New Trekking Centre; advice requested :)

[Keith_Beef]

I worked at a stables where we did rides out, mostly tourists but this happened so so much. It was at times a bloody nightmare!
The realisation that if I proceeded round the booked route with certain riders on certain horses we would possibly all die as they were very definitely not as they claimed.
Some kind of area just to quickly see clients walk, trot maybe canter if they claim to be capable would be very beneficial

For years, as a kid, we would ride once or maybe twice a year, on holiday. No lessons, no instruction, no practice. Just mount up at the yard, walk through the streets to the beach, then canter; I couldn't manage a trot.

One year, I was probably 13 at the time, I was out with my mum one day, and I was on a horse called Monty. Everything went well, the weather was nice, we had a good ride and canter along the beach. I think it must have been Cleethorpes, Chapel-Saint-Leonard's or Withernsea. The next day, we went back. It was a different leader, who decided to put my mum on Monty, but hadn't warned her about some animosity between Monty and another horse. The two got too close together when cantering, my mum didn't manage to pull in Monty's head or turn him away, and to cap it all a stirrup leather broke. My mum fell, breaking a spinous process or two... I suppose she was lucky to not get trampled.

*shudders at the mere mention of GDPR*

At work, we (or rather the people in the legal team) are trying to get to grips with GDPR compliance right now. It shouldnt' be too hard for a pony trekking firm to deal with.

I know somewhere that got taken to court because the extremely quiet horse put its head down for a nibble of grass and the very novicey rider toppled slowly down its neck.

The problem is that even the best behaved horse is still a horse and they do tend to get a bit jaded doing boring walk rides with wobbly people on board. I agree with Cortez, I wouldn't do it to my horses - and it nearly broke my heart working at a trekking centre. The poor horses were completely shut down and miserable.

My first fall from a horse was exactly that: the horse decided to graze and I went over its shoulder into a fence. No bruises or scrapes, though, and definitely no injury claim!

I rode a few times in the US. Once was in the Nevada desert on a one-hour ride. The horses had two main preoccupations: keeping their noses in the tail of the horse in front (keeps flies and dust away from eyes and nose) and keep an eye out for anything even vaguely plant-like along the trail, to grab a quick nibble. Other than that, they may as well have been sleepwalking.

There are some very important points raised here so far. Your insurance will probably place some hefty restrictions on you too such as minimum age for riders etc. Correct registration forms, risk assessments, portable first aid kit, coordinates if the route you are taking for emergency services also need careful consideration. As far as hard are concerned I would suggest adjustable one will fit different head shapes more easily and I would look at stirrup cages to stop feet slipping through the stirrups if you are faced with variety of footwear, not everyone will agree to wearing or fit what you provide. I would also make sure your trek leader is qualified no matter how experience they are as this is a different kettle of fish to being a competent rider. One place I heard of was recently sued as the rider claims she didn't hear the leader shout to duck going under a heavy branch and hot knocked of the horse. There is so much red tape now its a nightmare to keep up with it all.

Stirrup cages are a great idea.

Booking forms should ask for the rider's height and weight, but also for shoe size and head circumference, even for a rider bringing the correct footwear and headwear: this will allow you later to predict what kind of gear you should buy in for the numpties who turn up in flip-flops. Decathlon sells rubber wellies for €12 a pair. Oh, and get some aerosols of disinfectant for boots and helmets. Make sure all your forms have the correct data retention notices on them (whatever they are, after GDPR comes into force)

Trek leaders should definitely be "qualified", whatever that means in the UK. Would a trek like this be considered a purely tourism activity, or as sport? Would that make a difference to the qualifications required? My yard used to do frequent trail rides through the forest in place of a Saturday morning lesson, as a chance to put into practice "in real life" what we had been learning in the arena. These were either with a fully qualified instructor accompanied by an instructor in training, or with two trainee instructors. After a change in management, there are not enough of either of those most weeks, so trail rides tend now to be specially organised extra activities.

