Ahhh the stories I can tell after having been in contact with the slimy underbelly of the hunter/jumper world! My favorite is the trainer who bought a horse for $2000 and sold it to a dupe...er...CLIENT for $10,000, also charging a finder's fee. When the horse didn't work out, he told her he'd find a buyer--for a fee--which he did. But he also told her he could only get $7,000 for the horse. He actually sold the horse for $14,000 (are you following this?). The real kicker was he didn't tell the original client he had sold the horse for 4 or 5 months, therefor collecting board from two people for one horse. This is not uncommon, and the general philosophy is "buyer beware." This trainer was a really nice guy who has helped me out with several emergencies, but thinks nothing of duping his clients. If you really want to get the skinny on the scams that go on, read "Hot Blood" by Ken Englade. I actually knew some of the people in this book.
