The Barbra Schulte Show

In this episode, you'll meet Sandy Collier from Santa Maria, California.

Sandy is one of the most accomplished and multi-talented people I know. She's a dear friend, and I'm honored to do clinics and retreats with her. And here's why.

She's so bright! She does everything with dedication and excellence, from training horses and people to flying airplanes and life coaching.

You'll hear Sandy explain how she began her career in the three-day-eventing English world until she discovered Reined Cow Horse in the western world – and she never looked back. She talks about what it's like to be a cow horse trainer and teach a horse to be confident in three separate events - in a year and a half.

We could also call Sandy Ms. Resilient.

No matter the number of joint replacements or surgeries, she always found a way to use that time away from riding to create educational products or learn new skills - like real estate and life coaching.

Sandy is one unstoppable cowgirl. I know you're going to love hearing what she has to say.

Prepare to be inspired to reach for more than you ever thought you could accomplish.

Sandy grew up riding 3-day event horses in NY. She moved to California in her late teens and became enamored with reined cow horses.

She operated a training stable in the Santa Ynez Valley for 35 years. Sandy is the first woman to win the prestigious National Reined Cowhorse Snaffle Bit Futurity. She is a multiple NRCHA and AQHA World Champion, and an international clinician and AAA judge. She has judged all the major NRCHA events, the AQHA World Show, and The Road to the Horse.

Sandy is passionate about learning and sharing knowledge. She is the author of “Reining Essentials” and many educational DVD’s. She is an honoree in both the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and the NRCHA Hall of Fame.

In 2016, Sandy teamed up with Barb Schulte to produce high-performance riding clinics where technical skills for cutting, reining and Cowhorse are taught, as well as the mental skills to grow confidence and enhance peak performance. They also host women’s retreats.

Sandy is also an internationally Certified Life Coach, and resides in Santa Maria, CA.

You'll meet Bobby Kerr from Hico, Texas, in this episode.

When I think of fabulous people, horsemen, and horse trainers - all rolled into one - Bobby rises right to the top of that list.

He is most known for training mustangs and performing at rodeos. His acts are a combo of superb horsemanship with some wild west thrown in. His brave and talented horses do incredible feats - like jumping over fire on the running boards of his car - and then they sit in the passenger seat as he drives out of the arena.

Bobby is all about developing trust with his horses and doing amazing feats that demonstrate that deep trust.

Bobby and I also have a fun and very special family connection that dates back over 50 years.

You're in for a treat and some extraordinary Bobby Kerr wisdom and stories.

A horse trainer of more than 40 years, Kerr has shown in roping, reining, working cow horse and cutting. His experience training mustangs into brave and talented trick horses led him to perform rodeo acts at rodeos across the country. His memorable “Good and broke limo” sees his horse sit in the passenger seat as Kerr exits the arena after a performance.

His popularity garnered him awards such as 2017 PRCA Specialty Act of the Year, 2016 NFR Specialty Act and 2012 Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover Champion and Fan Favorite.

Career highlights include: 1997 founded the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, 2020 Extreme Mustang Makeover Champion, 2020 Mustang Magic Celebrity Freestyle Champion, 2x PRCA Specialty Act of the Year (2017, 2019), 2013 IPRA National Finals Rodeo Showcase Champion, 2012 Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover Champion and Fan Favorite.

Also, a talented craftsman, Kerr has made metal signs, motorcycles and more with his son Cody. He has also produced several Texas Music concerts featuring the country’s top music artists.

In this episode, you'll meet Stacy Westfall from Loudonville, Ohio.

Stacy is one of the most beloved trainers and clinicians across disciplines for her knowledge as well as her delightful personality. Horses have always been and continue to be her happy place, and it's where the world makes sense.

You'll hear Stacy explain how one of the most humiliating rides of her life led to discovering bridleless riding.

She later became an overnight household superstar after her bareback and bridleless ride on her special mare, Roxy.

She changed career paths at the height of her successful public horse training career because she didn't want to lose an ounce of magic in her relationships with horses.

You'll hear Stacy's powerful and unique take on the connection between horse and rider. She'll break things down into the rider's mind, and body, and the horse's mind, and body - with the rider's mind being in the driver's seat.

I know you're going to love – and be enlightened by - what Stacy Westfall has to say.

Guest Info

Stacy Westfall grew up in South China, Maine, was taught to ride by her mother, and got her first pony, named Midnight Misty, at the age of six.

