You know how a scant few of my customers make me crazy enough that I burst a blood vessel and have to come bleed all over you fine people?

Well, yesterday the point was driven home to me that it's not just me. (Don't know why I assumed it was!)

It's not even just dress-up-and-play hobbyists! It's not just crazy costume people! It's everyone! It's people. People are just inconsiderate jerks.

Case in point: yesterday, I was having my weekly day of mucking stalls and carrying water buckets at Britt's stable. The farrier was trimming hooves, so I was alternately helping Britt with the stalls and then fetching horses for the farrier.

At about 1:30pm, the farrier was done and we'd finished all our chores. Usually Britt takes me out to lunch for my trouble, but yesterday she had a lesson at 3pm, so we didn't quite have time to go out. So she suggested she make us both lunch and we eat at her house.

Right before we went inside, one of her boarders shows up to ride her daughter's pony. Before she arrived, Britt asked me if I would fetch the pony when she arrived. I said that I would.

When the boarder greeted us, Britt told her, "Kass is going to get your pony for you." And she says, "Did you warn her?" I gave Britt a quizzical look. Britt is very cautious. Although she trusts me with all the horses, she would never ask me to handle a horse that was in any way dangerous. So I was confused for a moment.

Then the boarder said, "Pony's afraid of Danny." I shrug. "So we take her the other way," I say. "Oh, but she starts acting up even if she doesn't see him." It's a teeny little pony. Even in my weakened condition, I could bench press this horse. I'm really not concerned. I've dealt with 17-hand horses that were acting up. I'm not worried about a child's pony.

So I get the pony and the only trouble she gives me is trying to get at some dropped hay. No problem at all.

Anyway, I got the pony for her, hooked her up to the cross ties, and she asks me if I'll help her mount. But she takes so long brushing her that I can't stand around in the cold anymore. Besides, the pony is like five inches tall. I could get on her without picking up my feet! So Britt tells me to get her a mounting block, and I put it out in the little arena for her.

Britt and I go into the house to have lunch. Britt says to the border, "I'll be out a little before 3pm."

While cooking lunch, Britt looks out the kitchen window and sees the boarder walking around, leading the pony. "I hope she's not waiting for us to help her get on!" she says. And then she forgets about her.

An hour later, after we'd finished our lunch and were just about to go back outside, Britt's cell phone rings. It's the boarder who's still outside. She wants to know when Britt is coming outside. $*&#@#&%!!! Wasn't "just before my 3pm lesson" clear enough?

This IDIOT walked the pony around the ring for an hour, fully tacked up, and never got on. She claims she couldn't get the girth tight enough because "she's fuzzy". Um... yeah. And fur squishes down. You just have to pull harder. And she wants Britt (or someone) to put her horse away. Why? "Because she acts up."

I have known this pony from two owners ago. Granted, she's a pony and therefore a little jerk. But her owner is a five-year-old girl. SHE can handle her. Apparently her mother cannot.

Understand this -- this is not a posh stable where people are paid to get your horse ready for you. This is a one-woman operation where the owner mucks all the stalls, teaches all the lessons, and trains all the horses herself. If you're a boarder, no one gets your horse for you. You do it yourself. The only people who get their horses fetched and tacked for them are the under age 12 students. Boarders are responsible for fetching their own horses.

Anyway, she wants me to walk with her to put the pony back in her paddock. Okay... She wants to lead her herself and just have me around to help. Okay. Maybe she's getting braver. But when she keeps walking the damned horse in a circle, as if she's acting up. She's just... not. She's got a peppy walk. I know that from having met the damned pony once three years ago. She's not acting up. She's WALKING!! But I grab the other side of her halter and use my weight to hold her back a bit to give the stupid boarder confidence.

At the paddock, I get the gate for her and she just stands there. "She won't go in with Nina there." Huh? I have known Nina for four years and pony for three. They get along. Is this something new? Horses are weird and new rivalries sometimes happen. And I haven't been around as much as I was three years ago. Fair enough. So I walk into the paddock and stand in ankle-deep mud, thinking me standing there will give the boarder confidence. But it's HER and not the pony who obviously is afraid of Nina. I merely touch the pony's lead rope and she walks in, right past Nina, without even a look.

IDIOT!!!

You know, if you're afraid of a little child's pony, maybe... just MAYBE you shouldn't try to handle one?

I am still offended that this helpless female thought it was okay to call Britt on her cell phone and disturb her lunch when she was told exactly when she'd be outside again. I guess I should be happy she didn't just walk into the house!

Britt tells me that in the summer, it's worse -- people just walk into her house while she's having lunch and sit at her kitchen table and wait for her. Or they schedule a lesson for 3 o'clock in the afternoon and their parents drop them off at 9am and they think they can run around Britt's house.

Obviously Britt needs to put her foot down. But who in their right mind thinks that walking into someone's house without knocking is appropriate behaviour?! I wouldn't walk into my best friend's house without knocking and waiting at least for her to yell "come in!"