Complaint Review: Laurie Shelton - Shelton's Ranch -T & C Foundation - T & C Angel Ranch

I came across this report by accident doing a bloodline search on my horse, and was saddened and shocked to read the details within. I cannot comment on this particular incident between these two parties, as I know nothing about it;however, I did want to relate MY experience doing business and breeding with Laurie in the past in hopes it might help both sides and anyone reading.

Laurie and I were both avid and well established Ebay members back in 2003 when I decided to purchase an online breeding to her stallion Goldschlager as an Ebay listing. Laurie had been selling these stud services, as well as horse tack, and her HUNDREDS of positive feedbacks from customers made me confident in our transaction. I researched her stallion first and was satisfied that his OPEN show record in multiple events, as well as his APHA record(pts) as a barrel racer and a sire, were credible and worthwhile crossing my best mare for a reining/cowhorse prospect, especially as his pedigree was so outstanding for this use. As soon as I won the bid on the listing, Laurie sent me pictures, contract, contact info and we phoned several times-all within space of first days.

As my mare was coming into heat and I have relatives in Laurie's area, about 5 hours from me, I decided to load up and go get the service live cover immediately, to see him in person and get a family visit in too. Laurie graciously accommodated my impromptu visit and I was so pleased to meet her in person! I came away with an excellent impression of her and her stallion, as well as the foals I saw of his that day on her No. CA ranch. I went to see my family and returned 2 days later and picked my mare up. She was subsequently confirmed in foal and delivered me a gorgeous palomino paint filly the next spring. As soon as notified I had a live, colored foal, Laurie express mailed a packet with paperwork to register, enlarged photos of the stallion, a cute momento gift, etc. Through the following months and year of some down times with my own life and the foal's accident and lengthy recovery, Laurie regularly emailed me and provided support, cheer and a constant stream of shared baby pictures as other foals arrived. She was the standard for customer service, in MY experience.

I know she was having to sell some of her stock in order to make the move to Battle Mountain where her husband had taken new work, and that move was a great hardship for her judging from the emails I received. As I had told her I was considering breeding back again, she kept me informed of Goldschlager's whereabouts and plans and clearly had every intent to breed with shipments even after moving to NV, but we did eventually lose regular touch in part from my own life changes and last I knew she had syndicated the horse. I therefore was unaware of this problem transpiring, although I do recall one individual contacting me to ask for Laurie's new ranch info, saying she couldn't be reached. With the start of the new foundation and the small population of Battle Mountain, NV when I looked her up, she hardly seemed a hard person to find.

It is truely unfortunate to hear there was a subsequent issue over an admittedly unprovided and apparently unrefunded breeding service... This will have to be worked out between involved parties and I am curious how it has played out as reading this a year later.

All I can add to the mix is the reassurance that for the years that I knew Laurie on Ebay and through my experience from start to finish as a breeder using her stud, I felt she went way out of her way to please and do her stallion justice and seemed an honest and credible person throughout. Our mutual feedbacks can be seen under my Ebay account with this tagname as ID. I hope anyone reading, as well as the poster, will consider that whatever the "excuses" given, sometimes life does throw you a curve ball and things go downhill, and that's when your prior credibility should considered by all before such serious accusations as "fraud" or "scam" are thrown about;one bad claim, whether legitimate or not, can forever ruin a person's reputation, so be really sure of intent of the accused. If there has in fact been a scam, I'll be a surprised person.

Finally, I do find it disturbing that the foundation was named, as, like Laurie states, that is a separate entity from her private stallion breeding at ranch, and being a very positive venture, would be shameful to be damaged by default.

Best wishes to poster to get yourself a wonderful, sweet and beautiful Goldschlager foal at some point, and to Laurie to getting life back on track...

