Upset and dont know if to make a fuss

Gingerwitch

Gingerwitch

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My old girl was due to be clipped today - full except half a head and legs as she had a coat like a woolly mammoth. It is possibly her last summer with me and i have a photographer booked for Saturday so wanted my sweet little girl looking as best as she can with a dipped back, rather large belly but that cheeky madam look still.

Get to yard tonight and one of the working pupils is waiting for me..... i am sorry she said and burst into tears... i nearly died on the spot and asked what on earth was going on - i immediatly thought one of my horses was dead or on 3 legs waiting to be shot..... i dashed to the block and could see the 3 heads of mine all peering at me wondering what on earth i was doing dashing in like a mad woman when they were snoozing.....

Upon closer inspection i could see that my old girls mane was gone - not just a little gone but all gone as in hogged! i felt releaved but angry and wanted to know what on earth had gone on. Blubbering kid says she slipped with the clippers and took the middle chunk out of her mane and did not know what to do... so she hogged her.

Half of me says go ballistic and have a real go at the yard owners and girl, as this is not my girl and the last few photos of her wont be of her if you know what i mean - the other half says poor kid - at least she had the balls to own up - at least she waited to see me - and we have all made mistakes at work havent we?

I am upset rather than angry i just wanted some good last photos of my old lady and now that opportunity has been taken away - she did not even leave the forelock so at least i could have got a good head photo....
 
Aww. What a shame! don't go mad - it was an accident, and the girl was obviously feeling awful about it. Going mad won't change anything. Let them know you're upset, but just say it, rather than shouting it! Sleep on it and you will feel better..xxx
 
Tricky one and I can see why you are so upset but making a fuss isn't going to get your mare her mane back ......saying that you must be mad as hell
 
I would probably let the yard owners know, and the girl that you are angry about it, but dont go ballistic. You should be aloud to let them know that your not happy with what was done because of the photographer and the sentimental value. :(

She did own up to it (and is probably still in tears now, I know i would be), and will probably take alot more care with the next horse. :)

xx
 
If she was young and inexperienced maybe she should've been supervised? I understand why you are annoyed, but she was obviously upset about it.
 
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Such a shame!

But atleast she had the balls to own up to your face, and not leave your horse with a chunk out of her mane atleast tried to make it look ok for you

I would say that you are very upset about it but let her know not to work herself up too much....if it was be i would be really upset and worried about it for ages
 
I would be absolutely furious - I'm sorry but I would. In many many years of clipping horses I have never managed to do this - yes accidents do happen but even if she had slipped and took some of her mane off you should have been called and asked what you wanted to do not just bloody hog it all off!! And her forelock? It wouldn't be the fact that she slipped it would be the hogging. What has the YO said? Did you know a pupil was doing it and wasn't she being supervised if she wasn't experienced in clipping? Yes I would be very upset - I know worse things could have happened but I still think this is bad. They had no right to do that without consulting you.
 
Sorry but there's no way I'd let anyone near one of my horses with a pair of clippers (or anything else), if I'm there to supervise then maybe...

I can't see how you can be angry at the girl, its the yard manager who was in fault for not supervising her...
 
Just had a phone call off the yo - it would appear that the girl was trying to "impress" her boss by doing all the "lines"/awkward bits herself.... i have been told i will not be charged for the clip the yo cannot apologise enough and will "let the girl go" if i want....

So i dont suppose i can ask for anymore than that - I have told the YO to keep the kid - she would not know it was potentially her last summer - and tbh she did wait for me to get to the yard and she could have snook off. Like i say i am more upset than angry now and have had a good cry - OH has had the brunt of it bless him.
 
Accidents happen, yes. However I too would be rather cross. She should have left it and then asked what you wanted her to do, so at least the choice was yours to make. And to go ahead and take the forelock too, that is not on. I really feel for you :(
 
I wouldn't want the kid to lose her job - it's more the YO i'd have been p**sed at letting her do it unsupervised on a clients horse. Am sure the girl is mortified and has learnt a lesson the numpty. I do feel sorry for you.
 
How old is the working pupil? I suspect quite young? Us grown ups would know what to do but someone barely older than a kid might not because she wont have the life experience knowing how to deal with every situation. Its sad and unfortunate for you both and Im sure she is also very upset by it but the horse wont care. Maybe in time you can see it for what it is just a quirky thing which has happened along the way and just another one of many that you and your horse have had together over the years.
 
I would be having stern words with YO, because she should have been supervised and if they were at all uncertain of her ability she shouldnt have been doing the hard bits.

However, it takes guts for a young girl to own up and particularly to face you herself, so I'd be as calm as possible with her. She could have just buggered off and let someone else deal with it. xxx
 
Got my rational head back on now - her mane was "tatty" but that was being sorted tomorrow night - i can actually forgive the hogging of the mane - its the forelock i cannot get over - i hate hogged manes on any horse - but that horrid look of no forelock on my old girl - you know in all the years i have owned her it has never grew - it has always been the same lenght, the same thickness - it has been a standing joke for many a year... and she had such a pretty face when it was plaited - off to have another snivel - god if i am like this now what state am i going to be in later this year?
 
I suppose it's a lesson learnt the hard way...I doubt she'll ever make the same mistake again clipping!

I'm sorry though :( I'd be FULLY miffed too.
 
Could you get some whizz to photoshop a forelock and poss mane back on to her after the photo shoot?

