Harness Up! with Haste Draft Horses and Mules

Leaving The Amish with Eli Yoder

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304859/fan_mail/new] He grew up Old Order Amish with rules so tight they reached all the way down to orange triangles, borrowed phones, and even which animals you were allowed to own. Then Eli Yoder left at 18 believing he was headed for hell, not because he had a perfect plan, but because staying felt like it might destroy him. That tension between fear, freedom, and faith drives one of the most honest conversations we’ve had around Amish culture and what it really means to start over. We talk through Eli’s background as the grandson of a bishop, the pressure of legalism and shunning, and the strange loopholes outsiders notice, like hiring someone else to drive a vehicle you can legally own. He shares what came after he left: years of partying, drugs, and trying to outrun the weight of what he’d been taught, followed by a hard-won shift toward a relationship-based faith that later became the heart of his online content. If you’ve ever tried to untangle religion from God, or rebuild after a high-control environment, you’ll recognize the questions this raises. Because this is Harness Up, we also go deep on the horse side: Belgian work horses, plowing, horse and buggy life, Mount Hope auctions, and the secret horse training that brought church consequences down on his family. We even get into mules, harnessing, and the wild explanations some communities use to justify bans. Listen, share this with a friend who loves draft horses, mules, or real-life testimony, and please subscribe and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304859/support] Find us online at DraftHorsesAndMulesForSale.com

Building A Mule Saddle That Fits

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304859/fan_mail/new] You can learn more about a saddle in five minutes with a real saddle maker than in five hours of scrolling. Tonight we’re talking with Reed Veit of Reed Veit Saddlery in Roundup, Montana, a young craftsman building custom saddles and tack for horses and mules and doing it the hard way: one tree, one hide, one careful decision at a time. We get into what a saddle tree actually is, why the bars and angles matter so much, and why the best trees can take months to show up at your shop door. Reed breaks down how custom saddle building really works, from covering the tree to shaping a rig that fits a specific animal. If you’ve ever wondered why a saddle that “looks fine” can still roll, pinch, or leave your mule sore, this conversation connects the dots with plain language and real shop experience. Then we tackle the question we hear nonstop in the mule world: do you need a mule saddle? We talk mule conformation, narrower backs, lower withers, and why some folks get away with a horse saddle while others fight tack problems forever. We also swap opinions on steep-country setups like britching versus a crupper, including the safety and pressure-point trade-offs that riders don’t always think about until something goes wrong. Along the way, you’ll hear why the mule community is so tight, plus stories about clinicians, friendships, and the odd way mules can change the whole direction of your life. If you want to reach Reed, he’s on Facebook and Instagram at Reed Veit Saddlery, and you can also call him at 406-654-7669. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a mule friend, and leave a rating or review so more folks can find Harness Up. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304859/support] Find us online at DraftHorsesAndMulesForSale.com

How Two Idaho Creators Built A Life With Mules

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304859/fan_mail/new] A lot of people think mules are just “harder horses” until they’ve had one look them in the eye, decide you’re worth trusting, and then follow you like a shadow. That’s where this conversation goes with Jason and Alyssa from Mountain Built, the Idaho creators who turned filming mules, Mustangs, and the backcountry into a full-time YouTube living. We talk about how Mountain Built started as a simple way to document their life, then slowly grew into a business that now pays the mortgage. Jason and Alyssa share what it’s really like to create equine content, from hauling camera gear into rough country to the hours of editing and voiceover work that viewers never see. We get into the strange and wonderful moment when fans recognize you at mule sales, and how the YouTube community can feel like real-life family. On the animal side, we dig into green-mule reality: bucking, bolting at cows, confidence building, and why clinics and miles in the saddle change everything. We also talk Mustang adoption and training with their horse Rooster, saddle-fit challenges, DNA test surprises, and what it means to pack out elk with young, learning animals. We finish with practical mule wisdom: toughness, easier care, donkey-leaning versus horse-leaning mules, and why choosing a horse or a mule depends on the individual animal and the rider’s experience. Subscribe for more real conversations about mules, horses, driving, and the people living it, and if you enjoyed this one, share it with a mule friend and leave a review. Check out MTN BUILT YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@MTN_BUILT Also, MTN BUILT HUNTS- https://www.youtube.com/@mtnbuilthunts Buy MTN BUILT Merch HERE - https://mtnbuiltmerch.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoofMEdgHFCZR83vAcryewoB1QswmcNM1ib385Jv0kN2mcC7WLu_ Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304859/support] Find us online at DraftHorsesAndMulesForSale.com

A Young PRCA Bareback Rider’s Comeback After A Collarbone Reconstruction

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304859/fan_mail/new] Eight seconds can hide a lifetime of work, and sometimes it hides an injury that could’ve ended everything. We’re joined by Brody Dent, an 18-year-old PRCA bareback rider from Bend, Oregon, to talk about what it really takes to chase a pro rodeo career when you didn’t grow up in a rodeo family and you’re learning fast on the road. Brody shares how he found mentors, why the rodeo community is more reachable than most people think, and how hearing the right words from the right champion can light a fire.  Then the conversation turns hard. Brody tells the full story of a major wreck in Deadwood, South Dakota that dislocated his SC joint and pushed his collarbone off his sternum. He finished the ride, tried to look tough for the cameras, and later learned that getting back on too soon could have torn critical arteries in his neck. We talk reconstruction surgery, PRCA sports medicine, physical therapy, and the bigger battle: trusting your body again when your mind keeps replaying the worst moment. If you care about athlete recovery, mental toughness, and faith under pressure, this part will stick with you.  We also get practical for anyone curious about bareback riding. Brody breaks down the equipment, from bareback rigging and rosin to tape, elbow braces, and what “getting hung up” really means. We dig into bucking horses, why many are big draft crosses, and how rodeo travel works when money, miles, and entries are always on the line. Subscribe for more real conversations from the horse world, share this with a rodeo fan, and leave a review. What’s the toughest comeback you’ve ever had to make? Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304859/support] Find us online at DraftHorsesAndMulesForSale.com

A Working Cowboy Shows What Real Range Life Looks Like

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304859/fan_mail/new] Nevada ranching is not a postcard; it is wind, distance, rock, and hard decisions that most people never have to make. Tonight, we sit down with Cory from Roobuck Nevada, a day-working cowboy who hauls his own horses, takes short jobs wherever he is needed, and documents the real thing on YouTube without staging a single moment. We get into what separates a working horse from a performance horse, why half draft horses are getting popular out West, and how a tough old Mustang can still be the kind of partner you trust when the country gets mean. Cory also lays out the unfiltered mustang conversation: what feral horses do to springs, fences, and rangeland, why some ranches restrict mares, and how the public perception often clashes with life on the ground. From there, we talk desert grazing and the surprising nutrition hiding in scrubby plants like winterfat, plus the make-or-break reality of western irrigation and water rights. Cory explains how reservoir water, acre-feet, and water shares shape what land is worth, then shifts into calving season, Foothills Abortion, and everyday risks from predators to hunter conflicts on open country. We finish with money and mindset: cattle prices, cowboy wages, diesel costs, and practical advice for young cowboys and cowgirls who want a real start. If you like straight talk about ranch life, horsemanship, and the modern American cowboy, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more folks can find the show. Check out Cory's Website - https://roobucknevada.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooWlGlLYnQrtTxPYLtAQJK3E14J_eIRwvTS-YZtSS5Wkh6K5LqU Subscribe to Cory on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXz6p19rq_rMVuaomZOIxXg Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304859/support] Find us online at DraftHorsesAndMulesForSale.com