thoroughlybred1
Active Member
I apologise if this is a repeat of what may have been covered before.....but I was under the impression that the licensing of Riding Schools was going to be reviewed so that we ALL will be subject to the same inspections regardless of the area we operate from.
It appears this is not so, and IMO is not fair! My vet inspection is going to cost a lot more than another school less than 20 miles away but under a different council....
My vet inspection costs have increased by double, now that my inspection has to include the fitting of tack. I wouldnt mind this if A) it was the same for EVERYONE and B) that the vet in question is qualified to fit tack!
I actually feel that in my 20+ years of kitting out my ponies that I am more than capable of deciding if my tack fits a pony than a vet......but if those are the hoops we ALL have to jump through, fair enough...but it's not! A neighbouring county RS does not have to show a pony with tack and therefore doesnt have to pay the extra time for a vet's inspection of it!
With absolutely NO disrespect to the vet involved, one of my ponies last year was presented with the wrong saddle in error....
I saw immediately that it was the wrong saddle and a rubbish fit - The vet didnt!
I dont blame them - they are NOT saddle fitters, but they are being asked to be, and I am having to PAY for them to assess the tack fitting they are not qualified to assess! By all means allow them to comment on signs of ill fitting tack - dont have a problem with that, but to have to physically tack each pony up so the vet can see each pony in tack (that may or may not fit) all adds to our overall licensing costs. Tis the same re the fire regulations......we have to pay for our fire extinguishers to be annually checked/serviced and then we have to allow a VET ?! to check that they have done their job properly!
It appears this is not so, and IMO is not fair! My vet inspection is going to cost a lot more than another school less than 20 miles away but under a different council....
My vet inspection costs have increased by double, now that my inspection has to include the fitting of tack. I wouldnt mind this if A) it was the same for EVERYONE and B) that the vet in question is qualified to fit tack!
I actually feel that in my 20+ years of kitting out my ponies that I am more than capable of deciding if my tack fits a pony than a vet......but if those are the hoops we ALL have to jump through, fair enough...but it's not! A neighbouring county RS does not have to show a pony with tack and therefore doesnt have to pay the extra time for a vet's inspection of it!
With absolutely NO disrespect to the vet involved, one of my ponies last year was presented with the wrong saddle in error....
I saw immediately that it was the wrong saddle and a rubbish fit - The vet didnt!
I dont blame them - they are NOT saddle fitters, but they are being asked to be, and I am having to PAY for them to assess the tack fitting they are not qualified to assess! By all means allow them to comment on signs of ill fitting tack - dont have a problem with that, but to have to physically tack each pony up so the vet can see each pony in tack (that may or may not fit) all adds to our overall licensing costs. Tis the same re the fire regulations......we have to pay for our fire extinguishers to be annually checked/serviced and then we have to allow a VET ?! to check that they have done their job properly!