That riding school shouldn't charge me for this?

[Pistachiovillian]

I have joined a new riding school recently and attended three times. Once for a ride out, twice for lessons.

All have been at 09:30 am.

I have usually left myself too much time to get there and arrived for about 09:15 but to avoid waiting about, last time I set off a bit later and arrived at 09:20.

Every time I have been, all the riders and the instructor and helpers (teens who bring the horses from the fields or stables, tacked up) have all gathered in the car park and then we've led or ridden the horses to the lesson arena or in the case of the ride, got on them there and gone out.

Last time (last week) I arrived at 09:20 and nobody was about. I went into the office but there were only some children in it who didn't say anything to me. I borrow hats from the riding school when I ride (I dropped mine and don't trust it and have yet to purchase another one) so I went in, picked up a hat, smiled at the children and then walked out, hoping somebody would materialise. Nobody did. I waited until 09:43 before thinking I must've made a mistake and not booked in. couldn't see anyone around-the stables are kind of down a hill from the car park but I could only see horses, not even any of the teen helpers, nobody! So I put my hat back in the office and drove home.

Not long after I got home, I had a message from the riding school saying I was booked in. I responded that I turned up, and nobody appeared to be there so I assumed I must've turned up having not booked.

Normally when I get there there are lots of people bustling about, teen helpers, horses, other riders all chatting-never has anyone left the car park until It's time for the lesson/ride-in one case it was very late as they waited for ages as the last rider was stuck in traffic.

Nobody replied to my reply until late last night, this was (I think) a manager who had been passed the message. I told her exactly what I had said here and she's said that 'lessons are always in the 'top' arena and I should have just gone there.

Well 1)I have only had two lessons at this school and they were both in different arenas and 2) This has never been the case before, ALWAYS everyone waited in the car park and rode or walked their horse to said lesson wherever it was.

She recommended I turned up 5 or 10 minutes early-to which I replied that I did!
She said that 'at 09:30' we all go for the lesson and I said I was most definitely there at 09:20(I am not sure that it wasn't even a bit earlier, if I am honest but I know it was definitely at 09:20) and she also said that one of the children in the office was a teen helper who actually SAW me return my hat and drive off.

So, they have confirmation that I was present and correct-I was SEEN. And I've told them that the usual protocol of the last three times I've been is we meet in the car park-not an arena (either one).

They still want to charge me the full amount 'because they had taken the horse out for me'.

AIBU?

Teen "Helpers" tend not to be paid I think.
They help in return for being able to be around the horses and ride for free.

You should have asked , or at least walked down to the school or stable yard area to find out what was going on . If their terms of business are you pay full charge for a no show then that is what you have to pay . That said it sounds thoroughly disorganised so find somewhere different.

I think you are both being unreasonable - they should have been clearer in letting you know where the lessons start but you definitely should have spoken to the children. Regardless of their age you could have asked if there was an instructor/adult around. Or walked down to the arena to have a look.

Agreed. They are there because they enjoy being around the horses, tack-up, groom, lead and in return get free rides.
And for their parents they know they are somewhere safe to hang-out.

Op should have asked the girls who were hanging around. They probably were told, if the lady turns up take her to the arena. But the lady didn't make herself known to the girls.

It does seem that organisation isn’t great at the lesson place. However I’m really confused as to why you didn’t ask the children anything? You could have asked where an instructor/manager was. The children were clearly old enough to be alone, so it’s hardly like they were toddlers who can’t communicate. If you really were unable to ask, why didn’t you wander off to find someone? Go to the arenas and see if you could find an adult who works there to ask.

I agree that they have taken the time to bring in a horse and groom it and tack it up for you for no reason. That horse could have stayed in the field/stable and the person could have gone and done a different job instead of wasting their time preparing an unnecessary horse.

My daughter is a helper, she is not paid for what she does. Just saying 😄. She is one of the young ones, not a teen yet, so there are limits to what she is allowed to do. She loves to spend the day at the stables with the horses, she learns a lot about looking after them, she helps at the stables, also with the lessons ( the ones for children) and the pony parties.. No free riding sessions though, we pay for the lessons, however the helpers get a better deal, longer lessons at a reasonable price.

I think it’s a bit odd that you feel a teen helper should’ve interrupted you - an adult - to ask if you needed help or direction, but simultaneously you weren’t able to ask the children “hi, is there a member of staff around?” or something similarly inoffensive.

I also think it’s very odd that - having turned up later than normal - you didn’t think to wander up to the arenas and check. So what if someone says you haven’t booked in - you just apologise and admit to your mistake.

It does sound like there needs to be clearer communication- but that works both ways.

Even if you didn't know they were helpers, at age 7-10, they wouldn't just be there alone.
All you had to do was ask where the adults were!