Stacy went to college at the University of Findlay in Ohio, where she majored in equestrian studies.  At the root of her technique is the principle to "think-like-a-horse”.

In 1994, Westfall met her future husband, Jesse Westfall, at the Quarter Horse Congress. They married in 1997. Jesse Westfall is also a reining trainer and a judge for the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA). The couple settled in Mount Gilead, Ohio, have three sons, and run a horse training facility. Westfall gives clinics, trains horses, and competes in reining.

In 2003 Stacy won the National Reining Horse Association Freestyle reining competition riding with no bridle, and in 2006, on the black American Quarter Horse, Whizards Baby Doll, aka “Roxy". She won twice while riding bridleless and bareback.

In this episode, you will meet Lindy Burch from Weatherford, Texas. Lindy is a professional cutting horse trainer and cowgirl superstar who has won over $4,000,000 in the cutting arena -and she is passionate about our western heritage and way of life. She is in the NCHA Hall of Fame and the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame – just to name a few of her many accomplishments. You will hear her story - as a young girl she used homing pigeons to tell her mom she was safe when riding her horse out by herself. She speaks about the development of the famed Oxbow Ranch breeding program. Plus, Lindy shares what she does to get back up when discouraged. And if you’re just starting to ride and show cutting horses – she’s got some sage advice for you. Buckle up! You will love hearing Lindy's Cowgirl State of Mind for yourself.

Lindy Burch is ranked among cutting's All-Time leading money earners, with over $4 million earned to date. Lindy Burch began blazing trails in 1980 when she captured the National Cutting Horse Association Open Futurity Championship with a record 225.5 points on Miss Royal Mahogany. The victory was unprecedented in more ways than one, as she was the first woman in the sport's history to win the prestigious event. In 1979, Lindy became the first woman to claim the NCHA Open Futurity Reserve Champion title. She remains the only woman to have earned that distinction to this day.

In addition, she is one of only six open riders that have earned back-to-back NCHA Open Futurity titles in the 50-year history of the event. In 1995 while piloting her homegrown mare Shesa Smarty Lena, Lindy became the first rider to win all four go-rounds of the NCHA Open World Finals. Three years later, she and Bet Yer Blue Boons, another mare she raised and trained, set a record score of 233 at the NCHA Open World Finals, and it is the highest score ever posted at an NCHA event. In 2000 she rode Bet Yer Blue Boons to the NCHA Open World Championship and is the only woman who has ever won it.

Lindy was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, one of the many honors she has received, as well as inclusion in the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, the NCHA Riders Hall of Fame, the NCHA Members Hall of Fame, the PCCHA Members Hall of Fame, the PCCHA Trainers Award, and the PCCHA Ed Smith Memorial Sportsmanship Award.

     In this episode, you'll meet Warwick Schiller from Hollister, California. Warwick is passionate about teaching riders in all disciplines to become the best partner possible with their horse. Warwick's YouTube Channel alone has over 20 million views. It is my honor to call Warwick my friend. He has impacted my life because he freely shares his wisdom about horses and openly shares how he continues to grow personally on his journey with both horses and people. At the end of this episode, I think you'll agree that hearing Warwick speak about connection with horses - and his life - is a treat.

     Since beginning his Youtube channel in 2011, Australian-born Warwick Schiller has become a popular worldwide horse training educator.  With a background in the high-performance equestrian sport of Reining, competing at 2 World Equestrian Games, Warwick's primary goal is to educate horse owners of every discipline.  He is excited to show people how easy it is to effectively communicate with their horse and create deep, authentic relationships that result in a relaxed, connected, and present horse and human.  He does this through his online video library, Youtube videos, and Journey On Podcast.

In this episode, you’ll meet Jay McLaughlin, a Million Dollar winner and Professional Trainer in the National Reined Cow Horse Association. In 2020 he was Reserve Champion in the World’s Greatest Horseman competition. I caught up with Jay at the Southwest Reined Cow Horse Pre-Futurity show in Fort Worth this past summer.

Jay not only excels in the Open class, but he also enjoys teaching Nonpros and Youth – and they excel, too! I know you’ll love hearing his story and what he emphasizes in training horses and coaching his people. He has a simple (as he says “KISS,” keep it simple stupid) but clear philosophy about the way he runs his program. Jay also loves the cutting horse part of reined horse competitions, so being a cutter myself that comment was a big hit with me.

I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did. I truly admire Jay.

