Thursday, May 8, 2008

Up Jumped the Devil - Integrity & Horse Trainers

I'm sorry to take a break from the story about Lucy's filly but sometimes life just jumps up and smacks me right in the face. In those times I just have to go with what's foremost in my mind. Writing seems to be the only way I can find to make sense out of those life experiences so here goes.

When I began in this industry I heard over and over how you couldn't succeed unless you bought a $50,000 horse (that's a 20 year old price), paid huge bucks for training, advertising and whatever else that big trainer told you you needed. I've also heard that a small breeder like me can't break out and get the prices my horses are worth either for the very same reasons. I don't have enough money to play the game and I'll never be able to compete with wealthy clients.

I've posted about this attitude before. It just isn't true. But I'm beginning to get a clearer picture of why people believe that might be the case. Some of the practices of the horse industry have certainly exploited the little person with the big dream to the point they've totally given up and become cynical.

A talented trainer isn't all that it takes to get a young horse to realize it's potential. Many a great young horse has been ruined or even sabotaged by supposedly great trainers in the horse industry. Human nature being what it is, a trainer having talent doesn't guarantee that they will be honest or ethical. Sometimes money motivates their actions and they really don't give a rip about people or the horses they have in their care. Those kinds of trainers go for the big money and chew up and spit out the little guy in the process.

I have seen trainers convince clients to sell great horses because they say they don't have it. A friend of mine actually had such a horse. It was a half-Arabian black and white pinto who had won a top ten at Nationals in the western pleasure futurities.

The trainer initially trained the horse and took it to nationals retired. The new trainer convinced my friends that their horse just wasn't going to cut it. The argument was he didn't have what it took to be a great bridle horse.

The horse was put on the market for practically nothing ($15,000) and advertised in a national magazine. Within hours of the ad coming out, the horse was sold to someone who recognized the horse as the one they'd seen at Nationals. My friends received over 18 calls from that ad.....all willing to buy this horse the trainer said was no good. Many didn't even want to come look at him, just knowing he was the horse they'd seen at nationals was enough for them to purchase right over the phone.

My friends had to pay the trainer a commission on that sale. Then they paid the trainer another commission on the purchase of a replacement horse. My friends have never since had a horse as great as the one they let the trainer talk them into "giving away" for $15,000. And that horse the trainer said couldn't cut it has gone on to be a National Champion western pleasure amateur horse. My friends no longer even show horses. Their dreams were crushed.

What's the deal you say? Well, this particular trainer has a habit of blaming the horse whenever she can't get the job done. Her clients are always buying and selling horses while she makes commissions on those purchases. There's always something wrong with the next horse and the next so the process continues. The pockets of the trainer get lined and the little guy suffers.

Training fees are not what make this trainer her money........sales are. Not to mention she never has to be responsible for not getting the horse to it's potential because it's always the horse's fault. There's no accountability for the trainer's practices because owners buy into it believing everything the trainer's say because, after all, the trainer knows horses. Right????

There's also the scenario of the client with all the money who the trainer wants to keep happy. An unethical trainer will get a great horse in the barn but the owner is just a little guy. No wanting to cause a problem with the rich client, the trainer will make sure the new horse never lives up to his potential, blaming that too on the horse. That way he can make sure the great horse never jeopardizes his relationship with the rich client.

This practice of blaming the horse is huge in the horse industry. If the horse isn't going right, it can't be the trainer it must be the horse. It's one of the reasons I started this blog was to talk about such practices.

Trainers who don't do the work but blame the horse are everywhere in every aspect of the horse industry. Trainers who are motivated by money instead of hard work are everywhere from the little know trainers on up to the very top. No level of expertise is exempt from the takers of the world.

Again, most clients believe what the trainer says. They trust the knowledge of the trainer over their own. Unfortunately such clients are at the mercy of unscrupulous trainers. Such practices as selling a horse you can't get trained or putting out of competition one that might beat the money client contribute to the fact that little known people have trouble making it to the top.

If you are an owner you can't put all you faith in a horse trainer just because they have bronzes in their office and beautiful championship neck garlands on the wall. If you're going to make it you have to know what' you're looking at. You have to know what's a good horse and what isn't. And what you get to that place that the trainer is telling you it's your horse, you have to trust yourself. You can't let the "big name" of a trainer cause you to not listen to your gut. If you can't trust the trainer when it comes to ethics, why would you trust what they tell you about your horse.

