Ole Merten: Hello everyone, I'm Ole Merten, also known as Helping Horseman and today we our first podcast episode together here on my desk. Otherwise you would only outside, but today I'm here on my desk. I'm a bit nervous, many have a lot. Finally a podcast and now it's finally time. I have to a little bit technique here. But I think we can do and it bit by bit. The first episode, I a few notes here about things I to talk and here in this first episode it's mainly about what you will expect here. Who I am, who we are, what we do, why there a podcast so slowly and what in future the I didn't want to too Now I'm going to breath and we'll started. Who are we? I say we, because I, Ole Merten, Helping Horseman, here in the podcast world, maybe not yet, but on Instagram the community has grown enormously in the last few years. But I say not only we because of and you out there, but because of my wife and our animals, all belong the Helping Horseman Universum. You can a lot of on social media, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, I've even been for some time, our private lives. We are relatively transparent, but I don't there's been So, that's my wife Michelle and me as two-legged group. And our dogs, and cats. Unfortunately, have say, maybe only one more KC. Luca is with us and Merlin has been us for a few years. He has for a few weeks. We haven't up yet. My gaze is just over the monitor in the distance. And I always back on the meadow where he once hunted Maybe I'll him again Well, but unfortunately Merlin has disappeared. It's a very nice on-going, I have to say. An unwavering on-going who is sweet. We hope that he will reappear and just from an adventure. So let's all briefly And if you want Merlin all the best, that he will be back Okay, that was our two cats, Merlin and Luca. Then you can see Ada and Pelle, our two dogs, who are for our shows, especially Pelle. Pelle is a 3 quarter Cattle Dog, 1 quarter Australian Shepherd. And he is now... He's 5 years old now, has 5 years old. We've since he was a little boy. We've 12 weeks. He slept in bed And, yes, now I'm but it's actually a sweet story. We've lot dog experience and dog trainer it quite well, as you in the videos. But we also thought, oh, oh, such a cattle dog. We to do thing, the energy bundle, and then we consciously decided and then the double rail from Absolutely warm and integrated and he has to with us night and on the other hand very consistent, straight we to be, we were, we pulled but I have to say that took half a year. And then it like that with him. Since then, it's all just an application and it works really well. Yes, the Adda, who is little older, is now nine years old. I've already into our relationship, into our marriage. I had her before. I was still student there. I in the city center Mainz and the last six months in this time, this city center situation, there was already the Adda, Romanian street dog. um was eight months when they came me. had already with other people And that just worked a bit a charm because she very scared and really defended and didn't to touched by other people, which I hadn't checked because I to touch and stroke But yes, the Ada, that's a moving story, that would least one own podcast episode. In any case, she then... And now we two dogs in dog team. And the other is bit of now more comfortable group. For a while it was very cozy. Then it was really like that when I a horse and the horse was saddled, it immediately. Then I that saddling means that Ole rides means that it gets faster than just walk. Then I can't keep And that was a time when she was so reluctant to because I any fitness And then was really hard to take me, if that ever happened. Until I said to no, you're not that old you have to be again. And since then she's full of joy and sadness. Not as fast as the Pelle. The Adda is always in but it's really fun and fit. It also 30 km of touring. That's no problem at Thank God I'm very happy But if sometimes only the Pelle in and not the Adda, then you know that this either a fast round, a big round, or have been many fast, big rounds in the last few so that the Adda does take a break and is on the couch. Yeah, that was Ada and Pelle. And then we currently have, oh, now I have to tell you how many horses we have. We had up to half year ago so we a Shetty, but we gave away to very nice people, to Alicia, my colleague and co-coach. And yes, our Shetty No Name is now practically with her. And the reason why we from him was that He integrated himself our herd at and we really loved and we missed some basic education and did some things But he just little too short for the that he really wants to something with and he really likes to titled and a job and like to do And yes, Alice on the farm, with Petra and Lea, often do children's and really great, I have to do unpaid advertising here, great sustainable work with children, also adults and often out and make great, close experiences with horses and there he really blooms and we just that he was better than with us and should really say, of course he every care and everything, but He got