Breaking/fitting strangeness

[flacowman]

I picked up several calves that I'll finish breaking and will fit for some people with more money than me.  Anyways, they asked me to sign a contract that I read and found to be reasonable but there is one quirk I have never seen before, I am required to take pictures of the calves daily (no problem) and send them to the owners but they have to be on an undeveloped film roll and these are the only pictures that I can take of them and I cannot show any pictures to anyone else at all.  I have no problem with this but find it to be a bit paranoid.  Has anyone else run into quirks like this in your fitting careers?  They are very high-dollar calves so I can understand, it just got me wondering...

 

[taylor tay]

I picked up several calves that I'll finish breaking and will fit for some people with more money than me.  Anyways, they asked me to sign a contract that I read and found to be reasonable but there is one quirk I have never seen before, I am required to take pictures of the calves daily (no problem) and send them to the owners but they have to be on an undeveloped film roll and these are the only pictures that I can take of them and I cannot show any pictures to anyone else at all.  I have no problem with this but find it to be a bit paranoid.  Has anyone else run into quirks like this in your fitting careers?  They are very high-dollar calves so I can understand, it just got me wondering...

I think that that is a little weird. Undeveloped film? I would question the people about this.  Yeah they must be really really really good calves to have to do this.

 

[flacowman]

They are some of the best calves I have ever worked with, I'm not sure they are as good as the money that they paid for them though.  As long as I get my check and the customer is satisfied I'm happy though.  I'll do my best and my job ends when I get them to the Fairgrounds, they have a different showday fitter.

 

[SFASUshowman]

Sounds EXTREMELY paranoid to me...I dont understand people hiding these good animals in the barn all the time...if I owned em and theywere that good they would make it to more shows...I understand that overshowing some of them can make their joints bad and such so people keep those in the barn and never bring em out til the big shows...but really those ones arent all their cracked up to be anyway.
But even considering that, this seems way overboard in paranoia to me...you sure these calves arent stolen or something?

 

[Show Heifer]

Probably a rat in the wood pile somewhere.  If you have a gut feeling that something is wrong, SOMETHING IS PROBABLY WRONG.
Clones that aren't? Embryos that were not paid for? Divorce fight? Stolen? Who knows, but they want undeveloped film for a reason....

 

[flacowman]

I know they are not stolen for a fact, I went to the sale and 3 of them were bought on my advice.  These people are just strange.  Georgia Nationals will be these calves' first show in a month then another fitter will have them and the family plans to take them everywhere that they can.  I don't understand it but oh well.  I did cal the breeders and they said the checks cleared so that isn't the reason.

 

[feeder duck]

I picked up several calves that I'll finish breaking and will fit for some people with more money than me.  Anyways, they asked me to sign a contract that I read and found to be reasonable but there is one quirk I have never seen before, I am required to take pictures of the calves daily (no problem) and send them to the owners but they have to be on an undeveloped film roll and these are the only pictures that I can take of them and I cannot show any pictures to anyone else at all.  I have no problem with this but find it to be a bit paranoid.  Has anyone else run into quirks like this in your fitting careers?  They are very high-dollar calves so I can understand, it just got me wondering...

Sounds to me like they are  eccentric  at the least. There is no amount of money to have to put up with lazy " Buy me a trophy" owners. Sounds like one wrong move on your part and they will hang your @$$ in court! Get out while you can it is not worth it.

 

[NSF]

Yeah, it sounds to me like they are putting all these little things in the contract that way they have a better chance of finding a way to say they won't pay you and then have a signed contract to back them up. I obviously dont know the family so i might be waaaay off but that is the way it sounds.

 

[knabe]

if they are going to monitor your progress daily, how about getting paid daily?

 

[ROMAX]

Who even uses cameras that require film anymore?

 

[BridgeViewAngus]

Who even uses cameras that require film anymore?

I was wondering the same thing 

 

[fordkindagirl]

Who even uses cameras that require film anymore?

I was wondering the same thing 

They are being very paranoid about it, but as long as you get paid do your best and keep 'em happy. As far as cameras that still use film, you'll either have to find one or go through a lot of dollar store disposables.
Now that I think about it, they probably want them undeveloped because if it's undeveloped you can't go around showin' pictures of their calves. And then they can just get them developed and only let those who they want to see them see them.

 

[kobo_ranch]

if they are going to monitor your progress daily, how about getting paid daily?

I agree with Knabe... unless you have prior financial experience with them... I'd get paid by the day or at least by the week. 
Wealthy people are sometimes the worst about paying when they should.  Better to be safe than sorry.  Good Luck!

 

[GoWyo]

I am surprised they didn't have you sign a confidentiality agreement to keep you from saying anything on here or anywhere else -- or did they?  Better check your agreement. 

 

[shortdawg]

Sounds obvious to me what's going on ...............

 

[ploughshare]

I understand the reasons for signed contracts, but I have never been comfortable with them, even with simple things like flushes.  If a handshake isn't good enough, then I would be weary.  Do you have you own insurance on the calves?  If the calves are that valuable and the owners are that strict, you need some type of hedge or some type of guarantee to limit your liability.

 

[COWgirls]

Geez... what are we teaching our children.  No - what are THEY teaching THEIR children.  Good grief.

 

[fed_champions]

If they are hiring you to keep them in your barn, feed them, and advise them what to buy. Then what is the use of them having pictures every week, because they wouldn't know what they are looking at anyway. Personally i hate pictures, u have to see a calf in person to make  a true evaluation of one. Also, i  don't care to much for families who buy cattle and never see them until show day. I understand that you, as a fitter, might as well take advantage of the money, but the most important part of the show industry is the responsibility and companionship of raising an animal, not teaching your children that money can buy everything, even a championship trophy.

 

[oakie]

They don't want you to doctor the photos is what I would say. I would also take some photos, the same day, with a film camera, do not develop it and if you do end up in court you can cover your a$$. They are trying to get out of paying you and they can doctor the only photos out there to hurt you. Or just turn them down which is what I would do.

 

[DLD]

I wouldn't do it - sounds like trouble to me.  If it's just too good for you to turn down, then I'd absolutely do as oakie said - take a set of pics daily for your own records, won't ever even need to develop 'em if there's no problem.