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?

I do think that you could have asked them about the lesson, yes they looked/were young but chances are that they would have known where to go or what to do. I grew up spending my time on a yard from being 13, the kids on them know more than people think.

I do think that they could come to an agreement this time though and let it slide.

I'd refuse to pay and rip them like a lead balloon

I’m team OP - they are providing a paid service at the end of the day and OP is a customer/client! And a new one at that…surely you’d be doing everything you can to keep a new client? If the horse was all tacked up and the instructor waiting at the arena, why the hell didn’t she think to go to the ‘reception’ area to look for you after 10 mins or so, especially knowing you’re new?

I also wouldn’t have thought to ask a bunch of 10 year olds what was going on - I would have assumed they had just finished their own lessons or something so were nothing to do with me and certainly wouldn’t assume they worked for the stables!

Having re-read the OP it sounds as though it's a group lesson, so the instructor presumably couldn't just leave all the other horses and riders to wander off and look for OP. She could have sent a helper up to the office/yard to look though, just like OP could have asked one of the kids or gone down to the arenas herself rather than just walking off. I'm calling 50:50 responsibility here so I think OP's had a reasonable outcome by getting a 50% discount on the next ride. That's the thing though, you say 'surely' the school wants to keep a new customer but unfortunately I think demand for riding lessons, particularly for adult beginners, far outstrips supply, most schools around here have a waiting list, quite a few have closed or converted to livery only or to kids lessons only (kids lessons and kids ponies are usually cheaper to run) so the ones that remain don't have to (and usually don't!) particularly exert themselves to please clients. Of course they could whack prices up and then probably fewer people would want lessons and they would then have to offer generally better customer service to those that do, not run the place on a shoestring and the voluntary labour of kids for instance, but personally it's an expensive enough hobby already that I wouldn't like to see that happen, it would price all but the extremely wealthy out...

I think when you walked in the office to get your hat you could have at least asked the kids "Who is running the office today? Or Where is the 9.30 lesson today? Maybe the adult running the office was in the loo or called to help with a horse down on the yard?
You asked for no assistance or tried to find anyone down the hill at the stables, you just hung around aimlessly then just left.....I say that's your fault. If everyone else in the group lesson was mounted and ready to go then they aren't going to wait.
If you have been there 3 times then really you have no idea what they ALWAYS do, you just assumed and got it wrong.
I think you need to pay them for their time.
Perhaps on next booking get there a bit earlier and clarify where your lesson will be.
Trust me I know how much paying for a lost lesson sucks. I've had a few on my own horse where he's walked into the arena and 2 minutes later I've realised he's slightly lame/twinged his back....cue lesson over immediately. Still gotta pay the instructor for her time as I've taken the slot.

@MagicFarawayTea how have you possibly gauged that I was 'in a strop'?
I was disappointed and confused, but not in a strop, and I waited and looked around for quite a time before leaving.

@celticprincess yes, It's 13 at this one I am at.

There is a cancellation policy. Just not a 'if you turn up and we've already gone without you and the helper just ignores you' policy-which I think is why they decided ultimately that, I was there, they weren't, and as such it was not my fault or at least not JUST my fault.

I have been to ones like that that are very strict. I do prefer a balance I think. I'd have been fine with having a 1:1 to gauge my abilities at first of course, that is sensible and they're possibly somewhat liable if someone has an accident or gets into difficulties on a hack, but some of them I have known have had people go elsewhere because they felt they were being held back.

Resolved now anyway :)

@krustykittens yes, I feel they should have done that but you're right, I will be less meek if anything such as this occurs again.

I was there from at least twenty past until just before quarter past, it isn't as if I turned up, thought 'nobody here' and then left.

As I've said, all is well now, I've messaged them and said I am happy to pay half, and I will go back.

Tbf, despite what I said about riding schools struggling, I equally know that a lot are very busy, and they will usually prioritise regular clients over new ones. Especially this time of year, there is a lot of demand, and they may even be turning people away- it's a very feast and famine industry (winter is often the famine) and they don't know if OP will stick with it over the winter yet...

I worked in a stables as a teenager, and I could have answered a question.🙄

I can see your point, but equally I'm not sure why you just stood in the carpark and then just left. If you where having a lesson why didn't you go to the arena when there was noone in the carpark? And why didn't you ask one of the children if they knew where the instructor was? Being children doesn't stop you talking to them. Instructors and yard staff are busy people, they don't have time to molicodle you unfortunately. Their profit margins are also extremely tight if at all so most will charge if you are a no show or cancel at very short notice and I think you waiting in one place for a while with out actively looking for your instructor in a logical place would be considered a no show.

