Is this inappropriate to ask my trainer?
If you want to work with these horses, then you should approach your trainer, it is always a good thing to learn to be a better horse handler and trainer. However, you should be humble, and shouldn't ask to ride them. Horses shouldn't even have a rider in the saddle until they are four years old, so don't get your hopes up about patterning them tomorrow. But, if you really are interested, talk to your trainer! Tell her you are interested in working with barrel horses, and you were wondering if she could show you how to work with young horses, and if you could help with anything regarding these young horses, even if it is just grooming them! Young horses while they are smaller, are still very strong, and can sometimes be difficult to handle. I don't suggest you handle or work without your trainer present to help you. I remember the first time I worked with a 2 year old stud colt who was going to be in cutting training, and he was a major handful. It was a wonderful experience, but I know it would not have been such an enlightening and positive influence on my mindset and handling skills if I did not have my trainer at my side helping me with any situation that arouse. Now I don't mean to say you are a bad rider or handler, so please don't get that impression. : ) I'm really pleased you are interested in expanding your knowledge about horses! But these are some big steps in your horse 'career' and it's always so much safer and happier if you have the help of an experienced rider, handler and trainer at your side just in case something happens, or you need help or have questions. : ) So go for it if that's what you are interested in! Have a discussion with your trainer, express to them your interests. However, if they say no, do respect their choices. Your trainer does know what is best, and is a better evaluation of your skills and what your next step in your handling, riding and training skills are. But it never hurts to ask, and even if they say no, now they know what you are interested in, they can help you meet your goals!
Would it be inappropriate to give my personal trainer and his fiance a wedding gift?
Only you know whether that would be overstepping the bounds of trainer/client, just keep in mind this is ultimately a professional relationship, if one that helps you achieve a personal goal. Ordinarily, it would not be called for, and in fact, may make him uncomfortable - or it should. There is a necessary division between personal and professional relationships. Given that what you value most in this is his encouragement, I would instead opt for a card sending them your best wishes. That is actually the only thing required of anyone - even close friends and relatives who are invited to the wedding. As a client (and small business owner), I think that would be the most appropriate, and timing is key. Do not send it in advance of the wedding- send nothing beforehand- or it could make him feel as though he must invite you, which opens up a Pandora's box of expense for them, feelings of obligation for you to produce a gift, and overstepping of your relationship. Just a card, after they are married, is appropriate. More than that is not.
Depends on the context. But you should not get offended easily.I remember one incident when I first started to work out. I asked my trainer if it is okay to do something. He replied like this ;"First, you should lose that big fat ass." (I was really fat.)It was very embarrassing and will-breaking but I did not change my trainer. He was several times national champion in body-building. Fast forward 6 months, people would notice the change, tell me I had a fit body. I caught girls checking me out. One time a friend touched my shoulder to get my attention, when I looked at him, he said "wow".
I had a bit of a chesty cough years ago when i was a delivery driver for a catalogue company. I had to collect a return item from a very posh lady in a very nice cottage in Devon England.I rang the doorbell and Mrs Bucket answered the door and i said hi i have come to collect your return item. Mrs Bucket went away and returned with said package and handed me her returns book for me to sign. As i was signing the book i suddenly had the urge to cough and placed my hand over my mouth. Unfortunately and much to my despair a large piece of green flob managed to escape through my fingers and unbelievably managed to hit her on the forehead between the eyes ! she literally screamed and made a ugghhh noise as she wiped away the green snot that was now stringed across her fingers like a green spiders web.All i could do was bow my head and say i cannot apologise enough and hand her book back to her, that was also covered in the rest of my snot that was left in my hand and scuttled off back to my van.I never delivered anything else to that destination again.That was a very inappropriate moment of my working life.
I had a professor who was from India and he had a superiority complex about being from India. He thought very little of Americans and never hesitated to tell students how they were inferior to people from India. This professor would ask impossible three question tests. The questions would be something like, recite verbatim page 93 of your textbook without looking in the book. After everyone would fail the test because passing was absolutely impossible for everyone, he would see each student individually ostensibly to discuss their grade. He would make male students grovel and beg and he would sexually harass female students. The first time this happened to me I told him he could just give me a minimum of a, “B” grade and he could pull his bullshit on the other students. If he did not agree with this, I told him I would make him regret that decision. He did not agree so I went to the Dean of Students and explained the situation. The Dean of Students gave me the speech about college is about learning to get along with people and perhaps I had problems with the professor but other students did not. I told the Dean he was wrong and I would prove it to him. I requested the Dean to be in his office on Friday at 1:00 pm and he agreed. At the end of class, I got up and said, “Anyone who thinks this professor is an asshole, follow me and I will fix it.” The entire class followed me to the Dean’s office. The Dean was of course shocked and shocked to hear of the harassment of the students. The Dean talked to the professor and assumed the matter was settled. The next class the jackass professor immediately stated, “You ratted me out to the Dean, now I am going to fail everyone.” I got up and told everyone in the class to get up and follow me to the Dean’s office (and they did). That time he was threatened with immediate termination. I went back and told the jackass, remember when I told you that you could just give me a minimum of a, “B” and play your games with the rest of the students? Now I bet you wish you had. Do not ever attempt to cross me. That put him in his place. He was later terminated for sexual harassment.
Shopping for a trainer....?
Yes, drinking infront of you was unprofessional, but really if it was just one beer, what is the harm? It isn't like (hopefully) he was getting wasted then jumping on your horse, some people just find a cold beer refreshing in the hot weather... If he works well with the horses, has a decent reputation, and is willing to work with you, then go for it. A lot of the older cowboy types are the best with horses, they are not all mean and hard on the horses. I once bought a horse from this older man who was incredibly rough around the edges, he chewed tobacco, drank, ended up in jail for threatining his daughters boyfriend with a shot gun, but he was absoultly amazing with horses, terrible with people, but he knew his stuff when it came to riding. Give the guy another chance, maybe have him put a few rides on your filly and ask if you can come watch each time just be observant, and if anything seems off to you, bring it to his attention immedietly and ask for an explanation.