Fumming....- YO Meeting Liveries- RANT Sorry Long

[Scottish_Miss]

Last night had livery meeting and discussed new plans for yard etc etc all ok....
But now have huge dilema as he will not allow any external instructors onto yard - he says he has 2 AI's and that is on offer and anyone else is competition!!!!!

Ok - as pointed back to him most of his liveries who have external intructors do so because they know the horse/rider combination and have done for some time or they offer something specific to them. His 2 new AI's I dont know what they have done etc and would not feel happy as the lady I get my instruction from trained in germany with Dr. Schulten-Baumer, her horses are schooled to advanced level etc etc etc.
People were quite prepared to pay for booking the school which would be the same cost as having a lesson from one of his staff, so I really failed to undersatnd his point of view.
He is there to run a business which ultimatly as I pointed out is to make a profit when it comes to the end of the day - does it really make a difference where the profit comes from? I think not if it will keep your existing liveries happy and also not put off any new liveries commming in.......... feel he may be limiting his potientail clients. Not everyone has a trialer/box to take horses off site to external trainers.

He was quite prepared to take any hit this may have on his yard as he wants to concentrate on building up the riding school, fair enough but this may be we felt at the deprement of existing and new liveries which as pointed out to him is guaranteed income each month!!!!!

Feel really really annoyed - that takes some doing and will be looking at yard options elsewhere as feel its freedom of choice to have your own/trainer etc...... One that suits you and your horse.
Dont get me wrong but I feel that AIs fresh out of exams etc etc with from what I gather no real competition experience at any level etc really only teach the rider and not concentrate as much on the rider/horse combination. Many horse owners can ride to a good standard and we want someone who can help us improve the horses way of going and not so much on learning to ride. That may not come across quite well - -sorry and no offence to AI's - have been there many moons ago. but feel that individuals dont need qualifications to be a good trainer.

Sigh - sorry bout the rant and lenght

 

[hellsdarkrose]

What if you wanted a freelance western riding instructor to come in? His AI's would not be able to teach that would they?

I do think it is a bit out of order springing it on you after you have been there for a while. For new people I suppose it won't be so bad because they will know before they decide to keep their horses there.

 

[MillionDollar]

Woah hang on, are you sure it's not to do with insurance???

 

[BBH]

I would prefer to have a trainer of my choice TBH, not just rely on the yard ones good though I am sure they are. You build up a lot of trust with a regular trainer and almost go on a journey together. IME yard staff whoever they are don't always hang around long.

We left a yard once cos the owner was a SJ'er and wouldn't allow anyone else to teach.His was more arrogance though in that no-one else could teach aswell.

 

[hellspells]

With a bit of luck it maybe something he hasn't thought through properly. In the short term he may stick to his guns but once he realises that none of you are having lessons with new instructors etc and he is making no money this way he may relent. I know of a couple of yards that have started this rule - but is has rarely lasted longer than 2 or 3 months.

 

[Madasmaz]

Personally I won't go to a yard where I can't have an instructor of my choice. It has taken me 3 years in Somerset to find an instructor that suits both me and my pony. In the meantime, her way of going and my riding has been screwed up by those who think they know it all. I don't, but prefer to have someone with proven experience, training and competition under their belt. My current instructor teaches RDA to advanced dressage. If you can't have the instructor of your choice where you are at livery, is there anyway you could get your horse to your trainer's yard (if they have one) or hire someone elses school? I would be loathed to put any more money in the w**kers pocket.

 

[the watcher]

Short sighted of him, I think. An appeal of a good yard is the potential of lessons and clinics with outside instructors, in addition to whatever facilities are present on the yard.

