My guests for this episode of the podcast are Bernie Harberts and Julia Carpenter. You might recognize both of those names, as they have both been on the podcast individually. What made this episode special was that we did this conversation while they were on Bernie’s 24 foot sailboat “Grit” as it was anchored off Shackelford Banks, a barrier island off the coast of North Carolina. Picture a skinny, long stretch of sand, marsh and small trees about 8 to 9 miles long, standing between the Atlantic Ocean and the mainland.
Bernie and Julia have been out there for about 2 weeks, sharing both sailing and horse adventures. And believe me, they have had some adventures! In this podcast, we talked about what to do when the kayaks, the only way to reach the island, took a deep dive. They shared the story of a harrowing night of gale force winds, wondering if the anchors would hold. You won’t believe the story of the help they received when their anchor fouled as they were making their way out to the Atlantic side of the island. Sometimes, help isn’t really help.
They both really lit up when they relayed what they are learning from the Shackelford horses, a wild herd of feral horses that have lived on the island for 400 years. These small, hardy horses live in bands, eating the tough grasses that grow in sandy dunes. In this conversation, Julia gives us insights into how the horses look out for each other, watching over one another as they nap, and how the stallions cooperate in one of the bands they observed. Julia is one of the most knowledgeable people I know about the nervous system of horses, and she gives us a master class on what she has observed in a herd of horses mostly unaffected by human interference.
Author and Long Rider Bernie Harberts is the subject of the Emmy award-winning PBS North Carolina program “The Mule Rider” and the author of “Two Mules to Triumph”, about his 7-month mule voyage from North Carolina to Idaho. Even though he has traveled both ways across the United States and Newfoundland by mule, he still can’t keep his mule Cracker from occasionally bolting.
Bernie recently started the Travel Grit Podcast, which has featured other adventurers like himself.
Bernie lives in a small cabin in western North Carolina with his wife Julia, two border collies, three mules, two ponies and eight thousand wild-caught honey bees. When he’s not writing or rambling, he enjoys bee lining, planting ginseng and 23-minute naps.
You can follow his writings at www.riverearth.com.
Julia Carpenter is the founder of The Two Step Way, twostepway.com. The Two Step Way helps horse owners and caregivers learn how to be with their horses and how to really see them to promote connection, trust and health. Julia is interested in helping animals, particularly horses, heal from trauma and has studied intently with that goal in mind.
She grew up on a horse farm in Vermont and has been a licensed riding instructor and trainer working with racehorses, hunter jumpers, polo ponies and field hunters.
Julia has had a lifelong friendship and association, researching, training and caring for animals. She loves volunteering to help out animal rescues with her knowledge. She has a private practice helping people and their equines learn and benefit from her Two Step Way.
Julia has degrees in wildlife management and environmental policy from Boston University and Tufts and has worked in the wildlife and environmental fields. She is a painter, and her animal paintings have been shown in galleries and shops in the Boston area and western NC. She is the author of one little cookbook called Pet Food: 16 Dessert Recipes to Make You Smile.
Julia lives on a small farm in the mountains of western North Carolina with her husband Bernie Harberts, the Long Rider, filmmaker, and author, in addition to two rescue border collies, three mules, a rescue pony and her halflinger. She enjoys riding in the mountains around her farm and on longer rides with Bernie. She blogs about her life with the animals, equine rambling and the Two Step Way at ConsideringAnimals.com. She also blogs about working with horses at her twostepway.com website.
While having this conversation, it was clear to me that magic was happening for Julia and Bernie on that tiny boat next to that tiny island. Hopefully, we captured just a big of that magic for you to enjoy!
- Introduction and Setting the Stage (0:00)
- Bernie and Julia's Adventure Begins (6:16)
- Surviving the Gale (10:58)
- Observing the Shackleford Horses (20:44)
- The Secret Forest (40:33)
- Adventures and Challenges on the Water (52:35)
- Rescue and Repair (1:04:01)
- Reflections on the Adventure (1:04:23)
- Boat Collision and Initial Reactions (1:04:43)
- Aftermath of the Collision (1:18:44)
- Navigating the Anchorage (1:20:04)
- Decision to Move to Beaufort (1:22:12)
- Living on the Boat (1:28:28)
- Challenges and Harmony on the Boat (1:30:25)
- Observations on Horse Behavior (1:37:40)
- Impact of Human Interaction on Horses (1:46:35)
- Environmental Considerations and Respect for the Island (1:47:18)
- Final Reflections and Future Plans (2:00:55)