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Re: [RC] Need quick advice... - Laney Humphrey

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


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