Podcast Summary: "We Are Trying To Be Better..."

Podcast: Katching Up With Katie
Host: Katie Van Slyke
Date: January 6, 2026
Guests: Lindsay, Nate, Maddie
Duration: ~53 minutes content

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and humorous episode, Katie Van Slyke is joined by her close circle (Lindsay, Nate, and Maddie) for an unfiltered discussion about the holidays, farm life, motherhood, business pressures, and a deep dive into their personal goals for the new year. They also give listeners authentic, behind-the-scenes insights into ranch life at Running Springs—especially foaling season. The episode flows from Christmas stories and family traditions to intentions for 2026, offering warmth, relatability, and plenty of laughter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Holiday Recap & Family Traditions

00:00–13:30

• The group reflects on their different Christmas experiences—some with big families and children, others with quieter, low-key gatherings.

  • Katie observes, “I think this is the last one of 2025, which is super exciting also. I can’t believe how quickly this year went.” (00:03)

• Magic of seeing little kids understand Christmas for the first time:

  • Favorite story: a disappointed three-year-old, expecting to find Santa delivering his presents. The omnipresent disappointment? “No bell” on a new bike:

  “He walked over to it. Three years old, walked over to it, goes: ‘No bell.’ My dad would have had that in the trash can.” – Katie (02:32)

  • Babies and toddlers got simple but overwhelmingly exciting presents—tricycles, dolls, play kitchens; sometimes the sheer number of gifts was overwhelming:

  “We had to remove some things because she didn’t know what to play with and it started making her upset.” – Maddie (03:26)

• Play kitchens described as elaborate, high-effort gifts for kids:

  “I opened this thing up and the book says, 52 steps to put this together...It took about three and a half hours.” – Lindsay (05:13, 05:19) "Now these things are crazy these days. I mean, it's got a little ice machine...The pots and pans are like stainless steel. You give it a little electricity and some heat, and you're cooking." – Lindsay (05:58, 06:11)

  • The nostalgia of simpler toys growing up, and joking about modern toys giving kids too much familiarity with ‘real’ ovens.

• The warmth and calmness of their own Christmases, especially compared to busier childhoods:

  “We were talking about how we need to savor the low Keyness prior to like us having babies because then it’s not low key for 18 years.” – Katie (10:15)

  • Many in the group now avoid planning anything busy on Christmas Day, opting for quiet family time.

  “I’ll never go back. Nobody, I don’t care, family or otherwise, ever try to plan anything with me on Christmas Day. I’ll say no.” – Lindsay (10:44)

Memorable Moment:

Katie’s honesty about dragging out Christmas decorations well after the New Year:

“Mine arguably stay up through Valentine’s Day. As far as I’m concerned, still Christmas right now.” – Katie (13:13, 13:16)

New Year's Resolutions—Real Talk

13:34–31:00

• The group shifts to discussing resolutions, each sharing both serious intentions and comedic dreams for 2026.
  • Nate: Wants his "word to be his word," tackling overcommitment, with a wild solution:

  "I want my word to be my word... I have a tendency to over commit. And... it's going to involve a four day singular excursion... to Japan." (14:04–15:31)

  • He jokes about how now it's cheaper to go to Tokyo Disney than Disney World in Florida, adding to the travel dreams (16:13).
• Lindsay: Focused on improving health and, most crucially, time management. She reflects on the difficulties of delegating as a business owner:

  "I run myself into the ground. I don’t have any time... or enough time to spend with family. So, like, time management is my goal." (18:20–19:21)

  • The group resonates with the necessity of letting go and delegating in business and ranch operations.
• Katie: Wants to re-integrate hobbies like riding (her horse, Denver), and shift her work boundaries:

  “Try to find ways of doing it to where I'm not editing until 9:00 o’clock at night or 10:00 at night. I’d like to be done at 6 or 7.” (22:38)

  • She’s committed to less perfectionism and more spontaneous content: “Sometimes I think simplicity is better... it's okay to just post like, a cute video with a song over it.” (23:09)
  • On fitness: “Not focusing on weight... I would like to go to the gym like twice a week... Just go move, and for mobility.” (23:43)
• Maddie: Struggles with sticking to gym habits, especially with the upheaval of moving, but wants more at-home hobbies and simple routines (24:28).

