Disappointing lesson at Wellington

Michen said:
You'd think so, but despite several adverts I haven't even had a single person enquire! Bizarre as I'm totally flexible re days, financial contribution (if any!) etc, I'd have bit someones arm off for the chance when I didn't have my own horse but sharers seem like hens teeth...
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A friend is looking for a sharer on a lovely horse and is finding the same thing- you’re not alone!

It feels like no-one is looking for a share horse atm for some reason.
 
Michen said:
You'd think so, but despite several adverts I haven't even had a single person enquire! Bizarre as I'm totally flexible re days, financial contribution (if any!) etc, I'd have bit someones arm off for the chance when I didn't have my own horse but sharers seem like hens teeth...
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Good ones especially. Hope the right one comes along soon.
 
I understand why you posted the thread, you were sharing your concerns which is what the forum is for. I'd also be very concerned about the kissing spine comment and I don't think their reply is acceptable even for a first reply. I like the idea of you saying you're looking forward to their response. Let us know what they say.
I don't think your experience should be taken lightly and you're doing the right thing following it up.
 
Wow. Thats awful. Please do report it if possible even for the horses sake, is there a livery yard licencing company?

Poor Sugar.
 
I also think you were previous in posting this, I read the reply email as having been sent by an office person who would not be able to comment as they probably think Sugar is something to put in a coffee. I read it as a holding email, saying that they have received your query and have directed it to the two people who can give you a reply.

I would have waited for them to respond, you never know they may be saying that Sugar had previously been a bit stiff but thank you for pointing out that she had deteriorated, and she is now being seen by the vet, here is a refund, plus the trainer is being re-trained on how to respond to a client concern. Or, you may be sent a video of the horse working really well today with a more experienced rider, as mature wily riding school horses can indeed make out like they are unable to do stuff as a way of doing less.

I also find it a bit strange though that an assessment lesson is with a junior instructor, especially at £58 for 30 minutes.

A few years ago I had a assessment lesson at Snainton to assess me for doing my stage 4, I had an old schoolmaster but was with Charlotte who is a wizz. The horse was well aged and used for beginners, but once he realised I could actually ride he gave me some very good changes and even a bit of piaffe and passage. He was a bit stiff at the start, but after some free forward work he loosened off. I felt it was all very well run and well worth the money. At the end I had done stuff that made me smile, had an accurate assessment and been given pointers for what was next.

I did not mind at all that the horse was stiff to start as he was happy after a warm up, and was well cared for and doing a job. When I first got on he was like a stiff old dobbin, but once he realised we were going to play he got really into it.

I do agree with another poster that it may be as much that you had not had everything explained well enough, to manage your expectations.
 
Bellaboo18 said:
I understand why you posted the thread, you were sharing your concerns which is what the forum is for. I'd also be very concerned about the kissing spine comment and I don't think their reply is acceptable even for a first reply. I like the idea of you saying you're looking forward to their response. Let us know what they say.
I don't think your experience should be taken lightly and you're doing the right thing following it up.
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I agree, there was no mention in the reply that any-one else would follow up. If you hadn't asked for further communication, I think that would have been the end of it as far as the RS was concerned.
 
littlefluffball said:
Just a question - and apologies if i am missing osmething obvious. Why would a RS use their junior staff member to do an initial assesment? I would think it was imperative that the initial assesment is thorough and a correct assesment made for planning a training/learning programme and therefore an experienced instructor would be beneficial? Or at least an experienced instructor as a second opinion?
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Red-1 said:
I also find it a bit strange though that an assessment lesson is with a junior instructor, especially at £58 for 30 minutes.
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Junior staff should be perfectly capable of assessing someone in walk, trot, canter, basic lateral work and over a fence. It varies from establishment to establishment but I'd hazard a guess and say availablity of senior coaches, correct use of time of senior coaches, why someone is having an assessment lesson, how good the staff member is at doing the all round 'welcome to x stables' spiel, knowing the horses used for assessment lessons etc etc.
 
teapot said:
Junior staff should be perfectly capable of assessing someone in walk, trot, canter, basic lateral work and over a fence. It varies from establishment to establishment but I'd hazard a guess and say availablity of senior coaches, correct use of time of senior coaches, why someone is having an assessment lesson, how good the staff member is at doing the all round 'welcome to x stables' spiel, knowing the horses used for assessment lessons etc etc.
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I would agree, but is the assessment lesson not meant to be a 2 way street? It does not sound like the instructor on the day could answer any queries from the client, nor did they give a good impression. They did not even give the result of their assessment, as in what needed to be worked on.

My assessment lesson, with all the playing at dressage stuff and accurate assessment of my abilities and what needed to be done, led me to book 3 weeks of residential course and getting my II.

