Charlotte stable owner at center of viral uptown horse incident loses civil case over ‘blinded’ horse
A Charlotte man arrested after a horse ran into traffic and was hit by a car in uptown Charlotte in April must pay a former customer who says he blinded her horse.
Desmon Moore, who runs Reform Stables, a Charlotte-based boarding and equine event business, was arrested along with his brother Deven following an April confrontation with officers. The encounter occurred after a horse was struck by a car in uptown. Video of the incident shows the horse running into traffic after a man who was not either of the Moores tried to stand on its back and fell.
At the time of the arrest, Moore had already been facing a lawsuit from former customer Tracy Bogan, whose horse suffered an eye injury during its stay at Reform Stables. Now, Moore must pay Bogan $1,244, a judge ruled last week — half the horse’s purchase price plus its vet bills.
Moore is also facing a new criminal case for threats Bogan says he made against her because of the lawsuit.
Moore and Bogan have traded accusations for months. Screenshots shared with The Charlotte Observer by Moore show Bogan has repeatedly messaged Reform Stables’ business associates or fellow event organizers with allegations about the stable and Moore, and insulted him online. Bogan has also contacted Moore’s parole officer and made allegations of animal abuse to the city.
The two’s association began last fall. Bogan purchased Kodak in October 2025 and paid $250 per month to board it at Reform Stables, court records show. Around 11:30 p.m. on Christmas Day, a few hours after Bogan visited Kodak, she got a call from Moore that the horse had an eye injury. Kodak’s right eye was split and a vet later determined Kodak had a corneal erosion and vision loss in that eye, a vet report from December shows.
Bogan says Moore told her that he went to ride Kodak around 11 p.m. and noticed the injured eye. But Moore didn’t have permission to ride the horse, and a camera she had in the stall’s rafters had been unplugged, according to Bogan.
Moore has said that Bogan asked him earlier that day to work with Kodak because he was having behavioral problems. Bogan told Moore she was considering selling Kodak because of concern over the issues, which included bucking someone, video and text messages show. The two then agreed during a phone call that Moore would try to put a saddle on him to work with him first, according to Moore.
Moore said Kodak got hurt when he was thrashing and bucked Moore, and although the two initially discussed sharing the cost of a vet bill, those talks broke down over the amount, text messages show.
Moore didn’t show up at the last hearing in the civil case on June 19th, according to court records. He and his lawyer weren’t aware of the hearing and he plans to appeal, he told the Observer.
Moore was arrested earlier this month in a related criminal case after Bogan said he threatened to kill her, an arrest warrant issued in late May shows. Bogan said in an affidavit that Moore called her boyfriend and son with threats, including that he would kill her if she didn’t drop the civil case. Moore was released on bond the following day, records show.
Moore, for his part, has said that he never threatened her and that Bogan’s repeated communications with customers, online posts and contacts to authorities have amounted to harassment. Moore has also alleged that Bogan’s boyfriend threatened him and his family with physical harm.
Bogan has denied harassment and said she’s been warning people because she’s concerned about the animals on the farm and doesn’t want anyone hurt.
Photos shared with the Observer by Bogan and another former boarder show numerous horses with injuries, but Moore has said horses sometimes get hurt during normal daily riding and boarding activities — and those aren’t signs of abuse.
“My horses are healthy and happy. I’m gentle with them but firm when needed, like any responsible owner. I love my horses, and neglect is not something I’m capable of,” Moore said.
Charlotte Animal Care & Control and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have made several visits to the property for allegations of animal neglect or abuse since January, CMPD records show. Officers from multiple city departments also conducted a thorough inspection of the property in April, animal control field operations manager Bryan Harkey told the Observer.
But while city officials have been working with Moore on minor zoning issues, none of the allegations of abuse or neglect have been substantiated, Harkey said.
Bogan has given Kodak back to his original owner, Naya Ward, and he’s since been sold.
A vet report from December characterized Kodak’s eye injury as severe and listed its vision prognoses as “poor.” That report mentioned the eye may need to be removed if it didn’t heal, but Kodak ultimately ended up keeping it, Ward said.
Although he has some vision loss, Kodak rides well and is currently barrel racing in Georgia, Ward said. There, he’s happy and healthy, with plenty of pasture land to roam, according to Ward.
“It’s a bittersweet thing, but he’s in a better place,” Bogan said.
This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Charlotte stable owner at center of viral uptown horse incident loses civil case over ‘blinded’ horse."