Off Grid with Horses
by Off Grid with Horses
A Tiny Solar Panel Spooks A Brave Young Horse
About this podcast
Venture high into the Colorado Rockies where Russell and Alecz introduce their extraordinary lives with horses at 9,300 feet above sea level. Far from mainstream society, their 28-acre homestead borders National Forest and represents a deliberate choice to live closer to nature and further from modern distractions.The hosts reveal their personal motivations for embracing this challenging lifestyle. Alecz explains how being away from the energetic noise of civilization helps her feel more grounded and at peace, while Russell describes the profound experience of being accepted as part of the natural landscape—where deer graze undisturbed just feet away and sunsets across the mountain valley remain unspoiled by human development.
What does "off-grid" truly mean? Unlike those who simply choose not to connect to available utilities, Russell and Alecz live six miles from the nearest power line, relying instead on solar panels and specialized systems for electricity and water. Yet they're not complete hermits either, making occasional hour-long trips to town for supplies and maintaining connection to the outside world through Starlink internet and spotty cell service.
The podcast offers an intimate look at the daily realities of caring for horses in this remote setting. From dawn feeding routines to innovative solutions for bear-proofing garbage cans, listeners gain insight into both the practical challenges and unexpected joys of their mountain lifestyle. Wildlife features prominently in their stories, including heart-stopping bear encounters that showcase both the beauty and unpredictability of living among wild creatures.
Join us for authentic conversations about this extraordinary way of life that 350,000 Americans have embraced, including 30,000 with horses. Whether you're curious about solar power, mountain weather patterns, or what it's really like to share your space with 400-pound bears, Off-Grid with Horses offers an unfiltered window into a life where "the air is thin but the breathing is easy, and life is hard, but the living is good."
Have questions or topic suggestions? Email [email protected] or visit our YouTube channel to see visual glimpses of our mountain ranch life.
Episodes
- A Tiny Solar Panel Spooks A Brave Young Horse · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 15Send us Fan Mail A single inch of snow shouldn’t be a big deal, right? At 9,300 feet on an off grid horse ranch in the Colorado Rockies, that “nothing” snow can turn paddocks…
- Horses Talk If You Listen · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 14Send us Fan Mail Lightning cracks close to the paddocks, hail pounds the ground, and the wind turns every corner of the ranch into noise. Out here in the Colorado Rockies at…
- Wasps: The Unpaid Ranch Workers With Terrible PR · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 13Send us Fan Mail A diesel mistake, a broken clamp, a two-hour drive to the dealer, and frost on the ground at 9,300 feet. That’s the kind of chain reaction we deal with on our…
- The Great Carrot Scandal And Karma’s Epic Fit · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 12Send us Fan Mail Fall is creeping up at 9,300 feet, and that change sharpens everything: colder nights, the pressure to get chores done faster, and the reality that an off-grid…
- The ATV Dinner Bell And A Very Opinionated Fart · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 11Send us Fan Mail Late August is supposed to feel like summer, but up here at 9,300 feet on our Colorado mountain ranch, fall has already started tapping on the door. Nights drop…
- The Pony Escaped Again And Again! · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 10Send us Fan Mail A horse strolling out the gate should be simple to fix. On our Colorado mountain ranch at 9,300 feet, it turns into a full cast production: screaming herd mates…
- A Mustang Learns To Trust · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 9Send us Fan Mail A wild Mustang takes one step toward a human, and suddenly the whole room understands what trust costs and why it matters. We’re Russell and Alecz, living off…
- Fern’s Great Escape And The Third Grader Herd · 17 min · Season 2 Episode 8Send us Fan Mail The weather finally shifts in the high Colorado Rockies, and that one change touches everything when you live off grid with horses. We open with an honest update…
- Horse Camp and Russell's Adventure · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 7Send us Fan Mail A quiet mountain evening can turn fast when you live off-grid with horses at 9,300 feet in the Colorado Rockies. We start with a real update on Merlin, who’s…
- We Learn To Read Merlin’S Body Language Before He Quits Eating · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 6Send us Fan Mail Merlin keeps us humble. One quiet morning on our Colorado mountain ranch, Alecz finds him down in the early light and has to make a fast call: let him rest…
- We Learn What Comfort Care Really Means · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 5Send us Fan Mail A 40-year-old horse teaches you fast that the goal is not perfection, it’s comfort. Up on our off-grid mountain ranch at 9,300 feet in the Colorado Rockies, we…
- Miracle Merlin · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 4Send us Fan Mail In this heartwarming episode, God performs a miracle in our 40 year old Navaho Mustang. Merlin's story is truly amazing. Learn how Alecz creates a special grain…
- Ponies, Horses and Fall is Coming! · 32 minSend us Fan Mail Join Alecz and Russell as they start preparing for winter. Alecz meets a new horse in "Adventures with Alecz."
- Summer Difficulties but So Worth It · 31 minSend us Fan Mail Alecz and Russell have had a tough summer but explain how despite some tough and sad times, living off grid with horses is so worth it!
- Horses, Mustangs, and More Horses · 37 minSend us Fan Mail Alecz and Russell introduce you to some of their horses and take you to the Mustang Summit in Grand Junction Colorado where Alecz secures a baby mustang for a…
