Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Hi Elly,
	My sense is that better communication between you and the trainer is 
what's needed.  You say you have zero experience sending horses to 
trainers which might mean that you don't know how much communication 
with the trainer is appropriate, and also whether it has to be only by 
"long distance,", i.e., phone or whether you can visit frequently and 
watch her working with your horse.  I'd make sure and ask.  If she makes 
it seem like she doesn't want you around while she's training, that 
would send up red flags with me.
	I worked for a trainer for 5 years.  She wished more owners would 
actually come out to the ranch, visit their horses and watch her work 
with them (to say nothing of actually ride their horses with her so they 
got trained too)!
	If communication is the problem between the two of you, she might be 
feeling that she can't explain to you what is really going on with your 
horse and why she feels it needs more, slower work than what you 
expected.  You didn't tell us what your own horse experience level is, 
but it might be that, due to lack of experience, you are expecting that 
all horses will come out of say, 60 or 90 days of training at the same 
level of capability.  I can tell you that that isn't the way it is, any 
more than expecting every first grade child to be able to read at grade 
level by the end of the year (in spite of "no child left behind).
	I don't blame you for being mad at all the delays, but if I were you, I 
would commit to laying my anger aside for the good of my horse, and 
really trying again to communicate with the trainer.  Try to see your 
horse through her eyes; try to see what she's seeing.  If you come away 
still not satisfied, then you can feed good about concluding that her 
training style and your needs aren't a good match and start looking for 
another trainer.  From what you say, it doesn't seem like she's hurting 
your horse and that's good but I would sure quizz her on why she sees 
the need to go as slowly as she is.  BTW, I would also talk with the 
people who recommended her to make sure that what they want with and 
from their horses matches up with what you want.  Personally, I've 
worked with a few trainers who, for their own reasons, went much slower 
than I thought was useful for either me or my horse.  Just a difference 
in style.  I moved on.
	Hope this helps!,
Laney

Burnett, Elly wrote:
> Hello ridecampers....
>
> So I have my four-year-old endurance prospect at a local trainer that 
> shall remain nameless.  I've had nothing but glowing feedback from 
> anyone I've mentioned the trainer's name to, and the trainer had come 
> highly recommended from another respected riding instructor that I've 
> worked with.
>
> I should also mention I have zero (0) experience with sending horses to 
> trainers whatsoever.
>
> I dropped him off on September 1st for 60 days training, and signed a 
> contract that said he'd be doing X, Y and Z at the end of 60 days.  I 
> called once a week for an update, and six weeks into the deal the 
> trainer still hadn't ridden him (she'd been doing "extensive" groundwork 
> with him).  I was more than a little frustrated, since I'd be getting 
> him back in two weeks with only a short amount of time under saddle.  I 
> understand the need for a good groundwork base, but it seemed like this 
> was a little excessive.  I finally got fed up and told her I needed to 
> see what he was doing, and went down and was thoroughly impressed with 
> his groundwork and attitude change.  She wanted to keep him for another 
> month, and we negotiated back and forth and I agreed I'd only pay board 
> at the facility so she wouldn't lose any money and she would finish him 
> in another 30 days.
>
> At the end of the training period, she does a lesson to show the 
> progress and to show me things I need to be doing with him.  I was 
> supposed to pick up my horse last week.  She called and said she'd been 
> sick and that she'd keep him for an additional week for free.  Fine.  So 
> we arranged for me to go pick him up tomorrow.  She's been pressuring me 
> to leave him for an additional month, for board cost only.  She just 
> called me and said there was construction at the barn and that we'd have 
> to reschedule for next week.  So now I'm mad.  Steaming, raging, 
> storming mad.  I think I'm getting the runaround, but I sure as heck 
> don't know why.
>
> Does anyone have any experience with this?  Advice?  I don't know who 
> else to ask....
>
> Elly

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=