The Riding Racket

By Kathryn King Johnson, M.Ed.

Did you ever wonder why trainers never like the horse you own unless they sold it to you? Did you ever wonder why you outgrew your potential Grand Prix horse the second a more expensive horse came up for sale in the barn? Did you ever wonder why people buy $15,000 horses and never ride them? Did you ever wonder why trainers all have brand new Chevy dualies?

Here's how some trainers can nail clients:

*selling a horse to a student in his first year of riding

*selling a horse without a vet check

*selling a horse the client can't ride until the trainer has trained it for 1 year or $10,000, whichever comes first

*showing that horse while the new owner hacks away on an old school horse

*charging clients incredible show expenses and trailering fees

*selling a horse that is not the trainer's to sell

*selling a horse and taking a commission from both buyer and seller

*jacking up the sale price of a horse and pocketing the difference,, as well as taking commissions coming and going

*charging boarders for vet care or special feed the horse has not received

*using boarders' vitamins, feed and equipment for the trainer's horses, while the boarder's horse goes without

*charging for training while a student or assistant, without the owner's permission, is the only one who ever rides the horse

*using the boarder's horse in lessons without permission

*using the teacher/student relationship for special favors--free labor, legal or medical advice, loans, sex, etc.

There are only four kinds of trainers, those in it for the money, those in it for the power, those in it for the money and power and those who really don't know why they are in it. Now wouldn't you really rather have a Chevy dualie?