THE LIFE OF A RANCH WIFE

THE LIFE OF A RANCH WIFE: SELLING THE BEST ONE

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY KATE SANCHEZ

“Why would you sell your best horse?” a friend asked. Not a horse person herself, she didn’t know much about the animal in question, but heard me utter the words, “experienced, dependable, gentle,” and most of all, “good with our daughter”.

So, it was no surprise that she somewhat questioned my judgement in choosing THAT particular horse to be offered for sale. After all, in our talented horse lineup, we’ve owned this one the longest and know him the absolute best. He has been all those things previously mentioned, and coincidentally, that’s why he’s being sold.

Her question seemed so simple, but it made me think. Horse ownership is a vast experience; some people own one horse in their back pasture for the better part of 20 years, while others buy a horse one week and sell it for a small profit the next. It’s a large spectrum, but the common factor that lies between us all is that we’re doing something we love and finding enjoyment along our path with horses.

In my case, and in choosing our best horse each time, it’s first a labor of love. I will be forever grateful to this horse, those that came before him, and more which will come in the future; that have granted me the ability to help them reach a level of talent which appeals to potential buyers. I’m proud when we take a horse to a sale and people say they drove 10+ hours to see

our horse, specifically. I’ll also admit how gratified I am when I hear success stories from anyone who buys a horse from us. Because we only sell horses occasionally, each one means a great deal to us, and it’s important they go to a fitting home.

But don’t be mistaken, selling our best horses isn’t about an ego-boost. While getting paid for a lot of hard work is always nice, it comes second to everything else that both we and the horse gain from letting him go. Like many people, with every horse purchase made, the thought of re-sale may be in mind for the future. So, with each one, a multitude of things like pedigree, conformation, and attitude are taken into consideration. I refuse to send a horse out into the world that I would be ashamed to say we owned, so I work hard to get them to a place where most anyone could enjoy them. Along the way, I learn where he excels and most likely, what his shortcomings are, as well.

On the other hand, I learn much from these horses too. With each comes new lessons, a new set of challenges, and even greater rewards. Because of this, selling our best horse forces me out of my existing comfort zone. If we sell our most skilled horse, it’s a challenge for me to step up and do the same with a younger or less experienced mount. That challenge in learning new skills and teaming up with another horse is perhaps what I enjoy most about the process. After all, what’s life without constantly bettering oneself and honing your skills at something you enjoy?

Aside from all these things, we will choose this special animal because of the value placed on him, and I don’t mean monetarily. I want to be the person who sells him to his forever home. I value him enough to offer him the chance for a lifelong home he will flourish in, where people benefit from him as much as he does them. I value him enough to provide him the opportunity to be the horse of someone’s dream forever; because my dreams (the same ones he’s helped me fulfill) are not in keeping one for their entire lifetime, but rather in creating that “unicorn” for someone else.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kate Sanchez is a freelance writer based out of Ruidoso, NM. She and her husband have worked on various ranches across OK and west Texas. They have one horse-loving daughter, who is two. Kate graduated from Eastern NM University in 2009 with a degree in Journalism and minor in Agriculture. She currently writes for a few different publications and enjoys training and showing horses.