Should I look for a new riding school?

[ArklePig]

Thanks everyone for your help! Thought I had a lesson sorted for this weekend but the school have cancelled on me and can’t seem to pin them down to an alternative 😭

Have made enquiries at FOUR other places since Saturday and despite every one of them saying they were in the yard/at a show/otherwise indisposed and to send a text with my details and they’d call back I’ve yet to hear from anyone. It’s so frustrating. Beginning to get paranoid that no one wants me as a client for some reason! I’m not a weirdo, honest, just desperate to learn how to ride. I did contact Lucy Adams as recommended up thread who did respond but unfortunately she now only teaches people on their own houses.
Will keep those of you who asked updated if I ever manage to get something booked.

 

[ArklePig]

Actually it’s just dawned on me that I’ve only ended up at my current school as they were the only ones I could originally get a hold of!

 

[Equi]

I had the exact same to be honest, but some are worth persevering with! I ended up in a horrible lesson once because they were the only one to reply and the horse was a liveries 6yo who did not know a THING and would run into jump wings to make you make them stop. I have never had a worse lesson in my life - i was not there to learn i was there to try and teach that horse and pay for the pleasure! My point being, you have to make sure you follow through with them all. Once you're in the door so to speak they are better. Feel free to PM me and vent, i might be able to help you navigate how to get around certain people.

 

[ArklePig]

Thanks equi I will PM you tomorrow if I’ve no luck following up with places! I was getting so paranoid about it I was wondering if ; I was too heavy for their horses (I’m just over ten stone so I know that’s not the case) if it was my accent cause I’m southern (I know that’s ridiculous too). Honestly, I’m driven that demented that I’d almost decided no one liked the cut of my gib 😂

ETA that lesson sounds absolutely horrendous and would have seriously turned me off riding schools in general. Hope it’s not where I end up 😂

 

[sportsmansB]

I think genuinely there is a lack of what we would consider to be good customer service (not intentional, more of an industry norm) in terms of response times etc in the equine industry over here. Fewer and fewer places are able to fund the insurance for lessons too. Please don't take it personally. I'm pretty sure its not. Try calling during the day on a week day (I was at a show on Sat and saw the entire contingent from one of the above mentioned places there, and another one held an event at their place and would have been flat out) and getting a better chat.
Sorry Lucy didn't work- I wasn't sure, she would have been perfect.

 

[ArklePig]

You’re probably right! I’m only (half) joking when I say it must be me! I rang some places yesterday and today I’ll follow up with the places I called at the weekend. I was absolutely spoiled with my school down south as well as a kid, so maybe I have different expectations. *Contemplates leaving job, packing up pets and boyfriend and moving back to Limerick*

 

[naomibmck]

If you get a chance OP I would just go to the schools in person to get a hold of them, there's more chance of speaking to someone even if you have to wait a while (plus you often can tell if it's the right place pretty quickly)

 

[ester]

lunchtimes are sometimes a good time to ring.

 

[Maesto's Girl]

Just go there and speak to them....that's what I did when I got back into riding

 

[ArklePig]

I had considered going around places but with work etc hard pressed to find the time! So, basically due to my availability (weekends and evenings due to full time work) a lot of places have said they can’t fit me in for private lessons. Hopefully this changes when I go back to uni in September and drop my days at work down again. So the best would I could do was get booked into a group lesson, ( I think the place where SportsmanB said he saw the entire contingent at a show, as when I rang on Saturday that’s what she told me). Either way I’m irritated with my current school so maybe I’ll have some more luck in a group somewhere else? I’m assured it’s an adults group too. I’m going to give it a go and if anyone does manage to squeeze me in for a private lesson anywhere I’ll try out that school too.

 

[Fabled Thoroughbred]

You could do a trial lesson at another facility.

 

[ArklePig]

Hello everyone!

I had a lesson at another place today; as I mentioned earlier I couldn’t get anyone to take me for a private lesson so I had a group. There were three others, and I loved my horse (after a bit). So when the lesson began the instructor just had us wander around the school people were trotting in different directions etc. Then we did a bit of trotting, cantering, jumping etc- it was good in the sense that she didn’t push me to do things I was not comfortable with but at the same time I don’t feel like she actually instructed. The only instruction I was given was ‘KICK! KICK!!’ I was clearly having trouble with some of the jumps etc but she didn’t correct my position or anything. I actually really liked her though, and maybe she was just watching me to assess my ability with this being my first time in the group? Plus points being able to untack and fuss my horse afterwards, negative point; a very irritating woman in the group but as that can happen anywhere I won’t hold it against them haha!
I’d appreciate if anyone had any thoughts as I just don’t know what’s right or wrong with schools etc!

 

[ester]

I actually think different directions (ie 'open order') does an awful lot more for your riding than a lot of following each other round does.
As a first timer, in a group of 4 I wouldn't be too concerned. Did you feel she 'instructed' the others who she presumably knew a bit better?
I would probably book again and probably be proactive about asking questions about how I could solve problems rather than wait to be told and see what I could get out of them.

 

[ArklePig]

Thank you Ester! I did feel like she was good with the other girls and being constructive with them; I think I was just so overwhelmed that I have a lot to fix! I did get a good feeling from her and she was really helpful afterwards, showing me how to properly untack my horse after and I enjoyed that cause that’s when you get slobbered on and get to stroke their ears! I think the more I reflect on it today the more I think it’s a better school for me. Also the lesson is strictly adults and I’m told barring illness or holiday I will have her every week so it should work better for me than the other place!

 

[ester]

It certainly sounds a much better prospect

 

[Equi]

Glad you’ve found a better match. I’d say she was just assessing you more so to gauge your abilities. There is no point her spending half the lesson on asking you what you can do and can’t do she will find out by watching you. She will then have formulated a plan on how to help you progress. 4 in open order is much better than a group going round in single file order! Hope you enjoy your next lesson.