11/06/2026
There’s something I need to say, and it may not be what some people want to hear.
Over the last few years, but especially this year, I’ve seen some awful comments directed at Kaimanawa trainers. One accusation that keeps coming up is that trainers are “making money” from these horses.
The truth is, that couldn’t be further from reality.
The vast majority of what comes in goes straight back into the horses… feed, facilities, equipment, veterinary care, transport, and the countless expenses that come with giving these horses the best possible start after muster. What little remains doesn’t even begin to reflect the hours, days, weeks, and sometimes months of work that go into helping a wild horse feel safe enough to trust humans.
Some trainers work full-time jobs and spend every spare moment with these Kaimanawa Horses. Others train horses professionally and choose to dedicate their time to these horses, often turning away work that would pay significantly more. None of us are doing this because it makes financial sense.
We do it because these horses deserve a chance.
Training a wild horse is not the same as training a domestic horse. It requires a unique skill set, endless patience, emotional resilience, and a willingness to put the horse’s needs before your own. Plenty of highly experienced horse people have discovered that Kaimanawas are in a league of their own. They challenge us, humble us, and teach us every single day.
What many people don’t see is the emotional toll.
These horses have been removed from the only life they’ve ever known. They’ve lost their families, their freedom, and everything familiar. As trainers, we walk into their pens and feel that confusion, fear, sadness, and grief. We have to be the steady ones for them, even when our hearts break for what they’ve been through.
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve gone home and cried because I wished things could be different for them.
But I’ve also cried happy tears watching them meet the people who will love them for the rest of their lives. Watching a horse that once feared human touch seek comfort from their new owner is one of the most rewarding experiences imaginable.
The reality is that this isn’t a job that ends at 5pm. It is 24/7, every day, until that horse is ready for their next chapter. We don’t charge by the week. We simply try to cover enough to get us through whatever timeframe that individual horse needs — whether that’s four weeks or twelve months. Every horse is different, and every horse deserves the time they need.
There are sacrifices that many people never see.
Our families sacrifice time with us. Our own horses sacrifice time with us. After last year’s large double muster, I honestly feel like I haven’t truly had time to enjoy my own horses for nearly a year. This work asks a lot of the people who step up to do it.
So before judging, please take a moment to consider what really goes into giving these horses a second chance.
To those who support the trainers, who see the long hours, the heartbreak, the setbacks, the risks, and the victories — thank you. Your understanding means more than you’ll ever know.
And to everyone else, I simply ask this:
Please be kind.
Because behind every trained Kaimanawa is a person who has poured their heart, time, energy, tears, and often their own resources into helping that horse find a future.
We’re not doing this to get rich.
We’re doing it because we care.
