Would you ask for a refund?

[Miss_Millie]

It could be that the horse the originally intended for you was unavailable for some reason, lame, tack issue etc, and you were given the only other horse available.

you say this horse napped? A very plodding beginners school horse wouldn’t nap

They have over 40 horses and only two others were being ridden - there were definitely other options and the instructors both confirmed that I could of/should of been on a different horse. She kept napping by the gate going out of the school.

 

[Miss_Millie]

I think yes, you should complain on the basis that you specifically booked this lesson with a particular instructor and type of horse in mind and agreed upon.
I think a more experienced rider should be able to get a better tune out of a 'grade 1' horse than a grade 1 rider, however if two instructors from the school actually openly admitted that you shouldn't have been on the horse then hard to see how they can justify this!!
ETA why didn't either of the instructors swap you onto a different horse when they realise the one you had was unsuitable?

Both instructors said that even the staff at the school struggle to get a canter out of her. Obviously I don't know much about this horse at all, but my personal impression was that she was not suitable as a riding school horse. I'm not sure why I wasn't swapped out either. I was too polite/reserved to make a fuss, and I put my confidence in them knowing what is best, but obviously things didn't work out that way this time around.

 

[Miss_Millie]

Sharing the school is normal.

I would however go and speak in person to the owner and give some feedback. Do it in person, politely and express your disappointment using facts, no emotion.

They will want to keep you as a client if you are a regular especially in this financial climate. However make sure you don’t come across as a demanding “Karen” or entitled whiner.

Let them make the decision on how they want to address the feedback. That will tell you whether you need to continue the relationship with them.

Above all DONT text, email or write a note. Do it in person, immediately to get it solved.

It's a fair way for me to travel so I'm going to talk on the phone. I'm the opposite of a 'Karen' and will be super polite and friendly. I don't earn a lot of money though so it's really sad for me to travel a long way for my special weekly treat, to find that everything I booked in is totally wrong. I want to keep up my lessons so I think it's important that I at least straighten things out to make sure that this never happens again.

 

[smolmaus]

There was nothing wrong with the instructor - it was more that I am intentionally working with the same instructor each week so that she can see my progress and we can make strides each week towards my goals. That is what I'm paying for. I don't want to make things awkward either - I am a very reserved/softly spoken person and I rarely complain about anything. But it seemed that today was a shambles because all of the specific things I supposedly booked were not honoured.

I just meant your normal instructor would have been more likely to correct the mistake if possible before you even mounted and wasted everyone's time. Including the pony who was probably expecting a tiny person who just bounces about and doesn't ask much! Hopefully other instructor now knows you and what you're supposed to be doing and would do the same. I agree it's a proper shambles, but hopefully just a cascade of errors thats unlikely to happen again.

 

[Miss_Millie]

I can completely empathise with how you're feeling, I had a similar experience not long ago shortly after switching to a new RS.

It had actually only been my third lesson at this school and it was DREADFUL; instructor was just completely disengaged, barely spoke to me, sat down looking at their phone the whole time.

It definitely stung handing over the money for that one, but I figured: draw a line under this one, make sure I never have this instructor again and if next lesson is also rubbish then take my money elsewhere in future.

That sounds awful. It's a lot of money to spend per week, so you want to feel that you are getting some benefit and enjoyment from it. I think that the riding school I'm at is genuinely great overall, but there was definitely some admin mix-up that meant I didn't have the instructor I specifically booked in with, or a horse that was right for my grade level.

 

[Lois Lame]

Yes, I get the feeling that whoever booked your lesson was trying to accomadate you.

If you assume that, you might get better results.

I'm not sure I would ask for a refund, but I would let it be known the instructor I want, the horse I want, and make sure that is understood.

(ETA: I was agreeing with this: I agree it's a proper shambles, but hopefully just a cascade of errors thats unlikely to happen again.)

 

[atropa]

It's a fair way for me to travel so I'm going to talk on the phone. I'm the opposite of a 'Karen' and will be super polite and friendly. I don't earn a lot of money though so it's really sad for me to travel a long way for my special weekly treat, to find that everything I booked in is totally wrong. I want to keep up my lessons so I think it's important that I at least straighten things out to make sure that this never happens again.

I have to say when I started reading the thread I thought you were being a bit sensitive but reading through it all with additional info I think you're more than entitled to complain, I'd definitely bring up what the instructors said and even ask if they'd have a word on your behalf

 

[Miss_Millie]

I just meant your normal instructor would have been more likely to correct the mistake if possible before you even mounted and wasted everyone's time. Including the pony who was probably expecting a tiny person who just bounces about and doesn't ask much! Hopefully other instructor now knows you and what you're supposed to be doing and would do the same. I agree it's a proper shambles, but hopefully just a cascade of errors thats unlikely to happen again.

