Dis - though there are definitely some weaker, erm, spined people who are easily controlled by domineering trainers and BOs.
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On another thread a comparison was drawn between some barns and fiefdoms.
I think it’s legit
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Would the OP be as self righteous if this were a real estate commission?
The OP asked a legitimate question on something that is a bit of a grey area AND stated that they would pay the commission.
I don’t know why I’m surprised that some are casting the OP as some sort of cheap, whinging jerk trying to cheat the trainer out of a commission, but it’s unnecessary.
I’d probably feel a bit iffy about it, too, given that it sounds like the OP did a good chunk of the work and then the trainer stepped in and did the rest of it. I’d also still pay the commission but I might be mildly put off by the circumstances and resolve to make sure that situation didn’t happen again. All of that is fine. We all have limits and parameters around certain things, and it’s ok to feel uncertain about it when the lines are not as clear as we might want. That’s one reason why people ask questions like this, to see if their feelings are within the norm or not.
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Real Estate agents have a contract you sign before your home is listed which spells out the commission. They are required to to that because they are licensed. Only the seller pays the commission, not the buyer. A smart trainer has a contract that is signed by the seller.
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What have others experienced as the norm if you use a trainer to find a horse for you. You buy it and pay the commission but the horse does not work out for you. Does the trainer charge you a commission to sell it or do they wave the commission as it turned out not to be a good fit?
Totally legit to ask! But when you ask be prepared to hear people say “I think you’re wrong and here’s why.”
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Assuming the trainer made an error of judgment (and not the client overriding the trainer’s advice)… Most trainers I know would bend over backwards to make the horse work and if necessary resell with a reduced commission or no commission to try to make the client happy.
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That is what I would expect too. The situation I was thinking of happened at a local barn. The trainer found a horse for a 16yr old who was a decent rider but the horse chosen for her turned out to be way too much horse. (It is now being promoted as a professional ride) This horse went into training and showing with the trainer and the parents ended up leasing a horse for their daughter to show. Now they are paying for two horse’s board and showing. It doesn’t look like the original horse will be suitable at all for the 16 yr old. She will be going to college soon and probably won’t be able to ride much while in school. They are hoping to sell the new horse at a profit but Im not sure what arrangement was made about commission.
I felt bad for the teen because the horse she loved and did very well on was sold and then the new one didn’t work out. If she didn’t have the leased horse she would not be able to show herself.
I would be pissed at this. And it does happen so frequently.
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According to the discussion… the OP did have that contractual obligation. Now she wants to whine about it.
Just stopping in to unhelpfully add that when I saw the title “When you sell yourself yourself” I was imagining someone pimping herself out. 
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And how would trainer know how much was paid for Fluffy?
And charge a full commission on the next horse the client bought, I’m guessing?
I think most trainer’s would do something to try to “clear the slate” from the failure and then, yes, back to the usual charges. One mistake doesn’t buy you freebies for life usually. It buys you a good faith effort to get whole again.
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You’re kind of damned if you, damned if you don’t these days.
In today’s world, you often have to travel to see horses bc if you want a specific one or are in an area where options are slim pickins… you’re getting in a car or on a plane to go try a few.
Even if you find it online yourself… and even if you pay for all of the expenses to travel and try it, you’re still expected to pay that 10%, which IMO, needs to be adjusted accordingly. I understand that they’re taking time out of their day to go try your horse… but you’ve already paid training board for that month, so part of that is the assumed guidance. If you’re paying for a flight, meals, and a hotel for an overnight trip + 10%, it can really add up. At the end of the day, they’re making money on you, too. The idea that they’re going to have another boarder, a show candidate, etc… there’s value to that, as well. I’ve often thought that things need to be spelled out a bit clearer and that there are many instances in today’s digital world, where you need to go to a negotiating table and be honest, especially if you end up finding horse, calling about horse, setting up vetting for horse, and incurring all the traveling expenses.
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You have paid training board on the horse you have not bought yet? Or have you paid training board on a horse you already own?
Because they are two VERY different things.
If you have two horses, one in training board one in not training board you do not get free lessons on the horse not in training board just because you pay training board on the other.
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Actually, I was paying training board when I didn’t have a horse and was lessoning on trainer’s horse… the idea was that potential horse was being bought to be a project for both of us and would be a good entry into bigger leagues for trainer.
Yeah, that.
Ultimately, it boils down to communicating early & often about money. Which is legit difficult for most of us. In my area, for better or worse, a trainer opens locked doors & adds a layer of legitimacy. In many instances, you won’t get in to look at the best horses without one, unless you’re an unusually skilled AA with the record to back it up.
My teenaged daughter wanted to try jumpers. She found a promising lease prospect. Owners are basically pro level riders & AA in name only & wanted to lease into a pro’s program or to a very skilled AA like themselves. I ran it by the trainer I rode with up until the pandemic. (Daughter lessoned with her for a few months, too.) We had a detailed discussion regarding expectations, fees, etc. Then, I set up a trial ride, and trainer drove out & met us. She deftly asked all the tough questions, coached daughter & pony through a few courses, and gave her (glowing) assessment. I paid her flat rate for her time & did the boring administrative legwork to get the pony to her barn/program. If you ask someone other than my offspring, they’d say I can reasonably coach someone over a 2’-2’6" course. However, I lack the pro legitimacy & wouldn’t be able to get my foot in the door.
Just ask & have it in writing ahead of time.
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Yup. You can’t board here without being in the training program. Which I don’t mind, because I want a training program. So anyway, back to my original story. I sold that horse entirely on my own…but the trainer helped me train that horse. Hence, I did feel like she was owed something. I dunno if it should’ve been the full 10%, but again, it wasn’t the hill I wanted to die on.
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That’s true about leasing a horse (as per your daughter’s example). Very few people would lease their precious animal without prior research. That’s not the case when buying thought (which this topic is about). You don’t see requirements on the buyers in the professional adds on bigeq, proequest etc. Majority of sellers will happily take your money without asking who you work with.