I have other stories about the ethics of the particular trainer with my friends horse but this one is what's important to how life smacked me today. You all know that a horse I raised went to a show this last weekend. I'm not going to go into the details now other than to say that the horse was not doing his job the way he should be. I'm also going to tell you how business was conducted at the show.

It's been my experience that trainers who take amateur riders and their horses to horse shows school those horses and work with the clients. I mean what reputable trainer takes a young show horse to it's first show under saddle and expects the amateur owner to do all the schooling? None that are ethical, if the client is paying, they should be getting the service.

Most of the time you will see trainers riding the clients horses at the breaks getting them schooled in the ring. Then they put the amateur riders on the horse in the arena as well and give them a thorough lesson. That way the horse and rider have experience in the arena before they ride their class in that session. After the chaos of schooling at the break, the class should be a breeze for the horse and rider.

In addition before the actual class, the trainer will again school the horse and get it going right. Then the client will get on the horse in the warm-up to get a brief feel (a bit of walk, jog, lope each direction) before they head in to their class. The trainer will be there coaching that client on the rail. Sometimes I stand next to trainers on the rail and listen to them coaching ALL of their clients in the ring. That's how it should go anyway. That's what the client pays those show fees for, the trainer's extra time and effort at the horse show.

That's not what happened with the owners of the horse from here, although it is what happened with the rich client in the barn who rides the same class as my guy. While the other person got undivided attention, my horse's owner was pretty much on her own. That might be ok in my book if the client wasn't paying the very same rates that the other client pays.

Because the horse was only schooled by the trainer for one brief lesson the day before the show started, the owner was left on her own to deal with a young horse who was nervous. The result was the horse was a bit faster and he was high headed in the bridle, a sign of his nervousness.

To my way of thinking the owners sure didn't get what they paid for in this situation. While they got plenty of positive feedback from an assortment of people at the show about how awesome the horse and rider pair look and how tough they are going to beat once the horse is going right, that's not what this trip to the show was supposed to be about. The horse did get qualified but it's clear that he's not going well enough to be going to the regional championships.

I've had several conversations with the owners about this issue. The fact that they didn't get what they paid for is huge in my book. They have concerns that maybe the horse should be ridden by the trainer and not the assistant. When the owner broached that subject to the trainer, the trainer's response was that the horse was not good enough. The problem wasn't the training at his barn, it is the horse's confirmation.

Despite the fact that back in Sept, he told them the horse had what it takes to be competitive at the national level, now he's saying the horse isn't capable of doing the job at all. He recommended they take the horse to the next horse show and offer him for sale at a fraction of what they have into him. The trainer's reasoning is the horse just isn't going to be competitive.

So who do the owners believe? Do they believe in their horse and me or do they believe in the trainer with the big name. Being awestruck by trainer has caused grief to more owners than anything I can think of in this industry. It's so easy to sucked into believing everything the trainer says because after all, they're the trainer, and not just any trainer but the really big name............. The problem is that too many trainers have their own agenda that has nothing to do with what's good for the little guy.

If the trainer manages to convince the owners that it's the horse and not the fact the trainer didn't do his job, this horse will not be the first great horse to never realize his potential because of an unscrupulous trainer. And, unfortunately, he won't be the last.

Fortunately for my friend's former horse, he made it to nationals as a junior horse before all this happened. Because so many different people saw him in the ring, he didn't end up as a 4-H horse somewhere. (Yes, believe it or not, some do pay well over $15,000 for great horses for 4-H mounts.) Smart people cashed in on my friend's ingorance and got themselves a great horse for very little money. Other great horses that haven't been so lucky to get to nationals first end up lost altogether, sold outside the nationals circuit or retired to back yards with the owners dreams crushed and bank accounts empty.

Until owners are educated enough to know what they're looking at and willing to stand up for themselves, unethical trainers will continue to exploit them. The every day joe of a client with big dreams can easily be replaced by another one in the trainers barn next fall. They are expendable. It's the big clients the unethical trainer will work to hold. Small breeders like me will be caught in the crossfire with great horses lost because of poor training or worse ethics on the part of trainers.

If this horse ends up sold and down the road it will be unfortunate for my business that's for sure. You can bet I will never sell another great horse before I get the job done first. I have too much to lose. But the setback will only be for the short term. I have other great horses here and I will get them into the ring and to nationals.