Ah sorry, I mistook your meaning there. Yes, my usual instructor would have probably sorted it out immediately. Because I'm still quite a newbie at the school, I just trusted that it had all happened for a reason, but it seems that it was an admin failure in which all of the details just went out of the window, as if I was a new client who had never been there before and they put me on a grade 1 horse.

 

[Miss_Millie]

30 pounds for 30 minutes on a horse not of your experience, despite being told the new horse would be, and not with instructor you’ve been working with and confirmed you would have them, is a wasted lesson and money. Personally i would take up those issues if any complaint is to be made.
The school being shared is common, yet if its just a 20x40 school, that could be somewhat limiting to you and the other lesson - especially with a group lesson going on at the same time, yet not impossible to still learn so more of a moot point, compared to the other issues you have with the lesson.

Thank you, this is how I feel about the situation. It is normal/expected to choose your instructor and horse, and I have been doing so for several months with no problems. My friend who has her own horses told me when I started getting lessons that it's a good idea to work towards a goal with the same instructor, so they can watch your progress, which is why I specifically asked for her and even changed my work schedule to accommodate the lesson, as she was all booked out on my normal day.

I get the impression that some people on here might think it's fussy to ask for a certain instructor or horse, but that's how things work at the school and then you know what to expect and are paying for a specific experience. I've ridden lots of other horses at the school before and will be happy to do so in the future - I love getting to know new horses and having the variation. But my instructor told me at the end of my last lesson to book him again, so we could pick up from last week, which is what I did.

 

[Pmf27]

That sounds awful. It's a lot of money to spend per week, so you want to feel that you are getting some benefit and enjoyment from it. I think that the riding school I'm at is genuinely great overall, but there was definitely some admin mix-up that meant I didn't have the instructor I specifically booked in with, or a horse that was right for my grade level.

Absolutely! And it certainly puts your nose out of joint when you don't feel you've really got much for your money (well, it certainly puts mine out of joint anyway!)

It sounds from your other replies that you are pretty set on asking for a refund, or at the very least making a complaint, so I'd echo what others have said about raising it in person and as directly but politely as possible.

The only reason my original recommendation was to draw a line under it is that, if you do ask for a refund and yet wish to continue riding at this RS, it could potentially make future transactions uncomfortable depending on whether the RS owner/staff are grudge-bearing types - that would be my concern, personally.

 

[shamrock2021]

good luck with that most riding schools won’t give you a refund , I now people who did ask they ware told to if they warent happy than move .

I agree it annoying and upsetting I have experienced it before getting my own horse. The problem is that a riding school will say you have got your lesson regardless of how bad it was.

 

[Miss_Millie]

I have to say when I started reading the thread I thought you were being a bit sensitive but reading through it all with additional info I think you're more than entitled to complain, I'd definitely bring up what the instructors said and even ask if they'd have a word on your behalf

Both instuctors (who don't know me well) seemed very concerned at what had happened. The instructor teaching the other lesson came over at the end and said he didn't know why I'd been put on that horse as a grade 3 rider. He was teaching two other grade 3s at the time and said he would never want them to ride that horse.

I've had lessons before that have been frustrating, in a good kind of way, because I've learnt so much and it has pushed me. I wasn't upset because it was difficult to get the horse to do anything, but because I'd booked to pick up from a series of lessons aiming towards a specific goal, with the same teach who knows me well, and was confused/overwhelmed as to why literally everything the lady confirmed on the phone was the opposite of what I was presented with.

I definitely tried to make the best of it and I want to keep riding there, but I never want something like that to happen again because I can't afford to pay £30 a week to walk around on a horse that keeps trying to bolt out of the school.

 

[Miss_Millie]

Absolutely! And it certainly puts your nose out of joint when you don't feel you've really got much for your money (well, it certainly puts mine out of joint anyway!)

It sounds from your other replies that you are pretty set on asking for a refund, or at the very least making a complaint, so I'd echo what others have said about raising it in person and as directly but politely as possible.

The only reason my original recommendation was to draw a line under it is that, if you do ask for a refund and yet wish to continue riding at this RS, it could potentially make future transactions uncomfortable depending on whether the RS owner/staff are grudge-bearing types - that would be my concern, personally.

