How long should I wait? (trainer etiquete)

I have a mare that needs a "tune up". I have a trainer, who I have the utmost confidence in who agreed to work with her. However, he is a business owner and it seems he is very busy at this time. He said he would call me to let me know when he was ready for her. That was a week ago. I appreciate that he is running a business and has to work hard to support his family and if he is too busy to take on my mare at this time I more than understand. What is the proper way to address this situation. I am looking at another trainer in the event he winds up being unable to do it, but I don't want to burn any bridges. As I said I am very confident in his training ablilities would most certainly want to work with him. Whether it be now on this mare or in the future. Sorry so long winded.

Little white lie. Just do the airhead call thing. "Yeah hi, I called you last week about training my horse. I hadn't heard back from you just wanted to know if you're still interested." It's just business. If he wants yours, he'll call you back. If he doesn't, switch to plan B and tell him you never heard back from him and didn't think he was interested.

My thought is that if I do not hear back from him by the end of next week that I should call him and see if he is just to busy. He no longer takes in outside horses, due to the fact that he runs his own paint and tile business so I feel really lucky that he agreed to take mine. He trained my very first horse and well, that was the most perfect horse ever, LOL. It was to me anyway. So I'm just really hung up on what to do.

It all depends on how long you're willing to wait. If you're adamant to get back in the saddle with issues sorted out, I would do what MYBoyPuck said and just call and say you called him last week about a few training sessions and want to know if he is still intersted.

There is no harm in doing that, you're giving him the opportunity, and if he is a horse person then he understands your eagerness to get things sorted out.

I would think that when a trainer says they do not have room right now it means in months not days or weeks. Most training contracts are for months of time.

Call the trainer you want to use back and ask when he thinks he will have an opening for your horse. If it is too far out for you to be happy simply tell him that you were hoping to get her in before <month> and is that an option. If he says no ask him if he knows the name of anyone who he recommends that has an opening.