Training livery hasn't gone to plan....

[Flakey123]

I haven't been on here a lot lately but would really like some advice.

I recently put my horse into training livery for 2 months with the idea that I was going to have lessons a few times each week so we could both really kick start our improvement.

Initially I agreed with the YO that, in fact, it would be better to give them 2 weeks with just my horse so they could get him going with a good, consistent rider and I was happy with this as I felt it would be of benefit to both of us to begin with.

Well, that 2 weeks was over ages ago and we are nearing the end of his stay. Each week they have explained that he would benefit from another week's training alone....and another......and another.

He comes home in 10 days and they have finally booked me in 4 lessons but that is all I get before he leaves. I am feeling like this has all been a waste of time because I think that if I haven't improved enough, we will end up back to where we started in a few months time.

I have spent a lot (and I really mean a lot!) of money on these couple of months, having to pay two lots of full livery costs (at the training yard and my normal yard) and the training wasn't cheap by any means but I used them because I trusted he would receive a 5* treatment and thought I would too!

I also thought I could justify the cost as I was to have intensive lessons throughout his stay but obviously this hasn't gone to plan.

The YO is a really lovely person. I have no worries about how they are treating my boy or if she is doing what she says they are but I don't think she actually factored in enough time to teach me too.

How should I approach this? Should I say nothing, have my lessons and try my best to improve as much as I can in those? Or would you say something? I'm not sure if perhaps I am expecting too much from training livery. Although when we originally discussed his stay, the YO said that I could have lessons 4-5 times a week if I wanted.

Perhaps I am a bit late in the day to have problems with this now but each week the goal posts have been moved with the explanation that it is of interest to my horse's improvement and of course I am not going to stand in the way of that, but that doesn't really help me to improve though.

If you have any stories of similar situation (good and bad) please share as it might make me feel a little better

Sorry this is long, thanks to all that made it to the end! I needed to vent a little as I have been really looking forward to this and it hasn't panned out the way I expected it to

 

[Jools2345]

i think it is a bit late in the day to tackle the issue TBH, maybe you should have asked if there was another horse you could have had lessons on to improve your riding whilst they worked on your horse.
have you seen your horse ridden most weeks? if you have and you have seen an improvement then maybe it was for the best but if not i would be suspicious the work has not been done

 

[3Beasties]

Maybe they felt that if you had ridden him any earlier you could have undone their good work? Or just that he really wasn't ready for you to ride and it may have set you as well as him back?

Have you seen your horse during the time he has been away? Have you noticed much of an improvement?

Could he stay there an extra week or so just so you can go for lessons? If not why don't you just box him over there a few times a week for a lesson?

 

[Gloi]

Have you watched him being worked? If not ring them and arrange to watch him as much as you possibly can while he's there. Then talk to the person riding him about what she's doing, how he's responding etc.
It might be that the person training him doesn't do teaching so they'd have to get someone else who hasn't worked with him as much.
It's your horse though so you need to really be assertive about what you want from the training place.

 

[Inthesticks]

I think you should have said something earlier regardless of what they said, reminded them of what you wanted to get out of the service, however its not too late. If he has 10 days left then you could have 8-10 lessons if you could push them and yourself to fit them in.

Could you stay on for 1 more week to fit even more intensive lessons in?

So many people get swept along when paying for services from well respected people, you have to remember why you sent your horse there and what you want out of the service you are paying for, people have to stand up for themselves and remind the professional you are the paying client.

 

[honetpot]

I do think its a bit late in the day but its your money. Tonight think what to achieve in the time left and ring them and say you are coming over for what ever you have decided whether its a lesson a day of three a week and if they can not guarantee that bring him home and save your money. When he comes home any way you are on your own, and line up an instructor you trust.
Professionals, not only horse ones, blind you with science because the longer you are dependant on them the more money they make. A friend of mind had a horse in sales livery for more than nine months because they respected the person but it didn't get the horses sold, just a huge bill.
The only time I have had a horse on a professional yard I insisted only my daughter rode it as she was going to have to cope at home. They didn't like it but they took it, your paying the bill.

 

[Tilda]

I have no experience of this kind of service but to me it sounds like the rider has been enjoying riding your horse too much to let you ride him instead of them! Probably completely off the mark just my initial reaction. Agree with those who say try and squeeze in as many lessons as you can in the last few days and in hind sight (wonderful thing) I probably would have had lessons on another horse if I had been in your position and could afford it.

 

[Flakey123]

Thanks for all you comments, I definitely should have said something earlier but I placed my trust in them and I have got a little swept along as the YO is a professional rider and I do respect her very much. It can be very hard to confront a professional about the service they are providing you, I guess I need to be a little more assertive with these things but I am a terrible worrier and I hate confrontation, it always seems to come out wrong

I would love to stay a little longer but they have another one already lined up to take the place and to be honest I don't think I could justify it with the OH.

They don't have horses available for lessons unfortunately as this would have been great. I think I am going to make a plan tonight about (realistically) what I want to achieve over the next 10 days and make a point of asking to have a few more lessons.

Hopefully, he at least, will come back a much improved horse and will grant me a little forgiveness whilst I continue to learn

 

[be positive]

If they have done the job well you should find just a few lessons will be enough to get you going, it will help if you have seen them working him and have had previous lessons so you know how they expect the horse and rider to go.
A problem may arise if they have no experience of how you ride and have been working him without you in mind as the rider to take him on but this is unlikely if you were clear about what was expected when he first went there.

Go for the first lesson but watch them ride him first, if you have not been recently, ask them to explain what they are doing to warm him up and get him working through, once he has been worked in then start the lesson when he should be ready to give you a good feel of how he is now going, it will really help you start off on a good note.
Ask questions of anything that you are unsure of don't feel stupid for asking even the most simple question, you have been paying for the service, their job is to now finish by sending you both home ready to move forward with more knowledge than you had before.
He may have proved to be more tricky than expected and needed the extra work to get him properly established, that they may have enjoyed riding him is not likely to be why you have not been able to, pro riders are normally too busy to have that attitude, but if they do enjoy him that should be a good thing they must have done a good job with him and better they like him than think of him as hard work and something that must be done because the client is paying.