Okay ... I'll get started :p
First of all, I am really aiming this at adults. I'm a minor. And I need some advice on how to handle this situation. I know it's my inmaturity, but this situation just seems completely unfair to me.
Let's kick off with a little back-story. I go to the trainers, we will call her Beth, every day. My dad drops me off there on his way to work in the morning, she drops me off at home when we are done for the day. During school, I get off the bus there, and daddy picks me up on his way home. This has been going on for about 10 months. I help her out, sort of like a working student, and therefore I don't pay for lessons. I don't have set chores, more like she tells me to do something and I do it. In exchange, I ride the mules in lessons. Yes, mules, ride just like horses, diff. topic
Along with giving me lessons, she also carts me around to shows, as far as into OK (I'm in KY). We pay her for gas, food, a few other small things, and pay for our class entries and Willie's office fees (the mule I ride.) This has been a good system for us, and both of us our happy with this.
I have been riding English for 8 years. Western only as long as I've been with Beth. Therefore, we had to buy a bunch of Western clothes that I will never use again after riding the Mules. This is NOT a problem, I know it had to be done ... just wasn't overjoyed But this isn't the issue I'm getting to ...
So we get all this stuff, right? And at first she seems happy. Took us a while to get the right type of pants I needed, but it finally got done. We floated on a good note for a good long while.
Then we come to this show. It's our National Show, our biggest of the year. So I get everything steamed, hung up in my garmant bag, tailored my hunt coat, got some more pants ... The whole deal. I get there, and for whatever reason, Beth is *extremely* mad. She accuses me of not ironing the clothes. I tell her that no, we don't have an iron, but we did steam anything. She tells me I'm lying, and that she was sick of it. Ugh.
So I go into Showmanship with my 'unsteamed' clothing. I get 3rd out of 5, so I was not really all that overjoyed, but not really mad. Showmanship has never been my strong suit I leave the ring and Beth tells me the reason I lost was because I looked like sh** in the ring. Yep, those exact words. She has told me that before, along with telling me my horse rides like sh**. Another topic ... I was POed about that, and Cowboy hasn't been back since. Anywho ...
Still ticked off at me, she tells me that I'm lazy. That I'm ungreatful. She tells me that if I'm not willing to put in the energy the sport takes, maybe I should just stop riding the mules with her. She also informs me that since I had been riding better, "his stops are worse, his spins are terrible, and he can't guide like he used to." (And I quote!) So essentially, she tells me I'm ruining her mule. That makes me feel just dandy on the inside.
Wait a few hours ... Willie suddenly pulls up lame. Hmm ... Lame isn't the right word ... off. He's off on his right front. She tells me maybe it's just too many classes for Willie, whom is 21. Yet another hint I should stop riding. She tells me that she just feels like I am just floating around in a daze, and I don't care anymore, since I didn't notice right away Willie was off. Then the big kicker. She has told me before the show that the National was her favorite.
She tells me now that I ruined her Shelbyville from being aggravated at me.
Ruined.
So now I'm just 10 kinds of depressed. I'm 5 hours from home, stuck with Beth whom is acting like she hates me, with one more day of showing before we go home. And the 5 hour truck ride? Is scaring me to death. I call my daddy, simply upset as I could be. I do cry :/ Oops. My parents did tell me before I left that if I ever feel like I am being talked down too harshly I could just call and they would get me. (remember the showmanship incident? How that had happened before? That's why.)We talk for a good solid 20 minutes. I do ask him to come get me. He says he will, but no more showing the mules if he does. I say fine, because I was sick of feeling out of place. Unfortunatly, Beth finds me crying, and says I can't go home. Wonderful.
The next day isn't quite as bad. Except for the fact she tells me not to come back and ride anymore. Doesn't suggest, tells. I'm not happy. I love riding. But I can't do anuthing about it.
After a fake-heartfelt apology two days later, she says I can come back. But I can still feel the resentment.
