heidorn. Um, please take the lead and tell us about your work at lsu these days and with the equine ambassador program. So you know this. This is one of the main reasons we're here and you know all the lore around horses. That just makes it fun. But the equine ambassador program, it's open to who what. What is it? When did it start?
Speaker 2:yeah, so equine ambassadors actually started. This is our first year, um. We tried to get it off the ground last year, but it was um we didn't have enough applicants to make it the program happen yeah so this year we actually had enough applicants and what it is is.
Speaker 2:it is a 4-H based program. You have to be high school aged and you have to be enrolled in the 4-H horse project. So we're taking those elite members of the 4-H horse project and giving them um training in leadership skills. We're giving them um training in just basic horse management and horse science, as well as equine advocacy, and we're giving them and challenging them to create their own opportunities as a member of this board really to educate others to mentor other youth in their areas and in their parish and in their 4-H parish programs.
Speaker 2:And then we're also challenging them to advocate for the equine industry in whatever discipline that they're involved in.
Speaker 3:Got it Okay, and what type of advocacy is taking place?
Speaker 2:So really what we're doing is we're trying to make the entire state and the rest of our 4-H counterparts really aware of what the 4-H horse program has to offer. We're also giving them an opportunity to network and to get more involved in some of the statewide organizations and some of the opportunities that are happening there. So we're trying to train them in um, job training, skills, networking there. We're also trying to get them to get the word out that hey, 4-h has a fantastic 4-H horse program. We want you to come be involved. Let me show you some of the things that we're learning in the horse program and then let's talk about some of the big things that are happening, happening on the state level in 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 Louisiana and I think so far they're doing a pretty good job. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Awesome, it seems fun. Uh, Kaylee, what's your perspective on the the program?
Speaker 1:Um. So one of the um I guess not I don't want to call it like a rule, but like one of the jobs I have as an equine ambassadors kind of like what Dr Neely said is just advocating for the equine industry. Because a lot of people in Louisiana, I don't think, realize how big the equine industry is and how much it impacts our economy and things like that. Because with horses becomes a lot of money comes right behind that. So when we have shows and stuff, you're bringing in people from other states from around us that have to pay gas, that helps us. I mean you obviously paying gas, you're eating here, you're experienced Louisiana, all those things. So just taking the little bit of knowledge that we have, asking our mentors like, hey, how can we do this, how can we make Louisiana equine better? And just going to places that maybe don't know about it and just letting like educating them on what the equine industry has to offer and having fun while we do it yeah, awesome.
Speaker 3:And where do some of these shows happen?
Speaker 2:everywhere, yeah, all across the state, anywhere that has a covered arena and sometimes even places that don't have covered pens every weekend there's something going on. Yeah, that's the big problem.
Speaker 1:That don't have covered pens every weekend there's something going on, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's the big problem that we actually have right now. We're trying to grow the industry and that's what some of the grants I had spoken about before has been able to do is attract larger national scale shows to our state. Unfortunately, what has happened is none of our facilities in the state are capable of hosting shows that are that large.
Speaker 3:Got it Spectators or the general arena?
Speaker 2:The spectators, we can handle. Okay, the thing that we can't handle is a lot of the facilities if we're talking about a national based show they need a minimum of 750 stalls. And none of our facilities have that much space or that much stall space Like none. No, not a single one.
Speaker 3:Wow, that seems like an advocacy issue right there. Right, it's also a real estate problem, which we like. It is a real estate problem.
Speaker 2:And, like Kaylee said, the economic impact of the equine industry in this state alone is massive and I think it's very underrepresented and I feel like that's one of the jobs we're really trying to educate not only the people of the state of Louisiana, but also our senators and our legislators.
Speaker 3:Yeah, if you could put an arena in one city in Louisiana, which would be the most reasonable spot.
Speaker 2:Honestly anywhere along that I-10 corridor.
Speaker 3:Yeah, right.
Speaker 2:Our most popular one is going to be in West Monroe at the I-Camelton. Yeah, because it's air conditioned. Um, it's what?
Speaker 1: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 they open up that door, you look out the stalls and there's like heat waves or whatever and we're like feels nice in here yeah we call it the icy ike that's cool yeah, um, but unfortunately they're in a place.
Speaker 2:They're in a great location. We've got a lot of traffic from texas from arkansas, from florida. That's just a really good location for us, yeah, um, unfortunately they're kind of landlocked, so we're stuck. I think they have a maximum of 500 stalls and that's with temporary stalls, gotcha. So, um, we're trying to do things where we can attract national level shows, and that's one of the things. We're trying to do, things where we can attract national level shows, and that's one of the things we're trying to address is how can we make this bigger?
