are things really getting this bad? what is it like in your area?

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its_noodles

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I usually ride during the week and I didn't know what it's like over weekends. I did go once last summer and it was really busy. However, I went yesterday and there were two class lessons at 2pm. One has 2 and the other has 3 kids (each lesson can take a mximum of 6). Are things really getting this quiet. The riding school (in South West) must be losing money. I wonder what is it like in your area? Is the recession really biting and people simply stop having riding lessons?
 
High rates, red tape, insurance. Shoves the cost up of lessons. Kids not allowed to stay in the yard all day every day to help because of H&S. In our area (Aberdeenshire) there are few alarmingly delapadated riding schools that cost £25 for an hours lesson. Livery costs from about £20 a week so having your own pony (and lets face it they go for nothing at the moment) makes sense rather than paying for poor tuition at a riding school.

However this also means novice riders and owners with unsuitable ponies and horses. They are everywhere.

It's a situation that is only ever going to get worse, basically thanks to the greed of those who have over the years decided that the suing culture is the way to go, and councils becoming overbearing with their health and safety.

This of course is just how I see it, but I know many people who agree with me.
 
Yes the majority of my clients ride every other week now or even once a month purely down to money restraints. Our leadreins are full but I only have 2-3 usually in the learning to canter and child advanced lessons. This on a Sunday though. Saturday is rammed with our sharers on the riding school ponies having lessons!
 
The riding school where I work, (I am Assistant Manager) is getting busier! We do trekking as well, but that is actually getting quieter. It does help that we have a brand new indoor school for when the weather is bad, over 50 horses from shetland X, to lusitanos to KWPN warmbloods to quarter horses! You have to be flexible in the lesson length, time and weather people prefer private or group.
Where I work is also an Activity centre which does quad biking, off-roading, archery, clay shooting etc etc so I think we work closely with our insurnace company.
There are also barely any other riding schools left in the area.
 
Taylor has a lesion on a Friday for £10 for 30 mins, normally about 6-8 kids in there.
We also loan a pony for £10 a week and she rides him every day for 30-60mins, and grooms him and cuddles!
 
cattysmith said:
High rates, red tape, insurance. Shoves the cost up of lessons. Kids not allowed to stay in the yard all day every day to help because of H&S. In our area (Aberdeenshire) there are few alarmingly delapadated riding schools that cost £25 for an hours lesson. Livery costs from about £20 a week so having your own pony (and lets face it they go for nothing at the moment) makes sense rather than paying for poor tuition at a riding school.

However this also means novice riders and owners with unsuitable ponies and horses. They are everywhere.

It's a situation that is only ever going to get worse, basically thanks to the greed of those who have over the years decided that the suing culture is the way to go, and councils becoming overbearing with their health and safety.

This of course is just how I see it, but I know many people who agree with me.
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couldnt agree more with this it has been my view for a while that lessons are too expensive and buying a horse too cheap so lots of badly treated horses and ponies in unsuitable hands
Not all novices are cruel by lack of knowledge as many elarn but there are far to many that dont bother and the animals suffer
 
A few by me (also South West) are getting quieter and quieter and others are still busy!

When I started riding about 12 years ago an hours lesson was £14 now anything under £20 is really cheap, its usually around £25. I think if I hadn't started when I was little I wouldnt thinko
f starting now because It's so much more expensive.
There used to be loads of riding schools by me, lots of them have closed down over the years and now there's only 1 or 2.
 
cattysmith said:
High rates, red tape, insurance. Shoves the cost up of lessons. Kids not allowed to stay in the yard all day every day to help because of H&S. .
Click to expand...

cattysmith, yes, one thing i noticed yesterday was that all the kids have disappeared. is it right that they are not allowed to help out anymore? this is crazy as kids are almost part of the establishments...i found this very strange...
 
I think there needs to be some innovative thinking in riding schools.

Take some lessons from dance schools, that kind of set up.

What is the point of having a child have one 1/2 hour lesson once in a blue moon for 25+ compared to offering a course of 1/2 hour lessons (say 10 lessons following school terms) cheaper and with some incentives for completing the course, a certificate, an hour's stable management included, that kind of thing.

And also ask the parents to help.
Few dance, sport, gym, ect., clubs would be able to keep going without input from the parents.
They fund raise constantly, why are riding schools so behind the times?

Took my son for a lesson, it was like stepping back forty years, no concept of customer service at all.
And of course we didn't go back, lesson was fine, but the rest, no.
 
Nope, just started teaching at a riding school whjo have turned into a pony club centre. Full of kids who get and hours lesson and at least an hours stable management. The pony club structure has really improved the content and I'm making it more pony clubby as the older instructors are used to their usual routine whereas I've always been in pony club and prefer a more game type lesson. Kids love it and its getting busier.
 
cattysmith said:
High rates, red tape, insurance. Shoves the cost up of lessons. Kids not allowed to stay in the yard all day every day to help because of H&S. In our area (Aberdeenshire) there are few alarmingly delapadated riding schools that cost £25 for an hours lesson. Livery costs from about £20 a week so having your own pony (and lets face it they go for nothing at the moment) makes sense rather than paying for poor tuition at a riding school.

However this also means novice riders and owners with unsuitable ponies and horses. They are everywhere.

It's a situation that is only ever going to get worse, basically thanks to the greed of those who have over the years decided that the suing culture is the way to go, and councils becoming overbearing with their health and safety.

This of course is just how I see it, but I know many people who agree with me.
Click to expand...

Agree. It used to be accepted that if you rode, you would fall off and you would get back on again. I remember being told it takes 7 years to become a good rider. These days it's accepted that if you fall off you can sue.
 
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