Dear Horse World

What if the story of the American cowboy is bigger than the version most of us were handed?
In this episode, Noëlle sits down with Drake LeBlanc, a Creole cowboy from Louisiana, filmmaker, and cultural preservationist. The conversation that unfolds is about history, identity, and what it really means to live a culture rather than wear it.
Drake was raised in a community where horses are not a hobby or an aesthetic. They are Sunday trail rides, music in the air, food cooking by trailers, land passed down through generations, and families riding together. They are belonging.
Together, they explore the untold history of Black cowboys, how the image of the American cowboy was reshaped through media, and what was lost when culture became costume.
This conversation is not just about the past. It is about how the stories we are handed down, the way they shape how we see ourselves, and who we believe belongs in the horse world.
In this episode you will learn:
Creole identity and language in Louisiana
Haitian Creole cultural parallels
Native American symbolism in Western fashion and saddle design
The history of cattle herding practices rooted in African tribes
The book Drake would read to the Horse World - Black Ranching Frontiers: African Cattle Herders of the Atlantic World, 1500-1900
About Drake LeBlanc: Drake LeBlanc is a Lafayette, Louisiana-based filmmaker, documentarian, and photographer. He is one of the most compelling cultural voices working today in the preservation of Creole heritage and black cowboy history. His documentary Footwork has brought international attention to the Louisiana Creole cowboy tradition and the Louisiana trail rides that keep black cowboy culture alive every weekend across the American South.
You can find Drake on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lovebenoir/ 
Drake's film work can be found here https://filmfreeway.com/FootworkLA
Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Dear Horse World wherever you listen, leave us a review — it genuinely helps more people find these conversations — and share this episode with someone who needs to hear the real story of cowboys in America.
This episode is generoulsy sponsored by:
YETI
Made for early mornings in the barn and long days in the saddle. Whether you're hauling feed, chasing daylight on the trail, or loading up for a weekend on the road, YETI coolers and drinkware are built to handle it.
No shortcuts. No compromise.
Just gear that works as hard as you do.
Explore more at YETI.com | @YETI | facebook.com/YETI
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & the moment on the Atchafalaya Basin that set the tone
03:00 "I know my community" — why deep roots change everything
04:00 What is a Creole cowboy? Defining Creole culture and Louisiana's gumbo pot
07:00 What is a parish? Louisiana's Napoleonic Code explained
08:00 The vulnerability of introducing yourself as a Creole cowboy
10:00 Why Drake feels called to educate even when it's exhausting
12:00 The real history of black cowboy culture Hollywood erased
14:00 Why "1 in 4 cowboys were Black" is actually an undercount
15:00 "Cowboy" was a derogatory term — the truth about who built the West
17:00 What Hollywood took from Black cowboy culture and what it missed
19:00 Why money can't buy the spiritual bond between horse and rider
22:00 Tribal designs, turquoise, and the hidden origins of Western style
26:00 The spiritual meaning of turquoise in Native American horse culture
29:00 "You not pap" — live your culture or kill it, there's no in between
32:00 Shoutout to Chris Lewis & reining horses in the Creole community
37:00 Cultural gentrification in the horse world — what it is and why it matters
42:00 Advice for horse communities feeling threatened by change
45:00 Feeling alone in the horse world — Drake's answer
47:00 "Move to Louisiana" — and what community actually looks like
51:00 Time and intention: the only two things a horse truly needs
53:00 How to be brave when you're afraid to speak up
56:00 Find something you fear MORE — Drake's philosophy on courage
58:00 When Drake realized the outside world didn't know Black cowboys existed
1:07:00 Trail rides, thousands of riders, and how Creole horse culture thrives
1:11:00 Zydeco music, food, and why making it fun kept the culture alive
1:13:00 Rapid fire: book rec, most iconic horse, most undervalued skill
1:17:00 Greatest horseman of all time and mares vs stallions vs geldings

