Update on Gidget

Gidget is still at trainers. And it is not going well.

Shannon (Seredipity Horse Training) has been gone for two weeks or so on a family emergency or so I was told. I think she was home for a day just before I left for Toronto.

I then received an e-mail from an acquaintance of Shannon's (and the farrier that is being used) saying that she had taken over the riding as of last weekend but as of yesterday still had not been on Gidget.

After speaking at length with Christina, the story just got better - or worse depending on how you want to look at it. Apparently, Shannon has ditched on all her clients. She ran into some big personal problems (not the family emergency that I was told about)...so instead of telling people the truth and getting them to come pick up their horses and refunding money...she ran home to Mommy.

While Christina is willing to finish up Gidget for me "for free" it still doesn't feel right that she has to take on this responsibility that was entrusted and paid for to someone else.

I have repeatedly tried to get ahold of Shannon through e-mail and through the phone but nothing is working...so am getting a little more upset about this every day.

I think this is a lesson that all of us have to be cautious with. While young trainers are everywhere, really look around. Not all are what they seem. I am all for giving someone young a chance as the only way they can get to be an experienced trainer is by someone like me taking a chance on them. But this young lady has a lot to learn about life and business skills.

You do not take someone's money and then disappear (and I'll be honest here - I am not the only one she left in the lurch).

I also have decided that never again will I pay someone upfront for training. I think it should be like every other job...you get your money when the job is finished. I have never had a job where I got paid for my 40 hr work week before I did any work. So neither should a trainer.