Just a thought.
 
Aww I bet she was cr**ing herself waiting for you! Bless and bursting into tears, showed she was truly sorry I think. Imagine what was going through her head when she was doing it!

I can understand you being peeved, I would be too, but accidents do happen and at least she owned up and said sorry. :)
 
Thanks to everyone whom has replied - must admit if i had seen this posted i would have said rip her and the yo's head off and hit them with the soggie end... but seeing a kid (17) blow snot bubbles and almost choke with sobs brings things into persepective. No she did not keep any of the mane, and i really think she thought she was doing the best thing... she obviously knows that she did not by now. As for the YO - i agree supervison was key - but if she says - clip to here and no more - then i suppose she thought things were under control.

Just hope i can look back one day and laugh - or if i am lucky maybe she will be here till next summer x
 
Gingerwitch said:
Thanks to everyone whom has replied - must admit if i had seen this posted i would have said rip her and the yo's head off and hit them with the soggie end... but seeing a kid (17) blow snot bubbles and almost choke with sobs brings things into persepective. No she did not keep any of the mane, and i really think she thought she was doing the best thing... she obviously knows that she did not by now. As for the YO - i agree supervison was key - but if she says - clip to here and no more - then i suppose she thought things were under control.

Just hope i can look back one day and laugh - or if i am lucky maybe she will be here till next summer x
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:eek: Ewwwwww, soggie end :D
 
I think one day you will look back and laugh, but not right now and I can totally understand you being mad. However I have to say I would think it a bit harsh for the girl to lose her job, after all we've all been 17 and made stupid mistakes (well I did anyway) and tbh the fault lies more with the boss that didn't supervise her, I think.

Not trying to detract from your upset though.
 
I really feel for you, and know what you mean. But I feel for the girl too, she's got some bravery as a young person to own up face to face.

As they didn't keep any mane hair, could you not make a forelock out of some of her tail (if she has enough to select a little from here and there) or ask anyone with a horse that has the same mane colour if they could each pull a little and let you have it to use on her for the pics? I did this for a show once when she'd rubbed all the bottom half of her mane out. Stuck in in with the glue hairdressers use for some types of extensions. It was in a bottle, and you just rolled it in your fingers when you had put it on the hair to bond it. I know it would be difficult, but it might glue to the bristle of the hogged bit. Then, use gel on top to smooth it so from the front it looks normal and from the side her ears should stop any 'ends' showing badly.

Terrible thing to have to try to fix, but it might just be a way to help soften your pictures, so you don't get angry every time you look at them in the future.

T xxx
 
Spud - she has not lost her job - i think it may have been a double bluff to make me feel better- i know i am a witch and can be quite harsh at times - but i can at times see things from the other side - the yo said she would let her go if i wanted it - but i am sure i probalby did things just as "bad" at 17 and my bosses were very forgiving.... and no i would not let the kid loose her job over it - maybe i would if she had not owned up or tried to lie her way out of it - but you have to respect the kid - she bikes to the yard, has no parent support, and is doing her best to be the best person she can be - i actually have a soft spot for her as she has the most tatty boots i have ever seen, i have thrown better away - they must let everthing in - and she refused to have a pair of boots off me (too tight for me and rub me big style) for nothing and insisted on paying me £10 for them at £2 a week and wont take them until she has paid for them!

I feel like such a cow now after typing that - poor kid - bet this is a day she will never forget
 
Agree, take some from her tail and glue it on, we have to do this from time to time with the show horses! Or you could get someone to photoshop some plaits on to her so she looks like she's plaited up?
 
Gingerwitch said:
Spud - she has not lost her job - i think it may have been a double bluff to make me feel better- i know i am a witch and can be quite harsh at times - but i can at times see things from the other side - the yo said she would let her go if i wanted it - but i am sure i probalby did things just as "bad" at 17 and my bosses were very forgiving.... and no i would not let the kid loose her job over it - maybe i would if she had not owned up or tried to lie her way out of it - but you have to respect the kid - she bikes to the yard, has no parent support, and is doing her best to be the best person she can be - i actually have a soft spot for her as she has the most tatty boots i have ever seen, i have thrown better away - they must let everthing in - and she refused to have a pair of boots off me (too tight for me and rub me big style) for nothing and insisted on paying me £10 for them at £2 a week and wont take them until she has paid for them!

I feel like such a cow now after typing that - poor kid - bet this is a day she will never forget
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Bless her. It was only due to what the YO said that I thought that, not because of you ISYWIM!

I bet she will NEVER slip with the clippers again...
 
Gingerwitch said:
I feel like such a cow now after typing that - poor kid - bet this is a day she will never forget
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Well you sound like a lovely person to me, after typing all of that. Today has been a shock for both you and the girl. Tomorrow it will all seem brighter. :)
 
haven't read all the responses (sorry - not enough time) but agree with all the responses I have read. Still am upset for you but I wondered if photographer could 'enhance' the photographs, especially if you have some already of your horse with a full head of hair. Or what about getting an animal artist to do a picture & you could have the mane & forelock just as you'd like it.
 
I'm offering this without asking him so I can't promise anything, but my OH is a professional photographer who is pretty good with photoshop, so if your photographer won't, or if you don't go with the tail as forelock suggestion, then I might be able to sweet talk my OH into photoshopping a forelock on for you... Just PM me if you need to.
 
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