01/08/2022
There is such a fine line between doing right by the customer and doing right by the horse. If I do right by the horse, I throw out any time frame, any pressure to get anything done, and ride or work the horse I have in front of me, as he needs exactly and nothing more.
This might mean we don’t ride for a long time, or we don’t canter for a long time. Or maybe we ride on the second day. It all depends, there is no need for it to be anything other than what works for the horse.
If I do right by the customer, I remember they are spending good money on results. I remember how much it takes for them to get a horse over to me, and how much trust they put on me to take care of their needs. Not every client has endless money, and just because they can’t afford an open ended training deal doesn’t mean they don’t care about their horse’s wellbeing or want me to rush with him.
Finding that line every day is a delicate dance. I sometimes wonder if it’s ethical to train for the public at all, with an exchange of money divided into periods of time, two things that are both enemies of ethical training. But the world needs ethical trainers, so how do we do a good job for both horse and client?
Part of it I think involves finding the right kinds of clients, who are willing to put their own work in. Even if the pocket book is thin, a little elbow grease and willingness to try new things goes a long way.
I don’t have any easy answers, just a lot of questions that keep me up at night.