too little attention, I to say, and that's the difference. That was Nonem, which we don't have anymore. And now we have Lukas, Louis and Casper. These our three adults. Lukas has just 23. He's still in shape. He can do everything. He really wants to. has only some of them a little bit in the spring with pollen to do but we have in hand and then still casper and louis yes my louis came with nine years now he 15 quarter now unfortunately the farm roll themes which these horses unfortunately have often, especially if they have a prehistory that is a bit in part time, which has actually already gone my casper Also a specialist, we him during Corona in our lives. My wife and I have a special ability. We always buy when the prices at the top and we always when the prices are in the No matter what it that's our special discipline. Now we really well. And so it as with the Casper, we our lives. That was during Corona, where everyone thought, oh, nature and go and there is a horse. And the horse prices were absolutely crazy. and for a horse that's between 3 5 years so in the age where you of riding So that it that long, because we wanted to horse. Which is best not yet ridden and has not any negative experiences in terms that. And yes, these horses, you were somewhere between 10 and 15,000 euros if you normal and we looked at other on Facebook in groups, more like for problematic horses. And there no wrong play with him, it was already communicated that he not easy and has a history and so on. I thought to that's just a matter a matter can that anyway and we got when he four and a when he came us. Now he eight, so almost four years old. And it's really great, really great horse. We found some point that it has to PSS M2, MIM. There will be least another episode about And yes, in combination with MIM, especially with the variants that it has, P2, P4, PX, that's more a problem. It's just, you have say, every weather situation, not under all circumstances, a horse that, yes. is health condition. He's standing there, he's having fun, he's it right, he's already quite well trained and he's great reliable horse, but sometimes he just can't For physical reasons. You when cleaning when you're the soft brush. That's sometimes difficult. There is currently not 100 % a riding group in but I that in summer everything much better again. Of course, you always optimizing, but as I said, there is a separate episode Exactly. means our older group, except for Lukas, who is the oldest, is technically bit weak We have two two-year-olds, Wade and Willow. Willow is a... Mustang quarter mix. I found out that it's apparently a own breed. We didn't that. American Indian horse, apparently. We don't at things like That's why we just met. This information. And my little Wade, who will in June now. So now we the end of May. June he will two years old. And he's a paint. Yes, and then I became a horse dad Not from a little horse, but from a horse that also came into my life From Annie. And Annie is now our, now I really count, so Lukas, Casper, Louis, Wade, Willow, Annie, six. We six own horses right now. Exactly, and Annie is the sixth. I get regular emails and inquiries here, living conditions, I have my horse. Can you somehow convey it or are you self-interested in it and I can't go into everything that is so I can't just convey it and do it do it and Often when I the text then I don't at the pictures because I know it's no but with this email I at the pictures and I had a feeling that and yes, but we could actually make our own episode long story short I a gut feeling and we continued communicating. And this horse was finally in my life. And now it's here and everything great. And it's supposed to be So six horses, two dogs and hopefully two cats. Although only one available I've this horse trainer story for several years now. And in the phase before that. I that more more besides my actual job. My actual job was the teacher job, although I it for long after the restaurantariat, because I early what I with the horses. And that's why it's more more in this direction and for some years now it full-time, mainly with the horses. My wife Michelle She has a full-time office job and is a businesswoman and can great office work. I think a good person who still a lot of in office. And yet my wife also has... I as a professional animal welfare professional and I'm a horse woman and I'm longer a horse woman than a horse man. although she her main job in office, she's us on the farm, everyone and is always everything I do and supports me in everything and is simply also horse woman, you to say. Yeah, that was a little introduction to who we are and now comes the point what we do. Horse trainers can different things. So my main offer is the Brit. A bit a classic instead of mass. Mainly horses that I ride, young horse training, it has somehow in this direction. I always only three to four horse As I classic instead of mass. I don't it when it's such fleece band work. The way I do it wouldn't work There are course more in the following episodes. I combine this with an online offer, with my online courses