You’re welcome! And people said minoring in Russian language in college would never come in handy 
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There is something really off here.
Either the trainer is not competent, the trainer doesn’t understand that YOU are competent or the trainer has lost interest in you as a client and is putting forth the minimum effort to meet your needs, or all of the above. Maybe there’s another reason in the mix, but from your description of the trainer coaching the kid to ride the other lease pony in a manner clearly not working and now, proposing an unsound, unsuitable and way overpriced lease, I think those are the likeliest options.
Now, for the $64 question: can you untangle yourself from this relationship without causing major teenager drama? And is there another local pro available that is more credible and trustworthy?
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Yup. It’s a long story. We actually have a fantastic pro & a very capable jumper pony on full lease as well. Pony is boarded with my trainer, a CCI** eventer – I’ll call her ET for eventing trainer. Teenager lessons 1-2x per week with ET on the jumper pony. That is totally separate of the hunter trainer in question, who I’ll call HT. The hunter pony lease that did not work out was contracted thru HT. Hunter pony is going home early off lease next week. Our only future involvement would be a tentative 2 ride a week lease on a medium in that barn. (That’s looking like a dim possibility now.)
I know the obvious questions are 1) why bother with HT & 2) why not use the jumper in hunters. The first was more related to social stability & practicality than anything else. Working together was also a learning curve for both teenager & ET as ET literally has no other juniors in her program. It was just going to be too much change at once over the summer. (We both love the little hunter pony, too, & it was a tough decision to see her go. ) ET & teen are making progress getting ridability out of the jumper pony. She’s still unlikely to ever be more than marginal crossing over.( More than one person watching their rounds at a schooling jumper show last month excitedly compared her to Teddy O’Connor, if that gives you an idea of how she goes. )
Teenager is now tired of the coaching drama & friends at the barn is no longer a primary selling point: “I’ll see them plenty at shows, anyway, mom.” We’ve honed in on 3 H/J trainers with a proven record of moving students from pony hunters up into the Medals & FEI level jumpers. The tentative plan is to buy or lease something that will board & be kept in a baseline program with ET, probably meeting up with whatever H/J trainer we choose for coaching at shows.
As to what HT knows or doesn’t know about my own background I don’t have a good read. She knows I ride & that I managed a couple small barns in my 20’s & 30’s & kept my own at home for years. They’re very much a typical hunter trainer: handling all of the vet & farrier contact, etc. It’s not the first time we’ve had a disagreement. And I definitely felt a freeze when I said no thank you to her wanting her de facto assistant, the AA parent of another young rider, on the pony for paid training rides. They’ve never actually seen me ride, though.
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Am I understanding correctly that you will not be using this trainer in the future?
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That is correct 
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Well done. 
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Guess what I did on my one day off I give myself a week? Spent 1.5 hours changing out the interchangeable gullet of 2 ancient wintec saddles for a client because I’m nice. I’m SURE the neighbors got a kick out of 2 middle aged ladies STRUGGLING to get the damned screws out. Thankfully after much sweating, me cursing under my breath (one screw was RUSTED shut and my client does not curse) and us practically dancing when we got the first one apart, we got it done. She has a trail ride tomorrow and she was so thankful. Worth it but next time I’m bringing the saddles to my husband with all to tools to fight with them.
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Try giving it a pre-dose of penetrating oil next time, then let it sit for the night and try in the morning.
Or a torch - if it doesn’t loosen the screw up, you can just burn the whole saddle and the problem is solved.
(Maybe you did both of these things! lol)
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We didn’t use the torch but we definitely used oil. They were just very old bolts. Lol
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Oh guys.
A new boarder showed up last night. This is his first horse. An OTTB he bought at an auction, still had his hip number. Really nice guy, it seems, but so ignorant with no guidance. Renamed the horse something super sweet, clearly he is so excited and proud of his new horse.
But the horse. Two bows, one fresh. Totally lame on the new one. SO much other jewelery. Just looks totally used up. The kindest eye and an old soul. I just wanted to hug him and tell him that he is the luckiest horse alive, even if his owner is a fool who will bumble and mess stuff up… because his other route out of that auction pen was certainly to the kill buyer as any experienced horseman would NEVER have bought him with that limp.
I want to contact the last track owner (who has 8 lifetime starts, all this year) and tear him a new ass. What a jerk.
I’m going to help this guy, both horse and new owner, until I can’t give anymore. I truly truly TRULY hope this works out.
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I hope things go well for them against all odds. Poor horse, poor new owner.
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My daily dumb is all about my horse. I have two retiree mares who can only go out together in their own field because they’re jerks to all other horses.
Anyway, there are burdocks on the fence line that the BO has been trying to kill for the 11 years I’ve been there. My breeding-stock paint mare has the smarts to avoid them. But the TB mare (never the brightest bulb in the chandelier) insists on inserting her whole body into the plants. It takes me at least an hour to pull the burdocks from her forelock, mane and tail.
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@chestnutmarebeware, if you know your mare will go into the burdocks, can you spray her mane and tail with Showsheen a couple times per week? That way the stickers will slide out a LOT easier! Ask me how I know 
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That’s a good idea! I spray Healthy Haircare Moisturizer all over her when I’ working the burdocks out, but never thought about being proactive!
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It’s me again. I’m the dumb.
Bridling my mare. Something caught my eye right as I was putting the bit in, and I looked to my left…
Got the everloving crap bit out of my finger tip because my dumb ass stuck it in her mouth right along with the bit.
Gotta stay focused during routine activities. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow.
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It was funny. I flinched, then she flinched because I flinched. We were a mess there for a second, me holding my hand cursing quietly, her trying to figure out wtf just happened and coming to her regular conclusion - “there must be snacks”. Looked like a Two Stooges episode.
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Buwahahahaha! Horse standing there like, “what happened to that carrot I felt?”
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Sorry, life’s lessons some times are painful.
I think my fingers and toes have a life of their own, seem to be able to slip out of compromising situations before I realize they are in one.
Have avoided horse’s teeth and hooves this way.
May want to see if you can enhance those qualities, since we seem to have trouble paying attention as we need to.
Hope all will be well shortly, no more pain.
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I’m normally really good! I haven’t been bit or stepped on in ages. I just had a lapse of attention, and got immediate feedback that that was a bad choice lol
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HAHahahaaa.
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