OP's assessment lesson has left her disorientated and disappointed, concerned re horse welfare and with no knowledge of what the next steps she needs to take, nor by the sounds of it any goal setting at all. Plus a less than shining report on HHO (which I do think was premature!).

Both assessment lessons had a stiff horse. It sounds like Sugar was, in fact, competent, according to another HHO poster.

At £58 for a 30 minute assessment lesson I know which establishment gained out of the one who used an instructor who could not even answer a query about a stiff horse V one that was inspirational and gained a new client and a good reputation.

Besides, it is called an assessment lesson, and I actually got a lesson! Not least of which, I would have thought it was important to see how a new client responds to actual training to assess which trainer they would work better with!
 
Red-1 said:
I would agree, but is the assessment lesson not meant to be a 2 way street? It does not sound like the instructor on the day could answer any queries from the client, nor did they give a good impression. They did not even give the result of their assessment, as in what needed to be worked on.

My assessment lesson, with all the playing at dressage stuff and accurate assessment of my abilities and what needed to be done, led me to book 3 weeks of residential course and getting my II.

OP's assessment lesson has left her disorientated and disappointed, concerned re horse welfare and with no knowledge of what the next steps she needs to take, or by the sounds of it any goal setting at all.

Both assessment lessons had a stiff horse. It sounds like Sugar was, in fact, competent, according to another HHO poster.

At £58 for a 30 minute assessment lesson I know which establishment gained out of the one who used an instructor who could not even answer a query about a stiff horse V one that was inspirational and gained a new client and a good reputation.

Besides, it is called an assessment lesson, and I actually got a lesson! Not least of which, I would have thought it was important to see how a new client responds to actual training to assess which trainer they would work better with!
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It comes down to what you want from the assessment lesson though - you were working towards your 4 and they gave you an assessment lesson to meet those requirements. That's how it is meant to be. We don't know what the OP told them when she was booking and yes the lesson should be done accordingly, maybe it was - hence the w/t/c, would you like to jump question. We don't know how much they were taught either, but it was a case of loosening a horse off due to stiffness then teaching for actual improvement will be limited in thirty minutes. That said learning to loosen off a stiff horse and improve it is a lesson in itself if you're not used to doing so! Goal setting should also be part of it, but again we don't know if it was discussed/mentioned. For all we know the junior instructor wrote on OP's rider form that she was an advanced client and would suit being taught by a senior coach for any future lessons if/when booked, and hoped to work on developing x,y,z. However if the op had already tried to cancel it as no longer needed the riding school option, they may well have backed off in terms of goal setting if they knew the op wasn't going to be coming back.

So much has been left out of the OP's original post because it focuses on the horse, and I do think it's a little unfair to publicy critise without knowing the full story. Granted their stock reply isn't the best, and as I recommended, ringing them would be far better, speaking from my own recent experience.
 
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I think the OP had told them that having found riding elsewhere she wouldn't likely be continuing (but couldn't get a refund) so that might explain some of the lack of interest?

I can understand why the OP posted, perhaps not had the reply said I will make sure X or Y contacts you further, it is a bit of a 'nothing' reply really.
 
teapot said:
Goal setting should also be part of it, but again we don't know if it was discussed/mentioned.

So much has been left out of the OP's original post because it focuses on the horse, and I do think it's a little unfair to publicy critise without knowing the full story. Granted their stock reply isn't the best, and as I recommended, ringing them would be far better.
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I agree with you on the too early to post, in fact even OP now thinks the same. The other point was, I think covered...

timbobs said:
What I would have liked more of, was at the end of the session when I asked having seen me ride, what she would suggest we should work on in the future/areas to improve, she didn't have any feedback for me at all which doesn't inspire confidence in the instruction in future lessons. I am not Charlotte Dujardin and have plenty to improve on!

.......

I did think carefully before posting this thread but I may have been a bit too quick to post. I wasn't impressed with their reply, but maybe I need to wait to see if I get a response from the yard manager.
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Seems like she got no actual information from the assessment and no action plan/goal setting. Plus, as I said it left a poor reflection to OP, who was the customer on the day.
 
Michen said:
You'd think so, but despite several adverts I haven't even had a single person enquire! Bizarre as I'm totally flexible re days, financial contribution (if any!) etc, I'd have bit someones arm off for the chance when I didn't have my own horse but sharers seem like hens teeth...
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Oh I wish you were near me! I'm only doing one day a week with my share horse atm and he isn't really quite right for what I want (though very sweet) so I keep thinking I should look for something else. I'm a good sharer too (well, I think I am!) - I shared my last horse for almost 2 years before she was sold, I still miss her.
 
ester said:
I think the OP had told them that having found riding elsewhere she wouldn't likely be continuing (but couldn't get a refund) so that might explain some of the lack of interest?

