It's Maria's MutS and Stuff.
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Welcome to Maria's MutS and Stuff. And with me is the author of Running Free. It's Amy Cullen. So, Amy, thanks for chatting with me today. I'm excited to ask you a million questions.
Thank you so much for having.
Me absolutely so Okay, So you started out as a lawyer, okay, and then ultimately obviously Running Free is about your time and what you still do is taking care of horses on a dude ranch, which is really cool. What made you to decide to go from being a lawyer to doing well? I guess what was really in your heart? But what made you decide to actually pull the band aid off and do it?
I don't think there's ever any one thing. I initially went to the ranch on vacation with one of my friends who I had ridden horses with growing up. And you know, I went to college, got my degree. I'd like toyed with the idea of like riding professionally at that point, but wasn't really sure. And I always figured I could get a law degree because it could always help guide with like business and legal decisions of horses. And if I want to do that as a profession.
But very similar to many people, I'd graduated, passed the bar, and took the job that paid good money and kind of set my thought on a different path. And so when I was vacationing at the Sealy's U ranch, I just kind of had this moment where I was like, I think I want to take a break and be a wrangler. And I Maryland was barred DC Maryland at the time, and Maryland had reciprocity with Colorado. So when I was waving into the bar in Colorado, I basically
quit my job, took a sabbatical. I kept my big toe in the whole time. But yeah, just went from making my six figure DC lawyer salary to ten dollars an hour.
On a new branch.
That's so yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I worked as a wrangler for about six months at that ten dollars an hour, and I just honestly the best six months.
Of your life.
That's what my entire career. Yeah.
Sure.
Well they always say to you know, do what you love and love what you do, And I mean, that's what you did, which is really cool, you know what I mean, Like, I think a lot of people when they get out of school and they think, Okay, I have to do this, or they think this is the path I should take.
And I know, I mean many people, even friends.
Of mine, who are now looking at retirement, but they never really did that thing that they really wanted to do. So I think it's really awesome that you you had the guts and you did it and you're doing it still.
Yeah, thank you.
Yeah.
I've been at the ramps now almost thirteen years. And the thing that I just it was never that I plan. It just kind of organically happened, and I just let myself stay open that anything that might have, like any possibilities out there as opposed to you know, yeah, like I must be a lawyer because this is what I got my degree in and right, but all my student loans.
Are in Yeah, no, of course, of course. But I just think I just think it's really cool. And obviously, you know, we'll talk about the book, of course, but som Emma is.
At her name emm e Emma.
You are emm Emmy, Okay, so Emmy in the book is really you correct?
Yes?
Yeah, yes, so, And the book Running Free is about the sea lazy U ranch in Colorado that actually back in October of twenty twenty, and it was it's kind of eerie to talk to you now because of the wildfires that were happening and saving over you know, saving two hundred horses from the wildfires, which is kind of eerie to me, as you know, I mean I read it before things started to happen, and then I realized, like we're talking now, and this is what people are
going through in Los Angeles and you went through it, you know.
Yeah, so let's yeah, yeah, absolutely, so let's.
Talk about that.
I mean, because it's it's very you know, obviously your book is a true story, but it's very real, and just to read it and be thinking about because we're all seeing, you know, the animals and the horses and people who are affected by the wildfires.
You know, after the fire hit our rand, it's called the East Troublesome Fire in October of twenty twenty, and being from the East coast, like I had no experience with wildfires. Sure I found you know, some old files in the bar and that was talked about like spray painting the horses, cutting the fence, pushing them towards the reservoir, but they were they were so dated it probably meant area has been you know, built up since those files
were made. So yeah, what I when the fire hit us, Like what dawned on me was how not like ill prepared I was, and watching even what's going on in LA right now, I don't you can be as prepared as possible, But like, I think what I learned the most from the fire is that no matter what, you are going to have to rely on your neighbors and your community, right and all those around you to actually help you.