Speaker 2:How can we bring more shows here to affect our local and statewide economy?
Speaker 1:Yeah, Well, so many cities are looking for draws it just seems like a smart one, and a lot of people on the cow horse, believe it or not, like coming to Louisiana because of the culture we have here. There was a show we usually we have here. There was a show. We usually have a show in March-ish February whenever we have Mardi Gras, and a lot of people in Texas, oklahoma, don't know what Mardi Gras is. 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 have every day because we're used to it that they're like, wow, this is so cool. And we're like, yeah, you didn't know about it, but that's what attracts the people to Louisiana from other states.
Speaker 3:Yeah, um, it's kind of like I was describing earlier. For me, horses are just synonymous with a parade, you know, um, but it's an interesting way to to mix it all up. Um, tell me about some of the science that's going on and, kaylee, maybe you can speak to what you learned and you can talk about the more scholastic aspects, professor.
Speaker 2:What do you mean? Science? You have to be more specific.
Speaker 3:Well, I thought you were going to just help me there.
Speaker 1:I have no idea, say like maybe what we kind of did at ambassador training Like breed science or so um.
Speaker 2:Equine science in general is a massive topic right, yeah there are so many different avenues.
Speaker 2:not only is there current research going on at lsu on how to better maintain our animals overall health at the vet school right, we're also doing a ton of research looking at exercise physiology. Actually, the LSU vet school is in works to try to build a whole new facility to target just equine exercise physiology and maintain some of the athletes that we have in our state between the racetracks and some of our rain cow horse professionals. We also have equ? Um equine researchers in the school of animal science that focus primarily on um endocrinologies and like insulin sensitivity and reproductive technologies. Um, well, we could talk for a long time about the science that goes on in our state, and that's just at LSU. Um, there's a lot of really cool programs that go on at other universities like McNeese and Louisiana tech. It's hard to say yeah.
Speaker 3:What's your specialty?
Speaker 2:So my specialty, um, I haven't used in the better part of 20 years. Um, I went to grad school, got my PhD in reproductive endocrinology.
Speaker 3:Um, but my appointment Cal poly, that's no, she's very smart.
Speaker 2:Oh wait, you went. I went to university of Georgia to finish that one.
Speaker 2:So, um, I actually got um. Animal health science was my, my um undergrad, my BS, my master's was in stallion reproduction and then my PhD was in reproductive endocrinology, so the hormones at the brain level, um was in reproductive endocrinology so the hormones at the brain level, um. And then I applied for the job here at LSU and my appointment actually is 90% extension and 10% teaching, so I personally don't have a research appointment. Um, I do, however, help out on a lot of different programs and I partner with our equine researchers, just to kind of stay abreast of what's going on, yeah.
Speaker 3:Um. So when you say extension, help us understand what that means, cause I see that word everywhere ag extension.
Speaker 2:So extension, the cooperative extension system, is basically tasked with taking science-based information from our research partners and taking that information and disseminating it to the stakeholders, which would just be people in our industry. Um, and my job is to take some of the research and the latest techniques and management techniques in the horse industry and spread it throughout the state of Louisiana to help our horsemen to make their lives easier, better, easier to manage.
Speaker 3:Awesome. All right, kaylee, what'd you learn through the program?
Speaker 1: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 gotten a lot of comments on. But um, through ambassador training, they um exposed us to a lot of different parts of equine in the state of Louisiana I know we went to um the lasers place. Uh, we went and visited a racetrack and kind of learned a little bit. At the racehorse industry we did some reproductive stuff. We made poo slurries. Learned about parasites.
Speaker 1:Right, right but we got to make poop slurries, which is I know that sounds really weird, but just learning how to test for different parasites and things out of your house, because it's actually not as hard as some people might think it is. Then we got to palpate a mare.
Speaker 3:What is that? Second time I'm hearing it.
Speaker 1:So you get to in the most basic way stick your hand in the horse's bottom.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it's anus rectum.
Speaker 1:And you go all the way. We have to edit this out. The horse's bottom, yeah, and it's rectus, rectum.
Speaker 3:And you go all the way. We have to edit this out. It's science, it's all that goes, you just. Mandy Bradley at the school board is just going to be like all right. You know you're really skirting the line here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, I mean you have to know, like in the horse industry you have to kind of know, but know.
Speaker 2:but it was really cool because, um, the some of the uh, dr aaron oberhaus, who is over the reproductive yeah, she's the equine researcher in the school of animal sciences and the co-sponsor of the program awesome so she was really.
