Clinics

[vanessahook]

How many of you enjoy going to clinics with top trainers, whether it be jumping, dressage, eventing?
Its great fun and allows you a lesson with someone you may not be able to train with normally! But there seems to be a distict lack of clinics happening regualrly.
This was my impression before i started running dressage clinics a few months ago.
Now i know why cos the amount of people that mess you around is quite unbelievable!
People book places and then with two days to go say they're not coming and expect not to pay or dont respond to requests for money or turn up late and then say their horse needs 20 minutes to "compose" itself, while holding up the whole days teaching!!
I honestly feel like scrapping the whole idea which would be a shame as some people are genuine and are benefitting from it and part of the cost is going to the RDA.
Anyone else had similar experiences i would be interested to hear them.

 

[flyingfeet]

Easily fixed

Insist they pay up front, and only refund on vets certificate (or exceptional situations)

Then if people need to compose horses request they leave the arena or still out of people's way.

Although organising any event, horsey or not is hassle!

 

[vanessahook]

Thats very true, all events are a hassle!

I do insist people pay up front but they amazingly disappear just before or after the payment date, how strange!!!

I just cant get over peoples attitude when they were the ones that booked the places in the first place, no one forced them to come!

 

[ajb]

arghh that must be soo annoying and if I wasnt doing the EGB ride tommorrow I would have loved to have taken a slot for the lad..going to come and look though so might do October!!!
My advice is to make people pay as said and no refund without vet/doctors note-they have no place before money is in..I did some Peter Maddison Greenwell Clinics last winter and thats the way they ran those-you reserved your slot and had a few days to send money-if you didnt then it went elsewhere..I really like clinics as a fresh view on old problems or new ideas can really help when things have got a bit sameish in schooling..trying to pursuade one of my liveries to come along in October too Vanessa!!!