Off Grid with Horses
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 info@offgridwithhorses.com or visit our YouTube channel to see visual glimpses of our mountain ranch life.
Episodes
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 life does not care about a weekly publishing calendar. We’re Russell and Alex, and we’re resetting our routine so the podcast stays fun, honest, and doable with the work that comes with living high in the Colorado Rockies.
From there, we ge...
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 into the low 40s, you can see your breath, the heat may kick on, and even the hummingbirds start disappearing. Off-grid living in the Colorado Rockies comes with a different clock, and when the weather shifts early, our horse care routines have to shift with...
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, nervous humans, and one very calm pony proving he has all the time in the world. We talk through our real off-grid morning routine, including the unglamorous details that keep horses healthy and the day moving, from early feedings and fly masks to the littl...
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 grid with our horses at 9,300 feet in the Colorado Rockies, and we just came back from an eventful stretch that took us from mountain chores to the Wild Horse Refuge and Symposium in Craig, Colorado, plus the theater in Steamboat Springs for a powerful d...
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 on Merlin and what it looks like to care for an aging horse when you suspect the next winter may be too much. We talk about the day-to-day signals we watch, why “pain” is a tricky word, and how our focus stays on comfort, connection, and making ...
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 holding steady but having more frequent spins and spills, and we talk about the seasonal grind of fly management when summer finally kicks in. Even the weather shows up with us this time, as a rainstorm rolls through while we record.
Then we shift ...
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, assess what’s happening, then step in with the safest help possible. We talk through what we saw, why a senior rescue horse can get “stuck” even when they’re not panicking, and how a couple of lead ropes, the right angle, and a calm plan ...
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 walk through how we’re supporting Merlin as he ages, what his daily routine looks like right now, and why we keep adjusting feeding without losing the structure that helps him thrive. We talk about grain four times a day, hay access, and the small...
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 formula for Merlin that is keeping him going and may be good for your horse too.
Join Alecz and Russell as they start preparing for winter. Alecz meets a new horse in "Adventures with Alecz."
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!
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 girl who needs her.
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