Pete Ramey, hitches, and a Buck Brannaman clinic

I have a lot of respect for Pete Ramey because he is so conservative in his barefoot trimming. His strategy falls into the less is more category.


I have been watching my DVD training set "Under the Horse" and it is pretty intensive. It is challenging to watch because it's so detailed. It counts as college credit for veterinarians.

Tonight I called up a potential barefoot trimmer who has good recommendations from across the street.

I had been using a barefoot trimmer who was excellent, took for-e-ver in her exacting work, but charged 55Euros. For a barefoot trim that is kind of rich. And I was doing most of the work - she was just touching up.

Then I used Achim because he's in the family. He's cheap. But he's a shoer, not a trimmer. He does good work on Bellis. But when I had him do Mara, I was dismayed at her hooves chipping within 3 days of his trim. Not enough roll. At least he was conservative with her hooves, whereas with Bellis, he rips right into sole. Donkeys are different.

My every-two-week trims have her not chipping at all, only flaring, her natural tendency. Her hooves look great. Not enough concavity, some flaps on frogs, but awesome otherwise.

So I called up this trimmer, Elke, tonight and asked if she'd take on a new customer. She said, "OH NO, I'm totally booked. I'm completely full! I cannot take a single extra horse!"

I said, "Well, I should tell you I do my own trimming after Pete Ramey's style, and only need a profi to come in every so often to correct me. Would you be able to do that? Do you know who Pete Ramey is?"

This is Germany, so I assumed not. But she did. She said she knew who he is so I said, "That speaks a lot to me about you, that you even know who he is."

She said she'll come out. Woo!

***

Hitch-decor

Tonight I saw my first testicles on a truck-hitch. I'd been wondering if that would make it over to Germany. As you know, trucks are rare here. This was a little Nissan truck. And as you know, hitches are tiny here. Cuz receivers are tiny here. Cuz trailers are tiny here. Cuz horses...wait. Horses are HUGE here. I don't really get this. OK let's go back to the streets. Streets are tiny here, cars are...

***

This morning my dear friend Tami wrote me to say that Buck Brannaman is coming to Germany in November for a clinic. His only European clinic of the year. IN COLOGNE - where I work. AWESOME!

Except the price. It's 130Euros per day to observe. That's150$. You might know that Buck B has a policy of affordable clinics - he only charges 30$ per day for observers in whatever city or state or facility he visits in America

So....why does he toss his affordable policy in Germany? I'm sure he should have some say in the cost of observing his clinics.

I read the host stable's site, where they try to rationalize the extra cost.

Read the rationalization here.

It's so obvious. Just .....duh, host Buck B at a facility that does not have to be built! This is not a country that does not constantly host horse events. Large horse shows occur weekly, year round. Why the need to create a space for him?

I was so mad. I told my husband and he looked at BB's website, and ....guess what.

He's in Washington state doing a clinic on Nov 1, when we'll be there, at Tacoma Unit, where Baasha's first time in the show ring occurred.

Anyway, I decided to do a little research.

There is a Mark Rashid student giving clinics in Germany, after spending time with Mark Rashid, learning from him in America.

This student charges 40E (53$) to observe a clinic for a day.

Mark Rashid himself charges $35 per day to observe.

W.T.H. If I were a student, charging more than the teacher who taught me, I'd be ashamed of myself.

Your natural inclination will be to think that Europeans are wealthier, that they have a higher standard of living. In fact, they have a lower standard of living. I get paid less here for the same exact job. We all pay much higher taxes so that everyone has health insurance. This is a great place to be sick and unemployed.

But this is true:

In November, 2000 Europeans will pay $150 per day to observe Buck Brannaman.

An American cowboy celebrity, the one they made the movie about - of course they'll pay!

I will decline.