What bothers me here is the dream of the owners. I know how bad they need this dream, I've been there myself I also know how fragile dreams can be right in the beginning, before a person has had the time to build faith in themselves and this unbelievable path they are trying to journey. I'd hate to see that they get swallowed up whole because unfortunately I sent them to a trainer I thought would do the job.

I hadn't seen personally this side of trainers that would take a great horse and destroy it's credibility because it suited the trainers covert purposes. I would hate to see that happen to these people. They don't deserve any of the treatment they have received from this trainer and I sure hope they realize what he's doing to them before it's too late.




Please: I would ask that in the comments you please not name names. I think it's appropriate that this post remain "generic" in that regard. If you have something you must say with names, please email me.......risingrainbow at comcast.net

24 comments:

  1. Ironically, we've been discussing this here lately. I know what my horse is capable of, all the BNT's in the area are telling me he's too old now, sell him get a younger one to start.

    I'm not budging. He maybe a year or two later getting his start but he'll be there long after the others his age have left. I KNOW what he's capable of and I'm gonna get him there if I have to do it all myself.

    You're right though. So many of us 'little guys' who have the dream, think that the BNT's know more than we do. They tell us we're 'barn blind' because we just love our horse, we really can't 'see' our horse for what it really is.

    Yada yada yada, eventually you get to second guessing yourself and then you start to think maybe you're wrong... And it just goes on from there.

    I'm gonna say this to every little guy who has the dream... Stick to it. Stick to your guns and go for it with your horse in whatever way you have to. Even if you are 'barn blind' and your horse really isn't 'That one' at least you stuck to it and went as far as the horse could go with you trusting it and it trusting you. And most importantly, you trusting yourself. Don't second guess yourself because of an off day, inadequate training, or snide ringside comments. End the day with no regrets for your actions.

    Easier said than done, but well worth the effort.

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  2. This sucks.
    I am sorry for those people.
    I am really sorry for your friend.
    I send her a hug.

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  3. It breaks my heart that the owners of this horse would want to sell him. It wasn't long ago they were talking about being so excited just to see there horse again. In my book you sell a horse if
    1) You wake up and don't want to go to the barn to see/ride it anymore
    2) You are scared of your horse and make endless excusses as to why you are not riding
    3) Your horse is constantly hurting or taking advantage of you to the point where safety is an issue
    4) You can make a nice profit on the sale.
    5) After time it becomes clear that your goals for the horse are a no go.

    Reading your post and knowing the story I just cannot imgine selling this horse yet. They love him and he must have been doing something right this weekend to qualify, even if he is not at national level yet. I also think that maybe these people ought to consider a trainer change to get this horse closer to home if nothing else. How can anyone expect any rider to go into the show ring feeling confident after a horse was in full training without the person doing the training giving them some pointers? I understand wanting to be with a big name trainer. Trust me I really do. I just don't think that it is worth loosing a horse of a lifetime. If you are happy with your horse (when you close your eyes and think of a horse does a fancy looking chestnut come to mind?) you should not sell them yet. If in a year you are still not making any progress with a trainer change then you sell. It is only May for goodness sake and you are already qualified so you have a ton of time to make adjustments before nationals. Plus if you still want to sell him you can put the add up at nationals which might help in getting more money or at the very least it would be a good target show audience.
    Good luck and go with your heart on this one. If you don't like your horse anymore no one will blame you for selling him, but if you still love him and want to give it a god don't let a trainer stop you on the way to your dreams.

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  4. Oh MiKael- I really hope it is not the pair I think it is....

    Its disgusting the way the Big Names feel the need (insecurity maybe?) to "crush" a smaller competitor with a high quality horse. I am sorry that your other friends sold their gelding, and really hope that the other folks mentioned here are in a position to tell the trainer to kiss their remarkable horse's pucker spot, and take that horse out ON THEIR OWN and Kick A$$!!

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  5. Your post kind of gave me a lump in my throat. High expectations, then confidence ruined. I hope the owners' love for the horse will prevail and they just find another trainer.

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  6. ((HUGS!!)) to them, you, and their beautiful horse...I hope they don't give up their dreams! I have total faith in your ability to breed a wonderful horse and see the potential inside. If these persons are who I think you are speaking of...I believe with all my heart that they can acquire their dream!! Please let them know I believe in them!

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  7. Mikael, this just breaks my heart. For you and for the owners.

