The Ride That Built Me: My Why Behind Horses Hope & Hustle

My name is Crystal Show and this is the story of how Horses Hope & Hustle came to life. 

I grew up as the horse-crazy kid in a family who didn’t believe there was a real way to “make it” in the horse industry. Horses were a hobby. A phase. Not a future.

But I couldn’t shake it.

So right out of high school, I left. I moved away and started carving my own path. I worked for trainers in different disciplines across Wyoming, Texas, and Kansas. I chased opportunity wherever it showed up. I was determined to prove that there was a place for someone like me in this industry.

While in Kansas young life choices were made and slowly, almost without noticing, I drifted from my horse goals and most importantly I drifted from myself.

That’s where I hit rock bottom.

I was so far from the girl who once believed she was worthy of or even capable of chasing her dreams. I felt trapped. Lost. Small. There were countless days I wondered if continuing with life was even worth it. 

But somehow, through the darkness, I found the strength to leave.

At 26 years old, freshly divorced and with less than $1,000 to my name, I packed up and moved to Montana. My life started from scratch.

And those next five years? They built me.

I stayed single. I dug deep into my faith. I poured everything I had into building my business, Big Sky Horse Sales. I rebuilt my world around horses — the one thing that had always felt like home.

But rebuilding doesn’t mean it was easy.

Those years were hard. Lonely. Quiet in ways that echo. I carried anger, sorrow, and insecurity. Drinking became a crutch. I masked my pain by being “the fun Crystal.” I showed up smiling, laughing, working — and then cried myself to sleep more nights than I’d like to admit.

In 2022, I started wintering in Arizona. That season shifted something in me. It opened doors, introduced new perspectives, and stretched my vision. It isolated me in a way that forced growth — while also elevating me in ways I couldn’t yet explain.

Even though I knew I was growing- I was doing all of it- there were still mounds of struggles. Especially in doing life all alone…  But I continued believing and on February 24th, 2024 I saved a bible verse that said:

 ‘The days are coming’  declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise” Jeremiah 33:14

On New Year’s Eve, January 2025. I was outside, hugging a tree in the middle of the night puking my guts out.

And I knew.

I was done.

That night, I decided to quit drinking.

One month later, I met my future husband. The man who was everything I prayed for. The man everyone told me would never come because my standards were too high for.  After 1 month of dating he decided to move to Montana with me. 

He changed the words on my board to ‘The Days Are Here’

My business took off, I started the podcast July 8th, we eloped July 26th and the rest was history. 

It seemed like “it happened so fast” but truly it was years in the making — years of struggle, years of God shaping me, shaping him, building my story and building my confidence to pursue my calling. 

I didn’t know what life would look like but I felt called– I knew I had to share. I knew there were other people — other dreamers, other hustlers, other horse-crazy kids — sitting in the dark wondering if they were the only ones struggling.

They’re not.

Building a life in this industry is not easy. It will test you. It will humble you. It will expose every insecurity you have.

But it is possible.

And sometimes the very pain you wish away is the thing shaping your purpose.

That’s why I created Horses Hope & Hustle.

A podcast about finding light in the dirt and purpose in the ride. It’s about real conversations. About entrepreneurship. About faith. About failure. About getting back up when you fall off — literally and figuratively.

I truly believe God has a purpose for our pain. A plan for us that only He can see when the road feels unclear. I believe our lowest valleys often prepare us for our highest calling.

If you’re here listening, reading, or following along — I want you to know something:

You are seen.

Your struggle is not wasted.

Your dream is not foolish.

And even if today feels heavy… you only have to keep going one more day.

Chase the dream. Do the hard thing. Step into what God has called you to build — even if no one else understands it yet.

Thank you for being here.

I hope you find exactly what you need — hope, clarity, courage — to keep riding forward.

Welcome to Horses Hope & Hustle

-Crystal Show