I appreciate that. And it's for this reason that I would be reserved about asking for a refund. But I'd at least like to ask how they got it all so terribly wrong, so it doesn't happen again. The instructors asked me what day I booked, so they could find out who was on the phone (and hence who messed up my lesson so badly)!

 

[Lois Lame]

The only reason my original recommendation was to draw a line under it is that, if you do ask for a refund and yet wish to continue riding at this RS, it could potentially make future transactions uncomfortable depending on whether the RS owner/staff are grudge-bearing types - that would be my concern, personally.

I agree.

If I were in this situation, I would feel uncomfortable with myself for having made a big thing of it.

That doesn't mean that I wouldn't ensure I had the instructor and horse I wanted, because I would. In fact, perhaps I would phone before attending the lesson to check that I was booked in for so-and-so and riding such-and-so.

There's no reason why you should take the lesson if it turns out they are giving you something other than what you wanted.

 

[Lois Lame]

The problem is that a riding school will say you have got your lesson regardless of how bad it was.

And in a sense, they are right.

The time to make an objection is before you take the lesson, not after. IOW, don't have that lesson.

 

[Miss_Millie]

Yes, I get the feeling that whoever booked your lesson was trying to accomadate you.

If you assume that, you might get better results.

I'm not sure I would ask for a refund, but I would let it be known the instructor I want, the horse I want, and make sure that is understood.

(ETA: I was agreeing with this: I agree it's a proper shambles, but hopefully just a cascade of errors thats unlikely to happen again.)

I'm just confused at to why it was not understood before. My partner was with me when I booked the lesson and he is just as baffled as to why it went so terribly long - I was crystal clear about everything. But hopefully I can clear it up tomorrow and at least book in a better experience for next week.

 

[Lois Lame]

I appreciate that. And it's for this reason that I would be reserved about asking for a refund. But I'd at least like to ask how they got it all so terribly wrong, so it doesn't happen again. The instructors asked me what day I booked, so they could find out who was on the phone (and hence who messed up my lesson so badly)!

And I think that's exactly what happened. The person on the other end of the phone made a hodge podge of it, but didn't mean any malice.

 

[Miss_Millie]

I agree.

If I were in this situation, I would feel uncomfortable with myself for having made a big thing of it.

That doesn't mean that I wouldn't ensure I had the instructor and horse I wanted, because I would. In fact, perhaps I would phone before attending the lesson to check that I was booked in for so-and-so and riding such-and-so.

There's no reason why you should take the lesson if it turns out they are giving you something other than what you wanted.

But the situation is in no way my fault? I'm a relatively new client and don't know the particulars of how they operate. I assumed that they were putting me on a grade 3 horse, even though it was not the horse I asked for. It was only at the end of the lesson that the two instructors discussed the situation and concluded that I should not have been given said horse. I have never ridden that horse before so how should I know? I just trusted that they had given me the right horse for the kind of lesson I was having.

Surely I shouldn't have to call up to confirm again if they booked it in correctly the first time? Like I don't call up my hairdresser again to confirm that I'm getting highlights because they write it down correctly the first time and have the stuff they need in accordingly.

 

[Lois Lame]

I'm just confused at to why it was not understood before. My partner was with me when I booked the lesson and he is just as baffled as to why it went so terribly long - I was crystal clear about everything. But hopefully I can clear it up tomorrow and at least book in a better experience for next week.

The thing is, although you might have been crystal clear, the other person on the phone might have been rattled. Who knows? It doesn't really matter. No harm was meant.

Take it on the chin and learn from it. Not everything works out the way it should. The most important thing is to keep calm about it all, chalk it up to an innocent stuff up and make sure that your next lesson is the way you want it.

Good luck.

 

[Lois Lame]

But the situation is in no way my fault?

I know it's not your fault. It might not be anyone's fault. It's just life.

My partner and I have misunderstandings all the time. It's no one's fault.

 

[Lois Lame]

Surely I shouldn't have to call up to confirm again if they booked it in correctly the first time? Like I don't call up my hairdresser again to confirm that I'm getting highlights because they write it down correctly the first time and have the stuff they need in accordingly.

No, it was just a thought. I thought it would make you feel more relaxed and confident if you checked first.

 

[Fruitcake]

I think it's a standard size. Is that 40 x 20 metres? Not as large as some I've been in. All of the private lessons I've had before have just been me in the school, so I wasn't expecting it to be divided in half down the middle. But I will ask them about this, because maybe I've just been lucky until now to get the whole school to myself.

