That riding school shouldn't charge me for this?

@Umidontknow I think I was just expecting someone to turn up or me to hear something of them. I wasn't sure I hadn't missed a cancellation msg or something. I realise I should have but as I said before I didn't really want to rock up and perhaps interrupt a lesson Id not booked in on.

I was there early. I don't think not going without me until the lesson was due to begin is mollycoddling. I can't have been down as a 'no show' when I was seen there at the correct time.

I agree with that @Shakespeareandi . I used to help my Mum with her job (showing people around show houses) and if she'd gone to the loo or something I'd been briefed on what to say, even though I was shy I wouldn't have not said anything even if just 'She'll be back in a minute!'. I wasn't any older than 14.

I can't see from the website that they are BHS approved but that doesn't mean they're not. I may be looking in the wrong place.

Most kids love helping and being around horses and ponies, I do understand that.

They didn't really tell me anything when I first started going, just what time to be there. I got there, went into the office, was shown where to get a hat to borrow. All other riders gathered in the car park.

@ThatAgileGoldMoose true. I am pretty confident with horses (more so than people) but I understand it may not always be the case. I am not annoyed with the school. It's fine. It's sorted out and I'll pay for my lesson and a half one next time-I take that point that schools and horsey facilities are in times of trouble, I didn't set out to waste anyone's time.

I really do like this school. There are others but I'd just rather not change.

@OMGsamesame we've always just met in the car park outside the office so I thought that was the norm and was surprised nobody was there this time. I was within good time to get a hat, put my riding boots on (I can't drive in them!) as I've said it was 20 past at the latest (that's what time I looked at the time anyway) It was very possibly a few mins earlier.

@stayathomer I do, thank you!

that's sad @Scottishgirl85 and to be honest, it is the reason or at least one of the reasons, that I have left schools before. A lot of snobbery and 'snottishness' in the 'horse' community.

@Tickytocky that is very odd! And I'd be hurt too. Wonder what it was?!

@ememem84 I understand that but it is a different situation to this one.

@Lovemycat2023 this one has seem very friendly so far which is one of the main reasons I like it. They should have told you absolutely! I am glad you put your money elsewhere. At least they 'phoned you though. They could have phoned me couldn't they?

I am sorry to hear about all these experiences. It's worth looking about to find a good school but as others have said, there aren't many of them.

I didn't think of that @PlayingDevilsAdvocateisinteresting - maybe I am right and there wasn't a teen there? But then how's she told the manager that she saw me, pretended based on what the other children said?I am going with assuming that there was a lesson, based on how nice everyone has been so far before this.

@CarterBeatsTheDevil I didn't know where it was.

@Ginnnny no, they know I turned up-it was verified and whoever passed the msg onto the manager even described my actions exactly (got my hat, went, came back to put it back etc.)

@PlayingDevilsAdvocateisinteresting I am very much often taken advantage of! I am over 40 now and just getting a bit less prone to it, seeing that people aren't always with good intentions no matter how nice they may seem. Thank you for that lovely post.

@YouSayChorizoIsayChorizo I have seen plenty of that myself too! A lot of shouting! It's just unnecessary in my opinion and not the right way to speak to people or get what you need from them. Thank you.

@stichguru no, I didn't. And I didn't know where they were. Not yet familiar with the facilities or the stables.

@GruntledGoblin I just don't want to start off on a hostile foot with them thinking I am horrible or want to not pay them for their time-I do. I just feel that this could have been handled a lot better-they shouldn't have gone without me not knowing if I knew where to go and it being a different situation to every other time if they did and the girl meant to be helping should have said something when she realised I hadn't joined the lesson, or ideally, before that.

Every time I've been so far the helpers have tacked up the horses and brough them to us in the car park, I didn't know which horse it would be (they don't have this written anywhere, each time before I have arrived, the instructor has greeted me, told me which horse and pointed him/her out if I didn't know, and then I have gone and got on).

@Ireallywantadoughnut36 that's how I feel too. They should have told me where the others were as they'd exited the car park early.

You're right about having youngsters 'working'. I've seen plenty of that behaviour too! Being shouted at etc.

That last paragraph sums it up for me really!

I understand their cost-saving measures being necessary.

@MrsSunshine2b they're £30.

@Frogpole ! Thank you-seen so much of that sort of thing on these threads. I am not responding to the daft content of that post. Bravo for that!

@oakleaffy come to think of it there were some awful 'horsey' girls at the school I went to too.

That's a lovely tale, how nice of him. I want to know what she was like to ride!

My emotions aren't working which is bothering me far more than it should be!

I didn't know anyone was on reception and I didn't know she was a helping teenager. There was nobody about at all other than that.

The manager hasn't responded to my message as of yet, I'll see what she says. I feel that they should have waited until 09:30 like normal, before going to the lesson, to make sure everyone was there. I also feel if the teen was meant to be helping she should be capable of saying 'Morning! They've just left for X arena with your horse'. Or, as I were hanging about the car park 'Can I help you?'

You should have asked! Do you not have the use of your mouth? “Where is the 9.30
lesson?” would have done it.

I would also have gone everywhere and looked if they hadn’t been able to tell you. Or asked them to find out. Goodness me. However do you manage real life?

Tell me @stichguru, what is your motivation to post such silly things as this, what is it you're hoping for? Like you woke up this morning, brushed your teeth, had a shower, ate some cornflakes, thought to yourself "Ooh, I know! I'm going to search out someone in need of help and support - then disgrace and humiliate myself with a pathetic attempt to bully them!" - which step is it I'm missing?

