Worst case scenarios 3! What would YOU do?

Rules:


鈥?you can answer one or all of the scenes (or any you have selected)


鈥?what would you REALLY do in this type of situation? Be honest, otherwise all the answers are about the same.


鈥?please do not criticizes other people's responses. Remember, this is just for fun.





1.) You are ridding your horse in the arena with a few other people. After trotting for a bit, you come down to a walk and give your horse his head so he can have a little break. As you walk around, a lady on her horse comes and starts to walk beside you and talk to you. Your horse pins is ears at the other horse. You are nervous of the other horse being so near and try and wrap up the conversation so you can keep working. You pick up your reins and pick up a trot. The lady does the same and shouts to you, "I'll just follow you behind!" You reply with,"My horse doesn't like other horses too much, and we are going to be doing some canter work and leg yielding," as an indication for her not follow. The lady insists she follows you, and no matter what you say, she still does it. Your horses is pinning his ears again and you are afraid he might kick. What would you do?





2.) You are going on vacation for a week and need someone to ride your horse while your gone. You would ask your trainer, but she already is busy for that whole week and doesn't have the time. So instead, you ask one of the girls who work at the barn if she would like to ride him, as she is a rider herself and has experience tacking, untacking, grooming, and caring for horses. She agrees and is very entusiastic about it. You show her where his brushes, tack, and other belongings that he might need are and leave her your phone number. You tell her to only use his things. A week later, you return home after a relaxing week visiting your parents down in Flordia (yay?). You go to the barn to ride your horse because you haven't seen him in ages. You ask the girl how he was, and she says he was a gentleman. So you get your horse out and begin to brush him, but as you go over his back, he flinches. You hesitate for a moment, and then take your hand and press down on his back. His rear end curls under in pain. He never has done this before. You go and grab the girl that rode him and show her his back. She swears that he wasn't doing that when she was looking after him. You ask her if she thought the saddle looked weird or felt funny on him. She replies with,"I didn't use your saddle, I used my friends." You horse's back is really hurt. What would you do?





3.) You are a trainer, and you have a student (13-15 years old) that is looking for a horse. You agree to go horse shopping with her and her mom when they find a horse they want to look at. A few weeks later, the girl finds a horse that she is interested in. She shows you the picture and it's infromation. It was a 5 year old grey thoroughbred cross gelding that could walk, trot, and canter. It didn't give much more infromation, and you have a theory that she picked this one because of his looks. You tell the mother and daughter that they should look into something a bit older and has more training. The mother states that she thinks that her daughter is ready to train her own horse, and that you are saying that her daughter isn't a good rider. You respond by saying that you do think her daughter is a good rider, but at the present time, she needs something that has more experience. The mother gets very defensive and keeps on saying what SHE thinks, and SHE doesn't even know a thing on how to take care of a horse, let alone ride one. You like the girl that rides, and think she has a lot of potential, but you don't want her getting into a bad situation. What do you do?





Hope you like it! If you don't mind, could you also rate this on a scale of 1-5? Thanks!|||In the first situation, I would assume that the woman is oblivious to the response my horse is having, and just trying to make a friend. I would politely tell her clearly that my horse cannot be crowded, and that I am there to work my horse and focus on that. I would tell her I'd be more than happy to talk with her when I was finished working my horse.





In the second case, I would ask the girl why she had not used my tack as I had requested, and I would make it clear that I was not happy about it. If the horse required treatment for the back pain, I would inform her of that, but I would not ask for reimbursement. If she offered it, I would accept.





I would not argue with them in the first place. I would advise them of my recommendations, and let them know that if they chose to go that route, I wished them well. I would let them know that I would not wish to continue working with the daughter under the circumstances.


|||1. Well, I would swing my horse completely around, and give that lady a piece of my mind. Then I would tell her to go her own way, and give my horse some space.





2. I would tell her to pay for any back problems he had, and to never ride him again because she cannot be trusted to follow instructions. Then I would probably move my horse to a new facility if anyone treated me differently because of this.





3. I would talk to the girl instead of her mother, and see her thoughts on it, if the girl agrees with me, then she can tell her mother to find another horse.





I would give it a 5, it was very detailed and entertaining.|||FIRST QUESTION: I would get off my horse and find somewhere else to ride. or get off and wait for her to finish pretend that i have finished early for the day.





SECOND QUESTION: I would question the girl if she heard me say USE HIS EQUIPMENT ONLY!! or whats wrong with his saddle??