When people say sharing a school is acceptable, I assume they mean in a larger school. Surely it's not usual to have to share a 20 x 40m! When you say it was divided down the middle, were you having your lesson in a 20m square at one end? I'm not sure I'd be happy with that either.

In terms of not getting what you booked, while I do think it's a good idea to ride different horses, and I know some riding schools have a policy of no requests for instructors or horses, it seems that, in this case, it's usual practice and so I think it wouldn't be unfair of you to mention it next time you book.

I appreciate situations can arise requiring a change of instructor but, if someone has booked a particular instructor, I don't think it would be unreasonable to call the client and check in the event of a change. There have been occasions when I've booked a particular vet and have had a call on the morning of the appointment, saying "X is off sick. We can send Y or would you prefer to reschedule?" What happens with hairdressers if a particular stylist has been booked and is absent? (Genuine question: my hairdresser is a one-person show so I've never had to deal with this).

With teaching or instruction, continuity and progression are key and, with a change of instructor without any feedback / communication between them, there's bound to be a bit of a glitch.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the service you booked. Perhaps, when you call to book next week's lesson, you could reiterate that you'd like your lesson with X and mention that you'd just like to check that's definitely possible as there seemed to be a bit of a mix-up last time and if anything changes, could someone call to let you know? That way, you won't need to complain as such and it sounds like, if you get your usual instructor, everything else (horse, lesson content etc.) will follow on.

 

[Merry neddy man]

To avoid it happening again if you know you can attend every week book 4 weeks in advance then ever week book for the 5th week, forget the refund don't antagonize them but make a polite but firm phone call about how dissapointed you were this weeks lesson(lack of lesson).re#18 interesting how the instructor was there for the lesson before you but didn't stay to instruct you.

 

[EarsofaSnowman]

I'm not sure you would get a refund if you declined a lesson up front, as most schools state they can change instructor / horse, although obviously they both need to be suitable.

I do best with consistent instruction. Sometimes it's not always possible but if I find a combination that doesn't work for me (not common, but can happen), i feed back so I don't get that combination again, and have done so recently.

in your shoes I wouldn't ask for a refund this time, but express that you didn't get much out of the lesson because of ...., and ask not to be booked with that horse and/or instructor again.

I am amazed by some people seemingly saying "mistakes happen" in booking and suck it up - I'm not of the customer is always right pov, but some riding schools forget that their clients are paying customers!

 

[Miss_Millie]

When people say sharing a school is acceptable, I assume they mean in a larger school. Surely it's not usual to have to share a 20 x 40m! When you say it was divided down the middle, were you having your lesson in a 20m square at one end? I'm not sure I'd be happy with that either.

In terms of not getting what you booked, while I do think it's a good idea to ride different horses, and I know some riding schools have a policy of no requests for instructors or horses, it seems that, in this case, it's usual practice and so I think it wouldn't be unfair of you to mention it next time you book.

I appreciate situations can arise requiring a change of instructor but, if someone has booked a particular instructor, I don't think it would be unreasonable to call the client and check in the event of a change. There have been occasions when I've booked a particular vet and have had a call on the morning of the appointment, saying "X is off sick. We can send Y or would you prefer to reschedule?" What happens with hairdressers if a particular stylist has been booked and is absent? (Genuine question: my hairdresser is a one-person show so I've never had to deal with this).

With teaching or instruction, continuity and progression are key and, with a change of instructor without any feedback / communication between them, there's bound to be a bit of a glitch.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the service you booked. Perhaps, when you call to book next week's lesson, you could reiterate that you'd like your lesson with X and mention that you'd just like to check that's definitely possible as there seemed to be a bit of a mix-up last time and if anything changes, could someone call to let you know? That way, you won't need to complain as such and it sounds like, if you get your usual instructor, everything else (horse, lesson content etc.) will follow on.

Thank you for your very well-reasoned response.

Yes, it was like riding a 20 metre circle for the whole lesson. It was definitely limiting.

With the school I ride at, it's expected that you ask for a specific instructor and specific horse. They literally ask you on the phone 'who do you want the lesson with?' and 'who do you want to ride'? The only time it has ever been different is when my instructor was ill for a couple of weeks, so I had someone else, which was fine. If it weren't for the fact that I'm working on my seat on a horse who is particularly forward in the canter, I'd ride any of the 'grade 3' horses, but the last lesson I had my instructor told me to book the same horse again.

Given that everything went so very wrong, I can only assume that the person who booked me in made some kind of computer error or something. I will have to ask tomorrow. But both instructors were not happy with the situation at all and were confused as to how it all happened.

