06/12/2026
I got some news today that absolutely broke my heart.
Last September, my husband and I bought a cute little cremello stud c**t at a horse sale. The gentleman who raised him had not only raised him, but generations of his family before him. He spoke so highly of the c**t and all of the potential he saw in his future.
We brought him home, halter broke him, gelded him, let him grow up a bit, and eventually started him under saddle.
By January, things were a little tight financially. We had bills to pay and mouths to feed. I sold that little c**t for $2,500 after buying him for $1,300, hoping heโd continue on to a good home and a bright future.
Iโve spent most of my life defending sale barns and horse traders. The horse traders I know take pride in what they do like we do. They feed their horses well, keep nice facilities, and genuinely care about the animals in their care. Their job allows them to connect great horses with the right people, and there is a lot of value in that.
A few days ago, the woman who owns Magnum now reached out asking for some information about him. She mentioned she had him โlooking better,โ and I assumed she meant sheโd put a little extra weight on him. We talked, I answered her questions, and I went on with my day.
Today she messaged me again. I decided to send her some old pictures and videos because she seemed a little unsure about some things.
Thatโs when she sent me photos of Magnum when she got him.
The horse I saw in those pictures barely resembled the c**t we sold.
He was thin. He looked neglected. And she told me he was extremely skittish and frightened when she brought him home.
Then she said something that hit me right in the gut:
โI think he went through some horse traders before I got him.โ
If you donโt love horses, get out of the horse business.
If your plan is to buy horses, starve them, scare them, neglect them, and then flip them for a profit, you never needed to own them in the first place.
The hardest part is that I feel responsible. I am responsible.
I chose to run him through a sale barn because I needed the money. I assumed all the work, care, and time we put into him would carry on with the next person. I assumed heโd continue moving toward the future we envisioned for him.
I was wrong.
Thankfully, Magnum ended up with someone who genuinely loves him. Someone who took the time to put weight back on him, earn his trust, and help him feel safe again.
But not every horse gets that lucky.
This industry can be so good. There are incredible horse traders, trainers, breeders, and horsemen out there. But stories like this are a reminder that every horse that passes through our hands depends on us to do right by them.
We all need to do better.