THIRD QUESTION: I would inform the mother that for first time owners they should have a relaxed horse that has (so to speak) done it all and is push button. your daughter has confidence but we need to keep her confidnce by getting her a horse that will make sure she never losses it!! horses are unpredictable after all.





|||1. I'd explain that my horse doesn't work well with other horses near by and possibly make up an excuse about needing to work on bending and do a few figure eights or circles until she is on the other side of the arena. And if that doesn't work, I'd be a little bit more forceful or maybe move to another arena.





2. Treat the horse, explain to her why using someone else's saddle hurt the horse and make a mental note to not let her take care of the horse again.





3.I'd explain the dangers of taking on a young horse as a first horse, in regards to the riding and any bad stable manners. Most parents would understand that the safety of their child is the most important thing. I'd also mention that a new horse might not suit her riding goals and may not perform as well in the show ring. I'd also maybe try to find a similar colored horse with a little more experience.|||1) I would stop and tell her not to follow me! I mean I wouldn't yell or anything but I would tell her that I need to work with my horse, and maybe when I was done we could play follow the leader, but I don't want to now.


2) I would tell her that was unacceptable, I told her specifically to use my saddle, she didn't and now my horse is hurt! I would tell my trainer and go from there, if the vet needed to come out I would probably make her pay for it.


3) lol, a girl at my barn once picked a horse because of looks, our trainer kept insisting that they needed to look again and that color wasn't a big deal. So the girl went and looked at one other horse, decided she didn't like him and told her mom to buy her the other one! Her mom bought the 'pretty' horse and it didn't turn out well, the girl rode the horse for less than two years and sold him! lol, the 'pretty' horse she bought was even a young, gray, TB who could only W,T, C!!! omg, I couldn't stop laughing when I read your question! Deja vu! But anyways, I would probably tell the mom straightout this wasn't the horse for her daughter and I could help them look if they wanted, but if she was going to be judging me and not listening to me I wasn't interested in helping.|||1. Perhaps she just didn't understand how serious you were when you first talked to her. Maybe she didn't see how annoyed your horse was getting. I suggest telling her that you really don't want her or her horse to get kicked, so she should make sure to give you more space. Only the stupidest of people would ignore that.





2. While I don't think it's proper to blow up at her, I do think that you should confront her and remind her that you said to only use his tack. She may have just forgotten. If she apologizes, I say forgive her but don't trust her to exercise your horse for you again. If she gets defensive, really it's best to just walk away. If your horse doesn't get better in a reasonable amount of time (and usually they will if they're just a bit sore), you can take him to the vet and if it's a serious problem, it might not be unreasonable to ask her to pay for his care (or, as a last resort, to take her to small claims court to get the money).





3. I don't think you (or the girl, or her mother) know enough about the horse to say that it is unsuitable for this girl. Five years old is a reasonable age for a horse to have settled down and be fairly well-trained for basic purposes (you didn't say that she wanted the horse for jumping or dressage or barrel racing or something else that requires a lot of specific training). I would try to come at this from more of a "I want to try to help you" standpoint. Tell the woman that you'd be happy to talk to the horse's owner/trainer to find out more about his training or to go evaluate the horse. If she doesn't follow your advice and buys the horse anyway, it's her own problem. In fact, it may help your business since maybe she'll end up paying you more to train him ;-)|||FIRST ANSWER: Ask the lady please not to follow since your horse doesn't seem to like hers. If she does not respond go in the opposite direction.





Second Answer: Talk to the girl and make sure she knows that she should of asked to use a different saddle. Also tell her the damage she has done and make it clear that it is possible that she would have to pay some or all the vet bill. Also tell her you specifically asked her to use your saddle. Next I would go to her parents and meet with them and the girl and explain the situation to them and make sure they know what she did is wrong and why. Also that she is going to have to pay for the damage done.





Third Answer: First I would take the girl, a vet and her mother to look in person and have the vet check him out and make sure he is going to be capable of doing what the girl wants. When I would look at the horse, I would have the owner explain the pros and cons of this horse and ask the owner of what she thinks of the girls riding and if it would well suit the girl. Next I would state my own personal opinion of the horse and the pros and cons. If the girl is still wants that horse, I would talk to the owner of the horse and ask for a two week trial period and have her bring the horse to the farm and she what happens in two weeks to see if the horse and girl click, to see if its what the girl and expected. Also I would tell the girl it is going to take time before this horse reaches full potentional and I would help her train the horse. After the two weeks and things go well I would reccomend the girl and mom to buy the horse if things go bad I would tell the all the bad of the horse and why to make sure they dont buy it.





