Going to two riding schools?

[wills_91]

I shall try keep this brief. My partners daughter started riding 6 months ago (aged 5) at the local "riding school". She seems really keen but the place is a shambles, every Sunday she walks 20 mins along the road, then stops and lets the pony graze for 10 mins and comes back, no instruction just plodding along one behind the other. When the RS owner asked her what she wanted to learn this year she said she wanted to be able to canter & jump, Rs owner then proceeded to tell my OH that these kind of things are not achievable or teachable until a child is around ten, rigggggght.

There is a big establishment an hour away that is fabulous, I would really like to take her here and get her some proper teaching but oh is saying financially and time wise it's not possible to commit to this every weekend (it isn't the best of drives either).

I mentioned at the yard that we were considering doing 2 weekends getting lessons and the other 2 going local and her having a wee plod along the road but a few fellow liveries reckon this is really rude?!

I want to encourage her to progress & I can't help but feel we are pouring money away at this local place for nothing.

So do I
A) butt out and leave oh to it...
B) do 2 weekend lessons 2 weekend local
C) do 2 weekend lessons and the other 2 take her round to my parents where we have shetlands (non rideable) and do stable management grooming etc there??

 

[be positive]

i have taught many children some under 5 and they are more than able to learn at that age, most will be bored stiff walking along a road each week, not sure how they can actually get away with it, I would certainly be looking at going elsewhere even if it was less frequent, at the moment whatever you are paying it pretty much wasted, is the RS even licensed if they only use the roads?

I dont see it as rude to use both places if that is the best solution, the current place is obviously not up to the job, your only issue may be getting a regular slot in the better yard if you cannot go weekly, is there a 3rd option anywhere that may be nearer and less expensive?

 

[Honey08]

A mix would be good, however a lot of good riding schools have waiting lists for weekend lessons so they wouldn't have someone only coming every other week. You can ask though. Alternatively perhaps she could do a riding holiday or summer club?

 

[wills_91]

It's a private lane really, it is registered RDA so I have always just assumed they are licensed but maybe I should check.

Unfortunately we live in rural peninsula, there are others that are probably a little closer time wise but would need to get the ferry across and that would be £20 on ferry tickets alone.

I really don't want her to loose interest & as you said she soon will just ambling about. I might give the other school a call and see what they say with regards to fitting her in.

 

[wills_91]

Have booked her in at easter for a pony camp type thing

 

[teapot]

An approved RDA yard is different to that of an approved BHS yard. Whilst they offer most of the same things, there are differences.

I'd do both if you can afford it - as long as both establishments are getting money in, I'm not sure they'll really care if the child is riding at two different venues

 

[wills_91]

An approved RDA yard is different to that of an approved BHS yard. Whilst they offer most of the same things, there are differences.

I'd do both if you can afford it - as long as both establishments are getting money in, I'm not sure they'll really care if the child is riding at two different venues

Thanks, I didn't know that, I will def look into it then.

We can afford to do both, so I think I will broach the subject with him tomorrow.

 

[teapot]

Worth reading up on as for example, where I teach for my RDA group, I wouldn't necessarily recommend for able bodied lessons :smile3:

 

[twobearsarthur]

If your paying for a service. Then you want to get the most for what you are paying for. As for it being rude you don't only eat at one restaurant, in case you feel rude going to another. No different in my eyes. If I wanted a show jumping lesson I wouldn't use my dressage trainer.

 

[alainax]

The only downside I would see would be if they taught her how to do the same thing differently.Might get her a little confused. However, as one doesn't seem to be teaching her anything at all, I cant see this being an issue! I would say 2 quality lessons are better than 4 plods down a lane and back.

 

[Highlands]

Can't you just stop the plodding school, ring up and say unfortunately x has a nasty chest infection and can't ride this week and you will be in touch next week.. Ok it's a lie but saves you money!