Laurie Shelton is STILL suspended from the American Paint Horse Association as of this morning and has still not refunded my money as requested. I don't want any more excuses. If you don't conact me within 10 days I am pursuing this legally. The government process is too slow and in the mean time who knows you might be putting the screws to other unknowing people. You can't just take people's money and get away with it Laurie! I don't care if I have to spend 3 times what I paid you with lawyers to bring you to justice it will be soooo worth it to be sure you don't do this to anybody else. This is my last request with you.... the next will be through my lawyer.

Jami,
No where do you state I am president of the foundation. Your posting clearly marks the Foundation as a party to this.

You do not have any contract with the foundation or Angel Ranch you are Slandering the Foundation pure and simple.

Yes I was asked to be president because the foundation was started by many other people about my grand daughter and horse old mares story. No one in the foundation gets paid any money , every penny that comes into the foundation goes to ship the horses to the familys we place them with , pay for their coggins and health , buy horses for these kids.
No one that sets on the board gets a red cent.

We place these horses with children and their family's free of charge , raise the funds to pay for the shipping and vet bills , 99% of the horses we place are Therapy Horses for these kids.

What you are doing to the foundation & the family's working and trying to make these children's Dreams come true by having a horse to ride , love and care for , do their Therapy on is very wrong Jami .

We did offer free shipping to our breeders for 2007 that does INCLUDE you. Produce a contract with the Foundation or remove the foundation's name from your posting Jami , This is pure Slander on the foundation.

I can not tell you any more how sorry I am we fell on hard times ,My husband lost his job , My father did die , my husband was in and out of the hospital , we had two house fires , I have tumors down my back and under my arm I am dealing with and trying to get well. I have told you what has happen to us and why we got behind. Not having the money to pay our APHA fee's has hurt us very bad.

You can keep trying to make me sound like some bad person Jami , or you can let us pay for the shipping this coming season and make this right with you. That is going to be up to you Jami , Slandering a Children's Foundation does not help anyone.

The only way T & C angel ranch is indicated in this report is that your are President. T & C is in no way mentioned here as involved in this case. But you, Laurie, are President of T & C and that's all the report says about that. I am amazed at the excuses you have come up with and you NEVER offered to make this right for 2007, so don't make that claim cause that is a lie.

Jami ,
You have 24 hours to remove ALL the Foundation and Angel Ranch information off your post here , This is PURE SLANDER on the Foundation.

The Foundation has no ties with breeding's to Goldschlager. I 100% understand you being up set
No One tied to pull a Rip off on you as you claim.

Yes I fell behind on our APHA Fee's and was suspended . My husband was laid off work , due to the stress , we was at the hospital several times with him , High Blood Presser just about killed him , we could not get it down. So yes we got we got behind in ALL our bills .

We had two house fires , the swamp cooler caught on fire , then just a week later the gas hot water tank caught on fire .

It was not 3 weeks later when my father passed away and I had to go to Calif. While down in Calif I found knots under my arm and down my back. I have been fighting tumors , No insurance to cover medical bills.

I am very sorry this all happen , and Yes the APHA Fee's and paper work has been sent off. We have not been promoting stud service when we fell behind on our APHA fee's nor will we until Jan 2007 when we have our APHA Shipping paper work in hand.

True this does not help you this year. Again I am truly sorry about this. We you offered free shipping for 2007 Breeding Season , in hopes you will know how sorry we are this all happen.

I don't know why all this happen to us in such a short time . I think about a saying my father use to tell me , " What does not kill you , will make you stronger".... after what me and my husband has been Thur the past 12 months has just about killed us but we are still here trying to make this all right and get back on our feet.

Jami you can say anything you want about me...... But the Foundation , Angel Ranch has no ties to Goldschlager , you are slandering the foundation , hurting women that have worked their butts off to place horses with Children Free of Charge to this family's. Please remove the foundation information ASAP.

I look forward to making this all right with you , getting back on our feet and being well again.

I hope you will allow us to do so , and please know ( NO ONE tired to scam you )! Life Happen here , not a Rip Off.........