WOAH! Cookies to you for reading the novel! I need some help though What do I do? Find a new trainer? Try to stick it out? How do I please her? Can I please her? Thank you all
-C
First of all, I am really aiming this at adults. I'm a minor. And I need some advice on how to handle this situation. I know it's my inmaturity, but this situation just seems completely unfair to me.
Let's kick off with a little back-story. I go to the trainers, we will call her Beth, every day. My dad drops me off there on his way to work in the morning, she drops me off at home when we are done for the day. During school, I get off the bus there, and daddy picks me up on his way home. This has been going on for about 10 months. I help her out, sort of like a working student, and therefore I don't pay for lessons. I don't have set chores, more like she tells me to do something and I do it. In exchange, I ride the mules in lessons. Yes, mules, ride just like horses, diff. topic
Along with giving me lessons, she also carts me around to shows, as far as into OK (I'm in KY). We pay her for gas, food, a few other small things, and pay for our class entries and Willie's office fees (the mule I ride.) This has been a good system for us, and both of us our happy with this.
I have been riding English for 8 years. Western only as long as I've been with Beth. Therefore, we had to buy a bunch of Western clothes that I will never use again after riding the Mules. This is NOT a problem, I know it had to be done ... just wasn't overjoyed But this isn't the issue I'm getting to ...
So we get all this stuff, right? And at first she seems happy. Took us a while to get the right type of pants I needed, but it finally got done. We floated on a good note for a good long while.
Then we come to this show. It's our National Show, our biggest of the year. So I get everything steamed, hung up in my garmant bag, tailored my hunt coat, got some more pants ... The whole deal. I get there, and for whatever reason, Beth is *extremely* mad. She accuses me of not ironing the clothes. I tell her that no, we don't have an iron, but we did steam anything. She tells me I'm lying, and that she was sick of it. Ugh.
So I go into Showmanship with my 'unsteamed' clothing. I get 3rd out of 5, so I was not really all that overjoyed, but not really mad. Showmanship has never been my strong suit I leave the ring and Beth tells me the reason I lost was because I looked like sh** in the ring. Yep, those exact words. She has told me that before, along with telling me my horse rides like sh**. Another topic ... I was POed about that, and Cowboy hasn't been back since. Anywho ...
Still ticked off at me, she tells me that I'm lazy. That I'm ungreatful. She tells me that if I'm not willing to put in the energy the sport takes, maybe I should just stop riding the mules with her. She also informs me that since I had been riding better, "his stops are worse, his spins are terrible, and he can't guide like he used to." (And I quote!) So essentially, she tells me I'm ruining her mule. That makes me feel just dandy on the inside.
Wait a few hours ... Willie suddenly pulls up lame. Hmm ... Lame isn't the right word ... off. He's off on his right front. She tells me maybe it's just too many classes for Willie, whom is 21. Yet another hint I should stop riding. She tells me that she just feels like I am just floating around in a daze, and I don't care anymore, since I didn't notice right away Willie was off. Then the big kicker. She has told me before the show that the National was her favorite.
She tells me now that I ruined her Shelbyville from being aggravated at me.
Ruined.
So now I'm just 10 kinds of depressed. I'm 5 hours from home, stuck with Beth whom is acting like she hates me, with one more day of showing before we go home. And the 5 hour truck ride? Is scaring me to death. I call my daddy, simply upset as I could be. I do cry :/ Oops. My parents did tell me before I left that if I ever feel like I am being talked down too harshly I could just call and they would get me. (remember the showmanship incident? How that had happened before? That's why.)We talk for a good solid 20 minutes. I do ask him to come get me. He says he will, but no more showing the mules if he does. I say fine, because I was sick of feeling out of place. Unfortunatly, Beth finds me crying, and says I can't go home. Wonderful.
The next day isn't quite as bad. Except for the fact she tells me not to come back and ride anymore. Doesn't suggest, tells. I'm not happy. I love riding. But I can't do anuthing about it.
After a fake-heartfelt apology two days later, she says I can come back. But I can still feel the resentment.
WOAH! Cookies to you for reading the novel! I need some help though What do I do? Find a new trainer? Try to stick it out? How do I please her? Can I please her? Thank you all
-C