    Hopefully they can see the pattern that developed from the moment they started training with this trainer and act on their instincts.

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  8. Wow.. shocking. I never knew that those kind of things happened, but it sounds so true. Something that people would do, just for money, because that's all they really care about. Really pathetic in my opinion.
    By the way... something I have wanted to know for quite awhile now.. how much did you sell your guy for? if I can ask...

    TY for your blog, and being able to teach us a little something everyday, and sometimes you manage to teach us a lot, like with this post.

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  9. Agh, that's horrible! I really, really hope they do not give up on the dream. Switch trainers and barns, but don't give up before it even starts!

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  10. I know that the decision to send this horse to the particular trainer we're talking about was a big one and not made lightly. I know that the owner has seen this trainer in action and liked what she saw. She had a clear picture of what to expect from this trainer and he really let her down. He has treated her like a second class citizen for no good reason.

    Owner: you owe it to your beautiful Barbie doll horse to get a second opinion on his chances for Nationals.

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  11. That's a shame. Hope the dream can continue. Hugs all around!

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  12. Boy do I hear you on this matter. The same thing happened to me, my trainer showed my horse at some of the bigger shows and we got a few offers, (huge amounts of money), well the trainer was relentless and badgered me for quite a while about selling him to the point of being rude and obnoxious. One of the top riders in the country wanted him, and this would have given the trainer quite a nice commission,(he could really have used the money), not to mention the prestige and an in with the top riders/trainers. I wouldn't sell him, not because I was so smart about what was going on but because I loved that horse. After changing trainers, the same thing happened again, I still said no. Even though the horse wasn't "living up to his potential", I still kept him until he passed last year. I heard all the opinions expressed by management about how I couldn't take him to the top. So what, the horse didn't care. I've seen many unscrupulous trainers over the years and this guy you're talking about sounds like a winner. I hope the owners realize that if they sold the horse, he would try and sell them another very expensive one that he would train, show etc. It's all a big money making scam. I remember one time being at a show and our trainer was other wise engaged with someone much more important than us, and didn't have the time to even school us, so we simply found another trainer we knew at the show and had them school us.(We won the classes that day by the way). My advice to the owners would be take everything and anything your trainer says with a grain of salt, until you find the trainer you like and somewhat trust and just keep trying. You can't expect to buy a horse and send him away to be trained and then go to a prestigous show and be the star, you must work hard for what you accomplish and it all takes a lot of time. Be patient and don't do anything rash. Time and experience will pay off in the end.

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  13. loc, I don't know if you know this fact but GS Khochise didn't get his career going until he was ten. He was started way before then but he didn't become successful under saddle until then. So don't let them tell you age is an issue.

    With that being said, many trainers believe if you don't get the horse started by 3 or 4 that they will be a problem to train. That's part of their thinking about age. Not saying I agree, just telling you the thought process.

    Hang in there!

    kahless, thanks for the support.

    onthebit, I don't know if they have made the decision to sell the horse. I think they are still reeling from all this. I doubt they know what to think. But I do know once the trainer has planted the seed the pressure to follow his instructions will kick in.

    mre mom, ya it is.....unfortunately. That's what makes it all so unbelievable to me.

    I hope they will be able to do that too. I'm afraid that a big lack of confidence led up to this in the first place and pretty sure that this latest turn of events have smashed what little confidence there was all to H_ _ _. I sure hope that it can be recovered. I know the horse is worth the effort and I believe the dream is as well.

    If I had quit when I hit obstacles like these, I'd have been finished before I ever got started. It's overcoming these things that gave me the confidence I now have. I hope that will happen in this case.

    molly, I'm with you. I hope they can find a trainer that will do right by all of them. They deserve it.

    equinespirit, I'm hoping they will read this and know that we ALL believe in them.

    kathy c, I hope so too. There is so much at stake here for them. Not just the money but their hearts as well. But can they see passed the trainer and trust themselves.........I really don't know.

    kim, I didn't realize it either until it smacked me in the face. I thought I knew what there was to know about this industry. This latest revelation has me pretty rattled. It means I must really rethink my business plan so I'm not in this situation in the future.

    I'm glad that this post is informative for you. I figure the more these kinds of practices are exposed, the more hope there is that other owners won't fall into such traps.

    original l, I'm with you. I hope their dream survives this and even makes them stronger so they can reach their goal.

    katee, you're right. He did treat her like a second class citizen right from the start. There is so much I didn't post here to not jeorpardize that trainer relationship.

