Gee, what an opportunity!

[Abby Kogler]

Not sure where to put this...was just reading Craigslist and saw this ad. Is it me? I am sick with a fever and cough, so maybe my judgement is skewy, but it cracked me up.

" FEI Dressage trainer seeks lesson horse

FEI Dressage trainer in (anonymous location) seeks bomb proof lesson horse. All lesson horses in our program are turned out 7 days a week, schooled by a trainer at least one day a week, and used for lessons no more then 5 days a week. The only expenses you would be responsible for would be board and regular maintenance (vet, blacksmith,ex). For more info please call or e mail "


=8-D

Seriously? You want me (rhetorical me here) to pay board and expenses?! on a bombproof wonderful teaching horse that you will use five days a week for lessons? Are they serious?! I have never heard of or seen any one ever do this...I have loaned lesson horses to fellow trainers in the past or done various free/feed lease arrangements, and have leased lesson horses...it would never occur to me to ask someone to give me a horse, and pay its bills! so I can teach on it for income. FEI trainer or not! Unbelievable! I cant imagine anyone going for this.

[Rhianon]

Very strange. Perhaps they think that being schooled by a trainer is the big pay off?

[M&M]

I'm with you on this one, Abby.

Such a deal - but wait! There's more! As long as you provide the blankets, we'll take them off before the lesson, AND put them back on after!

[Chisamba]

strange indeed

[kande50]

it would never occur to me to ask someone to give me a horse, and pay its bills! so I can teach on it for income. FEI trainer or not! Unbelievable! I cant imagine anyone going for this.

Sounds pretty clueless, doesn't it? Or maybe it's one of those shot in the dark things that sometimes work?

[KathyK]

Unreal! I can't imagine anyone falling for this.

[westisbest]

I can't imagine anyone who HAS such a horse, that would turn it over to be "schooled" by a new entity, then ridden by a bunch of unknowns 5x a week. Let's hope that this doesn't happen. Poor horses. Always at the mercy of economics, the changing whims of their custodial humans.

[KathyK]

I can't imagine anyone who HAS such a horse, that would turn it over to be "schooled" by a new entity, then ridden by a bunch of unknowns 5x a week.

Not only that, but pay board for the horse to be used like that, too.

[angela9823]

Very strange. Perhaps they think that being schooled by a trainer is the big pay off?

But really...the horse is schooled once a week? And then possibly ruined five days a week after that?

I do know someone that tried that. The owner of the horse wizened up to it fast. Trainer just didn't see what she was doing was wrong and was charging something like $400-450 per month board.

The trainer needs to get a clue! How much would it cost for me to just take my horse to that trainer once a week and have that person sit on the horse? Then I could take the horse back home or to boarding barn of my choice. Crazy the way people think.

[Volte]

Two classes at PSG with scores under 60% doesn't make me want to rush right out and hand over my awesome schoolmaster. LOL

[orono]

Took me about 2.5 seconds to find the trainer in question.

I would consider this type of arrangement if Stephen Peters offered it.

Though I do know a local woman who went her horse to be a lesson type horse, where she pays full expenses. So I guess it happens...

[Idofly]

I paid "board" and maintenance (shoes, shots, etc.) to an outfitter to take a "project horse" gelding I stupidly bought and use him for the summer/fall hunting pack string one year. Somewhere along the way the horse found his brain and ended up being a solid citizen but it took from April to the end of October.

I could see someone doing this actually in the right circumstances for them and the horse.