Randomness -- Give your thoughts

I got a pretty strange call last week, that I forgot to write about. 

I was at work, and my cell phone rang just after lunch time. I had a moment of that instant panic that didn't allow me to enjoy my new ring tone, because it was someone from the barn. At least she started the conversation by telling me that nothing was wrong with Promise. But then it got a bit strange.

She began telling me about one of the girls who takes a jumping lesson on Saturday morning - and (some of the details escape me here, so I'll make a long story short) she was calling to see if the girl could try Promise in her lesson. She said I had no obligation to say yes, they were just asking, etc. 

Ok...

I told her I was hesitant for a few reasons - the biggest one being Promise's current physical condition, and that I was very uncomfortable with her jumping, even small fences, right now. The second being that she has a history of back problems, and reacting quite violently to that pain -- and I do not want to put myself in a situation where it is a kid riding my horse, whose parents can turn around and sue me, should something *god forbid* happen to their kid. At least with an adult, they would be the ones physically signing the contract that I can assure you would have been longer than the one I made when I half-leased her 6 years ago. And, my third concern was that Promise needs an experienced rider, and has only had about 5 people on her since she was started under saddle - but it has mostly been me since day 1. She said she understood, and the conversation ended a few seconds later.

I think it took a long time for my brain to absorb what had taken place. On the one hand, I was flattered that they like my horse so much, and initially had thought about taking up the offer to go watch the lesson on Saturday and see the girl ride. I thought, perhaps, I would let her try Promise. And then I came to my senses. And realized that on the other, I was a bit insulted that she had the *ahem* balls to call me and ask me to make Promise -- a personal horse, basically, a lesson horse. Whether it was for this one girl only, or if they would eventually ask to put others on her -- I just can't even begin to fathom doing that to my mare. Not to mention the fact that, if I had wanted to do that to her, I wouldn't have had so much trouble riding on the equestrian team my freshman year in college, because my horse would have been a part of it -- and I wouldn't have had to miss practices to work off board so I could afford to keep her.

I also began to wonder who cooked up this scheme and actually thought it might work. I mean...wow. 

I just think, in hind sight, that it was an extremely forward thing to ask a boarder who has been there for less than 3 weeks at that point, and that perhaps it wasn't taken into account that she isn't as perfect a horse as she may *seem* with me.

What do you think? 

Based on what you've read of Promise so far, you've probably figured out that she is pretty opinionated and not shy about saying something hurts in admittedly inappropriate ways, etc. I find this is the biggest concern -- that she would get sore, and unintentionally hurt the kid who has probably never had the experiences that I did, riding bad ponies that I volunteered to ride and school or dealing with Promise's rearing and bucking phases, since I owned her in her most demonic stages. 

But even in your own situation with your own horse -- would you be open to this? Or are you too protective, like me, to allow it? What's your reasoning either way? If you accepted, would you seek a deal from the barn in terms of board or leasing? etc. 

I'm curious to see thoughts on this.