    It's so hard to get someone to understand that letting another take advantage is nothing but destructive. It's doesn't protect you.......it sets you up. This situation is a perfect example. She thought she was guaranteeing the best for her horse and instead she got royally scr*wed.

    I hope they can see his talent with horses doesn't mean he's telling them the trust in this case. And even if I try to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe he is being "honest" that doesn't mean his is the only opinion that counts. He's wrong about this horse. This is really a mess.

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  14. I am so sorry to your friends, what a loss. I truly hope more people are educated about this kind of behavior with trainers. I know with us we are blessed to have 2 really awesome trainers that we have used. But there are ALOT of trainers that are so unethical! And the only thing they see is the money, they are not looking out for the horse's best interest or the owner's for that matter! I guarantee if these trainers would look at themselves 9 times out of 10 it is THERE fault the horses is not where it should be. I do know there are horses out there that are not going to make a cutting horse, roping, dressage, etc. But they do not blame themselves, just the horses it is the easy way out. Our advice to anyone looking for a trainer is to research them, get references, ask to sit in on a class or lesson, (if they say no-red flag!) ask tons of questions, and go with your gut feeling about the person. And the number one thing do not necessarily look at the price the trainer charges. Just because they charge a high amount, does not mean they are the best. Glad you are posting this and getting the word out to many others. Hopefully we can stop these unenthical, wannabe trainers for good!

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  15. This sucks. If the horse were mine, I'd have him on the next transport home instantly, and I'd be looking for another trainer. To he** with the BNT...there are others just as talented, but with much better people skills, and unquestionably better ethics.

    I had a well-bred yearling colt some years ago that I was trying to sell. I called one of the local BNTs to see if he thought the colt could halter. The BNT came to look at my colt, and told me he thought he could be competitive as a yearling. I put the colt with that BNT, and about a month later, I made an appointment to see how my little prospect was doing. When I got to the barn, the BNT was not there. I waited the better part of an hour for him to show up. The only good thing about him not being on the premises when I arrived was that I was able to go find my colt and see how he was doing in the stall. I found my little guy in a stall on the back side of the barn. He was standing in his stall with his head down. Some might say he was taking a nap, but I had to go into the stall before he even raised his head. When he saw who it was, he got this look of recognition and relief on his face. He came over and put his face against my chest and sighed. Later I found out that out behind this stall was the area where they bred their stallions. So my little boy was bombarded with the sounds and smells of breeding...not good for his little yearling psyche. About that time the BNT showed up, and pulled my boy out of his stall. He took him up to the groom stall, brushed him off, and tried to get him to do a halter stance using a coiled up garden hose to get the colt to use his neck and ears. It was obvious to me that he had not worked with the horse at all. I left the facility very disappointed, and about a week later I told the BNT that I had to bring the horse home...some circumstances at home made keeping him in training not possible.

    When I got the colt home, he was a wreck. He was pushy and obnoxious and screaming. He was thin and his coat was awful. It took about three months for him to calm down and start to look more like the colt that had gone to the BNT in the first place. Oh, eventually this colt got National honors in the US and Canada in performance.

    What I think happened was that the BNT came and saw my colt, and after he had him, realized that the horse would need more work than he wanted to put into him, so rather than sending him home, he did what I call "stonewalling" or "sandbagging"...the trainer can't do the job, but he doesn't want another trainer to get either the colt (who probably was competitive) or my money, so he just left the colt in the stall and said nothing.

    I hope these people will wake up and bring their boy home. He's too good a horse to be relegated to obscurity. He needs to be home with his family while everyone heals.

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  16. I have been so looking forward to this story and hoping for a more positive outcome. I know who these people are and all I can say is, dont give up on one bad experience, learn from it and move on, the next time you wil be wiser. You have a fabulous horse and he is everything MiKael says he is I am sure of it.

    Shame on that trainer for doing this to her, he not only abused the young woman with his ethics while she was working there and then didn't deliver on what he in the first place said was there.

    So here is my thought on the subject, dont even think of selling, it may take a bit of work and searching but find someone to help you who has the right disposition and ethics so that you can both shine in the ring the way you should be. You both and MiKael have my deepest sympathies over this ((((((Hugs)))))

    Lori

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  17. kdwhorses, I think getting references on trainers is a good idea. I am bothered by the fact that you never hear about the problems someone has with a trainer until after the fact. Many times people go off licking their wounds but never really tell anyone what happened. It sure would be nice if there was a clearing house or something where people could state their experiences with trainers.

