Katching Up With Katie – Episode Summary

Podcast: Katching Up With Katie
Host: Katie Van Slyke
Episode: So Many Things Have Happened Lately... This Is Hard
Date: April 1, 2026

Episode Overview

In this emotional episode, Katie Van Slyke dives deep into the unexpected challenges and triumphs of late foaling season at Running Springs. Katie candidly recounts recent health struggles, the harrowing experience of her pregnant mare, Maggie, enduring two colic surgeries, and the miraculous birth that followed. The conversation is rich with personal reflections, veterinary details, and plenty of humor and heart as Katie, joined by Kimmy and Stephanie, keeps things real about farm life. The episode concludes with a spirited animal identification game, offering a glimpse into the camaraderie and routines that hold the team together.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Katie’s Health and Work Routine

• [00:00-01:14] Katie opens with a self-deprecating acknowledgment of her scratchy voice and ongoing battles with illness, directly tied to her grueling, sleep-deprived schedule and minimal self-care.
  • Quote: "I don't sleep... I don't quit working until 11 o'clock at night and I don't take any medicine ever. And I probably don't eat very good immunity foods. So, you know, it just is what it is." (Katie, 00:00)

2. The Ordeal with Maggie’s Colic Surgeries and Foaling

• [01:42–24:40] The bulk of the episode is a gripping, step-by-step recount of Maggie the mare's near-death experience:
  • Katie describes seeing Maggie lay down abnormally, immediately recognizing signs of another colic episode, and acting quickly with her team.
  • Background: Maggie had recent colic surgery (approx. four weeks prior) while heavily pregnant, a rare and risky scenario for horses.
  • Detailed veterinary and logistical challenges: emergency medication, rapid transport to the clinic, and quick decision-making.
    • Quote: "From the time that I saw her lay down to the time she walked into the vet, it was 35 minutes." (Katie, 04:45)
  • Katie walks through the agonizing choices presented by the vets: repeat surgery, possible C-section, and financial realities.
    • Quote: “Colic surgeries are freaking expensive. Like, the first one was like, 10 grand.” (Katie, 08:03)
  • She highlights the complexity and risks of equine C-sections compared to humans or smaller mammals, dispelling common misconceptions.
    • Notable moment: Detailed comparison to human medicine, describing how newborn foals often need physical resuscitation and lack of an equine NICU (11:14–13:24).
  • Emotional toll: Katie shares how hard it is to pre-authorize life-or-death decisions and opens up about the “miracle” outcome after surgery and rapid delivery.
    • Quote: “It’s like, can you imagine having like a C-section and then 24 hours later they say, oh, push a baby out?” (Katie, 17:43)
  • Maggie, despite two major abdominal surgeries in four weeks and the immense stress, delivered a healthy filly unaided.
    • Quote: “They’re like, we tried to help, she didn’t want us.” (Katie, 16:59)
    • “You’re seeing this mom like tearing herself apart to bring her baby into the world.” (Katie, 18:44)
  • The team touches on technical questions from the audience, such as why colons aren’t surgically “tacked down” and spaying horses to prevent future pregnancies.

3. Reflections on Naming the Miracle Filly

• [21:18–24:40]
  • Audience suggestions to name Maggie’s filly “Miracle” are gently declined by Katie, who prefers something to honor Maggie directly like "Margot."
    • Quote: "If I named every baby Miracle that people suggest... we'd have every baby named Miracle, like, there'd be two Miracle babies a year. It just. I don't know. It feels cheesy to me." (Katie, 21:42)

4. Return to Routine & Team Bonding

• [24:40–27:40]
  • Discussion on how long Maggie and her filly will stay at the vet, balancing the baby's need for movement with post-surgical care.
  • Light-hearted banter about handling tense moments, boundaries around private phone calls, and adapting to “full watch” (monitoring mares close to foaling).
  • The group touches on their D&D game nights and the need for occasional breaks from social media and structured content.

5. Barn Life Anecdotes & Team Camaraderie

• [27:40–29:43]
  • Stephanie’s “milk tasting” approach for predicting mares’ readiness to foal is recounted, sparking laughter and curiosity.
    • Quote: "She just squirts it into her hand and then tastes it. She says it goes from salty... then bland... and then sweet is like, baby." (Katie, 28:09)
  • The group exchanges funny remarks and personal trivia, accentuating the familial atmosphere.

6. Game Segment: Animal Identification Challenge

• [30:03–36:19]
  • The episode closes with Kimmy and Stephanie testing their skills at identifying various animals from Katie’s camera roll, highlighting the ever-growing and diverse farm “family.”
  • The group jokes about misidentifying animals, day-to-day farm mishaps, and the quirks of individual horses and cows.
  • Notable playful moment:
    • Quote: “Show me, like, Blanche, and I’ll be like Dorothy.” (Kimmy, 32:03)

7. Closing Remarks

• [36:19–37:05]
  • Katie apologizes for the low energy and her “smoker’s voice,” reiterating relief and gratitude for Maggie’s survival.
    • Quote: “I hope, you know, for those wanting a little bit more insight on Maggie’s situation—you got it. We’re really, really happy that she and baby are here with us.” (Katie, 36:33)
  • The group shares hopes for more healthy births and a peaceful weekend.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On horse anatomy and health:
  “Horses have the stupidest digestive tract and organ placement out of all animals, okay? And so they just, like, freaking could die from anything.”
  – Katie (03:11)

• On the emotional labor of farm life:
  “I feel like I make hard decisions a lot. Like, I feel like I make them all the time... you just get used to having to make kind of sucky decisions.”
  – Katie (07:35)

• Perspective on veterinary medicine:
  “It’s not the freaking same as a person. Like, let me just get that out of the way... they don’t have a damn NICU sitting right there with all incubators and crap.”
  – Katie (11:13)

• Perspective on miracles and farm reality:
  "Lots of positive, like lots of saying yes to prayers, was happened this week."
  – Katie (19:14)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–01:14 — Katie’s health and working herself into the ground
• 01:42–24:40 — Maggie’s colic, surgeries, and miraculous birth (core of the episode)
• 21:18–24:40 — Debate over naming the filly “Miracle” and audience input
• 24:40–27:40 — Postpartum care, full watch, and daily routines
• 27:40–29:43 — Funny team anecdotes & Stephanie’s milk-tasting expertise
• 30:03–36:19 — Animal identification challenge
• 36:19–37:05 — Closing prayers and reflections

Tone & Takeaways

This episode is raw, unfiltered, and heartfelt, combining the stressful realities of animal husbandry with moments of humor, gratitude, and resilient optimism. The conversational, candid tone makes listeners feel like part of the barn family. Katie doesn’t shy away from detail or emotion—listeners get an authentic look at both the heartbreak and joy that come with running a breeding farm, and how teamwork, quick thinking, and faith help them weather the hardest days.

Ideal for: Anyone interested in farm life, equine veterinary drama, resilient women in agriculture, or simply those who love a good real-life miracle story complete with lighthearted barn banter.