Routes should be planned carefully, so that emergency services can get an ambulance within a reasonable distance. I'm not suggesting that the entire route should be navigable by ambulance, but at least be able to get an injured person from the trail to the roadside (after first aid at the scene to immobilise broken bones and stop bleeding) quickly.

Routes should be walked before being ridden, at least at the beginning of each season, to make sure they are passable. Take a machete and saw for clearing brush and low branches. They should be walked again after periods of bad weather to make sure they are still passable.

Not all horses, in my experience, will ford a stream; some will do it if another horse leads the way, other will do it only very reluctantly if at all. The same goes for passing under a road or railway bridge... some of these can be like a short tunnel, with rats or mice (or cyclists) to startle the horse...

I had one woman turn up in a mini dress and high heels!

Lend her a pair of high boots, then.

 

[SpringArising]

I know somewhere that got taken to court because the extremely quiet horse put its head down for a nibble of grass and the very novicey rider toppled slowly down its neck.

The problem is that even the best behaved horse is still a horse and they do tend to get a bit jaded doing boring walk rides with wobbly people on board. I agree with Cortez, I wouldn't do it to my horses - and it nearly broke my heart working at a trekking centre. The poor horses were completely shut down and miserable.

But situations like that could happen to any entity who offers horse rides. They're not limited to trekking centres - think how many people must come off riding school horses every day across the country!

I have to say that all of the horses at the centre I boarded at seemed very content and not shut down as some say in the slightest - to me that means the horses are either over worked or not managed correctly, or both. If I had the choice of being a SJing horse or a horse used for treks, I know what I'd rather be!

 

[Rowreach]

But situations like that could happen to any entity who offers horse rides. They're not limited to trekking centres - think how many people must come off riding school horses every day across the country!

I have to say that all of the horses at the centre I boarded at seemed very content and not shut down as some say in the slightest - to me that means the horses are either over worked or not managed correctly, or both. If I had the choice of being a SJing horse or a horse used for treks, I know what I'd rather be!

I agree, I was answering the poster who said you needed to make sure your horses were completely trustworthy. You can't.

And I also agree that the management of the horses used will impact greatly on their mental wellbeing. I suspect however that a combination of jolly horses and tourists who fancy a pony trek having never sat on a horse in their lives, might not be a good mix.

 

[Yokosmom]

I am a typical example of your basic clueless customer. I don't ride, but have taken several trail rides at trekking centers in the U.S., because Wild West! Horses! Cool! But, of course, no idea how to even sit in the saddle. In addition to all of the other suggestions regarding what customers should wear or not, please let people know that jeans are not, perhaps, the best choice. I went on a 3 hour ride some years ago and rubbed the skin off large patches on the inside of my legs! Had to wear shorts for the rest of the trip....

 

[Keith_Beef]

I am a typical example of your basic clueless customer. I don't ride, but have taken several trail rides at trekking centers in the U.S., because Wild West! Horses! Cool! But, of course, no idea how to even sit in the saddle. In addition to all of the other suggestions regarding what customers should wear or not, please let people know that jeans are not, perhaps, the best choice. I went on a 3 hour ride some years ago and rubbed the skin off large patches on the inside of my legs! Had to wear shorts for the rest of the trip....

I got my OH to go on rides twice when we were living in the US. Once was the Nevada desert ride, but the other was a full day long trail ride through the forest in Pennsylvania. I described the Western saddle to her as being a La-Z-Boy saddle with cupholder armrests, that you could put a sack of potatoes in it, and it would stay put all day.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Slightly OT but the focus on risks of getting sued is depressing.

As a kid I stayed in the Danish island of Romo for a holiday one summer. There was a stables on the beach. The horses and ponies lived in a field about a mile away above the beach. Early in the morning, the staff would come and ride down to the stables herding all the others. If you woke up early enough you could jump on a pony and go along for the ride. Bareback in canter!! We were just kids and there was certainly no assessment of ability first. I did it every morning during my holiday and it was amazing.

