No Respite for Horse Owners
Stephanie Reed wants to keep working with horses. Photo by KUT NewsAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Stephanie Reed owns a small ranch in Dale, Texas. She lost her job at a Luling saddle shop after the recession and prolonged drought put the 128-year-old business in jeopardy.
She trains horses at ranches across Central Texas and had planned to build an arena and offer lessons at her own ranch.
Reed started the year with 22 horses but had to give most of them away. Few people are buying horses because the cost to feed them has skyrocketed in the drought.
Reed says that if it were not for the kindness of friends and colleagues, she would have had a worse year. She recently found a job at a local manufacturing company but continues to look for a career that will let her use her BS in equine science and work with horses.
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