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.
Send 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 9,300 feet, we do not get to pretend storms are “just weather” because we are standing near metal fencing, managing shelters, and watching horses decide in real time whether to hunker down, bolt, or lean on the herd for confidence. That pressure-cooker moment becomes the perfect way to talk about something we believe ever...
27 Sept 2026
Wasps: The Unpaid Ranch Workers With Terrible PR
Send 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 Colorado mountain ranch, where off-grid living with horses turns “small problems” into all-day projects and every trip to town has a cost in time, weather, and momentum. We start with the gritty logistics: hauling manure with an ATV and wagon, what happens when the ATV gets filled with diesel instead of gasoline, and wh...
13 Sept 2026
The Great Carrot Scandal And Karma’s Epic Fit
Send 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 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 get into what’s been on our minds most: senior horse care and the daily decisions...
31 Aug 2026
The ATV Dinner Bell And A Very Opinionated Fart
Send 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 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 it. We get real about what’s been wearing us out lately: Me...
24 Aug 2026
The Pony Escaped Again And Again!
Send 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, 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 little choices that prevent bigger problems later. We also break ...
10 Aug 2026
A Mustang Learns To Trust
Send 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 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 documentary premiere. We talk about the independent film “5,000 Mil...
3 Aug 2026
Fern’s Great Escape And The Third Grader Herd
Send 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 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 sure his time with us feels safe and valued. Then monsoon season shows i...
23 Jul 2026
Horse Camp and Russell's Adventure
Send 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 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 to the best kind of tired: kids horse camp week. We break down what we ac...
14 Jul 2026
We Learn To Read Merlin’S Body Language Before He Quits Eating
Send 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, 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 can help a horse get their feet back under them. From there we get practical about e...
7 Jul 2026
We Learn What Comfort Care Really Means
Send 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 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 hands-on moments that matter most, from scratches and massage to watchin...
26 May 2026
Miracle Merlin
Send 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 formula for Merlin that is keeping him going and may be good for your horse too.
2 Sept 2025
Ponies, Horses and Fall is Coming!
Send us a text Join Alecz and Russell as they start preparing for winter. Alecz meets a new horse in "Adventures with Alecz."
5 Aug 2025
Summer Difficulties but So Worth It
Send us a text 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!
23 Jul 2025
Horses, Mustangs, and More Horses
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.
18 Jun 2025
Why We Traded Utility Bills for Bear Encounters and Mountain Sunsets
This episode explores the reasons someone chooses to trade modern conveniences for a life of bear encounters and mountain sunsets.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
285
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 16 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
7
Social presence
0
YouTube
64
Engagement
0
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