Pet hates with riding schools

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Benji1

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After using riding schools at various times in my life, I just wondered what your pet hates with them are..

On my list are:
Rude staff.
Poo filled school.
Horses not being removed of mud before being tacked up!

I'm sure we've all had experiences...
 
Poorly fitting tack. Even in the good ones.

I once pointed out to one of the staff at a college and uni used centre that the saddle was sat on the withers. She said 'oh that's just how it is' riiight...

add to that flashes done up too tightly or nosebands too low, or both together. twisted straps and dirty girths and numnahs, and bridles which are cracked and dirty.

I helped out for years at a riding school which was very busy and quite big, but technically rubbish. They liked poly pads there (very thick quilted) as none of the saddles fit properly. These were washed twice a year but then all the stuffing went very bumpy. Some parts had no stuffing whilst others had loads. Must have been so sore. I always picked the thinnest but most even ones for the two i looked after, or put 2 ordinary numnahs on at once.

God help the others if that's the best i could do for those two :(
 
ponys/horses being far too over worked! That used to nark me off! unswept yards, haynets on the floor...
 
I used to work at a riding school and everything was brilliant, good fitting tack etc.
I made sure everything was clean, in its place, ponies well fed and looked after.

But the ponies being over-worked was a pet hate!
Our ponies only got used for a max of 2 hours a day (1-2 days off a week)...but on pony days/jumping days...everyone wanted the best jumping horses to use...one horse was used round the same course 6 times in a row...I was asked if I wanted a go.

I said no and as soon as she came back from her next round I put her out in the field to the annoyance of my boss!
 
Our livery yard is also a riding school and is run on very professional standards! Horses work up to their level of fitness and feeding. Tack is cleaner than mine and woebetide any instructor or livery that does not poo pick the schools after a session!! Health and safety is paramount and each horse treated very individually.

However I know this is the exception and not the rule!!
 
just wanted to add, this wasn't a pop at all riding schools, just some of them, who shall remain nameless. I have, forunately, had some very positive experiences with them
 
My pet hate locally, is when recommending a RS to someone for a specific reason that I think will suit their needs, and when they ring said RS they leave a message but the RS then fail to ring them back. Round here they obviously do not want/need the business.

Have to say this does NOT apply to all RS locally, just one or two.
 
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