09/03/2026
๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ, ๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฒ & ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ
Yesterday, someone who identifies themselves as a professional trainer behaved in an extremely unprofessional and aggressive manner on our property.
While one of our sale horses was standing in the cross ties, this individual was politely warned not to fully grab the horseโs sheath. That warning was given because it was an unnecessary and potentially dangerous thing to do.
Rather than simply acknowledging the concern, the response was to point a finger directly at the ownerโs chest and verbally berate him, including statements along the lines of, โIโve been around horses for 40 years and know a heck of a lot more than you.โ
The verbal attack continued for approximately four minutes.
How do I know it lasted four minutes?
๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐โ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐จ.
Had I personally witnessed the interaction as it happened, this individual would have been given 60 seconds to leave the property.
๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐:
This industry has plenty of wonderful, knowledgeable, ethical professionals. Unfortunately, it also has people who call themselves trainers without necessarily demonstrating the professionalism, horsemanship, experience, or judgment that title should require.
If you are new to horses and looking for a trainer, instructor, or someone to help you purchase a horse, ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค.
Check their experience and professional history.
Ask for references.
Speak with current and former clients.
Pay attention to the condition and handling of the horses in their care.
Watch them ride and handle horses before trusting them with yours.
Make sure their experience actually matches the level of horse and rider they are representing themselves as qualified to handle.
๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฒ:
You will conduct yourself appropriately in our barn.
You will be respectful.
You will be kind.
You will not behave aggressively toward our owners, family, children, clients, veterinarians, or anyone else on this property.
There will be ๐ง๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ.
If you cannot conduct yourself professionally, you will not be welcome here again.
๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐:
Your behavior yesterday has changed the way we will handle professional trainers and representatives coming onto our property. Going forward, we will be requiring appropriate references and credentials from anyone representing themselves as a professional in a horse transaction. Professionalism is about much more than how many years someone claims to have been around horses. You are not welcome back at Lakeside.
๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ.
They listen when someone points out a potential safety issue. They don't respond to a reasonable warning with aggression, intimidation, or four minutes of personal attacks.
Real professionals also understand the importance of honestly evaluating the experience and ability of the rider they are helping, particularly when selecting a horse.
And real professionals should be able to demonstrate a level of riding and horsemanship consistent with the professional title they are using.
I am genuinely appalled by what happened yesterdayโnot because someone disagreed with us, but because of ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ that disagreement was handled.
There is always room to learn. There is always room to improve. And there is always an opportunity for a little self-reflection.
Today might be a good day for some of that.
๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ, ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐.
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