that I offer. So basic courses, the foundation for all adventures. Then there a young horse riding course, the adventure academy, and will be the adventure rider course, a off-road riding course. For a while I lot of direct 1 to 1 online coaching, I'm a little less of Just time-based focus that you have to I also about winter now. Horse on the cat's back, which I will also introduce in a... in its own episode. Many announcements today. And then I now a live offer, the so-called rideabouts, where you with your horse, where we get intensively and then an adventure And depending on whether that is short or the long version, complete day in the wilderness together on the or three days. And the whole thing is much more. as a guided hiking trail. You could almost call a vision search with your own horse. I would say, I haven't encountered anything that yet. And that's bit of this idea that I actually feel like working people, but I don't so much when it's bit on the surface, going once a week and someone an hour and then being away Or also these course atmospheres. That's not quite how I feel about even though I a lot of requests and I'm sorry if I a positive feedback. One thing after another and then you don't each other again at certain time. That's not how I about And these write-abouts, being from morning to evening for several days, they other things move and change, change I've this offer here as well. That's what we do. But we can't the professional offer from private life. I've never been a fan of this work-life balance concept. Working one side, on the other. I that in mind. Then think, half of life is stupid if I balance. For us, that's everything. We do something with horses and we also a 0.0 difference between our own horses and the horse-drawn When a horse-drawn 3, 4, 5 months old, it's like our own horses in this time. We experience things together, we have the authentic, intense experiences with them. We just with units, we experience adventures. We somewhere the trailer, some hiking rides with the horse-drawn And that's like free time On the other hand, have say, it's also like work. Because it's always exhausting, but beautiful. So we never free time the of doing something else, because we never want We can't because we don't want to and we don't to because we can't. Our profession, could say. To do with this lifestyle you would somehow become a horseman. Through and through. It's kind of the DNA. That was a little introduction. In general, who we are, what we do. Now I to talk it why we this podcast here all. I'm very present on social media and post a lot, but this format offers these formats, like Instagram Reels or TikToks and so on. always just a few minutes you have limit yourself to. It's nice too, the short-term there spice. You sometimes to the funnel which was actually the main point If you forced to it so short, also cool, has its right but there are just a lot of things left that we can't talk which the frame. But there are always questions, lots of comments. Why, why? We can That's why should be this podcast now, to create a broader, larger frame to your questions and certain contexts in more There podcast once a week, a weekly episode. And it's not only about questions, but about the and the different angles of I a list I to on the most topics. We have Hufe, Sattel, Fütterung, MIM, PSSM2, have Bosal, we I think I have 20 people on the note that are in their area. Some don't know anything their luck, but you will come. I'll you. And so we will try in this podcast. Yes, I'm looking at my spy note. Exactly. And the only thing that's is the current developments. I could you a little thing Now I'm here in my office in our little mini house and at home. And currently there are many questions about Oh, your horse is now in another stable, but your own horses are still the same stable. And then I be talked So what's going on? So we currently here in our little mini farm, where only our own horses have since we moved here, because it's not that big, but all the horse-drawn horses still space, so the horse-drawn horses were always in neighbouring place, in a stable. And then there's the third place where our Wade and Willow, the two two-year-olds, are raised, because beautiful, huge, wild-like couples and great people, and other horses with whom they grow So three places and these three places will unite in course of the year to one place. And our horse-drawn are already this new stable. A large facility in which we be and on which we will live ourselves. That means, so now we just here to our little farm and will then pull with our own horses there, where the horse-drawn horses are And then maybe for winter. Let's see how it goes. Maybe because Wait and Willow is in their breeding ground they will stay a little longer, but in any case they should also be into their new home. These are the current developments. I one question. Okay, all right. Nice that you for the first episode. It was all a bit confusing. I still to groove I've only a few keywords here and I to bit of this format. But I'm you there and that you the So see you next week.