Right, Yeah, I'm sure. I mean, I'm sure.
It's I mean, I can't imagine like living through it and you did. I mean, because you're right, like, you're so prepared. We're all prepared, we think we are for an emergency, but when you're actually in it, I mean, you know, and you're amazing because you got through it and you had your wits about you and you saved all these horses.
Yeah, yeah, but yes it was. But it was definitely a.
Chaotic, emotional, terrifying per in my life. And after you know, all was well and we were able to return home with all the horses, that's when I basically started writing down everything that happened, because one thing I didn't want to lose was my like my memory of what would happened, so that I could basically help somebody in the future.
But yeah, and but I but I guess that's the whole point is even though I want to help people, like the thing that I guess you need more than anybody is in anything as a network and like phone numbers and people to call when the emergency happens, because it is just it's so chaotic. You need to rely on other people.
Sure, and as well as anyone who knows. I mean, I don't know a lot about horses, but I know more about dogs. But you know, horses to me are like bigger dogs. The fact that you can't be panicking because that will make the animal panic as well.
Correct.
Oh yeah, like we had you know, we have over two hundred horses on our and we had to load them into various types of trailers and various types of the day at night, and you know, it's as like somebody that does horses professionally, like you need to stay calm. They pull off of your energy just like dogs. Like I have dogs as well, So it's it's very similar.
Yeah. Yeah, they're like big dogs, you know.
I mean that's what when I had my dog and we would see horses on the street, like police horses and be like, oh, look that's just a big dog. Don't worry, it's it's you know, it's but yeah, just as a side thing. So see Lazy U Ranch. I'm just fascinated by that name. Do you know where that name came from?
Yeah, So it's been a Ceelasy Ranch has been a guest ranch since nineteen ninety. The original name of the ranch was called the f Flash Ranch, and they renamed it, I want to say in.
The forties okay.
And they came up with a letter C and it's like a lazy which is basically you laying on its side, because that was what the creek looked like from aerial, like an aerial viewpoint.
It looked like a.
Big sea and a lazy U.
So that's how the ranch got its name.
Got it okay?
And the ranch was damaged correct back in the fire in twenty two. Yeah, so what was how much of that damage was done by the fires?
Yeah?
So we lost our historic barn that was a big bomber charm. We lost a guest cabin. We lost two staff housing units, we lost eight member homes that are on the property, We lost all of our hay or hay shed, and we lost one thing you don't think
about is all your fencing. You know, we're about eighty five hundred acre ranch and we have fencing all over the ranch to move the horses and keep the horses, and a lot of our fencing burned, even though it wasn't a structure to you know, obviously get all that fencing back. It's not easy.
Sure, of course, I'm sure. I'm sure. Yeah.
And since then, I mean now it's what it's four years, four plus years later year, yeahs have everything like have structure has been rebuilt, replaced or is it still in process?
It's still processed.
We just started building the guest cabin and the barn. We have like a temporary tent that we've been working out of and we don't have plans currently to rebuild the barn, but I imagine in the next couple of years we'll kind of get to work on that. We've redone a lot of the fencing, we've done the hayshiad. I'd say about half the member homes that burned have been replaced, and why we didn't replace the staff housing units that burned on ranch. We've found other staff housing
units in town, so to slow process. And the land, I mean, living and working here, you still see, like it's still very obvious we had a big fire because so many of the trees are burned. But yeah, but one thing that's cool that started to happen more so in the last two years, I would say, is the amount of aspen groves that are going up where so you can kind of see the soil and the flowers and the trees. So there's a lot of regrowth. It's just gonna take years.
Sure, but that's great though. At least it's starting. You know, like that has to make you feel so good. And when you start to see some of.
That, oh yeah, absolutely. The spring, so twenty twenty one, the spring after the fire, we had this like beautiful fire weed that came up in every area that was burned, and it's this big, bright orange, this red flower, and so everything that had burned in October that following spring, like everything was like just floral and beautiful, where like the soil had been burned really bad. So that was pretty incredible to see, right.
