[drivingpairs] Gail's story
- From: JLO <cicera65@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: DrivingPairs <drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 05:10:57 -0800 (PST)
This "finding help" thread is fascinating. I am one of the help-less
out there with many ponies and no money. I realize when we start
driving multiples again we will really need some help (see keeping it
multiple related).
My definition of good help would be someone who did what I wanted
even if they thought they knew better. Everyone does things
differently and it takes a special person to do something in a way
that is against what they would do with their own horses. Obviously I
don't mean anyone should do anything they felt was dangerous, however
the little differences in horse handling and care should be respected
by employees and not argued. I have a friend who's help will stand
there and argue with her about the way something should get done.
I'm usually too lenient with "help". I have trouble pushing folks to
work. I find it easier to do it myself than to keep asking for it to
be done over. I have had kids come out here with the idea of trading
time with horses for work. It NEVER works out. They all say they can
ride and of course they cannot. It would take me a million times as
longer to teach them to ride as it would to clean out my entire barn
myself. They never clean stalls correctly and I end up stripping
stalls by the end of the week. They never want to go through a lesson
program, they mostly want me to wave a magic wand that will allow
them to gallop down a trail into the sunset. They rarely want to do
carriage stuff. I don't have beginner safe equines out here anyhow
and sure don't have the extra time to make them that way. In the end
it's a bigger pain in the tail than it's worth.
I will say, firing those girls Laura has coming out would be a piece
of cake. In fact, I would rather enjoy it. I will NEVER stand for
kids that defy me. My own must obey the first time and so must those
that belong to others if they are on my property. I have a teenager
(I can't believe it, but I do) and she would 1)Never smoke, she's far
too bright 2) Never defy me, again she's far too bright <LOL> 3)NEVER
be disrespectful to an adult who's care she was in. I would kick her
butt into next week if she was ever disrespectful to an adult she was
"working" for.
Any kid that took my ponies out and did what they pleased rather than
what was allowed would really regret it. In fact, it would probably
be quite some time before the bodies were ever found <VBG>
If I had someone who just wanted to help on my carriage with NO other
work I would do cartwheels!!! Just to find someone that would come
out three times a week and run a brush over some of my stock would be
simply devine. If they did any actual barn work, well that would be
better than ......... CHOCOLATE!!!
I much prefer guests to help. You can simply stop inviting a bad
guest out, help you have to fire and you almost ALWAYS end up firing
them. Or in our case, handing them $1000 in cash, a bus ticket,
directions where to find hotels and apartments and how to conduct
normal life, taking their dog away to keep both the dog and the human
from becoming homeless and then sending them away wheeping. Long
story, but let's just say I endured 5 mos of live in help that was a
nightmare and in the end I still felt awful turning the old man out
onto the street. NEVER AGAIN!
I've got an idea, Gail should go on a tour of the USA. She could be
everyone's guest for a couple of weeks at a time. Free food and room
in exchange for help with carriage driving and light barn work. Gail,
can ya handle a feed scoop?? Lead in a horse or 2,3,4,5?? If so, you
can make a reservation here. I won't even make you muck. Just pack
light, a lot of suit cases make me nervous <LOL>
Jodi in Morriston FL
_________________________________________________________
To Unsubscribe, change to Digest or Vacation mode go to:
http://www.drivingpairs.com/dpmem.html
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Other related posts:
