10/16/2026
There are just some things about owning a business that no one can prepare you for. 💔
This business has been one of the most incredible journeys. I’ve learned so much, not just about horses, but about myself, through every client and every horse that has crossed my path.
People can teach you how to make business decisions, how to grow, and how to navigate challenges.
But no one really teaches you how to handle the heartbreak of losing one of the horses you’ve spent countless hours with.
Maybe it’s because there’s no way to prepare yourself for that phone call. Or maybe it’s because every loss hurts a little differently.
But I know one thing. I wasn’t ready for this one.
For the past year, I’ve had the privilege of working with a horse named Huey/Bandit/Hubert/Hillary - it really just depended on the day. lol
I’ll never forget the first day I showed up to work on him. To my surprise, he was missing what looked like half his shoulder, and I remember thinking, “Well, I’ve sure got my work cut out for me.”
Little did I know, he was going to teach me far more than I could ever teach him.
Huey made me slow down. He made me ground myself before every session. He made me think harder, pay closer attention, and be more intentional with every decision I made around him.
I saw him on his happiest days and on the days he pretended to be mad at me. I learned his personality, his quirks, and all the little things that made Huey, Huey/Bandit/Hubert/Hillary.
And somewhere along the way, he became so much more than just another horse on my schedule.
He became one of my greatest teachers.
I think that’s something people don’t always understand about this line of work. We may not own these horses, but we build relationships with them. We celebrate their progress, worry about their setbacks, and grow attached to them in ways we never expected.
We pour pieces of ourselves into helping them feel better, never really thinking about the day we might have to say goodbye.
And sometimes, the horses we think we’re helping the most end up being the ones who teach us the most.
I wish we had more time. More sessions. More good days. More moments where he’d make me laugh because I knew he was just pretending to be aggravated with me.
But Huey taught me that not every lesson comes with a happy ending. Some come with heartbreak, gratitude, and a whole lot of love.
As hard as this one is, I wouldn’t trade the opportunity to have known him for anything.
Thank you, Huey. For challenging me, teaching me, trusting me, and making me better at what I do.
And thank you to his person, who has become a close friend, for allowing me to be a small part of his journey. I’ll forever be grateful for that privilege.
Rest easy, Hubert. 🌈
May you get all the scratches, pampering, succeed, and treats a boy could ever want.
Some horses leave hoofprints on your heart. Others change the hands you use to help the next one.
Huey did both. 💚