There is a whole generation of insanely talented young riders who feel like the system is not built for them. You want the top sport, you want the big moments in show jumping, you want to know what it actually takes to get there, yet the pathway feels gated and the access feels invisible. That is exactly why this conversation with Laura Kraut hits so hard. Laura is a legit icon in show jumping and she shows up here with zero ego, full transparency, and a real blueprint for what it takes to rise in a sport that can feel impossible to break into.
Laura brings us inside Road to the Top, the program she created with Katie Prudent to give hungry riders the mentorship, horsepower, and behind the scenes education they never get access to. She talks openly about the emotional and financial pressure of show jumping, how real horsemanship gets built, and what separates riders who make it from riders who burn out. This episode is equal parts wisdom, reality check, and hype. If you're dreaming big, this one will light a fire under you.
In this episode, you will learn:
How Road to the Top actually works and why it gives overlooked riders a real shot in show jumping

The mindset mistakes that hold promising riders back and how to avoid them

How to think about horse management, horse picking, and building real feel

What mentorship looks like at the absolute top and how it shaped Laura's Olympic career

How to stay grounded when social media makes everyone else look perfect

How owners and supporters can get involved and genuinely move the sport forward

The book that Laura would read to the Horse World - The Perfect Horse by Elizabeth Letts

This episode is brought to you by:
Connaway & Associates Equine Insurance Services, Inc.

The friendly and knowledgeable team at Connaway & Associates brings together more than 30 years of experience to offer a wide range of insurance services, including horse insurance, farm insurance, and liability insurance.

Visit www.connaway.net | @connawayassociates | facebook.com/connawayassociatesequine
and
YETI
Made for early mornings in the barn and long days in the saddle. Whether you're hauling feed, chasing daylight on the trail, or loading up for a weekend on the road, YETI coolers and drinkware are built to handle it.
No shortcuts. No compromise.
Just gear that works as hard as you do.
Explore more at YETI.com | @YETI | facebook.com/YETI
Chapters:
00:00 Why Riders Feel Stuck

00:24 Meet Laura Kraut

01:47 Road to the Top Explained

04:12 Horsemanship and Horse Sense

05:53 Funding Model and First Riders

11:38 Owners and Horse Rotation

16:47 Beyond the Highlight Reel

19:07 Building Community Support

25:41 Keeping US Talent Competitive

35:26 Mentorship Versus Teaching

42:30 Passing the Torch

44:04 Scarcity vs Sharing

45:55 Road to the Top Vision

47:53 Mentorship and Independence

49:00 Applying Like Harvard

52:52 Grit and Handling Failure

57:41 Mentors Who Shaped Laura

01:05:13 Love of the Horse

01:06:29 Pay It Forward Chain

01:10:33 Rapid Fire and Wrap

And for even more expert-led workshops, in-depth courses, and exclusive lectures designed to elevate your riding and horsemanship, visit NoelleFloydPlus.com
NF+ brings you direct access to top equestrian professionals, training insights, and a passionate community of riders dedicated to learning and improving.
And you can follow us on instagram too!
Click here 👉 www.instagram.com/dearhorseworld

Some horses appear confident while others seem reactive or unsure, but what if confidence is more nuanced than that?
In this special episode from our NF+ Masterclass, The Confidence Advantage, Tik breaks down the five distinct areas where a horse can gain or lose confidence and how each one functions like a cup that can be filled from one to ten.
In this episode, you will learn:
Around Other Horses - Can your horse leave the herd calmly and enter new spaces without anxiety?
As an Explorer - Do the approach new environments with curiosity instead of fear?
In the Relationship - Do they see you as botha trusted friend and a steady leader?
In Specific Skills - Have they practiced their job enough to feel capable and secure in it?
In Their Skills and Sports - Practicing discipline-specific tasks with ease and gaining confidence through repetition and variety.
Tik also explains how these five areas interact and why a horse's confidence in you can help support everything else.
Watch the Full Course:
This episode is just one part of Tik Maynard's full Confidence Course, available exclusively on NF+.
Use code TIK25 for 25% off an annual NF+ membership and start building lasting confidence for you and your horse.
Streaming now at noellefloydplus.com. and follow along on instagram

