ridecamp@endurance.net: Whoa there, folks! was: Sending Our Horse to a Trainer

Whoa there, folks! was: Sending Our Horse to a Trainer

Joe Long (jlong@mti.net)
Mon, 21 Apr 1997 20:24:06 GMT

I've just finished reading the "horror story" about the horse's legs being
injured at the trainers.

Now, I don't know what happened, and I'm not commenting on what happened. But
before everyone condemns this trainer, let's hold up a bit.

I've been around this game a long time, and on the AERC Board for 14 years. I
spent some time on the protest committee. One thing I've learned is to not form
an opinion about an accusation such as this without hearing both sides. When
you read the indictment from one side it can sound like an open-and-shut case,
and then when you get evidence from the other side the truth turns out to be
something quite different.

A couple of points about this case: one, did the leg injuries result from a
trailer accident, or did the owner just assume that (it wasn't stated in their
account). Two, note that we have two very different descriptions of the extent
of the injury -- one says "huge gouges on both her hind legs, one portion was
scraped to the bone" and the other says "she just has some hair missing."

As far as the trainer's uncooperative attitude -- how you might react if you're
in the middle of a stressful situtation and someone gets "in your face" about an
injury you consider to be minor and part of the normal hazards of working with
horses? Is this what happened here? I don't know -- and neither does anyone
else (yet) who wasn't there.

Now, I'm not accusing anyone here of not being truthful. But when emotions run
high exaggerations and selective memory often occur.

So, I respectfully suggest that we hold off crucifying the trainer, filing
complaints, etc. without her having a chance to tell her side.

-- 


Joe Long
jlong@mti.net
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