Guest Info

Jay McLaughlin

Jay McLaughlin was born in 1974, into a Missouri family where horses were a primary focus. McLaughlin’s father, Mike, was a versatile professional horse trainer who prepared Quarter Horses for many disciplines, including reining, pleasure, halter, western riding, horsemanship, trail, barrels, poles, and more. His mother, Julann, built a successful 4-H program from the ground up and operated it for decades. McLaughlin credits her for instilling his strong foundation as a rider and competitor.

McLaughlin’s competitive nature served him well as he grew up and followed in his father’s footsteps, starting his professional horse training career at age 18. His initial focus on reining soon turned to the adrenalin-fueled challenge of the reined cow horse.

According to NRCHA records, McLaughlin earned his first reined cow horse paycheck in 1999. Just five years later, in 2004, he made his debut at the Snaffle Bit Futurity, enjoying the success that few first-timers can claim, qualifying for the Open and Intermediate Open Futurity Finals on SS Rosa (Sailing Smart x Snowmans Rose x Snowman Doc), owned by Julie Gibbons.

He credits his wife, Wendy, for her stalwart support during his million-dollar journey, with its inevitable ups and downs.

Besides his status as an NRCHA Million Dollar Rider, McLaughlin’s resume also includes 12 NRCHA and American Quarter Horse Association World Championships. He was the 2013 NRCHA Futurity Open Reserve Champion and the 2015 NRCHA Stakes Open Champion aboard Aaron Ranch’s Blind Sided (Peptoboonsmal x Lil Miss Shiney Chex x Shining Spark), and he has claimed numerous other championships, finals berths, and top placings in reined cow horse and reining.

McLaughlin already has his sights set on becoming an NRCHA 2 Million Dollar Rider and predicts the best is yet to come. “I’m not done, by any means. I’m not going to retire and say, ‘I’ve won what I need to win,’” he said. “At the end of this story, I want you to put, ‘stay tuned,’ because there are going to be some more great horses, I’m telling you. It’s a fun ride!”

Meet Patti Colbert and Laura Yarbrough, two savvy Texas Cowgirls who show in Stock Horse of Texas. Patti is a long-time mover, shaker, and producer of events in the horse world, like the Mustang Makeover. Laura is a yoga instructor, true cowgirl, and shining light. In this episode, they share what they look for in a trainer, which mental skill strategies keep them focused in the show pen and the key to moving our industry forward.

Guest Info: 

Patti Colbert has spent a lifetime as an innovator in the horse industry. She created the Mustang Makeover and the "Time to Ride" national marketing program with the American Horse Council. She was the Executive Director of the Texas Quarter Horse Association. Patti raised millions for the American Quarter Horse Association as the Senior Development Director. She is proudest of the 2014 American Horse Publications, Vision Award, and the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, Fern Sawyer Award. She currently shows in Intermediate SHTX classes and chases her granddaughters around.

Laura Yarbrough is a Registered Nurse who practiced in Intensive Care and Cardiology. She is an avid fitness instructor, including Yoga and dance. Laura, alongside her husband, competes as a Non-pro in SHTX, working cow horse and cutting competitions.

In this episode, you’ll meet Dr. Jim Loehr, a world-renowned Sports Psychologist and High-Performance Coach who has trained over 400,000 people in his career, from Olympians to professional athletes, to business executives. I’m grateful to say he trained me as a Personal Performance Coach for the Equestrian world. He is one of my true-life heroes and mentors.

You’ll hear Dr. Loehr share his story, along with some of the most important insights of his research and career. You’ll discover how to be an extraordinary rider from a performance perspective - and at the same time - be happy and fulfilled.

He speaks of a private voice, energy management, authenticity, and the hard work of investing effort into what matters most to us.

Guest Info: 

Dr. Jim Loehr is a co-founder of the Human Performance Institute, a world-renowned performance psychologist and author of 17 books including his most recent, Leading with Character. He also co-authored the national bestseller The Power of Full Engagement.

Dr. Loehr’s ground-breaking, science-based energy management training system has achieved worldwide recognition and has been chronicled in leading national publications including the Harvard Business Review, Business Week, Fortune, Newsweek, Time, US News and World Report, Success, Fast Company, and Omni. He has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Nightline, The CBS Evening News, The CBS Morning News, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

From his more than 35 years of experience and applied research, Dr. Loehr believes the single most important factor in successful achievement, personal fulfillment, and life satisfaction is the strength of one’s character. He strongly contends that character strength can be built in the same way that muscle strength is built through energy investment.

