Should I tell them what I think??

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grumblebee

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Hi All

I was looking for some advice as I'm not sure what to do. Me and my partner went for a hack a couple of weeks ago in North Wales (we found the nearest stables to where we were staying and booked a two hour hack).

My partner is a complete novice (ridden 8 times) whilst I am more experience. When booking my partner told them this, however, as he rather proud of how well he is progressing said he could walk and trot (him meaning he could bob up and down, rather than what most of us would refer to as being "able" to walk and trot). Anyhow, I overheard the conversation and had it been my yard would have accounted for a very novice rider.

Anyway, so we arrived to the yard where we did the paperwork and they swiftly pointed out what horses we were riding. Whilst I tacked mine up, they helped my partner on to his horse and told him to "have a play" in the school whilst the others got ready without even assessing his riding. So when I joined him in the school he had been left to his own devices on a horse he was barely being able to get to walk.

Once I was on I gave him a few tips and then whilst everybody else was getting on (all experienced riders) a girl came in and told me and him to have a canter. Not only had we not even trotted yet, but the school gate was open!! My OH struggled to get him into trot and she just said "have you ridden much?". Him "No". Oh, OK, well, leave it at that. On that note, we all left the yard in convoy. Only my partner was having real problems getting the horse to walk, and within 5 minutes the horse had come to a stand still and was reversing onto the verge (admittedly he was holding the reins too tight due to nerves) but it wasn't until I said to him to loosen the reins that anyone said something.

After a painful start they decided to swap him onto another horse, which was much better suited to his ability. However, the whole experience has really affected his confidence. Not so much in that he is scared of riding, but more because he felt he was holding everyone back (as we just walked whereas the girls were expecting to canter!) and also because he felt he was utterly rubbish, when he is actually progressing extremely quickly!

To make matters worse, when we got back to the yard, they asked to walk through the corridor where another horse was tied up. The first two horses passed with no issues, but as soon as my partners horse went to pass the horse span round and kicked out narrowly missing my partners leg!!

Now my question is..... Having run my own yard there is quite a lot of advice I would like to give these people. They are extremely nice and their heart is in the right place (and they appear to have lots of happy customers). I was thinking of emailing them an email of constructive criticism for future dealing with beginners, however, I feel they may take it as me complaining and completely ignore my email thinking I'm just stuck up and think I'm better than them!

Should I write a letter or should I just leave it??

Thanks

:-)
 
I think the confusion came as you said he was a "complete novice" not a "beginner" which is what he is really. I would term "novice" as someone who can ride by themselves on a quiet and well mannered horse, in an arena for instance and maybe even a bit of a canter.

Still, I think that any responsible establishment should have a look at the riders they are about to take out into the open and assess their level of riding. Most places would make you fill in a form where you have to list your riding experience.

I had a similar experience when in the New Forest. We just rolled up, they put us on horses and out we went, it was OK for me and daughter as we are experienced riders but I was surprised that they didn't even bother to make sure first. We went out in a group for a canter and suprise, surprise, someone fell off, so there was some time spent catching loose ponies.
 
Personally I would leave it. If you are planning on going back there it may be worth having a longer conversation regarding your partner's abilities before making the booking.
 
Any 'new' places I have ridden at in the last few years you have had to fill in a rider's form, with contact details etc., but also to state in writing (ok, box ticking) what you have and haven't done, how often you have ridden etc. We have had to do this at our yard for the insurance as we run treks.. Did you not have anything similar at the yard you were at?

IMO it would be worth sending a carefully worded email/letter to them, it may well be ignored but it is worth a try!
 
Well I would in your situation sent a polite email as it was unfair not only on your partner but on the other people who expected a canter. If he told them he could only walk and trot that should have been noted.

If businesses dont get feedback then they dont get to know the good stuff nor information as to how to improve and get repeat business ;)
 
Thanks for your replies. I don't however think he used the term novice (that was just me on this post!). I think his words were "I have ridden a few times and can walk and trot"!

But surely just the confusion here on that simple terminology could lead to a massive misunderstanding! I was just gobsmacked that a they left him to his own devices (it's not even as if they were looking from the fence) and B asked him to go straight into canter without having trotted (not really what I would ask of a stabled horse after 5 minutes of walking) but with the gate open!!

I doubt we will be returning (not because of the experience but because we just happened to be there for the weekend, which is not a regular occurrence) and I would hate to think something serious might happen in the future. But at the same time I don't want to appear condescending.
 
I had a similar experience, orangehorse, also in the New Forest. I booked a 2 hour hack for myself and my mum, we arrived at the yard, they brought out the horses, on we hopped and off we went. It was a group of about 8, and after 5 minutes walk up the road the lady leading the hack turned in her saddle and shouted back "so who can trot and canter?". Ummm... I had discussed over the phone our abilities, and assumed all other group members had too and we had been put together as we were all happy to canter out. Not the case. Everyone said "oh yes, we're fine to trot/canter" but I heard one lady say to her friend, "well I can rise to the trot, and canter doesn't look too hard"... Oh dear. We split into 2 groups (2 escorts came out from the yard), I think the girls had been watching us ride and sensed some people were lying, and our group set off at a steady canter through the forest as the other group turned down another track for a slow trot. We were bowling along, having a glorious time, when we heard crashing in the undergrowth to the left. To the horses credit, they were all amazing and didn't bat an eyelid (maybe it happens quite often???) as an out of control horse appeared, man laid on its neck clinging on for dear life, shouting "WOOOAH WOOOOOAH WOAH!" at the top of his voice. Runaway horse only stopped when it crashed into a particularly dense bush.
Its a miracle no one was hurt!
We look back on it and laugh now, but things could have gone horribly wrong for that chap and the horse!
 
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