Does anyone know of this farm and what type of horse business and facilities they have? I believe the owner is Jesse Austin. Thanks for any info. anyone has.
Cedar Ridge is owned by Jesse. He buys and sells assorted animals, horses, cows, goats, llamas etc. He has a large indoor arena lined on both sides with stalls.
I have not been there in a few years
Jesse Austin either has or used to have Lux Trailer Sales and also buys and sells at auction, horses from camps etc. I once treated an entire herd of about 20 horses who came down with strangles and not once did he show up or telephone to ask how they were doing. I had two young horses on the farm at the time who were a good distance away but I could not help trying to clean out their abscesses. They were so sick, winter and no feed, decent pasture and a creek to drink out of but it was cold and they had no shelter. I was only boarding my horses there so I made sure the owner called to let him know. I have no time for him.
The Boot
FWIW he uses the old horse trader’s method “I’ll sell you this horse and if you don’t like it I will take her back and find you another”
What he is not saying is that yes he will indeed take the horse back but you will have to pay more for the nex one.
My SIL and BIL board their horses there and they frequently mention that there are horses with strangles there. When I went there I stripped and washed everything before going near any of my horses or touching any of my horses stuff.
I actually live on the Goochland/Louisa line and I have never heard of Cedar Ridge Farm! Weird. It must be really small. Strangles? Now I know why I havent heard of it. Is it like Hunter/Jumper scene or just back yard?
Ibelieve it’s on Chalk Level rd between Mineral and Louisa. They cater mostly to a western crowd, quite a few QH’s and paints. I’m not sure it even has a sign at the road. Tipical Bumpass farm, bunch of trailers etc out front
Would that be the same Jesse Austin quoted in Washington Post article about hauling horses to slaughter? Check out by googling Jesse Austin horse.
Are you trying to locate your horse that was placed either via free lease or guarenteed return sales contact in Mt Airy Maryland (MD)?..and has know disappeared?
draw your own conclusions
Sounds like one and the same.
As I said earlier BIL and SIL board their horses there.
About 6 years ago I went with SIL to the barn. Jessee asked me what kind of horses I had. I said Irih, mostly Connemara/TB. He said he had never heard of them until he picked one up for a client at the recent PAS sale. She changed her mind and I could have the horse for what he paid…$2000
Bonnie evidently had been in the same stall for weeks with a catch rope on her halter because that was the only way they could catch her.
He showed me her papers.
I went home and was able to access the auction records on line and prit them out.
He had actually paid $425.
I hitched up my trailer and scraped together all the cash I had on hand $600 or $800.
He turned me down, insisting he paid $2000.
I left, very upset.
When I told Mr P what had happened he bought her and had her dumped in my round pen for a birthday surprise. I believe he paid $1750.
She’ll never be trustworthy, but she has a good life.
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Bad News
Jesse Austin is a horse dealer. He frequents auctions in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania and tries to sell the horses at another auction, to outside buyers like you and me, or to slaughter. He is know to deal with slaughterhouses. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030124&slug=horsemeat24
He also owns a Lux horse trailer dealership which is why he has so many trailers in front of his farm. This is his website: http://www.luxtrailers.com/
His facility is nice minus all the auction horses that frequent his farm that are usually sick. He does have an indoor arena and attached barn. He even has some nice QH and Paints there that belong to him or boarders. I would recommend staying far away!
I know of him due to working for a trainer he had at his barn that would reschool auction horses and sell them at the nicer auctions at Frying Pan Park in Herndon. I rode many horses the day of the auction with a promise of commission on their sale and recieved only $100 after all the horses were sold as that was all the “cash the trainer had on her” to pay me at the end of the day…then I learned of their history and promptly never returned to the farm!:mad:
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We bought our trailer from him and had a good experience.
We bought two ponies from him years ago and got what we thought we were getting. Ponies didn’t work out, so we sold them and didn’t go back for more.
Their farm is as others have described but I guess I knew he was a trader and to take everything with a grain of salt, so I don’t feel I was ripped off. We wanted cheap project ponies and that is what we got. Nothing looked sick at the time…a few thin horses but nothing terrible. We never trust traders though and always quarantine.
Would I go back? No. Having to quarantine and worry just isn’t something I want to do any more. And dealing with traders is like dealing with car salesmen and I’ve tired of that.
And he is pretty full of himself, so he doesn’t negotiate well.
And there was something about going to sign trailer paperwork at their home and being greeted “enthusiastically” by multiple loose Dobies and Rotties that makes me rethink buying another trailer from them and doing business on their farm 
:lol:
So who would you recommend in the Va/Md/Wv area if you are in the market for a family horse/kid’s horse/husband horse, and you only want to deal with someone honest and ethical? Either English or Western, who cares about their reputation more than making a profit?
