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Last month, for the first time in more than 20 years, the South ��ֱ���� State University Horse Unit held a public sale of horses from its herd. The unit, located within the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences on the university’s Brookings campus, has been recognized by the American Quarter Horse Association as a reputable breeder for 70 years and welcomes 10-13 foals each spring.
 
“We have worked for years to build a herd that has a combination of very calm demeanor but still high performance and eye appeal that results in good all-around horses,” Rosie Nold, assistant department head of ��ֱ���� science, said.
 
“Our horses get everything they need. There are no questions about if they have been well cared for,” Jen Eide, manager of the horse unit, said. “They are gentle and used to the chaos that comes with being raised on a college campus.”
 
The “chaos” Eide is referring to includes being a popular attraction for dozens of school tours that bring more than 500 elementary school children to walk through the horse barn each year; being part of Horses for Heroes and the Wokini Initiative’s Sunka Wakan program; horseback riding courses through Brookings Park and Recreation each summer; and most importantly, being an integral part of SDSU’s equine studies courses. The is available for any students with an interest in horses. The 18-credit program offers classes on horse handling, health, production and performance. One of the courses, AS104 Introduction to Horse Management, is offered each fall and pairs a student with a weanling (4- to 6-month-old horse). The students work extensively with horses, training them on a halter and laying groundwork for future training.
 
“Nearly every equine class taught at SDSU includes hands-on learning with the horses at the Equine Teaching Facility,” Carmen Paulson, the lecturer for the equine courses, said. “This helps solidify the concepts discussed in the classroom by putting them in action with actual horses. We have classes that cover basics like learning the fundamentals of riding horses and identifying specific bones and muscles of the horse's body all the way to training the yearlings and even helping our broodmares through foaling.”
 
The horses selected for the sale, eight in total ranging in age from 1-3 years old, were chosen for various reasons. Some horses have one-person personalities, which will make them a loyal partner but not ideal for a herd that interacts with dozens of students on a weekly basis. Others have “too big of a motor” and are better suited as performance horses than for the SDSU program. Of the horses that found new homes, a couple are expected to become trail riding horses, two others will begin training as barrel racers, and at least one may be used to work cattle. Eide believes buyers, both from this sale and future sales, will be pleased with the horses, and the variety of occupations they can have. 
 
“Pedigree is important, but it only tells us what horses could be good at,” Eide said. “All of our young horses can learn any task their body is built for. We pride ourselves on raising good, well-tempered, all-around horses.”
 
The horses that were part of the May 3 sale brought an average of $2,500 apiece. All of the money raised will go back into taking care of the horse herd and the unit’s teaching and outreach programs. Details of the 2026 horse sale will be made available next spring. More information about the SDSU horse herd and the equine science program is available online.