One of my clients (C) has a horse trainer boyfriend. Shes been dating him for a couple months and shes starting to really like him plus he likes horses, thats rare around here. Last night we were getting ready to load the horses into my trailer to haul to an indoor arena for working them. I had previously told C that I want her to use her leather halter for hauling becuase I don't like using rope halters. But Trainer Boyfriend (TB)wanted to argue. With me. And that made me - mad? upset? bitchy? anal? I don't use rope halters in trailers, don't like them, do not feel they are safe and they are NOT made for tying.
C isn't the best person for loading her mare and we all know it but shes trying and she care a lot for the horse so when TB said use the rope she asked me which one I wanted to use and I said leather. TB started to question me and argue and after a minute I realized his voice had risen so I said 'I respect your opinion (I deliberately didn't say PROFESSIONAL opinion) but lets agree to disagree.' Most people would have stopped arguing right then & there but he kept on.
TB told me his dad is a truck driver. So is my husband and I've been hauling horses longer than TB has been alive.
TB's dad doesn't use leather halters and throws them out. Thats fine on his farm.
TB wants to use the rope halter. Thats fine when its your own trailer.
TB said leather isn't safe. I said rope isn't safe either.
TB said you can cut a rope halter. I said you can cut leather or the rope its tied to.
TB said 'Have you ever had an accident where you had to cut the halter?' and I said no, we're better drivers than that.
C was mortified and I felt so sorry for her. She didn't want to be in the middle of it and TB finally said he wouldn't haul in my trailer if we had to use leather and I said fine, don't go. C stopped him then and I said she can haul just fine in a leather halter and thats what we ended up using.
Other things that I told C were that the vet noticed the horse is in cronic pain, you could easily tell by the sunken in belly. I noticed it right when I took her blanket off in the morning and with every step she takes. The vet suggested bute daily and pads in her shoes to help relieve pain. TB is a firm believer in barefoot horses.
After we got to the arena TB proceeded to give C a lesson on the horse for over an hour and he didn't care that the horse was lame and in pain. He rode her for over 45 minutes, even after the pain was pointed out to them, he was standing right there. Bastard. He also totally disrespected the arena owner who specifically said NO LESSONS when we first met.
He never apologized to me but I was cordial to him the rest of the night.
C is ashamed of his behavior and now scared of how he might end up treating her in the future.
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