Long story (trying to make it short)

We had a 7 year old paint mare that was badly abused as a yearling (tied down/ halter growing into her face) we felt bad for her and traded a horse trailer for her to give her a good home.  She had came around great and finally getting in your pockets like a pest.

I have another 5 year old paint gelding with no papers that we have had since he was a yearling and just a big pest as well, good ground manners would do just about anything form the ground, but I knew he was going to be a handful to break (we have his full bother and he was).  So this local trainer siad he would like a chance to do someting with the mare and if he could it would make a name for himself and if he decided he was ready to get rid of her we would get her back!.  So after a few weeks of talking we made a deal to let him have the paint mare to break the gelding (just mainly get him ridable so I could finish him, and NO time limit)  After 2 months he called and said he was not getting anywhere, bucking, running him into fences and I needed to make a pasture pet out of him.  I picked him up and he was almost 150lbs under the weight he was (because we had his teeth done the week before he was taken and weighed then)  He would not come to us, was hard to load and scared to death of everything.  I sent him to another trainer for a week and was told that "this horse was tought to buck".  So I called the first trainer back and had a few words and he said he would help me out on something else and I reminded him about the paint mare.  He still agreed we would get her back if he got rid of her. 

A few months later we find out from a lady friend of ours that was going to use that trainer, that when she went to check out his plce he was riding my paint gelding and just digging on him with large spurs the entire time she was waiting on him, then find out from another friend that the trainer had tied him to a tree for hours unattended!.  Now months later we still talk to him about the paint mare and he said he is doing OK with her, but his father said she bucks every time he rides her and they are going to TARP HER to make her stop!

So no we are down to trying to get her back, nothing in writing, but a hand full of witnesses that was around when the deal was made!

Do I get my mare back and tell everybody about his bad ways!

Do I forget about her and go down the road!

Do I just file in court and let a judge figure it out!

We have been getting pictures of other horses he has that have been left tied to trees, but can not get a exact time frame for the state to check him out.

GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING. Ok as far as being tied to a tree, it is very common to tie a horse for hours especially in training. I tie mine up for a weekend if I am camping and all day if I am at a day show.

 I think you mighthave a case in small claims. If you gave him a horse in exchange for training the other horse and he didn't do that then he may owe you the money for what it would cost to get the one broke. I doubt you can get the one back because you did give it to him. Unless you kept the papers???

It doesn't sound like he fulfilled his end of the bargain. I might hook up the trailer, pay him a visit, and get my mare back. dawnb has a point in the fact you may have to pay him for feed, and maybe something for starting the mare. Either way the mare would be going home with me.

It's not unusual for a horse that has been sitting in the pasture, and is now getting worked on a daily basis to lose weight. Some trainers will even cut back feed on a horse that has a lot of spunk just to help bring them around. It's also fairly common to tie up a horse for long periods of time. Also helps to get some spunk out, and also teaches them to stand when tied. I would tie them short also to reduce the risk of injury from trying to pull or jerk the rope.

I'd still go get the mare.

 " This sentence makes no sense to me at all. Sounds like he doesn't really know what he doing and I would get my mare back. In your post it said that "he wanted to make a name for himself." He needs to break his own horses to make mistakes on. If he can train horse his riding style and the way his horse moves and responds should be calling card to get started.

He has doen a little work with Craig Cameron and was on a couple of his Extreme Cowboy Races, but did not think he should have to clean stallds and feed his own horses like everybody else had to.  He also stated he has worked with Al Dunning also another lie!  The mare in question was used by Ryan Gengrich? in his 1st RDFTV program and this trainer in question wanted a chance to show Ryan up and try for his own TV spot.  We was told that he already had offers to do a show and he wanted a tough horse to use!

With 14 horses total, I have others that are working more than ready to go.  But I am ready to get my paint horse going on the trials.

Yes we did.  He is drawing up a letter and we going to do a little advertizing for he guy on the back of our trailer and the local news paper.

Will keep you updated.

Last weekend at the Mounted Shooting (that my better half WON both days in level 1 and moved up to a level 2)  The guys in question walked right by me and did not say a word to me!  But waited till my better half got by herself and tried to start crap with her.