Red - Wouldn't you? To help out a friend in need? But since you seem to wonder... Beverly has had a rough time. Last year, three of her horses were killed by a single lightning strike. It was devastating to her. She was able to get ahold of the breeder who had sold her one of the horses, a yearling QH, and she offered Beverly the opportunity to buy her dam at a very low price, and she would already be bred. Beverly reluctantly agreed to the breeding. Well, the dam (Boots) suffered an infected placenta, and the foal was born with neurological damage after a very traumatic induced labor. The mare had to be taken in to the hospital with the foal in the hopes of saving either one of them. Well, they saved the mare, but the foal started going downhill about three days after birth. She had to make the decision to put him down. This whole mess cost her a LOT. Not just in money, but emotionally. Chaos was the name of the foal, and he was Miri's half brother... and Miri is one of the ones she lost to lightning.

Now .. regardless of whether it makes sense or not, I love Beverly. She's been there for me so often. If I could help make her life a little easier by driving down to visit while she teaches me some really cool training stuff and I get experience working on her horses.. that's good enough for me. ****, I'd do it for you if you weren't in Japan. Sometimes you gotta give to get, yaknow? It looks like she may very well pick me up as her regular trimmer (for full price) and not only that, but there might already be 6 more horses owned by a friend of hers that need trimming - for full price. I think of it as an investment in my future, and my friendship. And honestly, my friendships are worth their weight in gold. I don't have many people I consider a friend.

Hi Raven, oh, God, I do it too much, giving....

I actually didn't find your wanting to help her out so strange, not strange at all. What I found strange was not reading that she offered you anything. I mean, you said, her regular farrier was out of town. Ok, fine. If he were in town, she'd have gone to him, and paid him, no? So I would think she would want to pay you, would at least offer. I mean, damn, five hours driving!? She called you? I don't know, maybe she was really panicking and was just bowled over by what you did for her and is too embarrassed to offer you money. But, she knows how strapped you are I assume.

I don't know. I am more concerned for you, Rave, and hope you're not being used because you're so nice. You say she's been there for you a lot though so all's probably dandy. I'm a bit jaded with the "give to get" stuff anymore because I've been screwed over by the people who did the getting part so much. Hard to give in a world that values material things so much, a world that seems to have such a hard time expressing anything in anything but material terms....talking about here...that is.

In any case, it's next to impossible for us here on the board to know a situation, truly know it. From the sounds of it, with her likely to take you on as a regular and the other work form her friend, it sounds like this is one time where things really do work out with that rare logic.....that precious and even rarer........good things happen to good people kind of karma. It is my hope that good things really do and continue come your way, Raven!!

Red - She paid for my gas, that's all I asked her to pay. She fed me, let me stay overnight at her place, and let me use her shower. She's a wonderful, giving, caring person. I wasn't being used in the slightest. Been there, done that. I have my cynical moments too. As a matter of fact, I have one of those 'iffy' situations coming up this weekend. Another friend has asked me to drive down to Macon to trim her horse - she usually does him herself, but hasn't had the time lately. Soooooo.... I offered her the same first time deal. Pay my gas, feed me, we'll have a good time thing. But with her, I'm a little more cautious about what might happen going forward. But I'm still basically the kind of person who will let people hang themselves. Give them a chance, see what happens.