To train or not to train

So I don't have a training project at the moment which means I'm away from the horse world and all the interesting people in it. I haven't been browsing CL either. I don't quite know what to do with myself- although unpacking and doing my room have taken up a lot of my time.

I've gotten several training offers over the years; people wanting me to train their horse. I have turned most of them down because I've been in school or working another job full time and training my project and theirs..... well, I need to sleep sometimes. I also get offers for free horses a lot. But now I've graduated from college and I don't have a project so I don't have an excuse. Bollocks.

One training offer I actually want to take them up on- it's a 17 hand buckskin Friesian x Saddlebred gelding. *swoon* The trainer they took him to, another friend/ex-coworker, found that working with him made her nervous for some reason, also she's moving.  Owner said he's a big baby. I said: "You had me at friesian!" As you know, I'm a sucker for the big hairy beasties. After working with Morwen (my Friesian x TWH) I've been itching to work with them again.

The second person to ask me wanted me to work with her 6 year  old TWH x QH (I don't know why she crossed these two breeds.... But she is a very nice woman and has kept what she'd bred, so there's that.)

Anyway, her problem is that the horse is rather unpredictable- apparently she'll spook at random objects or actions when you're riding. Not all the time but out of the blue. This horse has never been abused and has had one owner all her life. When she spooks she'll buck or bolt. Yikes.

These are problems I could work with (time consuming and more difficult since it doesn't happen every single time) but I don't normally take on outside horses. She offered to bring her over for a few weeks so I could work with her. Now we don't have a very big pasture (that's the other reason I don't take other horses) so we have to feed hay and grain daily. She offered to pay me $100.

Now she's a very nice lady and I don't want to sound rude, but I don't work for that. For a day or two or even a week, sure. But I don't risk getting hurt for that little. If it's conditioning or quick problem solving with a horse I've already trained/sold I'll work with them at their location dirt cheap (first time is free), but actually training problem horses is another matter.  Heck, if any trainer worked for that I think they'd be swamped.

Unfortunately there's really no nice way to say that. So we went with the 'I really try to stick to horses who are in danger of going to slaughter' which is absolutely true. If I did take on outside horses, I'd continue to require owner involvement. Either way, I make my living in the horse business which requires.... making enough to live on.


Oh well. I did go on a mini rant to my mother about breeding. I couldn't help it. Although I really am not anti-breeding. One of my friends breeds Egyptian Arabians. One foal a year I believe. The colt she had last year sold for $10,000 as a weanling. Her filly this year was leading, picking up her feet and working on de-spooking exercises since shortly after she was born. This filly is apparently not afraid of anything and is very bright. She's already used to being handled and when it eventually comes time to train her to ride, I bet she'll be a cinch. I have no problem with this type of breeder.

She's not a big breeder but she's still doing it right and carefully. If you work with your foal from day one and can sell them for that much, you are not the problem. Please continue to do what you're doing. If you are planning to keep the horse its entire life.... okay, I'm a little more lax. Although what would happen if something happened to you or situations changed dramatically- would your horse be one that other people would really want?

My breeding standard: is your horse one that clearly screams 'quality' even if it ended up at a sale with no papers or history? Big name sires and grandsires don't add up to squat if the papers get lost and the horse isn't well built. I think a lot of people would benefit by running the horses they breed through an auction and seeing what they bring. (Not sell it of course- you can no sale after all)