Divas come in all forms. The girls in LA and NYC have nothing on the girls that hang out in barns. In some of the early childhood courses that I took in college, play therapy was a great way of learning about a child from a developmental and psychological standpoint. I think that observing owners with their animals could offer much of those same benefits. One of the first employees that worked for us had gone to school to work in a medical office and had done her internship in a psychologist office. She kept telling me how normal those clients were compared to some of ours!!! I guess those had accepted their problems already. Most of our clients are really nice, normal, fun-loving folks, but the exceptions to that rule just really seem to stand out!
A great number of clients frequently point out the various things that I have that they have bought us, such as our fencing, barn, car or even the very roof over my head. They bring us catalogs showing us prices on pharmaceuticals that are lower than our prices. When we first moved to Tennessee, we went to a 4-H dinner because we had donated money and were getting a certificate of appreciation. While we were having dinner a lady in the crowd kept frowning at me. I was sitting near another 4-H mom that I knew and I asked her if it was my imagination or was that lady( whom I didn't even know) was giving me a dirty look. "Oh my, well, yes, she's giving you a dirty look." "Why, I don't even know her?" "Well, she thinks that because you drive a new mini van, that you are the reason your husband's charges are so much!"
Once a physcians wife wanted us to write free health certificates to all pony club children. I replied that we had a policy that we didn't donate to individuals but to groups. In fact we had donated to the pony club itself. She was furious and told me that her husband gave fee physicals to student atheletes and told me just how awful we were.
There are those who want discounts on farm calls because of where they live, because they've rescued a horse, because they just need a break, because so and so does it cheaper, because you didn't really have to spend that much time on it, because, because, because.....
Working for the public makes me tired. There are days that I just love it because of all of the really special people that we do work for. It's just the divas that make me tired. "I'm the reason you're in business and I can take you out." Yes I've really been told that too.
We try to go to work every day and give the best service at the best price we can and still have a profitable business. Sometimes I wonder why we work so hard for so little left over and get harrassed for it in the meantime. It's not because of me, that 's for sure. It's because of my husband. He LOVES horses. He was called to be a horse vet. He is so thrilled when he is able to diagnose and treat and make better a suffering horse. The babies melt his heart. He's such a sucker. He talks sweeter to the mares than to me sometimes! And so, he and his sweet heart(most of the time) is the reason I do it too.
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