I think YABU - you made no effort to find out what was going on. You could have wandered down to the stables - that's surely the most obvious place to look if no-one was in the car park!

Depends on the yard. My teen daughter was paid quite well working at her livery yard. Although at another bigger riding school it used to be work in exchange for lessons.

OP - as others have said, your behaviour of waiting around silently and then leaving was very odd and children who hang around at yards tend to know everything. 😅

A 10 year old would be able to answer a question like that though.. so why didn’t you ask them?

It sounds very disorganised and the email saying that rides are "always" in the top arena when you know from previous occasions that has not been the case is rude and defensive. Not great business practice to provide so little information to customers, not very welcoming!

Yes you should have asked the kids in the office but it's understandable that you didn't. The one who was the helper should have, you know, helped you when you walked in and picked up a hat and were obviously waiting around. Then she just watched you put it back and leave and drive off! Doesn't sound like she's mature enough to be left in charge.

Some parents can be really funny about others talking to their children and this makes me wary of doing so. I was once pushing my daughter on a swing and the older girl on the next swing started chatting to us. Her dad stormed over and told me off!

No, I wouldn't be paying for a service I didn't receive

Absolutely do not pay! This is their mistake, not yours.

I’m not sure other posters are understanding how riding schools operate - there’s always tonnes of children and teens hanging around on weekends. If someone was actually working there and manning the office, they would have spoken to you.

I’m not a rider so I don’t know how things tend to work but, if you turned up for the lesson and the group did not seem to be there, surely you could have asked one of these youngsters - even if they weren’t able to help it would have been something and they would have been able to backup your story that you were there. Also, surely you could have got a phone number and called the instructor.
On the other hand, you were clearly expected as they had a horse ready for you, so couldn’t they have taken a minute to call you and see where you were?
As you like the stables perhaps chalk this one up to experience but get more information for the future including the instructor’s phone number. You could also double check what their policy on lateness/no shows states.

it certainly sounds unusual as to why they don't provide information where to go or who you are riding on a board. The riding school I was a teen at (from about 14 onwards) was a lot more organised and everyone knew what was going on lessonwise. We did have one arena though so it was much easier to see where everyone was admittedly. Just chalk it up to experience this time, maybe see if they have a whatsapp chat group or number to call if nobody is on the yard beforehand, and try again.

In my experience stables tend to be semi organised, with a huge amount of flexibility.
Flexing depending on the facilities, the horses, the weather, the time of day, who's riding, who's available.

But yes kids hanging around will know whos where with which horse.

Children are able to answer simple questions.

I am afraid I am on team "Why didn't you ask?"

Just reply saying you have proof you were there. Noone told you where to go so you went home

Just dont go back abd don't pay

I think you've posted this in the wrong place. You should have posted it in the tack room board. I think you'll get a lot of people responding not knowing how big a riding school can be and to imagine it's perfectly possible for there to be no-one to ask.

Sounds like an old riding school I used to go to. Often there was no-one in the office. Sometimes the odd livery wandering around but I can well imagine a situation like this. I ended up stopping there because they sound exactly like your riding school- very impersonal and frankly pretty snotty. I started at a different school which was much more down to earth and only one instructor who was always around if a lesson was booked.

I’m not a horsey person but it sounds like a lack of attention to detail on their part if they don’t tell new members where to go. Unless they gave you some information in the beginning which you didn’t bother with, this is mostly on them.

We understand how riding schools operate. My teen has been riding for years and we keep her two horses on a very kids'-friendly yard. Kids that hang around yards very often know what's going on and can always say where the adults are if they can't answer a question. It's odd not to ask the kids who were in the office and just silently leave.

This is entirely their fault. Don't pay. They sound absolutely chaotic!

Don't pay, they've lied saying the lessons are always on top. What are you supposed to do next time - go to the top, only to find the lesson is elsewhere, then you get blamed again?

It may be a riding school but you're still paying for a service and they haven't provided a basic level of customer service. It would have taken them nothing to check you were there - they could have given the teen helper a heads up to look out for you for example.

I wouldn't pay and if they keep saying they took a horse out for you ask them to reimburse you for your wasted petrol costs.

I think they could have been a been more pro-active in finding you for the lesson you had booked or turning up to the place you usually met, rather than you have to ask some random children. My pet hate is having to wander round somewhere you feel out of place trying to find out what is going on. Riding schools should not assume customers come from the same world and know the procedures around stables. I wouldn't have a fucking clue.

I had this with DD1's dance school she went to when she was little. Once they changed venue and didn't bother to let us know. She didn't go for much longer, I found somewhere that was a bit more organised.

Some places have such poor communication and are badly organised. Doubly bad if they then blame you for it.