 

[louisevictoria]

this was one of the reasons why I left my old yard - even though we were allowed to have our own freelance instructors (providing I had booked the school) the YO's wife wanted us to use a friend of hers, who was a very nice lady but at the end of the day she was a dressage instructor (I did give her the benefit of the doubt and have a few lessons) but I really wanted to concentrate on my jumping with my BSJA accreditied trainer - YO's wife whilst she never said anything to me directly (it was all little sly digs and snipes) made a very unpleasant atmosphere in the yard.
I believe you should be allowed to have the trainer of your choice.
Incidently I am now on my trainers yard and have never been happier

 

[Theresa_F]

I would never go to a yard that had this rule. I use various instructors for various things, ie western, showing, dressage, jumping, I have yet to find one person who is expert at all these things.

I would be looking for a new yard, and if use of the school was part of my rent, would not be expected to pay any extra money for booking the school unless I required sole use and only then a few quid.

I am very lucky where I am currently, we can use anyone we like for instruction and there is no charge for booking sole use of the school, we just put our name and time on the booking sheet.

 

[CracklinRosie]

That seems like very bad business sense to me. If he wants you to use his instructores he should be offering you an incentive, like discount on lessons from his AI's. Or even the first lesson free to see if you're compatable.

I always take lessons with my YO and so far that's worked out fine but she's SJ trained and sometime in the not too distant future I'd like to do more dressage, don't know if I'd be allowed an external instructor!!!!!!

 

[chestnut cob]

Stupid rule! I would be looking around at other, more easy going yards if it was me. Do you have transport so you can box up to go to lessons with your usual instructor? If he sees that people are either not having lessons with his AI's or are driving to other places for lessons with their usual instructor's, he may rethink his rules.

 

[FRESHMAN]

I would like to see an answer from the OP to Claires point. It is usually down to Insurance terms & conditions. I always smile when I see replies that think the YO is being difficult & they should lighten up. Then when someone has a problem the first question is The YO should be insured & pay for whatever happened. We can not win some times.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Would insurance suddenly have imposed the condition if it wasnt there before? and wouldnt YO simply have cited that as the reason if it was the case, we all understand insurance nightmares so would probably accept that if it were the case.

if it is the case then the vast majority of yards that happily allow outside instructors are all breaking the law.

My old yard used to charge you almost the same to hire the school for an outside instructor as if YO taught you, and also they had to show their insurance to YO, which is fair enough. But to completely ban it seems to kind of go against the idea that people have their horses at livery as opposed to just going to a RS so they can improve their riding and do what they want to.

I would not take lessons from an instructor if the YO insisted they were the only ones I was allowed to use. I would take my horse off yard to the instructors place if necessary, or move yards. Not cos Im hot competitor but just because I think if you want to make money from livery lessons then charge them whether they have inhouse or outside, but dont ban them.

 

[Midymahem]

I would be tempted to have a lesson off his newly qualified AI and ask them to train you in a particular complex move - which if dressage specific they will not have the knowledge or experience and then challenge the YO with their lack of knowledge and thus the reason you need someone external to train you.

Otherwise start transporting your horse somewhere else to have your lessons - stupid rule!

 

[nuffield]

I think the fact the YO wants to work on building up the Riding school is very significant. the 2 newAIs will i think be part of this school andits this hes trying to build. Only the YO knows his long term plans but it sounds like hes trying to build up the RS even if it means less liveries. I guess allowing in outside instructors somehow undermines the 2 resident AIs. I guess he doesnt wantpeople to think they are not good enough and his liveries feel the need to bring in outside instruction.
Insurance issues could also play apart in the YO decision.

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
Woah hang on, are you sure it's not to do with insurance???

[/ QUOTE ]
Ype, totally agree. Over here it is usual for stables to have their own instructors who are fully insured through the stables. The instructor on my yard is covered by my insurance, however freelance ones are not, so if any of my boarders wanted a freelance instructor then they would have to make sure both they AND the instructor were covered as if they are using someone else then the boarders insurance under my farm, does not cover them. If they do not do this then they have to trailer to the instructors property and have their lessons there. If they use the instructor we have here, then both the livery and the instructor are covered.