I also lived in Hong Kong and you could hire ex racehorses and take them round a sandy track. No lessons, no supervision. You could do what you wanted. Ie gallop! I've still got a photo of me aged about 9 with no hat and trainers perched like a pea on a drum on this big grey horse.

I don't remotely approve as that really is taking casual a bit too far! But it is amazing to me that health and safety varies so wildly from country to country and generation to generation. We have gone WAY WAY too far the other way in this country. My kids want their horseless but horse mad friends to be able to ride Max or Ginny occasionally but there is no way I will allow it in case they come off and get injured. Which is a real shame as a few years ago I would not have though twice about it.

 

[RhossT]

Nobody seems to have mentioned the fact you will be running a business. Get an accountant who is interested in small businesses. Not all of them are as small businesses are hard work and can't be charged a lot! Do not make the mistake of thinking that, if you are not making a profit, that you do not need to deal with HMRC.

You say you will be running it with your partner. Draw up a partnership agreement. You don't think you will fall out but you might. It doesn't have to be done by a lawyer. A simple document agreeing what you will do if one of you or both of you want to stop the venture.

Do a business plan and draw up a budget and cashflow. You will need a separate bank account for the business and banks are more receptive to businesses who seem to have an idea of what they are doing. Will small groups of 4 really provide a worthwhile income? Doing the arithmetic beforehand might save you a lot of misery.

PVG certification - not sure what the English equivalent is but something you need to consider, for yourself and any employees.

 

[SEL]

Given you are in a different area & won't be competing you might want to google Cannock Chase Trekking Centre and see if Lisa can help with any advice (or go visit her and see 20+ years of experience in action).

I was a trek leader in Australia for a while - that yard is thankfully closed - and my pointers would be;
- get them all to sign a form with their details and riding experience on it before you take them out. You can't sign away negligence, but you'll have in writing that they understand the risk.
- before you start with any paid rides, make sure your horses will go nose to tail and behave. They need to follow each other and be boring. Boring is safe.
- we used to split the group in 2 and take the ones who didn't want to canter a different route so their horses wouldn't try and follow the faster ones. At that yard anyone who wanted to have a canter down the beach was allowed to. Was no good at all for my blood pressure and I was very grateful for Aussie stock saddles which do a cracking job of keeping novices on board.
- spare hats, foot wear and even tracksuit bottoms for those who turn up in outfits more suitable for the beach are really useful. High Viz if you're on the roads and teach one of the guide horses to take a saddle bag with first aid kit in it.

Get a good accountant as RhossT says above - they can advise on VAT registration etc - and make sure you have a rainy day fund. I was based in Cannock when foot and mouth hit, so I know how tough it was for all the operators that used Cannock Chase and found themselves grounded for months.

Good luck!

 

[2ndtimearound]

Given you are in a different area & won't be competing you might want to google Cannock Chase Trekking Centre and see if Lisa can help with any advice (or go visit her and see 20+ years of experience in action).

I totally second this suggestion - if you want to see how a trekking centre gets it right, go and visit Cannock Chase Trekking Centre. Although it is helped by the fabulous location, it is a fantastic example of how to get it right. To be fair, I am slightly biased as that's where I normally ride, but the fact that it has so many regular riders (many of whom are previous horse owners so don't just want to plod) says an awful lot! I'm sure Lisa would be more than happy to let you pick her brains.

 

[teapot]

At work, we (or rather the people in the legal team) are trying to get to grips with GDPR compliance right now. It shouldnt' be too hard for a pony trekking firm to deal with.

I work in the equine industry and it's causing a lot of issues so far.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I work in the equine industry and it's causing a lot of issues so far.

I can understand that trying to make an existing company compliant might be a challenge; it should be much simpler for something that won't even be starting up until after the GDPR has come into force and others have paved the way.