Speaker 1:It was really fun getting to see her um gosh, what's the word? X-ray?
Speaker 3:no, ultrasound, ultrasound, gosh see I don't know what you're gonna say this is why I need dr new year ultrasound.
Speaker 1:It's like right there in my head ultrasound. I don't know what you're gonna say. This is why I need dr neal here ultrasound. It's like right there in my head ultrasound. I don't even know why I didn't think of that. But ultrasound um a mare and like get to see actually the reproductive side that you see pictures of but you never like actually get to see it.
Speaker 2:And then we got to go in and feel different types of things and we do this to examine reproductive function and where they are in their cycle. This is all for breeding purposes.
Speaker 3:Right right. This is some of the reproductive technologies that we can use on mares to kind of time things a little bit more effectively, so you don't have to pay for stud services and then you get the wrong day. I'm sure Exactly exactly those guys are very important.
Speaker 1:We did other things but those were like my two favorite. I mean, palpating a mare was my actual favorite. At first I was a little scared and I was like this is weird and fun fact. I actually was the only person who got pooped on because I went full fledged on one, on the first on the mare that we had. I was the first one and it seems weird, but you have to clean them out, pull the manure out so you can go in and find the different parts that you need to see, and I just got pooped on yeah, and fortunately this was a professional training for them, right?
Speaker 2:so they were all dressed in business casual clothes and yes her mom said don't worry, I'll order you a new shirt.
Speaker 3:Yes, this kind of stuff sends my kids at least my older two running in the other direction from egg. But I'm intrigued.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, my son's afraid of birds. I mean, I don't like birds either. Birds are terrible.
Speaker 3:I don't like birds I like reptiles and birds a lot.
Speaker 1:I don't do snakes, though. Snakes are a no-go.
Speaker 3:Yeah, snakes are a no-go. Yeah, that's. That's one for me, though even a garden snake.
Speaker 1: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:Yep oh cool, um over here. Uh, I'll have to show you all the the tortoises that we have here very, very cool, that's my thing that's cool. We've got a couple of turkeys coming this week too.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, you're raising turkeys.
Speaker 3: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:Hey, I actually have two Nigerian dwarf goats.
Speaker 3:Are those going to be dinner? Oh, do you what?
Speaker 1:Yeah, at the high school we have two. Their names are Timmy and Turbo.
Speaker 3:I think I've met them before.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:At the Ag Day.
Speaker 1:Yes, you did. They were at the petting zoo and they are a mess.
Speaker 3:They are.
Speaker 1:They are so cute and so fun and our ag buddies love them.
Speaker 3:Aw and ag buddies are the little kids over at the school.
Speaker 1:So our ag buddies is actually our special needs program.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So they come to us, our ag three and four students. We interact with them, show them different ag things. They actually will go and show broiler chickens and yeah, we just kind of interact and help them build those social skills that they don't get to see in their classroom and interact with, you know, um yeah, yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 3:When's the um the big lsu ag day? I want to take the kids out ag magic I think ag magic. Yeah, where they have the hole in the side of the cow and you stick your hand in that.
Speaker 1:Oh God I'd be. I feel like it's like March or April, but I could be lying. I think it is an April.
Speaker 3:That was an incredible experience. I loved it All right. So any closing thoughts that y'all would like to share before we head out.
Speaker 1:So I just think that one of the things I want to share and help promote is that there's a lot of people in the ag industry and, being an equine ambassador, there's a lot of people that are willing to help and they're looking for those people that are hungry and wanting to do more. I feel like I was one of those kids that wanted to do more and I wanted to find a way. There's a little things in ag that I'm very good at, some that I'm like that is not my forte. I don't want to go down that. But there's also a lot of people along the way because I was hungry. I had a lot of horse show moms that some people don't realize.
Speaker 1:Dr O'Neely, I know Liz Waggis-Pack, mark and Betty Ann Browning.
Speaker 1:They've helped me a few times.
Speaker 1:Danae Castles is where my horse is at my trainers all the way from Mike Frazier and Kathy Butt to Celine Perry and John Hawthorne and the people at shows who help me when my horse trainers can't be there or my parents can't be there.
Speaker 1:There's been multiple times that I've gone to Tennessee by myself and I had no one but my horse show moms and friends because I needed to go show but no one else could be there. So having those trainers and people step in the agriculture world and the equine industry more specifically is a big family and there's a lot of people in there that are willing to help and I'm just very thankful for my village and the people that put in and my parents that have legit given a lot. I know my both my mom and dad have traveled many, many miles and done a whole lot for me. So I'm very thankful for all my people and just hope the youth in the East Baton Rouge parish and in Louisiana and whole just see that there's people out there, adults out there, willing to help, but you just have to have the drive to go do it.
