06/21/2026
Happy Father’s Day to the horse dads, and our resident farm dad, Daniel Buffington!
My husband did not grow up dreaming about horses, Jamie Sindell writes.
I am 100 percent certain that nowhere on his list of life goals was “own a horse farm,” “haul horse trailers,” or “worry about how much a bale of hay costs.”
And yet, here we are. Somewhere along the way, he became a farm owner and a horse dad. And not just any horse dad, one of the good ones. Not because he loves horses the way our daughters do. But because he loves my daughters, and he loves me.
I think that’s true of a lot of horse dads. Most of them never planned for this crazy life. They didn’t grow up memorizing bloodlines, watching horse shows, or dreaming about trips to Devon. They certainly didn’t imagine spending weekends in the blazing sun, waiting hours for a class that lasts for two minutes. Yet somehow, they find themselves living the horse life.
They learn how to back trailers. They learn how to catch horses. They learn that horse show schedules are more of a kind-of-sort-of than an actual plan. They learn that a quick stop at the tack store for something small is never actually quick (and never actually cheap).
They learn because someone they love loves horses. And before long, they embrace this life too.
My husband has learned all kinds of things he never planned on learning, and probably never wanted to learn. He owns a horse trailer he never asked for when he would much prefer a fishing boat. He spends weekends, after a long work week, dragging rings, fixing fences, repairing waterers, and tackling a never-ending list of farm projects instead of relaxing. He does night check before bed instead of chilling in front of his favorite show. He knows which horses need extra grain and when it’s time to buy more. He knows which gates don’t latch correctly. Then he buys the new latch and replaces it. None of that was part of the original plan.
He does this because he understands the joy the horses bring his family. He sees the grins on his girls’ faces when they hug their pony. And he is far from alone.
📎 Continue reading this piece at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/06/19/heres-to-the-horse-dads/
📸 courtesy of Jamie Sindell
