Good riding lessons near Falkirk - anyone recommend a riding school

[Bosworth]

My Brother in Law and my 5 year old niece are currently having lessons at Kingsbarn near Falkirk but are proving to be really unsatisfactory, the instructor changes weekly, there is no consistancy in the tuition, My brother in laws weekly lesson has been reduced from 2 hours to 1.5 hours without any discussion - but the price has stayed the same. My niece has been having lessons at a regular time every Saturday - but they change instructor seemingly every week. Also they don't seem capable of booking a set time each week, despite the fact my niece always has a fixed time for her lesson my sister frequently has to argue the case to get the lesson booked for the following week. She has asked about block booking a set of 10 but they seem incapable of doing that or understanding that consistancy of tuition is vital. i think they seem too big to provide a good service so can anyone suggest anywhere within a 30min drive of Shieldhill Falkirk where there are good horses/ponies and good quality tuition.

Many thanks

 

[measles]

I'm really surprised at that as I've only heard positive things about them. They haven't been going for all that long and so perhaps are still having teething problems though I would share your families frustration in the circumstances you describe.

There really isn't anywhere in the Falkirk area aside from Kingsbarns that could be recommended. There are a few places if the half hour was spent going east towards Edinburgh - I think that the Grange gets a good reputation and a friend rides at the McNaughtons Edinburgh & Lasswade Riding School and is very pleased with the service.

Let us know how they get on.

 

[Nichola1]

I think the place has excellent facilities and it's great to have such a venue in Central Scotland however I understand where you are coming from as there seem to be a few teething problems in terms of the administration side of things.

Personally I have had many issues with booking problems and misunderstandings of when lessons take place, even to the point turning up one day for my booked lesson only to be told that it had been moved to another day without being given at least a phone call to tell me this. No apology or arrangements made for my waste of trip were given which didn't go down well from a customer service point of view.

Don't get me wrong I think the actual lessons and instruction is second to none however in order for this business to continue to grow I feel that an over haul of the administration / office needs to be looked into as increasingly this seems to be the feedback many clients are giving and I also am slightly frustrated.

Apolgies for the rant - I realise you are looking for other riding schools but in my experience Kingsbarn is the only decent place around this area in terms of facilities, instruction and horses (if you can put up with the office madness!)...