Speaker 2:So I'll echo the same thing we're here, If you want to join us we would love to have you. It takes a village to get done what we do and there is no shortage of experienced people and sometimes in all industries there can be some negative connotations. But what I would say wholeheartedly about the equine industry here in Louisiana is if you want to work hard, you want to put in the time. We're here to help you and we'd love to see you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, when's the next extension event that we can look forward to?
Speaker 2:Oh, there's a ton yeah.
Speaker 3:What's the next one that we'll see you at?
Speaker 2:Let me check my schedule. I think it's going to be Livingston EBR 4-H Horse Club.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:We're doing a horse judging clinic in two weeks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's at the end of October.
Speaker 3:What website would that be through?
Speaker 2:You can check that out on facebook, okay, the livingston ebr 4-h horse club page, I believe yeah, kaylee, do you belong to any um facebook groups that that people might need to join?
Speaker 1:um, yeah, I'm a part of any of the horse club groups louisiana 4-h, any of those types 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 to Gainesville, texas, which is about nine hours from here, and there's not a lot of people in South Louisiana that can help with.
Speaker 1:There is people that specifically do rain work or cutting or stuff, but there's not been a lot of people that do everything and have everything at their fingertips. But Mr Clint Depew lives just right down the road and he's one that I see on Sunday mornings at church with a smiling face greeting me. Hey, when do you want to come ride again, do you?
Speaker 1:want to come ride. Do you want to come work the flag? Just someone who is very, very knowledgeable in the equine industry and is very willing to give back to the youth. So I wanted to give him a shout out before you know we ended this, because he's also actually my predecessor, oh gotcha okay.
Speaker 3:So he's kind of he's at mastery level with everything he's amazing and he helped.
Speaker 1:He helps you understand not just why we do it, but how we do it and the the thinking part of it, the mental like we do this because of this, and it makes us think and he just connects it all on all different types of levels.
Speaker 2: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 horse industry is not just about horses generally. Um, there's a whole lot of solving the world's problems on these long truck drives and um when 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 of support.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Um, and it doesn't matter if it's your horse show mom, your real mom, just somebody down the road who's helping give lessons. There's just a breadth of knowledge and people really trying to make their lives better by helping you make your life better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cool, I will say that. And even like my FFA advisor at the high school, miss Melissa Brumbo she and any any of my like mentors and horse show moms and stuff they it's not just like Dr Neely said, it's not just about you becoming better on the horse, but like my character and the way the person I've become today wouldn't be without those laughs at the Mexican restaurant or just the little things along the way that you don't realize you pick up, cause there's, um, I got really busy with sports and things like you mentioned. I'm involved really a lot in the high school and just enjoying my time as a high school student before I graduate and move off to Texas. But where are you?
Speaker 3:going.
Speaker 1:I don't know yet. So, I don't I don't want to publicly say but, somewhere Texas, oklahoma I'm looking to go um on a ranch horse team and ride out there somewhere.
Speaker 3:You can do that through college, yeah.
Speaker 1:And you can get some, uh, some scholarships.
Speaker 2:It's not it's not an NCAA recognized sport, but a lot of. It's not an NCAA recognized sport but there's a lot of colleges that have significant donors and they've been able to build a scholarship program to attract nationally ranked equestrians to come represent their university.
Speaker 3:If lacrosse is recognized, come on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so doing that and then getting a degree in ag business and hopefully get my master's one day. But yeah, just the little things growing how to speak in front of people, because I can tell you 13 year old me would never believe that I'm sitting right here advocating for Louisiana equine industry, so just all the people along the way.
Speaker 1:you just don't realize how many people are there just to help you. That's the only thing I can stress. Enough is just go be hungry, go be and try it. Go be great, like everyone has the opportunity to be great, but you have to want it more than the person next to you.
Speaker 3: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:Actually I just found one. A friend of mine was trying to sell. I don't know if it's a mini, but it's a pony.
Speaker 3:Doesn't bite, does it?
Speaker 2:I mean, all ponies are from the devil, so maybe Y'all.
Speaker 3:That's it for this week's episode of P&P. Catch us on all local newsstands or on the World Wide Web at fortuneparishcom and fortuneparishcom. And it's thanks to all of our sponsors who make this content free to you. Please go out and support them. Bye, bye now, until next week.