Notable Quote:

“If you read 10 pages a day of anything... your brain will be better off for it. And that’s scientifically—whatever it is. It doesn’t have to be the scientific names of cows. It can be smut.” – Nate (28:34)

Lighter Segments & Personality Reveals

31:00–36:08

• The conversation drifts into driving habits and personal quirks, with Lindsay confessing her New Year’s goal is to be more patient—especially with road rage and long lines:

  “So I’m trying to teach myself patience, because of that, but also like while shopping...I tend to...just walk out if the line is super, super long.” – Lindsay (26:17)

• Everyone playfully confesses driving anxieties—Nate admits to “marshalling the road,” and Katie jokes about being overly cautious.

Foaling Season Primer & Ranch Talk

36:09–~48:00

• With foaling season looming, they demystify what’s to come for new listeners and Lindsay (who hasn’t experienced breeding or birthing season at the ranch yet).
• Katie explains the technicalities of “foal alert” systems and preparation:

  “When the feet poke out...there’s a magnet and it breaks the device apart...which calls my phone and tells me that she’s having her baby.” (37:45–38:20)

  • The group jokes about the resulting chaos: “It’s the gummy bear song!” (38:37)
• Step-by-step rundown of foal delivery:
  • Mother and baby bond, warm towels, checking for first feed, dip navel in iodine, confirm first poop ('meconium'), monitor placenta passing.
  • Emphasis on watching for complications and intervening only when necessary.
• Explanation for January foaling:

  “January 1st is considered every horse in that registry’s birthday... So, when you’re showing horses...the babies born in January are way more mature and ready than the babies born in June.” (42:56–44:45)

• Training and breeding routines explained—use of 16-hour light cycles to induce early breeding.

Memorable Moment:

“If Raven had her baby right now, I would go into a comatose state. I would go into a spiral. I would just pass out.” – Katie (44:48)

Q&A Rapid Fire – Ranch Operations

48:00–end

• How much do foals weigh?

  "Standard is kind of like 10% of mama...so...around £100 when they come out." – Katie (46:23)

• Mini foals can be as small as 20–25 lbs.

• Talks about naming conventions for upcoming mini foals:

  “If Coco...has a girl, Chanel...if she has a boy, Glen. Glen, Coco.” – Katie (48:13)

• When to intervene during labor:

  “If they are working really hard, not making good progress...I’d rather go hold pressure, not pull, hold pressure...” – Katie (50:57)

• Value of knowing your horses well and trusting your intuition vs. over-intervening.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "No bell." – The story of the Christmas bike gone slightly wrong (02:32), became a recurring joke.
• “I want my word to be my word.” – Nate, on overcommitting (14:04)
• “Sometimes simplicity is better...it doesn't have to always be like thought about and put together.” – Katie (23:09)
• “Mine arguably stay up through Valentine’s Day. As far as I’m concerned, still Christmas right now.” – Katie (13:13)
• “January 1st is every horse’s birthday.” – Katie, on horse registries (42:56)
• “If Raven had her baby right now, I would go into a comatose state.” – Katie (44:48)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–03:30 – Christmas stories, “No bell” anecdote
• 05:11–06:22 – The epic saga of putting together a play kitchen
• 10:27–13:16 – The value of calm holidays, extended Christmas
• 14:04–17:02 – New Year’s resolutions; “my word is my word,” Japan travel
• 18:20–23:41 – Time management and business owner stress
• 23:43–24:28 – Gym habits and at-home workout dreams
• 26:02–28:00 – Lindsay’s impatience, road rage confession
• 37:45–38:20 – How “foal alert” works
• 42:56–44:45 – Why January is foaling season
• 46:23 – Foal birth weights
• 50:57 – When to intervene in horse labor

Tone & Language

The mood is warm, authentic, and humorous with a touch of self-deprecation. The speakers feel candid and relatable, especially as they discuss real-life struggles with time, balance, and personal improvement. The tone is farm-casual, peppered with practical advice from experience and plenty of “inside baseball” when it comes to horsemanship and ranching.

Useful For…

• Anyone interested in authentic ranch life, not just the glamorous moments.
• Listeners wanting a balance of practical horse/farm knowledge and personal, family-centered conversation.
• Fans of Katie Van Slyke’s unfiltered approach to rural business and motherhood.

The episode delivers genuine connection, plenty of laughs, and a sneak peek into the less-glamorous, deeply rewarding side of life on the ranch—while reminding us all that becoming 'better' is a work in progress.