    Unfortunately in this case the trainer is telling them the horse doesn't have the conformation to do the job but he told them before the horse had what it took, not to mention that he told people here at a clinic that he was impressed with this horse. You'd would think that all that contradiction out of his own mouth would tell the owners volumes. It sure does me.

    Not to mention that confirmation is not this horse's issue. He is very talented and was loping slow enough and jogging slow enough for me. Of course, I'm sure the trainer would say that I can't get the job done but the fact is when he worked with Rachel and Dandy he said the horse was beautifully trained. Since I trained that horse, that should be enough proof that I do know how to get it done.

    notablogger, I'm with you on this. Since the trainer has no confidence in the horse it's not a good place for the horse to be. Time and time again trainers take horses they don't like or want to work with and shove them away in the back barn. I sure would get that horse out of there ASAP.

    lori, all around this has not been a good experience for this owner. He has undermined her confidence and made her feel like she must have him to be successful. Nothing could be farther from the truth. He may win some at nationals but he doesn't monopolize the winning by any means. There are other trainers and one of the will be a right fit for both the owner and the horse.

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  18. OMG-MiKael
    You tell that girl to get her horse home as soon as possible. No one trainer is God-I don't care how many titles they have won.

    Get that beautiful and TALENTED horse home and keep working with him while she is looking for someone to help her get the finish they need to WIN Nationals!!!

    Don't leave him there!!! They may do things to him to mess him up. This can be worked out but they need to be away from these people ASAP.

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  19. The list is so long for nightmare stories about trainers.

    Unfortunately, far too often they talk owners into doing exactly what they don't want to do.

    How is it trainers get "control"? It took me decades to learn how to say "I'm sorry, I don't agree with you", or "that is unacceptable".

    Geez ... that feels good when I know I'm right and can say so!

    The horse come first ... something most trainers cannot accept.

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  20. You don't need to spend a lot of money on a horse or training to get a National title. I purchased Kaswyn for $5000 as an unbroken three year old. He has been in training three times - once for 6 weeks when I hurt my back, and twice while I was pregnant. And he has three National Championships and three Reserves.

    It's a shame that people are so dishonest and don't consider what is best for the horse or owner, just what is best for their bottom line.

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  21. I had a BNT tell us about a couple of horses.. actual description "dog food." I rolled my eyes and completely disagreed. TG! Two of them went on to have won countless National or State Level Awards and we are well on our way with the horse I am currently riding!

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  22. Oh no they didn't...I had been wanting, waiting for an exciting report. A report filled with successes. MiKael, I am so sorry, this kind of thing makes my "mommy hackles" stand up on end! I get defensive for the young handler/rider, for the horse (oh, I bet your "mommy hackles" are REALLY up).
    There are 2 types of horse people: the kind of folks you gravatate to...honest, diligent, ethical,(the ones who truly love the horse) and then the folks that are the opposite of all those things.
    I hope, I hope, I hope the dreams of these dear folks have only been bruised. I hope they can see past their emotions and see the truth. I hope they can see that success won quickly is not worth much. I hope they can stand back from their horse and really look at him and see the truth of the matter!
    And in the end...I hope they can pull it all together and eventually put behind them the words and actions of unethical people and attain their DREAM (in spite of and in front of these people)!!!
    Jeanette
    (my computer wouldn't let me log in)

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  23. I have gone thru all these things with a former trainer. It was curious to me that after I left her suddenly people had lots of horror stories to tell me about her but when I inquired about her prior and even during the time I was with her no one had a bad word to say. I think that people are afraid to say anything bad about someone because the horse world is indeed a small world. You don't want to burn any bridges or run the risk of someone talking bad about you. Once you have been burned by someone, everyone else that has been also is willing to share their stories because they are not afraid of you repeating it to the BNT. I understand the reason you don't want to name names - I don't either, but I wonder - how else are people going to get warned if no one will talk?
    I worry even more about the horses that are getting ruined or abused than the people (but I hate for people to get discouraged by BNTs who are out for the money) - these young horses all develop differently and frequently I see that it's the ones that don't fit the BNT's program that are judged to be inferior when in reality it's that the BNT can only make horses that fit his/her program - the trainer is the one without the talent - not the horse.

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