I'm going to try and keep this as brief as possible as it is not my story directly, but I have a lot of curiosities.
A client of mine who was new to horses used a trainer/broker to buy horses as they trusted her at the time. Well they also paid in advance (Not a good idea, I know) for training services on one of the horses. As it turns out that horse will never be sound to ride due to the conformation of his back legs (Halter bred). That, they have admitted to fault for as buying the horse without a vet check - But after the trainer cut off all contact with them and said never to call again, they decided to sue over the lost training money they never received.
Well today, during mediation, she basically refused to budge and refused to talk about anything, but she DID assert that these people were neglecting their horses (A thousand percent NOT true, the horses are in excellent shape, with the exception of one who is MILDLY thin - but she has been rapidly gaining and she is a TB, so hard to keep weight on. The other two are in excellent shape, and the one they sold a month ago was also in great shape, maybe even a little chubby)
This lady is asserting that their horses are "emaciated".
I am not even sure what that has to do with the training money at all, but I wonder, if that something that should just be totally ignored? I took pictures of their horses today from all angles just in case it became a thing, but do you think that's even necessary? She obviously has no grounds to state this, and she hasn't even SEEN the horses in months.
And even though this has nothing to do with me personally, I did find out she is talking some nasty things about me behind my back because I am working with them. I have never even met this woman, I didn't even know what she looked like before today and I had never heard of her even. Yet she became all lovey dovey with my BO and told her that my clients were cheating, sue happy liars - To which resulted in them almost being refused at the barn I use to train (I had to sit down my BO to tell her the truth), and apparently has been talking at shows while I've been away that I use abusive methods like tying tires to back legs and leaving horses without water for days on end before I start them, or pulling horses over backwards in their stalls, all stuff I have NEVER done and would never do. Everyone who knows me knows this.
So, whether I like it or not, I seem to be a part of this with a woman I have never met.
My clients are kind people. They are unbelievably honest, albeit a little horse ignorant. I am trying to stay out of their legal proceedings but if they need me I am definitely a witness that they take excellent care of their horses.
Is there anything I should be doing now that might be able to help them? Or anything they could be doing further to help themselves? They are keeping remarkably cool heads, meanwhile I am absolutely furious at the events that have taken place.
A client of mine who was new to horses used a trainer/broker to buy horses as they trusted her at the time. Well they also paid in advance (Not a good idea, I know) for training services on one of the horses. As it turns out that horse will never be sound to ride due to the conformation of his back legs (Halter bred). That, they have admitted to fault for as buying the horse without a vet check - But after the trainer cut off all contact with them and said never to call again, they decided to sue over the lost training money they never received.
Well today, during mediation, she basically refused to budge and refused to talk about anything, but she DID assert that these people were neglecting their horses (A thousand percent NOT true, the horses are in excellent shape, with the exception of one who is MILDLY thin - but she has been rapidly gaining and she is a TB, so hard to keep weight on. The other two are in excellent shape, and the one they sold a month ago was also in great shape, maybe even a little chubby)
This lady is asserting that their horses are "emaciated".
I am not even sure what that has to do with the training money at all, but I wonder, if that something that should just be totally ignored? I took pictures of their horses today from all angles just in case it became a thing, but do you think that's even necessary? She obviously has no grounds to state this, and she hasn't even SEEN the horses in months.
And even though this has nothing to do with me personally, I did find out she is talking some nasty things about me behind my back because I am working with them. I have never even met this woman, I didn't even know what she looked like before today and I had never heard of her even. Yet she became all lovey dovey with my BO and told her that my clients were cheating, sue happy liars - To which resulted in them almost being refused at the barn I use to train (I had to sit down my BO to tell her the truth), and apparently has been talking at shows while I've been away that I use abusive methods like tying tires to back legs and leaving horses without water for days on end before I start them, or pulling horses over backwards in their stalls, all stuff I have NEVER done and would never do. Everyone who knows me knows this.
So, whether I like it or not, I seem to be a part of this with a woman I have never met.
My clients are kind people. They are unbelievably honest, albeit a little horse ignorant. I am trying to stay out of their legal proceedings but if they need me I am definitely a witness that they take excellent care of their horses.
Is there anything I should be doing now that might be able to help them? Or anything they could be doing further to help themselves? They are keeping remarkably cool heads, meanwhile I am absolutely furious at the events that have taken place.