As a small town and country dweller all my life I have to say that Ms. Lemon's experience is the great exception of things in the country. There is as much if not much more cruelty to animals in the cities as you will find rural communities.

In horse trainers as in life there are assholes of every imagined stripe.

AS an aside, I once mucked stables for a horse trainer in NYS. I walked into the excersise yard one 7:30 am to find a stable hand screaming and slapping the side of a quarter horse gelding. This stable ape was known for being mean to the horses so I told him to stop what he was doing or I'd tell the boss. The horse just stood there as this abuse went on apparently unconcerned. As he wailed away at the quite placid horse he sreamed at me the horse was on his foot. Now I never liked this guy and the horse seemed to be grinning so I said, "I'll go get help." and I walked off to the office to wait for the boss to arrive at 8:00. This hand could have bucked up the horses leg if he thot too, probably the pain clouding his small mind. I know I was being mean and it must have hurt but I also thot of the other horses I'd seen him kick or punch or twitch for no real reason and I had another cup of coffee. And I know that I was being inconsiderate of the horse too. But the horse seemed not in the least bit of a hurry to move and he really looked like he was grinning.

Don