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

Riding school helpers generally don’t get paid. At our school they have to pay to help.

I agree with this. If they have put a 13 year old in charge of reception surely they should have given her clear instructions, and training on what to do if someone comes in. "Say Hello when people come in, if they are new or need anything, and you are not sure, tell them to come and see an adult up at the arena.". Seems very unorganised and not fair on the young girl or customer. If you haven't been told where to go, that's on them. Clearly, when you are new you should have been informed where to meet. If you haven't, that's their fault.

@Pistachiovillian It sounds a shambles. A properly run yard wouldn't have teens running things- is it a BHS {British Horse Society }approved yard?

I'd go elsewhere, sounds like they don't know what they are doing.

That's absolutely ludicrous!
Way to get all the mucking out and grooming done for free- Never mind the scrubbing out of feed buckets, filling water buckets, tack cleaning &c..and loading hay and straw bales when the hay lorry comes.

Sadly stables can be extremely exploitative to horse mad girls.

If they didn't tell you where to meet and you were there before the booking time then of course its on you. You are the customer, they are the ones running a business. Ignore the people saying you should have asked someone, not everyone knows what to do when a situation is different from normal and I also would not have thought to ask young children. If the business owners are leaving young children in charge then they need to train them to greet riders and ask if they are OK and sorted, not just leave people to wander around aimlessly, its a health an safety issue as a minimum and not very customer focused either

Based on what you have said, I would argue my case, refuse to pay, and take my business elsewhere, but I also know this is a dying business and I'm my area at least riding schools are getting harder and harder to come by. Unfortunately the cost of the upkeep of a horse has gone up ridiculously and land is more valuable with houses on it.

When I had lessons it was normal to meet at the arena, as it wouldn't be uncommon for a horse to do 2 or 3 lessons on the bounce. It also wouldn't be uncommon for the office to be empty as there wasn't the staff to sit there all day, so people would as you did, help themselves to hats if needed then go to the arena. What was told to you when you first turned up? Why did you not go searching further when no one else appeared if you knew where the arenas were.

I'm a riding instructor and I'd be horrified if I found out that young helpers on my yard just watched somebody turn up, come into the office to get a hat, hang around in the place horses are normally brought to riders and return the hat well before the lesson ended without saying "hello, can I help you?," or "oh, back to put your hat away so soon, is everything okay?". Not every client is confident. New clients don't know the routines yet. And no client should be expected or allowed to go wandering around the yard unaccompanied unless they are very well known and trusted not to get themselves or the horses into a pickle.

The OP has answered what you're asking already. You can click see all at the bottom of the first post to read all of their posts.

I would make an appointment to see manager, explain why SHE should be rescheduling this lesson due to THEIR lack of communication.

I know several riding schools you can't just go wandering around and meet at the car park as the OP has said @AlltheFs, amd you'd get a bollocking for just going wherever you wanted. I don't think you should be paying the full price , no, although I probably would have asked the kids where their parents were. I'd maybe offer a third, but the full price is ridiculous. Is there somewhere else you could go?

Wouldn't it be normal, I'd your lesson starts at 9.30, to need to verify kitted up beforehand? Ie arriving in time to do that.
Was the meeting time/place not communicated to you when you booked?

I'm also really surprised that you didn't ask any of the humans you saw if they'd seen the horses go up to the arena, or if they knew where X (teacher's name) is.

AlltheFs
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?

I'm sure she manages fine, geney mac calm down!!

You should have just asked the kids.

But to be honest, I have found riding schools to be amongst the most hostile places on earth 😂so I gave up riding a long time ago. My daughter also did it for a bit, but when at the age of 5 she asked "why is everyone so unfriendly and not fun", she gave up too...

I started lessons at a local school. Went in a regular slot for a private lesson. Really enjoyed it.
We discussed what horse I would be riding next time.
I turned up at said slot and they swore blind I hadn’t booked. I mentioned the conversation about what horse I’d be riding, they denied it saying they never plan ahead like that.
They begrudgingly put me in with someone else (I think they’d double booked). Had a great lesson, no problem.
I paid, plus the next lesson (so they couldn’t make the same mistake again.
4 days later I got my extra payment returned and told not to go back !

Still don’t know what I did wrong and it still hurts 20 years later !

The stable I ride at has a 100% charge cancellation policy if less than 12 hours before the ride. Then 50% if 24 hours. bevause it’s difficult to fill the spot at such short notice.

if you just don’t turn up they’ve still got the horse racked up groomed and ready to go and it may not be ridden. (Noted that you did turn up).

if you like the yard and the instructor then pay it and continue.