DefinitelyDressage.com

A friend and I were talking about ethics and life choices. Let's say you signed up for a clinic with X. Then, before you could attend the clinic, X posted something truly offensive on Facebook. Wwyd?

If X said or did something which I found offensive - no I would not attend. Why give this person income or recognition if they cannot behave as a professional?

I think I would resent spending the money, and (right or wrong) I would question or shrug off everything they said. I would have a hard time seperating the 2.

Well, it depends. I would probably skip it. But it depends what it was about.

Not sure, depends on how offensive I find it. Sometimes people's personal opinions on things I don't care about if I just want to learn riding stuff from them, but if it truly bothers me, then I'd pass.

It would have to be way over the line before I'd cancel because of something someone said, unless I thought it meant that I'd have to deal with some sort of real life unpleasantness during the clinic, and if that was the case I'd stay away.

Offensive to me in terms of horsemanship/training? Or offensive in terms of politics or social beliefs?

If the latter, it would be hard for me to interact with any horse trainers!! LOL If the former, no, I would not attend the clinic.

I agree with piedmontfields. If it is something I find offensive on a personal level, I would have to evaluate what the person said. On the other hand, I think people should separate their personal and business lives, especially if your business is dealing with people you don't have a relationship with. Does that make sense? If a trainer is all about posting dumb stuff on FB, I wouldn't have much respect for him/her. Many companies will fire employees who post negative comments about their company. I see trainers the same way. It's a business.

Rather a difficult question to answer without knowing particularly, as others have said.

If someone supports a different candidate than I do, well, that's their right (and I wouldn't call that offensive, tho you see it leveled as a charge of offense too often).

If someone posted something discriminatory in a general sense... I'd think about it. Some people mistakenly think some of that stuff is "funny".

If someone posted something discriminatory in a specific sense (even if it wasn't about me), I'd probably cancel. Treating other people as less-than-human is one of those things that get my goat. Others might not turn a hair at that, thinking after all that posting is one of these half-brainless acts that people sometimes do without a lot of consideration.

Professionalism is wonderful stuff, but I have to say that many trainers still seem to be practicing at that. LOL

Yes, offensive how?

I'm in the 'what was the topic of the offense'? camp. If it related to horses and training methods, yes, I'd probably change my mind about going to the clinic. If it were more general life related: politics, economics, religion, gender identification, population or climate control opinions, beliefs on how to raise kids, etc, I would be inclined to shrug it off and focus on why I had signed up for the clinic in the first place--to improve my riding and increase my riding knowledge.

I'm in the separating personal and professional relationship camp - and relative to personal, it would depend on the nature.

And does sign up = a check? The point being, if I've already "supported" them financially, it doesn't really matter whether I'm there holding my nose or not.

I would not go if it was about something relating to training. Otherwise I would still attend the clinic, I would have to have a really good reason to forfeit the money.

I would still go to the clinic because I am not on facebook and would be blissfully unaware that they had posted something offensive.