Right, Yeah, I mean nature is incredible, you know, and that's like a perfect example.
Yeah.
Yeah, so I thought of you because I and I'm sure you saw this too with all the different you know, videos or whatever we're seeing from Los Angeles, and you can tell me this I saw and I guess it
went viral and it was someone who was rescuing. It was a video of someone who was rescuing a horse and the horse turned around and went back because there were two of its horse friends two other horses and kind of like corraled them, and then the other horses like saw that horse, and then the three of them trotted towards the person who was helping. Is that like a common horse behavior, like almost like a pack mentality?
Is that correct?
Absolutely? Yeah, I actually saw that video. Like you know, horses that we have a big herd of horses, and horses have that herd mentality, and there's all different hierarchies and lead mares.
But yeah, they're very attached.
So it wouldn't It would very similar things happened here, Like when horses got separated from their friends, you know, they'll call and scream to each other, but yeah, they'll absolutely go back to try to round up their friends if that's if they're not with them.
Yeah, No, that's so cool. I mean, that's so yeah. I just I mean that's what I thought, and I was like, oh, that's just so so cool.
That's why we love these animals so much, you know so much. So speaking of horses, so for someone who is listening, what is something that from your vast knowledge of horses? And maybe it's more than one thing, but what's one thing that probably most people don't know about horses or is there one thing that I mean, I mean there might not be I know, I don't mean to put you on the spot, but something I don't.
Know, and maybe they might not be because you know, I don't know.
Well, no, there's so many things. I mean, I don't know how many much people know about.
Horses or not.
But like the one thing I always try to say to people that don't work or ride, you know, for fun or for a living, is that you know, they're so intuitive and they can read your emotions and they can they're an animal that feels things versus so they feel your energy, they feel your emotions. So if you're having a bad day, you're gonna have a bad interaction with a horse if you're letting that kind of carry
you through. So it's one of those things they always say horses are a mirror to your soul, and it's a great way of kind of being able to check yourself and be like, even though I'm having a bad day, I can't let my energy interfere with my communication with
a horse. So horses, I would say, the one thing that I've gotten really good at through my career and through my life of having horses is compartmentalizing even though you know the fire might be happening, a boyfriend would have broken up with me whatever, whatever I or is like, if you keep that at the forefront of what you're doing, that they will pick up on it.
Well they don't want to be.
Around you then sure, and people don't want to be either, Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, So I think it translates a lot over to your interactions with humans and leadership on how to be the best person you can be in a moment. And that's the other thing. Like courses, it's all they live.
In a moment. They don't remember and they don't know what's coming.
So in that moment they're just trying to trust and communicate with you. So it's just I think the biggest thing that I've gotten out of courses is just I've really learned how to be present rather than try to worry about the future, dwell on maybe what has happened.
Right. Oh no, that's great. That's like so I felt back, I's putting you on the spot.
But that's like a that's like a bonus what you just said.
That's really cool.
No, thank you for sharing that, because I mean for people who don't really know, I think that's really it's a very good tip, especially if someone's like listening and said, oh, you know what, always wanted to go ride a horse, so maybe I will. You just gave them like a pearl of wisdom to bring with them. So that so thanks, that's perfect. Yeah, perfect.
So Running Free is the book? Do you have?
Were there things in the book that you left out that could be a sequel or everything you have in Running Free?
I mean, you know, I don't know if I would write a sequel, but it was my first book. Oh, I mean, now looking back on it, you know I wish I had I wish I'd done this.
Differently, But no, it started out as.