These questions are very good you have asked they would be a 5 being excellent.


|||1. I would tell her. "Look. I don't wanna be rude but I'm trying to practice here and I can't do that with you on my tail. My horse is not good with other horses and unless you want to have a permanent hoof print on your face I suggest you keep some distance. Now i am going to do some cantering, you can join in if you'd like but keep some distance between us because i don't want anyone getting hurt."


If she doesnt' stop i go ride somewhere else......if she follows.....I.....let my horse kick her...no im just kidding....I yell at her again and again and if that doesn't work, I call the police to report a suspicious stalker....





2. "I left my saddle with you for a reason...and you didn't use it? Well, now because of you my horse is hurt. If he needs any veteranary attention then I will send you the bill. When someone leaves their horse under your care you are supposed to take care of it. I thought that you would have known better than that." Then i would tell my trainer, who is signing the girl's check, what happened. I won't want to get her in trouble, I would just want her to know how careless one of her staff was.





3. "I'm not criticizing your daughter, she is a great rider. I wouldn't be here helping you find a good horse if she wasn't. You asked me here for a reason - to give you some input on the horses- and when I finally do you accuse me of criticizing your daughter. I'm only trying to give her a horse that will help her advance further. I think your daughter has great potential but she isn't yet at the point where she can handle this horse. I don't want her getting stuck with it if she can't control it. You see how far she has come since she first started riding. I helped her get to that point and I'm here to help her get her own horse and I definitely know what I'm talking about. This horse is too young for your daughter. I don't think she understands that appearance isn't everything. The most beautiful horse in the world could be an outright terd head. All horses are beautiful and i'm sure we can find one that fits her needs and is gorgeous. Besides, you don't have to make a decision now. Let me show you a few that i think she will be more comfortable on and then you can decide. i think you'll change your mind." If that doesn't work then we are past the point of no return. They are getting that horse no matter what I say and I guess it could be of benefit to me when they decide to pay me more so that I can do some more training with it....haha.








oh and you said you wanted a rating. Did you mean the overall question. If so i give it a five....it was fun. haha|||1) "If you really want to talk to me, please wait until we're finished. Your horse Is very likely to get kicked if you keep following us so closely." If she Still follows too closely "My horse once got a pretty serious abscess from being kicked and was on stall rest for three weeks, and I don't want that to happen to your horse so please BACK OFF!"





2) "I am very upset that you didn't notice his back was sore after you rode him. I told you only to use his tack. I am going to call the vet and if the damage is serious enough to require medical attention I would like you to pay for it if you don't want to do that then I will tell the barn manager."





3) "The horse you picked is lovely, but his level of experience is less than ideal for someone starting to show. A first horse should be a teacher who can help a student grow, not a student who needs constant teaching to succeed, "|||First - I give you a 5 for the questions. They are so thought-provoking that I almost wonder if they reflect your real life experiences(?)





1. Honestly, my first concern would be to stop my horse's aggressive behavior. I would come right out and tell the lady that I'm worried about the way he's acting and ask her to stay a safe distance away just in case he fires, but I would also deliberately stay near her and her horse for a few minutes and take advantage of the opportunity to discipline my horse for this behavior. This is a zero tolerance issue for any pleasure or show horse. I'd make it a relatively short lesson but a definate one and then would tell the lady that I need to go off and lope some circles with him afterwards. I'd also tell her that after he gets tired I'd like to hook back up with her and walk together for a few more minutes just to keep him honest. This way your horse benefits and the lady may feel like she's actually a part of your training plan. It can be a learning experience for both of them.





2. I doubt the girl had any idea of the ramifications of her not following your instructions. I made mistakes of ignorance when I was a kid - don't we all? Just seeing how sore the horse is will probably be worse punishment than anything you could say to reprimand her, but I would also ask her to help you with his treatment (i.e. hot soaking the back two or three times a day, crushing up the Bute and blowing it down him or trying to get him to eat it every day, longing or hand-walking him every day while you wait for him to recover enough to be ridden again, bedding his stall extra deep so he convalesces in a comfortable bed). I'd try not to show any temper or sarcasm - instead I'd sigh and say ok, well now let's talk about how we're going to fix this. Make her feel like she's part of the team - you made her a partner by entrusting him to her care, so now make her a partner in getting him well. The important thing is not to lose your cool, but make it a valuable, life-long lesson in cause and effect, and taking responsibility for our actions. She's probably a good-hearted, well-meaning, fairly responsible kid or you would never have trusted her with your horse in the first place - so do the next right thing by showing her grace and making it a positive, learning experience in the end. She might remember the embarassment of screwing up for years, but she'll remember how much work and time it took to heal his back forever.





