05/31/2026
What happened in Vegas is so tragic and disturbing. I have blogged about keeping horses safe at shows, but from fires and theft, not from being stabbed by a deranged individual. This person has spot on suggestions for keeping you and your horse safe. And as always, just stop posting personal info online!
The unimaginable happened at the South Point this morning. An unhinged stalker committed horrific acts of violence against innocent performance horses. My heart goes out to everyone living their worst nightmare today. I hope both the horses and their people heal quickly, physically and emotionally.
Unfortunately, we live in a time where so much of our lives is public. The victims’ stall assignments were even posted on a website commonly used to enter races. Those horses never had a chance. Something needs to change when it comes to protecting competitors’ privacy and security.
While larger changes are needed, there are also things we can do ourselves to make it harder for those with bad intentions to track us.
I personally have people who follow this page solely to attempt to monitor my whereabouts and finances. The simplest solution would be to stop posting on social media altogether. But for many of us in the horse industry, social media has become an important business tool. I keep this page active so I can market horses to a larger audience when the time comes, rather than starting from scratch every time. Others rely on social media for sponsorships, clients, or a portion of their income.
So here are a few things I do to maintain an online presence while protecting my privacy:
1. Don’t post your schedule.
I rarely announce where I’m headed next. The fewer people who know your plans, the better.
2. Don’t post in real time.
Whether I’m riding in town, at someone’s place, or even at home, my posts are almost never made while I’m actually there. Most of my content is scheduled days or weeks in advance. If I post from the indoor arena today, there’s a good chance that video was taken days earlier. Nobody can use this page to track me in real time.
Sometimes I’ll even schedule posts to go live while I’m somewhere completely different just to confuse my particular brand of stalkers. 😆 Good luck proving I was in two places at once.
3. Don’t post where you’re staying.
Avoid sharing your hotel, camping spot, parking location, stall setup, or anything that clearly identifies where you’ll be sleeping or keeping your horses.
4. Turn off location tagging.
Check your phone, camera, and social media settings. Photos often contain location data that most people don’t realize they’re sharing.
5. Be careful with background details.
Stall numbers, gate numbers, vehicle license plates, hotel room numbers, street signs, arena maps, and event credentials can reveal more than you think.
6. Wait until you’ve left before posting event photos.
If you want to share highlights from a race, jackpot, clinic, or horse show, consider posting them after you’ve already gone home.
7. Think before posting children’s locations.
School names, practice schedules, regular hangouts, and routines can make it easy for someone to predict where your family will be.
Most people following your page are there for the right reasons. But it only takes one unstable person to turn public information into a serious safety issue.
Today’s tragedy is a heartbreaking reminder that privacy and security aren’t paranoia, they’re precautions.
