In August, The Freelance Remuda co-founders Abigail Boatwright and Kate Bradley Byars launched “Episode 53: Social Media Smarts with Lydia Kyle,” and announced the Freelance Remuda Cowboy Country Workshop. The episode ties in with content the Remuda leaders will include in a workshop designed for equine media professionals looking to dive into freelance by bolstering their writing, photography and social media skills.
Lydia Kyle, a social media savvy creator, consumer and influencer, offers tips to get started earning income through social media channels. In her interview in Episode 53’s second segment, she discusses how she first delved into social platforms—think MySpace!—and what platforms she is branching out to next. In the first segment, both Boatwright and Bradley Byars discuss the workshop.
Social media continues to drive content creation, be it through influencers, brand promotion or client needs. The Freelance Remuda Cowboy Country Workshop, held September 12-15 at the Muleshoe Ranch in Colony, Wyoming, will include social media content creation help, discussion on branding and working with clients, and more. Byars, who handles multiple social media accounts in the Western industry, and Boatwright both include social content in editorial needs as well as fulfill contract work on multiple platforms.
“Since entrusting Kate with the social media responsibilities for Bud Lyon Performance Horses, our content quality, volume, and interaction have skyrocketed,” said Bud Lyon. “Kate’s dedication, creativity and experience have elevated our brand to new heights within the public consciousness and she has become an indispensable member of our team.”
In addition to focusing on writing/interviewing, photography and creating and posting social content, attendees will be immersed in learning about all facets of content creation, discussions on branding and building their own businesses, and best practices for equine media professionals that also cross into other areas of the Western and media realms.
“Well-rounded content creators are the total package and essential to my magazines,” said Jessica Hein, senior director of communications for the American Paint Horse Association and editor of the Paint Horse Journal and Chrome magazines. “Abigail and Kate fit that bill, and I trust both to produce high-quality material, from entertaining and informative articles to engaging photography that helps bring stories to life. They know how to deliver from start to finish, which results in a happy editor, additional assignments and great content for our readers. Let them teach you how to be an invaluable piece of the content-creation cycle, too!”
The Freelance Remuda Podcast began in 2017 and is produced for freelance professionals who are navigating the equine media frontier. Byars and Boatwright began to offer Freelance Remuda Mentorship packages in 2019, and in spring 2024, co-hosted the Freelancer’s Guide to Content Creation Retreat that was held in Fredericksburg, Texas, alongside photographer Chris Dickinson and writer/photographer Jennifer Denison. Boatwright and Byars’ goal for hosting workshops and producing the podcast is to elevate equine media.
Currently, Boatwright is the Western Life Today magazine editor and is the contract managing editor for APHA Media publications, where she was previously on staff as assistant editor; Byars is the former Reined Cow Horse News editor, as well as Western Horseman assistant editor. Armed with that experience in addition to working for more than a decade as freelancers, Boatwright and Byars’ Wyoming workshop will blend their knowledge of interview skills, writing and editorial-focused photography with social media skills necessary to complete assignments, providing a complete package to editors.
“Abigail Boatwright and Kate Bradley Byars have both been regular contributors to Horse Illustrated for many years,” said Holly Caccamise, editor-in-chief for Horse Illustrated, Young Rider and Western Life Today. “When working with freelancers, it is rare to find people who have creative pitches that fit with the magazine, can write cleanly at an award-winning level, can deliver on deadline, and are also talented photographers who supply a full slate of captioned images to go with an article. Both ladies can do all of the above and more—plus they are a pleasure to work with! They are consummate professionals that any aspiring freelancer could learn a lot from.
Hosting the Freelance Remuda Cowboy Country Workshop on a working ranch that boasts working Border Collies, Quarter Horses and Angus-bred cattle, attendees will have a wealth of subjects to both interview and photograph. In addition, cowboy cook and longtime chap maker Jack Gully will provide a meal as well as serve as a model one day of the workshop. Spaces are limited for this workshop, with food and lodging provided. Attendees can find a tentative itinerary and register at freelanceremuda.com/workshop.
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About The Freelance Remuda Podcast
The Freelance Remuda is a podcast about navigating the equine media frontier. Co-hosted by seasoned freelance professionals Abigail Boatwright and Kate Bradley Byars, the podcast explores the trials and triumphs surrounding life as a freelancer in equine media, while sharing valuable tips from equine media editors and creatives doing what they love. The dictionary lists a remuda as: re•mu•da (noun): a herd of horses that have been saddle-broken from which ranch hands choose their mounts for the day. The Freelance Remuda’s mission is to help train up a herd of professionals specializing in horses, from which editors and businesses in equine media can hire to do great work. Find and subscribe to the podcast wherever you choose to listen, and for more information, go to freelanceremuda.com.
Media Contact:
Abigail Boatwright, podcast co-host at (210) 414-6761
Kate Bradley Byars, podcast co-host at (713) 907-4329
freelanceremuda@gmail.com