I'm going to explain what happened in a non-complainy way, but also try to straighten things out so that it doesn't happen again, because it's quite a journey for me on a week evening after work and it was really a big shame for it to all go so wrong.

 

[Miss_Millie]

To avoid it happening again if you know you can attend every week book 4 weeks in advance then ever week book for the 5th week, forget the refund don't antagonize them but make a polite but firm phone call about how dissapointed you were this weeks lesson(lack of lesson).re#18 interesting how the instructor was there for the lesson before you but didn't stay to instruct you.

Yeah, I'm really confused as to why she didn't stay to instruct me. She just walked by and said hello. There must have been a huge mix-up.

 

[Miss_Millie]

I'm not sure you would get a refund if you declined a lesson up front, as most schools state they can change instructor / horse, although obviously they both need to be suitable.

I do best with consistent instruction. Sometimes it's not always possible but if I find a combination that doesn't work for me (not common, but can happen), i feed back so I don't get that combination again, and have done so recently.

in your shoes I wouldn't ask for a refund this time, but express that you didn't get much out of the lesson because of ...., and ask not to be booked with that horse and/or instructor again.

I am amazed by some people seemingly saying "mistakes happen" in booking and suck it up - I'm not of the customer is always right pov, but some riding schools forget that their clients are paying customers!

This is very well-reasoned, thank you. I run a small business, and on the rare occasion that I make a mistake with an order or something goes wrong, I take full responsibility and feel very strongly that I want to right whatever went wrong so that my customers are happy and don't feel cheated/taken advantage of. I think this should apply to any paying customer in any kind of industry, and whilst I will not ask for a refund, I do at least hope for some kind of reassurance that this won't happen again.

 

[SpotsandBays]

I have to say when I started reading the thread I thought you were being a bit sensitive but reading through it all with additional info I think you're more than entitled to complain, I'd definitely bring up what the instructors said and even ask if they'd have a word on your behalf

I agree, when I initially read this I thought the same, but came to the same conclusion as you.

OP, I’d chalk it down to it just being an off day. Re-book, but don’t be afraid to tell them that you didn’t enjoy the last lesson that you received and explain your reasons. I don’t think it’s unreasonable at all to have the same instructor when you’ve passed the beginner stage - you’re doing more advanced things and your instructor needs to see your progress moving forward, which can’t be achieved if they change. But sharing a school is very common. They’re probably trying to recoup money lost during lockdowns, so are using what resources they have. Hopefully your next lesson is better!

 

[PurBee]

Thank you for your very well-reasoned response.

Yes, it was like riding a 20 metre circle for the whole lesson. It was definitely limiting.

With the school I ride at, it's expected that you ask for a specific instructor and specific horse. They literally ask you on the phone 'who do you want the lesson with?' and 'who do you want to ride'? The only time it has ever been different is when my instructor was ill for a couple of weeks, so I had someone else, which was fine. If it weren't for the fact that I'm working on my seat on a horse who is particularly forward in the canter, I'd ride any of the 'grade 3' horses, but the last lesson I had my instructor told me to book the same horse again.

Given that everything went so very wrong, I can only assume that the person who booked me in made some kind of computer error or something. I will have to ask tomorrow. But both instructors were not happy with the situation at all and were confused as to how it all happened.

I'm going to explain what happened in a non-complainy way, but also try to straighten things out so that it doesn't happen again, because it's quite a journey for me on a week evening after work and it was really a big shame for it to all go so wrong.

Many moons ago when i had lessons....it was common practice at a couple of schools in different towns to offer group or private lessons.
I never did private, as they were 3x the price...and i truly gulp at 1 pound per minute on a horses back for a private lesson these days!....yet, the private lessons were always bespoke...choose instructor, horse and what you learnt in that lesson, dressage, jumping etc..and what day/time.
Group lessons on the other hand were you ride whatever horse youre given and accept whatever instructor...(choice of discipline between jumping or flat schooling or hacking) ...and accept whatever school you were in or hacking route...the lovely dry indoor on a winter evening, or the outdoor sloshy sandpit in sideways rain!
It was possible to ask for a horse, instructor, and type of lesson within a group lesson, but that would mean you’d work around THEIR schedule, you’d never get the same day/time each week, whereas private lesson clients, the RS would accommodate all the clients preferences and day/time of lesson.

I thought this was standard RS client lesson etiquette, but perhaps over the years this has changed considerably.

 

[doodle]

I wonder if there is someone else out there unhappy they got the wrong horse and wrong instructor and it was a simple mix up?