[equinelaw]

Although I am not going to go back through 50 pages, I believe trainer refused to communicate with OP until trainer hired a lawyer. Lawyer and OP talked and last week OP said Trainer did not know where horse was supposed to go as Agent had lied to trainer too. Thats in this thread somewhere, or was.

Perhaps if trainer had communctaed with OP before hiring a lawyer then OP would have known why trainer took horse to WV instead of back home? There might have been far less speculation in that case, but since trainer had refused to exchange any information people made assumptions. People will do that and it is their right to gossip and express their opinions.

At no time did OP ever say trainer had stolen horse or demanded payment or anything but that the one fact trianer took horse to WV instead of home. Trainer chose to clear that up through legal counsel and once the reason was established OP posted right here that trainer was a victim of Agent too.

All OP ever said, herself, was that trainer took horse to WV. That is a fact. OP never speculated as to why or had any explaination to offer. I agree with OP that if not for the thread that horse might never be recovered, but as a public forum trainer had very right to come here--or any of the other BBs where information was being exchanged--and tell her story and confront any speculation. Thats more then most people get after a news story or plain old face to face communication.

If trainer chose to wait for several weeks, while OP was in the dark, and then communicate through a lawyer then that is trainer's choice. However, imagine if everyone who doubted OPs story got a phone call from a lawyer about what they posted on COTH and how it made OP look bad in public. Would each and every person with reasonble doubts like being told what to say?


Is that what we want??? Courts and lawyers instead of Mods? If every time we expressed opinions or stated facts we had to worry about being sued then BBs wouldn't be much fun.


A simple "your crest realease if all wrong" is legally actionable. Half the threads on COTH are defamatory. In this thread there was one fact that caused endless specualtion. How may of those posters heard from a lawyer so far??? Whats next? Gossip ringside or at the tack shop?

There was no witch hunt started. There was socail pressure put on those involed to explain their actions and protect an innocent seller. If you want to be a BNT then you want to be a public figure. That comes with a price of being the subject of gossip and speculation and being held to high public standards.

Here is a link to what might be our future. . . .

hdirt.com/articles/20080730/0246371836.shtml

[rideagoldenpony]

I am SOOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSSOSOSSOSOSOOOOOO happy that this story had a happy ending. What a great relief it must be for the OP to have HER horse back home!!!

[TWF]

Supernatural...sooooo glad you have him back. RNB called me the moment you called her! God Bless that Official for sticking his neck out for you! It couldn't have gone any better at this point!

[tidy rabbit]

What a saga! Glad the horse made it back home.

I wonder if there is going to be any civil actions by any of the parties or if every one apologized and made nice?

Also I'm glad to hear that the "local official" in WV helped. I hated reading on this thread comments that law enforcement people wont help. That's what those people are there for and they should be utilized when things like this happen.

[zahena]

I think OP said that she was just happy to have her horse back and wouldn't pursue anything further. I imagine this was a harrowing enough experience to not perpuatate it by dragging it on through courts. Hats off to her for that! Glad he's home and happy!