When I was a kid (9-10 yrs old) and just getting into horses, I had lessons with a lady that was downright cruel. She was a screamer to both people and animals. She didn’t explain things very well and could be incredibly nasty when you didn’t understand something. She sure had a way with making me feel stupid and inadequate. I tried to talk my mom into a different trainer to no avail. I even faked illness once. My parents were pretty old school, I guess. I suppose they thought that this trainer was building my character or something…
There were many “incidents” involving yelling/insults, but she eventually got physical. Once when I wasn’t keeping my heels down to her liking, she hit me (my foot) with a lunge whip. Frankly, I’m not even sure how she managed to do it, but it hurt like hell. Then, the straw that finally broke the camel’s back (thank god): During a lesson in showmanship, she hit me for not holding the lead up “proudly” enough - in front of my mother who happened to be watching that time. Usually, my mother would drop me off and come back after the lesson was over. That was the last lesson I ever had with her, though my mom still held her in high regard (WTF?)
Ughhh… For the longest time afterward, I felt like a complete failure for not measuring up to this woman’s standards. I felt like I was just a whiny baby. But, honestly, as an adult I can finally admit that it was hell. shudder