I can understand why the OP posted, perhaps not had the reply said I will make sure X or Y contacts you further, it is a bit of a 'nothing' reply really.
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You’d think they’d have wanted to give her an awesome lesson to get her to change her mind, in that case 🙂. Or offered a different type of lesson for the £58.

As an aside, half hour lessons (unless you’re 6 years old) make no sense to me, as you’ll barely be warmed up properly before you have to get off.

Stiff school horses should be given a quick lunge or a spin on a walker before they’re ridden. Lame or sore ones shouldn’t be used but they usually are.

The BHS won’t care. All the exam centres I’ve been in or worked in use crocked horses. Makes my blood boil.
 
It makes no sense to me either but seems to be widely the case so I presumed I was wrong. I would absolutely expect the horse to be warmed up for me. As my usual warm up/cool down would leave about 10 minutes of teaching.

I think I'm too fat for many of the setups round here so at least that has stopped me even bothering to investigate!

shares/sharers I think do just have to be in the right spots to meet each other. I had a great person to hack F out in wilts (and arguably very good hacking) but no one ever wanted to in somerset really.
 
I dont think it was premature at all. The OP was given a poor instructor and a horse that was lame, that she was told was kissing spines. Thats not what I would be expecting at £116 an hour! She then complained, and was fobbed off. Theres no mention of anyone contacting her, and I will bet there is no intention to either.
 
Lots of responses here, I appreciate everyone taking the time to reply.

I’m going to ask for the post to be removed in case I have been too hasty in sharing publicly without giving them to formulate a proper response.

I will follow up with a call next week and see where to go from there.

I’m not a total numpty and not usually one to complain at all, but I did feel that my lesson was not up to standard, I didn’t feel comfortable with the way the horse presented and wasn’t re-assured by the response to my email.

As I say, i’ll follow up with a call if I don’t hear further and give them the opportunity to put my mind at rest that they’ve taken the feedback on board.
 
Given that the response from the RS didn't even suggest that there would be further communication as to her specific concerns, I don't think it was particularly premature to post on here.

I'm not overly surprised, but it's bloody poor form on their part - not to offer any constructive guidance to the OP, as well as using an unsuitable, or unsuitably prepared, horse - depending on whether "lame" or "stiff".
 
timbobs said:
I’m going to ask for the post to be removed in case I have been too hasty in sharing publicly without giving them to formulate a proper response.
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You haven't. I hope the post stays so other people know what went on there at £116 an hour.

It is not acceptable, ever, no matter what was paid or what the circumstances were or any other reason, for an instructor to say that it it's 'suspected' that a riding school horse might have kissing spines. It either has, or it hasn't, and if they suspected it they should have investigated it before using the horse again. Full stop.

..
 
ycbm said:
You haven't. I hope the post stays so other people know what went on there at £116 an hour.

It is not acceptable, ever, no matter what was paid or what the circumstances were or any other reason, for an instructor to say that it it's 'suspected' that a riding school horse might have kissing spines. It either has, or it hasn't, and if they suspected it they should have investigated it before using the horse again. Full stop.

..
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I agree!

And would add that here is no indication in the reply that the RS have any intention of making any further comment on OP's complaint and I have no idea why any-one would think that they intend to add to what has already been said, which was essentially nothing.
 
I for one am glad you put this post up. I went for an assessment at Wellington and had more or less the same experience as you on a very unwilling horse with a very junior instructor who just asked me to do whatever I felt like. Maybe it’s expectstion management but it definitely wasn’t a lesson and the “instructor” was silent for most of the lesson. I was looking for somewhere for ride during the week to improve my dressage but there doesn’t seem to be anywhere decent round here, so for now I’ve decided to limit my riding to weekends when I ride my own horse (I work away from home during the week)!
 
This post prompted me to have a GOOD look at The Wellington Riding web site - wasn't too interested before - just in the activities of its Head Honcho (and don't hold your breath waiting for a rely from him - if you get one, it will say very little and avoid your point!) But 15 minutes looking at the web site leaves me NONE the wiser, about who the Instructors are, or what horses they have. Just lots of how much it costs and T&Cs! You can't even put names and faces to the main people as you can with a Riding School near me (that chooses NOT to be BHS Approved.) But it cares about its customers AND its horses - I'm very happy that two horses I bred are on their team - and two more will be when they finish growing up. See what I mean - https://www.stourportridingcentre.co.uk/riding-school/meet-the-horses/
 
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