You might know this feeling all too well. You want to trust your feel, keep growing, and do right by your horse, yet something in the culture makes you hesitate. Questioning a method or following your instincts can feel dangerous, like one honest moment could cost you belonging, spark backlash, or even put a target on your back.
In this episode, Sharon Madere, an equine behavior consultant and cult survivor, brings a special combination of lived experience and scientific expertise to help riders reclaim their clarity, confidence, and curiosity. As a lifelong horsewoman, she understands the mechanics of influence, pressure, and obedience in ways most people never articulate. And she applies that perspective directly to the horse world in a way that is both affirming and liberating.
In this conversation, you will learn:

The clear signs of cult-like leadership in horse communities
Why emotionally charged language like disrespect or naughty derails presence and erodes confidence
How to stay grounded, think critically, and avoid manipulation as a student or owner
Practical tips on training, positive reinforcement, and making better choices for you AND your horse  
Why empowerment and curiosity matter more than any "guru"
Sharon also shares practical strategies for safer, clearer horsemanship, from building boundaries in a herd to teaching effective trailer loading. It is a conversation that blends science, psychology, and lived wisdom into something every rider can immediately apply.
Resources and Mentions:
Sharon's podcast: Feet of Clay: Confessions of the Cult Sisters
Sharon's Website : EquiLightenment.com
International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC)

Chapters:
00:00 Is the Horse World Acting Like a Cult?
02:10 Sharon's Story: Growing Up in a Religious Cult
08:45 How Cult Psychology Works
15:20 Authority Culture in Horse Training
21:30 The Danger of "Disrespect" in Horsemanship
28:40 When Riders Stop Trusting Their Intuition
35:15 Science vs Dogma in Equine Behavior
43:00 Reclaiming Critical Thinking in the Horse World
50:00 What Needs to Change
This episode is sponsored by YETI
Made for early mornings in the barn and long days in the saddle. Whether you're hauling feed, chasing daylight on the trail, or loading up for a weekend on the road, YETI coolers and drinkware are built to handle it.
No shortcuts. No compromise.
Just gear that works as hard as you do.
Explore more at YETI.com | @YETI | facebook.com/YETI

In Part 2 with Dr. Dennis Brooks, we step fully into the world as horses see it. This episode unpacks the five emerging immune mediated eye diseases he is treating around the world, why one of them is more alarming than moon blindness, and how tiny changes in the cornea can trigger sudden behavior shifts.
We explore how horses process color, motion, and depth, why their optic nerves move information faster than ours, and how they can perform at an elite level with one eye or even with no vision. We also bridge ophthalmology with neuroscience to understand how the equine brain reads emotion, remembers experiences, and navigates the world with extraordinary sensitivity.
In this episode, you will learn:
• The five types of immune mediated keratitis and the one specialists worry most about
• How to spot early signs of cloudiness, floaters, or subtle vision changes
• What colors horses truly see and how this affects training and jump design
• Why horses detect motion in low light far better than humans
• How elite horses perform with limited or no vision
• How the equine brain processes emotion, memory, and spatial cues
• When sudden behavior changes may originate in the eye and what to do next
Connect with Dr. Dennis Brooks : 
• Facebook: Dr. Dennis Brooks, Equine Ophthalmologist
Book they would read to the Horse World - Veterinary and Comparative Ophthalmology, published in 1914 by Eugene Nicolas 
Episode sponsored by:
Total Feeds
Our mission to provide quality nutrition to people and animals puts us in contact with all manner of interesting folks. Whether you're interested in our animal feed, or the people involved in the animal industry: you'll find it at Total Feeds!
Check out our line of Quality Animal Feeds here: https://totalfeeds.com
YETI
Made for early mornings in the barn and long days in the saddle. Whether you're hauling feed, chasing daylight on the trail, or loading up for a weekend on the road, YETI coolers and drinkware are built to handle it.
No shortcuts. No compromise.
Just gear that works as hard as you do.
Explore more at yeti.com | @yeti | facebook.com/YETI
And for even more expert-led workshops, in-depth courses, and exclusive lectures designed to elevate your riding and horsemanship, visit NoelleFloydPlus.com and use code 'DHW' for 15% off annual memberships!
NF+ brings you direct access to top equestrian professionals, training insights, and a passionate community of riders dedicated to learning and improving.
And you can follow us on instagram too!
Click here 👉 www.instagram.com/dearhorseworld