Midcoast Performance Horses: Entrepreneur Setting Standards in Horse Sales Industry

Meet coastal college cowboy Spencer Castro, a Ph.D. student turned entrepreneur who started his own performance horse sales company and online auction site.

Buying and selling in the horse industry can be a headache. It can be even more challenging for those looking to get into the community with all the technical words, jargon and language used throughout. That didn't stop Spencer Castro from pursuing a life with horses from a young age, growing up in the heart of St. Paul, Minn. 

"There never was a pinnacle moment for me; since I could remember, I just wanted to be around horses," said Castro. 

Castro's parents would shuttle him around the twin cities metro and surrounding counties to countless horse shows, from hunter-jumper to Western Saddle Clubs Association events. As long as he could be around horses, it didn't matter. 

Before leaving for college in Tampa, Fla., Castro found an opportunity to purchase and sell horses, realizing he could make a profit. He returned after his first year of undergraduate college and bought a few more horses to tune on and sell. His friends caught on and offered to ride some for Castro while he was away at college. Realizing he could do this from anywhere, Castro began a new journey he never saw coming. 

Castro funded himself through his bachelor's degree in business and a master's degree in healthcare administration by selling horses in Minnesota while located in Florida. He posted horses for sale from videos sent to him by his part-time trainers between college classes. 

"When Covid hit, the horse market absolutely crashed," said Castro. "People were selling the projects they had out of fear, so we sold some too. Within ten to fifteen minutes from posting, horses were sold. Some before I even got an iPhone picture of them."

As the horse market fluctuated and the world slowed down, Castro sped up. Coming home from Florida, he got to work by buying, tuning and selling horses faster than before. 

Castro stated that in 2020, with the help of full-time trainer Cole Stevens, he sold approximately 175 horses.

"I credit the McNamara family; they allowed me to bring more horses in and out. They never told me to stop. I'm so lucky to have them as friends."

While selling horses on the side and running an operation out of the McNamara's barn, Castro upgraded to his own facility, soon outgrew it, and purchased a larger facility in Lester Prairie, Minn., in 2022. 

Spencer Castro, Owner and Founder of Midcoast Performance Horses and equineauction.com

Castro stated that the name Midcoast came to him while thinking of his unique business model. Considering he is based in Tampa, Fla., while his horses are located in Minnesota. 

"I'm always between the Midwest and the Gulf Coast. Something in it just clicked."

While selling horses to the public, Castro ran into other issues. After primarily posting sale horses on Facebook, he came up with another business endeavor: an online auction. Castro owns and operates bi-weekly auctions on equineauction.com. 

Midcoast Performance Horses ads written by Castro have gone viral across the internet for his wit and humor, though he holds truth to a high standard. 

"This is what I'm selling, point blank, period. That's what the horse industry needs. No horse is perfect, but there's a market for everything. Not every horse is going to be a champion, and not every horse moves around like a thief in the night. I think that's why my buyer market is so broad here. I have something for everyone, and there's a market for just, a horse." 

While Castro is buying horses and selling his and clients, he is also currently a doctoral candidate researching the socioeconomic factors impacting of Alzheimer's and early onset Dementia. Close to his heart, his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and is cared for by Castro and his siblings. 

"I never really planned on being this involved in the horse market, but I do plan on finishing my degree for her."

Castro credits his success is driven by family and friends who believed in him from an early age. Friends early on who made an impact and helped him begin his success include Natalie Wright, The McNamaras, Jenna Folkedahl, Cole Stevens, Brody Angstman, and many others who helped him begin Midcoast Performance Horses. 

"You don't have to be cowboy to be successful," said Castro. 

Despite Castro not being a head trainer, his eye for horses, knowledge of bloodlines, and pure honesty in a trust-heavy industry have set him apart from the rest.