Help me to understand what drives you to this point of throwing every last drop of self respect out of the window just to try to upset strangers on the internet. Are you a debt collector and you think people will be so intimidated by your Mumsnet comments that they'll pay up with no argument? Are you picturing us all sat here quaking in terror, on the phone like "Oh please, I'm begging you to protect me, I'll pay anything you want to save me from this scary forum poster, please!" only to be told "Is it ol' Stichy from the mother an babby group again? Mind we're just the UVF, you'll need the United Nations to save yous from that one!".

I'm so sorry that someone's hurt you so badly Stichy, but this really isn't the way. It must be so hard when the only way you can derive even a scrap of self worth or sense of control over your existence is by spoiling things for other people, being so insecure that you put boundless effort in to trying to hurt other people and none in to trying to make yourself happy. But you know what Stichy? It's gonna be ok. Talk to us, tell us all your sorrows, there's some really nice and supportive people here!

And I'm sure no one will try to make themselves look strong by kicking you when you're down.

Slightly derailing the thread here but, speaking as a horsey person, riding schools do need to provide some kind of customer service if they want to keep business. Horsey people understand that the kids are unpaid volunteers and are used to the vibe that they bring to a place but not all clients are horsey, and let's face it, young teen girls can sometimes be an unfriendly bunch, especially if there is no proper management in place. I once had a lesson while on holiday at a place where everyone made me feel like a nuisance who was interrupting their private conversations, rather than a client. Coupled with adults who often have better animals skills than human, it quickly becomes an environment where people will not want to go and spend their cash during a COL environment. Personally, I would like to see more people like the OP coming into the sport, at whatever level, and riding schools are the places that encourage future equestrians. I know times are hard for riding schools but if they do not give people the experience they are looking for, they won't come back, especially when prices are going up.

the children shouldn't just be left in the office to help random people that walk in. it's a safeguarding issue. they either work there or they don't. What if you were a new client looking to book? they couldn't have helped. Get a phone number to call or do they get the kids to answer the phone as well

Tell me @stichguru, what is your motivation to post such silly things as this, what is it you're hoping for? Like you woke up this morning, brushed your teeth, had a shower, ate some cornflakes, thought to yourself "Ooh, I know! I'm going to search out someone in need of help and support - then disgrace and humiliate myself with a pathetic attempt to bully them!" - which step is it I'm missing?

Help me to understand what drives you to this point of throwing every last drop of self respect out of the window just to try to upset strangers on the internet. Are you a debt collector and you think people will be so intimidated by your Mumsnet comments that they'll pay up with no argument? Are you picturing us all sat here quaking in terror, on the phone like "Oh please, I'm begging you to protect me, I'll pay anything you want to save me from this scary forum poster, please!" only to be told "Is it ol' Stichy from the mother an babby group again? Mind we're just the UVF, you'll need the United Nations to save yous from that one!".

I'm so sorry that someone's hurt you so badly Stichy, but this really isn't the way. It must be so hard when the only way you can derive even a scrap of self worth or sense of control over your existence is by spoiling things for other people, being so insecure that you put boundless effort in to trying to hurt other people and none in to trying to make yourself happy. But you know what Stichy? It's gonna be ok. Talk to us, tell us all your sorrows, there's some really nice and supportive people here!

And I'm sure no one will try to make themselves look strong by kicking you when you're down.

This is very interesting OP, as it does bring back the (very limited) experience I had of riding school some 30 years ago! Lack of customer care to the point of rudeness, and in our case, grown women learners being bossed about by a 12 year old😅 It was a weirdly unfriendly environment, and I assumed it was just this place, but sounds like it's quite common.

Glad it's resolved to your satisfaction anyway OP. You sound a very reasonable customer and I hope they have the sense to hang on to you!

So you arrived late. Waited for someone who didn't know you were there to come and get you? Every other time you've "led or ridden the horses to the lesson arena or in the case of the ride, got on them there and gone out." Yet you don't say you've checked the lesson arena to see if everyone was there? It's either a vast riding school, or these are super fast horses, if they had gone so far that you couldn't just do a circuit of the riding school and find them! It is a bit weird that the kid on reception didn't say anything, but it's no wielded than the fact you didn't ask! I'd say pay because it was YOUR choice not to bother to find anyone.

The teen helper should have said ‘Hi there! You ok? Can I help?’

What’s the point in having ‘helpers’ who presumably are paid, that aren’t helping at all. Did this teen girl think you had just turned up, picked a hat and walked round for 5 minutes with it?

I hate it when you arrive somewhere and the staff don’t make a point of saying hello, can I help? Especially somewhere like this which covers a big area.

I've no idea @TheBloatedMiddle ! They didn't greet me or anything and I didn't realise she was a helper. There's quite often younger children hanging around as well as teen helpers and in the office they all looked very young. I appreciate she may not have wanted to greet an adult or ask if she could help etc.

The teen helper should have said ‘Hi there! You ok? Can I help?’

What’s the point in having ‘helpers’ who presumably are paid, that aren’t helping at all. Did this teen girl think you had just turned up, picked a hat and walked round for 5 minutes with it?

I hate it when you arrive somewhere and the staff don’t make a point of saying hello, can I help? Especially somewhere like this which covers a big area.

I've no idea @TheBloatedMiddle ! They didn't greet me or anything and I didn't realise she was a helper. There's quite often younger children hanging around as well as teen helpers and in the office they all looked very young. I appreciate she may not have wanted to greet an adult or ask if she could help etc.