A memoir, which I found very difficult to write. I just really struggled with like writing about myself and about what happened from like a personal perspective. So I was able to kind of create characters and the book kind of evolved from there. The two of the storylines that I think I'm most proud of is the one, like
there are two messages within the book. I'd probably say the one is, you know, I work with a lot of young girls, like twenty year olds are in college that aren't sure what they want to do with their life, or they got a degree in this and they're questioning that decision now that they've like had some time in their job, and so you know, i'd love I love my personal journey where it's like it doesn't I was, you don't have to be so boxed in of like check all the check boxes of what you think you
need to do by a certain age, and just encouraging you know, people to stay open to what's out there. I love. I love that that message got put into the book, and then we spoke on it earlier just about the wildfire and you know, not being prepared and right, you know, the beauty of relying on your community and
your neighbors to help you. I mean that story to me is just one that I think, you know, we'll just kind of never die because every natural disaster tragedy out there, you just see people helping each other, which is always a great thing to be a part of.
No, absolutely, I mean it actually, and reading the book it made me feel good about people again because that, you know, people really, I think, deep down are good when they get off social media and don't fight about stupid politics or stuff, you know, because that's what I feel like, you know, that makes people like, oh, like politics have no place in social media and all that.
Deep down you know, people are for the most part, most people are good and wired well to and when there is need, they come through.
And we see that in your book, So I completely get that.
Yeah.
And when the fire happened, I mean it was October of twenty twenty, so it was like a bitter election year.
People just nobody seemed to like each other.
That's kind of what brought it to like ahead for me was even though all that was going on, it was all forgotten when it came down to it.
Sure, And it was also COVID was it was all right. It was the first six months of COVID. Yeah, that's right, because that was yeah, yeah crazy as much.
As like, you know, I think I personally struggle with social media and you're.
Getting wrapped up in it and I'm not.
Liking it, but it, honestly, when I it was one of the things that saved us, Yes, because we were able to go on to social media and communicate that we needed help and the amount of people that responded, like we people that so many people saw the post on social media and that's what made them hook up their truck and trailer to come help us.
Wow. Yeah, yes, I get that. I get that, And that goes back to what we said. I mean, I feel like I have like a like hate relationship with it in the sense that I like it for that reason when you need to get a message out and social media is just there's no other way, you know, think back of people making phone calls or sending out flyers.
Social media it's so immediate.
But the part I hate, obviously is the you know, people just being nasty and stupid because I think they need hobbies or they need to volunteer, you know, get a job, a volunteer somewhere.
No, but that's great, A great.
I know, I know it's like everybody who's smart agrees with that, but but no, I think it's amazing that. Uh. That's the best part about social media is that people do come through and it's a way to get a message out, like for you with the fire and the help and you know, instant. So so for that, we're grateful for social media.
Absolutely.
Yeah. So where can my listeners get running free?
So the books available on Amazon, so it's running free on Amazon. And my name, my name is spelled whird, so it's a m I and then Cullens U l Ean And then I also have a website running free Horses dot com that I'll just link it at Amazon and then the rand se lazyrand dot com. If anybody just wants to know more about like where I work with, how many horses we have, all the programs we have here, that's also something that you can look up as well. Well.
That's wonderful.
And what what do you think is next for you besides what you're doing? I mean, but in the sense of maybe another book or you're not sure, I know, this always your first one, and I'm not you know, like that's amazing. I don't mean to say, like, oh, what's next, but anything, you know, maybe or.
You know, I don't know.
I really enjoyed writing this and I really am like I love teaching, and I'm really intrigued by all the leadership up like, like I do a lot of teaching leadership through horses, So I just kind of want to keep going down that path and connecting people and horses and basically, you know, teaching people through what horses have taught me. I really enjoy that. So that's what I see in the foreseeable future. Maybe there's another book.
I'm not sure, you're not sure, Okay, all right, Well, thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge and talking about your book and and I'm so I'm very happy to talk to you. And I really enjoyed the book, and thank you. Thank you for all that you don't you do and all that you're doing Amy.
Colin, thank you.
Yeah, thank you so much for having me appreciate it. Just not set