Inside the Rise of the Cowboy-Core Wellness Movement

Cowboy Colostrum

Jessy Shenfeld and Steph Stoikos launched Cowboy Colostrum, a health and wellness supplement brand inspired by Western culture, in December 2023, just as the Western renaissance took off in the zeitgeist. The imagery, values, and aesthetics associated with the Western lifestyle—grit, resilience, a connection to nature, and a spirit of adventure—had a lot of overlap with the kind of wellness brand that Shenfeld and Stoikos wanted to create. At the time, wellness brands in general tended to lean more sterile and scientific in terms of branding.

“Colostrum is the most natural, intuitive food there is. All female mammals produce it after giving birth—it’s literally the first thing nature does to sustain life,” Stoikos told BeautyMatter. “It’s raw, real, and straight from the farm. Tying it to the cowboy identity just made sense. We wanted the branding to reflect that—colostrum as a humble, functional food that comes straight from the cow and feels deeply connected to the land.”

This “cowboy consciousness,” as Stoikos put it, became the budding brand’s North Star that helped guide it through the period of intense growth that followed its launch. Influencers instantly gravitated to Cowboy Colostrum and started organically posting about it. About a month after launching DTC, Cowboy Colostrum began its retail relationship with Erewhon. Soon after that, the brand collaborated with American media personality and model Sofia Richie on a smoothie at Erewhon. By the end of February 2024, Cowboy Colostrum doubled its orders month over month.

The brand clearly resonated with both Erewhon shoppers and Western wellness consumers across the country. Today, Texas is one of Cowboy Colostrum’s biggest markets.

“A lot of wellness can feel sterile, overly scientific, and disconnected—almost too polished for everyday people,” said Shenfeld. “With Cowboy Colostrum, we introduced something warmer. It naturally attracted the right audience because it felt inclusive.”

According to the founders, it wasn’t a calculated plan to target the areas and communities that wellness often overlooks; it just happened organically.

“For people who actually lead these lifestyles, it’s much more intuitive and natural for them to be connected to something like colostrum versus an algae powder or a sea moss supplement. It just makes sense,” said Stoikos. “Colostrum is a food that resonates with everyone, and the branding landed in a way that made it accessible.”

Cowboy Colostrum partners with Western lifestyle and homesteading influencers as part of its marketing strategy—an approach that has offered unique insight into this emerging wellness consumer. One key takeaway: Western wellness consumers tend to favor animal-based products over plant-based ones.

“The average supplement, like a green powder or energy drink, might not resonate as strongly with this audience,” said Stoikos. “But colostrum is familiar to anyone who grew up on a farm. There’s a simple, direct connection to it that naturally fits into their lifestyle.”

Cowboy Colostrum recently caught the attention of Taylor Sheridan, creator and writer of Yellowstone. Sheridan purchased Bosque Ranch in Weatherford, Texas, for $264 million in 2013. The ranch is used as a movie set for Sheridan’s projects and as a venue for Western horse shows, including reining and roping, but Sheridan also plans to host a country music festival on the grounds called Bosque Ranch Live. Cowboy Colostrum was approached by Bosque Ranch to be a title sponsor for the arena and the forthcoming festival.

“It was sort of a fan girl moment when they reached out to us,” said Shenfeld. “Bosque Ranch is very picky and only works with brands whose values and philosophies align with theirs. We feel so honored that we were invited into this community, and we’re so excited to be part of anything that they do.”

Cowboy Colostrum has a banner in the arena and plans to have a pop-up smoothie bar at Bosque Ranch Live. The brand also supplies products for various partnership dinners and events at Bosque Ranch. The partnership has inspired the brand to dive even deeper into Western culture by sponsoring events like rodeos, including the NFR.

Therabody

Therabody, a leading wellness tech company, recently released a brand film demonstrating how 72-year-old Montana rancher Lucie Lloyd Jones uses Theragun to help her body recover after a day of long, hard work in the saddle. Directed by filmmaker Emmanuelle Pickett, “Back in the Saddle” seamlessly blends wellness technology with the raw physicality of ranch life.

“Few embody physical and emotional resilience like the American rancher—especially a Montana horsewoman,” said Pickett in a press release. “Women like Lucie live by an unspoken code, led by a deep love for their animals and the land that gives them both life and adventure. Lucie carries the kind of truth the camera can’t fake—grit, grace, and the will to get back in the saddle. That’s the spirit of the West. I’m grateful to Therabody for helping bring her spirit to life.”

From hauling several 75-pound hay bales to saddling her horses for a mountain ride, the short film takes viewers through an average day out on the ranch, where days begin before the sun comes up and there are no days off. For Jones, the Theragun Mini and Theragun Relief are as integral to her routine as her tack—tools that keep her moving, no matter the demands of ranching.

“We didn’t set out to tell a Western story; we wanted to tell an interesting human story with our product,” John Solomon, Chief Marketing Officer at Therabody, told BeautyMatter. “When [Pickett] came to us with this story, we were excited because it spoke to an audience that’s often overlooked in the wellness space.”

Rodeo and Western sports have grown in popularity as more people move beyond major metropolitan areas. Among equestrians of all disciplines, the Theragun has gained traction as a recovery tool—not just for riders, but for their horses as well. Last fall, Therabody partnered with Resorts World Las Vegas to integrate its wellness technology throughout the property during the NFR. While Therabody is already well-known among professional athletes, Solomon sees a major opportunity to grow in the Western sports world.

“Wellness is for everyone, and for us, that means continually reaching new audiences,” Solomon told BeautyMatter. “Western sports are physically demanding—athletes travel long distances, hauling gear and animals, and putting a lot of stress on their bodies. It’s a natural fit for our products. Our awareness in this space is probably still low, but that just makes it a huge opportunity.”

Therabody plans to expand its recovery protocols, which are available on the Therabody app, to include equestrian sports. While most of its research has focused on human athlete performance, initial studies also suggest that using Theragun devices on horses could lead to an increase in stride length and potentially boost overall performance.

“We’re working to expand our customer base in a variety of ways,” said Solomon. “The people who really need our products are those putting their bodies to work day in and day out. That’s why we’re committed to going deeper into these communities. Whether it’s sponsoring bull riders or partnering with influencers in the space, we’ve seen a strong response—and we plan to keep leaning into it.”

As wellness brands make inroads into Western sports, the athletes themselves are also beginning to take wellness more seriously. Morr, who works closely with professional bull riders, says she’s seen a noticeable shift in how these athletes care for their bodies.

“More and more of them are adopting structured workout programs, working with mental performance coaches, eating clean, cutting back on alcohol, and exploring new ways to support their physical performance,” Morr said. “They’re realizing that in order to be successful in the arena, they have to invest in their health.”

She added that the interest goes both ways. “We’ve seen growing interest from fitness equipment brands, supplement companies, and wellness platforms like Therabody—all looking to collaborate with Western athletes or activate around major events.”

For brands wanting to break into the Western sports world, authenticity is key. Western culture is so much more than what people see on TV, and consumers in this space can quickly spot inauthenticity. Brands that genuinely reflect the lifestyle, rather than projecting a superficial image, are far more likely to resonate. Those that get it right won’t just gain attention; they’ll earn the loyalty of a deeply committed customer base.

“These are people who’ve probably had the same banker their whole lives, and worn Wranglers their whole lives, just like their parents probably did,” said Morr. “They’re not chasing the next trend. Once you earn their trust, you’ve got a customer for life. Brands are starting to realize that if they show up authentically—if they believe in their product and connect with this audience in a real way—they can build lifelong, even generational, loyalty.”