Dr. Loehr has worked with hundreds of world-class performers from the arenas of sport, business, medicine, and law enforcement including Fortune 100 executives, FBI Hostage Rescue Teams, and military Special Forces. A sampling of his elite clients from the world of sport include golfers Mark O’Meara, Justin Rose, and Daniel Berger; tennis players Jim Courier, Monica Seles, and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario; boxer Ray Mancini; hockey players Eric Lindros and Mike Richter; and Olympic gold medal speed skater Dan Jansen.

Dr. Loehr has been inducted into two Hall of Fames, was a pioneer in the application of psychology to human performance, has received numerous sports science and coaching awards, and has lectured worldwide on his performance technology. Dr. Loehr is currently applying his insights regarding character to youth.

He possesses a master's and doctorate in psychology and is a full member of the American Psychological Association.

The Human Performance Institute’s training is the result of decades of proprietary research and working with elite performers. The Institute’s training draws on the sciences of performance psychology, exercise physiology, and nutrition to create lifelong behavior change. By training to expand and manage energy levels both personally and professionally, performers ignite their full potential in high-stress arenas.­­

Meet Cara Brewer and Paul Hansma, two National Cutting Horse Association trainers, extraordinaire – and fabulous people. During our time together Paul and Cara discuss young horse training, preparing them for competition, coaching Amateurs and Non-Pros, and personally going through the ups and downs of competition. I corralled them in Fort Worth recently while we were all together during the Veteran/Youth NYCHA Shootout. Cara and Paul talk about that, too - and what a privilege it was to coach the veterans.

Guest Info

Cara Brewer is a professional cutting horse trainer who has earnings in excess of $1,000,000. She is in the National Cutting Horse Association Rider’s Hall of Fame. Cara was the 2004 NCHA Superstakes Champion on Playin Tag. She is a multiple-time Open Futurity Finalist and Major Aged Event Finalist and Champion. Cara’s business focuses on training aged event horses and Non-Pro and Amateur riders. She is married to Scott Brewer and lives in Jay, Oklahoma with their son, Brand.

Paul Hansma is ranked as one of the Top 5 leading NCHA money winners of all time with over $6.2 million in lifetime earnings. He is a member of the National Cutting Horse Association Rider’s Hall of Fame. He is a former Open Futurity Champion on Playboy McCray. Paul’s training business centers around training Open, Non-Pro, and Amateur horses to compete at all major NCHA aged events. Paul is married to Julie Hansma. They live in Weatherford, Texas, and have two adult twin daughters, Cade and McCall who also show cutting horses.

In this episode, Barb interviews Paul Martinez and Amanda Bethards.  Paul is a retired US Army Ranger who served multiple tours in Afghanistan as a sniper. Amanda is a retired Navy medic. Since their return to civilian life, horses have been their lifeline. Barb got to corral them while they were in Fort Worth with BraveHearts for the NYCHA Cutting Shootout. They discuss calmness, trust, authenticity, and honesty with horses. Prepare to be inspired.

Paul Martinez Bio:

 SSG(RET) U.S. born and raised in Denver Colorado. Paul was an Airborne Ranger Sniper and deployed 6 times to Afghanistan with 3rd Ranger Battalion. Paul is the author of his combat memoir “When the Killer Man Comes” and is featured in “World of Firearms; Sniper Journal” and is featured in the poetry anthology “In Love &…War” from Dead Reckoning Co., he has appeared on Fox’s hit show American Grit, with John Cena. Paul was introduced to horses while visiting an injured Ranger buddy. As his own injuries began to add up, Paul committed himself to introducing veterans to the healing opportunity of horsemanship nationwide. Currently lives in NY where he advocates for veteran causes and is a co-host of popular Mentors4Military podcast.

Amanda Bethards Bio: 

-U.S. Navy Veteran

Amanda joined the Navy after graduating high school. She always knew she wanted to help people and being a Corpsman gave her that opportunity. While working in the medical field, almost 14 years later Amanda and her family were introduced to BraveHearts in 2017. She is forever grateful for the introduction to such a life-changing organization. Amanda is continuing to learn how to manage her stress and anxiety more and more each and every day with the guidance of the amazing therapy horses, BraveHearts team, and her fellow brother and sisters. She is beginning her studies to become a PATH Intl. certified therapeutic riding instructor with the help of BraveHearts.