Every time I sell one of my horses, I get the same question: "How do you choose the right buyer for them?"
With Fiona just sold, and Lilly now up for sale, I thought it was finally time to tell you about it, because it doesn't get easier.
Giving them a good home and a good life, that's what matters most to me.
Rain, all grown up at Stall Dammkärr.
Why I breed the way I do
When I first started breeding horses, I was looking for the perfect combination: mare and stallion, body and mind. I wanted to breed the perfect reining horse. But once I had my first foal, I understood it was never just about that. It was about the trust I built with them. And soon enough, I realized what I truly wanted was to breed, raise, and train trusting and loving horses. Ones I could feel safe around and truly connect with.
That means being part of the horse's whole journey. Knowing them from even before they're born, raisin them, being with them every single day. They know my voice, my hands, my energy, and I know theirs too, every personality, every quirk, the way their energy shifts. Watching them grow up is genuinely one of my favorite parts of this whole thing.
The hardest part: letting them go
I breed and train my horses the way I do because I believe in what I'm doing, and I want to share that with others. So no, I don't breed to keep every horse forever. But that truth doesn't make it any easier once it's time to actually sell one.
That's exactly why, when I do sell, I make sure they're going to the best person, or family, possible.
1. Financial stability. It's not just about having enough money for that first purchase. People often think buying is the big investment, but there's so much more behind it. A horse can injure itself just walking the same flat path they walk every single day, no drama needed. Buyers need to be able to cover everything that comes with owning a horse: the vet, the dentist, the farrier, horsekeeping, feed, all of it.
2. A good life. I breed my horses for reining, and I love watching them go far, it's genuinely so much fun seeing one of my horses succeed in competition. But that's never a requirement for a buyer. They don't need big plans to compete with the horse. What matters to me is that they can give them a good life. Is their home good? Is the environment right? Will they be treated the way they deserve? Whether that horse goes on to compete at the highest level or spends the rest of its life just grazing in a pasture, both are wonderful outcomes, as long as the horse is healthy, safe, and loved. Their welfare always comes first.
Rain winning a competition with his new family.
And even when I do find the perfect home for them, it still doesn't make letting them go any easier. Because it was never just about finding someone wealthy enough. It's about trusting that someone else will love them, take care of them the way I have, and knowing their story will keep going, just with someone else now.