I would say find a trainer or knowledgeable friend and find some private horses for sale with the trainers help. A good trainer knows where to look. Also try www.virginiaequestrian.com and dreamhorse.com. VISIT THE HORSE MORE THAN ONCE BEFORE BUYING.
I think Jesse tells what he knows about the horses he has if you are willing to take the risk but most of those horses he has only had for a very limited time so it’s more like what the previous owners told him. I do think Jesse tries to find homes for the nice horses that come through his farm and unfortunately some ppl use his farm as a dumping ground.
There are several other “horse traders” in central VA you need to beware of that make Mr Austin look like a saint. 
Good Luck.
See my posts above PLUS
SIL mentioned to her DH that she always wanted a horse. So BIL bought one from JA.
That horse wasn’t big enough so they bought an OTTB From him.
That horse didn’t do well outside the ring (IMHO he was not sound)so they got a gray QH. Don’t knoy what was wrong with that one so they got a " bomb proof" 2 YO QH filly. She tossed SIL, resulting in a broken pelvis and several broken ribs. Traded her for a “bombproof 3 YO” Horse was Lying down in the field, SIL clipped a line on his halter, he jumped up and took off, breaking more of SIL’s ribs. Traded that one in on her current horse who has been OK so far, been a few years. Some of the other ones lasted weeks. I’m sure there was a “boot” each time
[QUOTE=ytr45;5221363]
So who would you recommend in the Va/Md/Wv area if you are in the market for a family horse/kid’s horse/husband horse, and you only want to deal with someone honest and ethical? Either English or Western, who cares about their reputation more than making a profit?[/QUOTE]
Ummm… The last line… Why should someone sell you a horse and not profit?
I don’t have any recommendations other than to find a trainer you can work comfortably and do expect to pay them 
[QUOTE=ytr45;5221363]
So who would you recommend in the Va/Md/Wv area if you are in the market for a family horse/kid’s horse/husband horse, and you only want to deal with someone honest and ethical? Either English or Western, who cares about their reputation more than making a profit?[/QUOTE]
Nobody. You might be able to find some honest individuals looking to sell their horses, but as far as the businesses go, you’re pretty much gonna get nothing but grief if you’re looking for a totally honest deal. That’s just the way things are.
Try Dreamhorse. I ran a search for beginner horses in MD/VA/DC under $3000 and got 70 hits.
There are 2 possibilities in the Giveaway section of COTH classifieds or you could post a Horse Wanted add.
Tell your vet and farrier you are looking
Two months ago I knew of a super Holst mare for $2000 but she’s sold
Ask a lot of questions, take someone experienced with you when you look and have the owner ride the horse first unless she has a very good reason not to.
Get at least a basic vet exam, eyes, heart, flexions and neuro. You probably don’t need xrays
[QUOTE=LexInVA;5222387]
Nobody. You might be able to find some honest individuals looking to sell their horses, but as far as the businesses go, you’re pretty much gonna get nothing but grief if you’re looking for a totally honest deal. That’s just the way things are.[/QUOTE]
:yes: Agreed. I can’t think of a single low-end dealer that I’d go to without really checking things out. Go private sales and you’ll have a much better chance of an “honest” deal, especially if you aren’t super-experienced and don’t want to vet (which you should do anyway ).
I am bringing up this thread as I was just made aware of a missing stakes winning OTTB - he was in the same barn as my guy during their racing days. Last in this dealer’s hands - he is not forthcoming.
Hope this link works.
https://www.facebook.com/1597169513851647/photos/a.1597208973847701.1073741827.1597169513851647/1690756897826241/?type=3&theater
I have never been to Jesse’s place in VA, but I do have two horses from him. My first horse also came from him, I had another horse as a pasture mate that came from him, and rode another horse that came from him. He can get some really nice horses, but a lot of them are older and have a reason they ended up with him. I can agree with what someone else said that he tells you what he has been told or what paperwork has came along with the horse. Like I said though, there is always a reason as to why they end up in his hands.
I love my two horses, but the one has an old racing injury. The other has bad training (I was able to track down information on where things went wrong in her life), but she is a really nice horse otherwise. I came to find out she doesn’t have a lot of miles on her, which I assumed from our first ride (very green). Whomever he got her from with papers had her written up as 2 years younger than she actually is. I would definitely suggest going with someone that knows what they’re doing, if you were to go purchase from him. Definitely does not hurt to see what he has to offer. I have found my diamonds in the rough, and won’t be giving them up!!
