What would you do?

[Tia]

I cancelled a trail ride going out this morning due to lots of rain yesterday and assuming the trails would be sopping - not so however. The ground has totally dried up and I assume the trails will have too.

I have a ride at lunch-time which I am allowing as riders are all lightweight. This ride this morning had 2 larger people and I don't like to take large folks out if there is any issue with the softness of the ground. My trails are fairly tricky, lots of hills and steep slopes to contend with through dense woodland and water meadows.

Now my dilemma is that I have met the peeps who were supposed to be coming this morning - they claim to be 200lbs, however I do not believe that. I actually think they are closer to my limit of 250lbs (maybe they're even over!).

I never wanted to do this ride from the onset - I don't really care much for the people - I don't believe they are under my weight-limit......what would you do?

They have asked me to re-book them for as soon as possible but I am just sitting here not wanting to re-book them.

Honest answers please and any suggestions as to how to tackle this.

 

[Weezy]

I think as its YOUR business, YOUR horses and YOUR time, then its YOUR decision - and you dont want to therefore I would say a simple - NO!

How you do that tho is a different matter

 

[PiebaldHorse]

If you arent happy allowing these people to ride your horses, then the answer is no!!!

 

[KarenX]

Ditto Weezy but again... how do you tell them?!

 

[EllieBeast]

i agree with the others, however - if you want me to ship you an elephant-style horse to carry them, then Ellie will always offer!

Sarah

 

[vicijp]

Weigh them!
Get yourself a set of scales, in the yard, with a sign saying:
'TOO MANY PIES = NO GO!'

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
How you do that tho is a different matter

[/ QUOTE ]

That's the problem........

How do I say no without offending them

.

 

[riotgirl]

I wouldn't do the ride. You have weight limits for a reason and these people are taking the pi$$ by ignoring it. In fact 250lbs is a bloody reasonable limit in my opinion. Horses first!

 

[Tia]

PMSLMAO!! I do like that one!!

Would be awfully mean to weigh them though.......and then what if they were under? Eeek!

 

[PiebaldHorse]

Just be honest, you have no horses to cater for them

 

[Weezy]

LMFAO Vici!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PiebaldHorse]

If they are under then no harm done!!

Tell them that you now have to weigh people before the rides, it might embarass them enough to forget it!!!

At our riding stables, there are 3 big shire type horses that are used for the heavier people

 

[Weezy]

Tia, you could take them on one ride, make it boring or talk incessently about your husbands incontinence problem, your sisters depression and your dogs bowel habits and hope they dont come back?

 

[Tia]

The trouble is, I do! I have 2 horses who are perfectly capable of taking this weight......I just don't want them to!

 

[EllieBeast]

how about routinely weighing riders to 'judge suitability for certain horses'. i know riding schools who do this. that way you would know if they were over, and could let them down gently. but also there is no embarrasment if they are under.
Sarah

 

[Tia]

LMAO!! Trouble is, when the lady came here a month or so ago, I just didn't like her! I like almost all of my riders, but this one was such a know-it-all, didn't want to have to wear a hat, wanted to do some galloping......actually she wanted to join my HorseShare where she could take the horse off on her own.

Perhaps I should just take them then but be a little nasty to them - ignore them? Thing is when she came before I could NOT get rid of her!

 

[Tia]

You know what though - I think I have just got myself into a right tizz about taking them - I'm not even sure that the weight thing is the issue now.......

As soon as I heard hubby making the booking - I shrank to half my size and I have been really not wanting to do it since. He thinks I should of course! He says he is really surprised by my problems with this ride. He says I should just do it and hope that they don't come back again. That sounds good.......but she has made it clear that she would like this to be a regular thing!

 

[Weezy]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

OK well you have 2 clear choices then - either tell her that you are sure she could be better served elsewhere, or bite the bullet and get on with it

Or you COULD make J take them LOL!

 

[riotgirl]

Completely off topic - but was wondering, do you go out with your trail rides or are they 'let loose'?

 

[Sooty]

If I were in your position, I would go with my gut instinct, and not accept their business. Or make them stand on the scales first! In an ideal world you would only have clients you like, but this isn't an ideal world, so your not caring for them isn't really an issue as long as they are paying. However, if they are lying about their weight it is compromising the safety of both them and your horses, so your decision has to be based on that.

 

[Tempi]

agree in that its your business and if you dont think that they are suitable (weight wise) then you need to find a subtle way to say it!! I understand that its probably hard to know what to say to them, sorry i cant help more on that front.........

 

[lillie07]

Weigh them!! A riding school I used to work at weighed everybody, that way they wernt discriminating against anybody just because they were over weight. Say its a new way of deciding which horses are suitable for people. (And if they argue they have ridden with you previous make up a little white lie and say its something the insurance now insist you do to try and prevent injury to the horses). If they do show to be over weight just explain they are over your weight limit and you dont have horses to cater for them.

 

[pixie]

Could you get that lady who (possibly?) owns one of your horses to take them, you know, the one who jabbers non stop etc..

 

[Tia]

Hubby usually takes the bookings - however he is useless at it! He never thinks about which horses are being used for which ride. He often books people in for the same day who will require a particular horse....therefore he double books that horse.

Now my horses don't ever do more than a single 1 hour ride in any given day. Yes they are perfectly fit and capable of doing it, but I don't want to make them trail-sour. He does not think of this, so then I have to call these people up and re-schedule them for a different day.

With this lady, had I taken the call then I would have just flat-out said that right now I don't have suitable horses and passed her onto somewhere else. However as he did take the booking, the implication is that we DO have suitable horses (which of course we do) and it makes it so much harder to then go back and say "oooh I forgot we don't have suitable horses". Not sure I would class it as fibbing per se, as in my opinion even though the horses are up to weight, I don't think these folks are suitable to be riding them.

Don't get me wrong - I have taken many riders out who are around the 230lbs mark, but they were generally in proportion and not bad riders. These people are only 5'5" so short and unsteady and they are beginner riders. I never do rides if I believe the risk-factor is too great ..... I believe this one is one of those factors.

 

[Kelly1982]

I would do as Weezy says and make OH take them

 

[Kelly1982]

Cant you say that your hubby doesn't usually take the bookings but did on this particular day as you wasn't about and your ever so sorry but he made a mistake and you dont have a suitable horse at present??

 

[Tia]

God that is such a good idea!! But she moved house, bought a farm, and took her horses with her

.

 

[rrose]

i would say no, for the horses sake.

 

[SSM]

I'm with vicijp on this, your yards standard practise, get those scales out - I bet they are in denial and don't realise how much they weigh.

 

[Tia]

The trail rides are always accompanied......however I do offer a scheme where providing people are competent enough, they are allowed to take the horse off on their own......bit like "own a pony".