So, before I say this, let me first enunciate the following: I love my barn. I have ridden there for almost 12 years now. I love my farrier. He has shod my horses for almost 8 years now. He is competent and tends to inspire trust in horses (though he sometimes scares humans a bit) and my horses stay sound when he cares for their feet. However, it is well known in the horse world that if you want a good farrier, you deal with terrible customer service, because they'd rather lose a client than be inconvenienced- since any really good farrier is already turning people away at least weekly because he is full up on clients, so more the better if they lose someone.
Anyway.
Yesterday I left work two hours early and drove over 35 miles in blowing snow, at rush hour, to make an appointment to have my horse's hooves trimmed. I worked late two days last week to get permission to leave early, because my farrier will not make evening appointments past 5:00 or work weekends. I made the appointment in plenty of time, only to have someone tell me, "Oh, he was just here, he just left!"
So it turns out the farrier showed up early, checked my horse's feet and decided they didn't need a trim, and rather than call to see if I wanted anything done or let me know, just left! That's an hour and a half of driving I didn't have to do, and in the snow, and while I could have been at work! And if he had stuck around or called, I would have asked that he put front shoes on Ember to help his feet grow, because if they still don't need a trim after 4 months, time for SHOES to make them grow! He finally called to say he could come out next week while I'm working and have his assistant hold Ember for shoes- but I am not sure I trust Ember with a stranger banging on his feet. He was a racehorse and is pretty iffy with men sometimes, though he likes the farrier.
Then I found out the blanket I ordered doesn't fit Ember- even though it is the same size as what he's wearing now. And the catalog makes you pay shipping for returns AND shipping again on the new item you're exchanging it for! ARRGH. I know it's policy, but if I order a 76, isn't it reasonable to expect that it be a 76?
Then the last straw is, as I'm leading my horse through the arena, calling "DOOR!" as I entered on the way to put him back in his stall- let's see, I've got a wet, snowy horse wearing two layers of blankets. I'm not dressed for riding, and we are walking purposefully diagonally across the arena to the other door. A toddler could have told you that I was just going across the arena to the other door.
Does Little Miss Teenybopper riding her horse at breakneck speeds around the indoor arena use spatial reasoning to deduce this? Of course not. She stares at her horse's neck instead of looking where she is going while piloting a 1,200 pound animal, nearly collides with my horse, and in her best sneering Do-You-Know-Who-I-Am voice, complains, "Could you call RAIL if you are going to the door?"
I politely say, "I'm sorry, I thought it was pretty clear where I was headed." I resist the impulse to tell her that perhaps she should use the eyes whatever deity she prefers gave her to tell if there is an obstacle in her path. Because yes, technically, I should have yelled DOOR or RAIL again, 5 seconds after yelling DOOR as I entered the arena- but with ONE single rider in the large arena, one would think she could find some place to be besides exactly where I am obviously walking.
Does she graciously accept my apology? Of course not. She rides off snapping, "Well duh, it obviously WASN'T clear, I almost hit you!"
.....And your inability to look where you are going is MY FAULT?
Anyway.
Yesterday I left work two hours early and drove over 35 miles in blowing snow, at rush hour, to make an appointment to have my horse's hooves trimmed. I worked late two days last week to get permission to leave early, because my farrier will not make evening appointments past 5:00 or work weekends. I made the appointment in plenty of time, only to have someone tell me, "Oh, he was just here, he just left!"
So it turns out the farrier showed up early, checked my horse's feet and decided they didn't need a trim, and rather than call to see if I wanted anything done or let me know, just left! That's an hour and a half of driving I didn't have to do, and in the snow, and while I could have been at work! And if he had stuck around or called, I would have asked that he put front shoes on Ember to help his feet grow, because if they still don't need a trim after 4 months, time for SHOES to make them grow! He finally called to say he could come out next week while I'm working and have his assistant hold Ember for shoes- but I am not sure I trust Ember with a stranger banging on his feet. He was a racehorse and is pretty iffy with men sometimes, though he likes the farrier.
Then I found out the blanket I ordered doesn't fit Ember- even though it is the same size as what he's wearing now. And the catalog makes you pay shipping for returns AND shipping again on the new item you're exchanging it for! ARRGH. I know it's policy, but if I order a 76, isn't it reasonable to expect that it be a 76?
Then the last straw is, as I'm leading my horse through the arena, calling "DOOR!" as I entered on the way to put him back in his stall- let's see, I've got a wet, snowy horse wearing two layers of blankets. I'm not dressed for riding, and we are walking purposefully diagonally across the arena to the other door. A toddler could have told you that I was just going across the arena to the other door.
Does Little Miss Teenybopper riding her horse at breakneck speeds around the indoor arena use spatial reasoning to deduce this? Of course not. She stares at her horse's neck instead of looking where she is going while piloting a 1,200 pound animal, nearly collides with my horse, and in her best sneering Do-You-Know-Who-I-Am voice, complains, "Could you call RAIL if you are going to the door?"
I politely say, "I'm sorry, I thought it was pretty clear where I was headed." I resist the impulse to tell her that perhaps she should use the eyes whatever deity she prefers gave her to tell if there is an obstacle in her path. Because yes, technically, I should have yelled DOOR or RAIL again, 5 seconds after yelling DOOR as I entered the arena- but with ONE single rider in the large arena, one would think she could find some place to be besides exactly where I am obviously walking.
Does she graciously accept my apology? Of course not. She rides off snapping, "Well duh, it obviously WASN'T clear, I almost hit you!"
.....And your inability to look where you are going is MY FAULT?
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