 

[LittleRooketRider]

quite franly i wouldn't bother with the plod aong "riding school" at all...if they are charging for that they are taking the p;$$

 

[hcm88]

quite franly i wouldn't bother with the plod aong "riding school" at all...if they are charging for that they are taking the p;$$

This! Its not rude to stop going. Hopefully if they realise they aren't offering an acceptable service they may up their game in the future!

 

[RainbowDash]

Hi,

My daughter rode my 14hh pony at 5 years old - on a very long lead rope - learning to turn and go around cones. The first riding school are taking the mick out of you - move on now before more money is wasted.

If the child wants to learn they will - they will thrive with a good instructor and a solid wee school master

 

[Wishful]

No issue IMO. Where I currently ride there are plenty who get stage type lessons at the exam centre and usually have lessons elsewhere. Before I used to hack at 1 yard and get lessons at another - I'm sure it's quite normal!

 

[Tnavas]

Would the plod along school be prepared to give your daughter a 30 min lunge lesson. Can't believe that this person thinks that a child of five can't learn. A few years ago I had to pull one of our Pony Club kids out of the six bar jumping - she was 5yrs old, and as bold as brass and wanted to keep going - it was already at 1m. Child is now 11 and riding Pony Grand Prix.

If you are a rider - would they let you teach her if they won't

 

[Gloi]

If your parents have two unrideable Shetlands, could you not get a rideable one for her and keep it with them and teach her yourself on that.

 

[lucemoose]

there seems to be no reason to continue to go to the first place?

 

[wills_91]

The only reason to continue going to the first place would be so she could get pony time every week, if it was up to me I wouldn't have her going at all. I will ask about a lunge lesson, it's more of a trekking centre really as opposed to a riding school. Getting a pony for her is not an option. My parents have 4 minis at there house, I wouldn't take on another pony for her at this stage.

 

[tashcat]

Option 4.

I think go with the better riding school: whats the point paying for her to learn nothing? I always regretted the bad habits I learnt from learning to ride aged 6 at a similarly shabby place to what you described.

Stable management and horse care is necessary to show the child the importance of looking after animals as well as riding them. I feel every child who rides should spend the equal amount of time caring for the horse, but thats just me.

 

[Gazen]

My daughter started riding at 6.
We went through several different schools until we found one I was happy with and where she was getting the instruction she needed.

 

[lizness]

I started at about 6 and due to cost only went every other week, no problems. You could then take her for some pony time (call it stable management lessons!) with the shetlands. Learning body parts etc. When I worked at a stables we often did 1/2 and 1/2's which was 1/2 hour lesson followed by half an hour ride out (led or mini hack depending on age/experience) which seemed a good thing for smaller kids as it wasn't too much at once. On a walk out would do naming tack/parts of pony etc.

 

[Bex250]

Option 4.

I think go with the better riding school: whats the point paying for her to learn nothing? I always regretted the bad habits I learnt from learning to ride aged 6 at a similarly shabby place to what you described.

Stable management and horse care is necessary to show the child the importance of looking after animals as well as riding them. I feel every child who rides should spend the equal amount of time caring for the horse, but thats just me.

This!

 

[sasquatch]

Go to the better riding school.
You're not being rude, your daughter has made it clear that she wants to move on and do more which imo, could well see her begin to give up when she feels she's going nowhere.

I started riding at 7 and was cantering and jumping before I was 8, so the 'no under 10's cantering and jumping' rule strikes me as odd - even when I volunteered at a RS kids around the 6/7 mark were jumping and cantering fairly independently (the younger ones did have a bit of help if needed). Is there no way you can talk to the RS and make it clear that she wants to do more than a hack each week or you'll be taking your custom elsewhere?

 

[LittleRooketRider]

On the age thing...at Olympia this year a 7 year old girl was seconf in the 128cm pony class, the age limit was 12 years, and they were easily jumping 1 metre. In short it sounds like the first rding school/trekking centre is trying to get away with doing nothing for something.