3. I'd be very patient, but firm in explaining 1 and only 1 time how I feel and why, to a mom who is so irrational %26amp; defensive at the expense of her own daughter's well-being. If she doesn't get it the first time, I'm afraid I'd have to drop this future showring mother from my clientelle. I'd feel really bad for the kid but she's doomed anyway with a mom like that, and I'd rather not be around to pick up the pieces of her wreck. I've seen this scenario way too many times over the years - if you cave to this kind of pressure as a trainer - you're doomed!|||1) I would turn my horse around so I was facing her, say to her, my horse kicks, don't follow me closely Im gonna be working on my lope, I don't mean to be rude but Im not here to be social im here to work my horse. If you would like to chat can we do it when im not riding.....





2) I would NEVER let anyone ride my horses except qualified people that have been approved by me and have done it before....its usually only my sister...I would be perfectly comfortable with having my horse on turn out for a week while I was on vacation. I think you have to take some responsibility when you do something so stupid as to think a young girl is going to follow directions to the letter.








3) The last question is easy for me......I don't like these kind of situations....its kinda like pageant mothers....yikes!!! If someone is not willing to listen to a voice of reason and wants to put their kid in a situation that could easily get them hurt I'm gonna walk.....simple as that.














4 for rating pretty realistic.....thanks|||1) I'd tell her that I'm not sure if my horse was going to kick or not and it's not something that I really wanted to find out.





2) I'd tell her that I asked her to use only MY saddle on MY horse and now his back is out, you owe me $100 for ciro.





3) I would go with them to look at the horse and get on it and ride it first and explain to her mother that you just don't want to risk one of your best students getting injured. I would say "best" coz every parent wants to hear that their child is the best so it should make her happy and shut her up.|||1:


I would turn around and tell the woman that she or her horse is in danger of being kicked if she continues to follow me. Then I'd tell her about the horse my horse lamed two weeks ago, because the rider did the same thing.... hehe





2:


I would make sure that the girl knew that she was to blame for my horse being in pain, and if she was the type of person who could afford to pay for any vet care my horse needed I would make her pay it.





3:


I would try to find similar looking horses that are a bit older and wiser to show the girl and her mother, if they insisted on this particular horse, I would go with them to see it, just because it is 5 doesn't mean its a bad horse. however I would also explain to the mother exactly how dangerous a younger horse can be, and make sure she is completely willing to take responsibility for any accidents her daughter may encounter because of the mothers pigheadedness|||1) I would say "I'd really like you to give my horse some more room because I am not able to keep her attention while she's focused on your horse". If it got too bad, I might just quit for the day or ride out in the field.





2) First of all, I would never ask anyone to ride my horse during a week's vacation. The horse will be fine if not ridden for a week. But to answer the question, I would probably say "but I said to only use his things" and get a little angry at her, but would take it no further, and would have learned my lesson about having random people ride my horse when I wasn't there to supervise.





3) If my advice was not taken, I would let them buy the horse, then try to help out the girl with him (because I like the girl). If I were in it for the money, it could be a great opportunity to make extra from these people since she'd need more lessons, and probably would need me to ride the horse a couple times a week, too. With a competent trainer involved and the realization that she would be progressing more slowly than if she got a better trained horse, I think they'd probably end up okay.|||1 - I would turn my horse around and leave the arena. l don't a situation to turn dangerous, regardless whose fault it is. After there is no chance of any horse kicking going on, l'd talk to the lady and explain why l left.





2 - l'd ask the girl why the hell she didn't use my stuff when l told her to, probably go off at her and ask her to pay the vets fees.





3 - I'd accept that the decision is not mine, say that it's only my opinion, and they don't have to follow it. But l would also say l only wants what's best for the horse in question, and more importantly, the young girl whose going to be riding it. lf they don't want to take my advice, why did they ask for it, and it's not my problem.