Thanks all - no pick away. I can take it. That's why I got involved, after all.
Zenyatta, you are sort of making my point for me with this thread. If Mr Mac is in fact coping and his horses are fine and we're all just big meanies for picking on him, then why are you telling us that we need to donate money to feed his horses?
Either way, I think it is lovely of you for trying to help and I wish you all strength and success with your endeavor. I really hope things can turn around and if there is a Seabiscuit story I promise I will be the first to write about it.
However, I will not contribute.
As anyone who knows me will tell you, my horses come first. Then I look after myself & my husband, our other animals and various other commitments. If I have anything left over (sadly not as often as I would like), I donate to charity, try to offer someone an odd job, buy someone a hot meal, etc.
That's how most people operate.
Trainers run a business the same way as Spar, Woollies, Pick 'n Pay, etc. I consider that trainers offer a service and are therefore a business, not a charity and I'm fairly sure that the idea is for them to run the same way (I think the trainers' exam even covers things like business plans, etc - perhaps Craig could confirm?).
If a business is not functioning properly (for whatever reason), then it is up to the owners/management to make a plan.
I think that is perhaps what you are missing here.....
It is not my job to do Mr Mac's job. I have my own work to do and my own commitments to meet. I got landed with this because people were concerned that horses were not being cared for properly and for the gazillionth time, NO, IT WAS NOT BASIL MARCUS WHO PHONED ME. I am not quite sure how many more times I can say that or how else to put it that will make you understand. If you cannot accept that, then I cannot help you any further on that point and you will have to continue disbelieving me. I can live with that.
The NHA have been notified and I am told are overseeing / assisting. I have followed up with them to ask whether someone is helping with feed and ensuring that the horses are being taken care of. Other than physically going down there myself (which I cannot see being a terribly welcome intervention), I do not see what more I can reasonably be expected to do.
I can buy a bag of feed with pleasure, but what would be the point? What happens when that bag of feed is finished? Am I expected to buy another? And another?? Should I go down there and feed the horses too? Muck them out? Groom them? Exercise them? Take them to the track? Saddle them for races? Where does it stop ?
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for life. With all the good will in the world, Mr Mac's problems are beyond what I can fix on my own two hands. So I did the next best thing and called in the relevant authorities who are charged with monitoring, guiding and yes sometimes disciplining people when they are not doing things correctly. I did not say 'take away Mr Mac's licence'. I said go down there and look what's going on and for the love of God, DO something. The relevant authorities made their own assessment and it seems (I was not there, so have to make assumptions) that they felt it would be better for all concerned if Mr Mac stopped training.
I am sorry for that. I can also see how you seem to think that that's my fault.
But I'm afraid it just isn't.
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