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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be furious with dd riding school and withdraw our custom.

31 replies

twinsetandpearls · 20/04/2008 14:54

DD goes rifing every week, she has been going for a few months. She has been the only child to go every week without fail whatever the weather. She has been in rain and hail and wind, other seem to just turn up when it is sunny.

I have had some concerns for a while as they number of children in a class is growing every week it started at five and now there is over ten. But it is much cheaper then other schools and we thought it would do until we moved. A few weeks ago we asked the instructor how dd was doing and she had nothing to say really and seemed annoyed that we dare ask.

The policy on absence is that if you do not give tgen 24 hours notice you have to pay the fee.

Last week dd was ill over night, we realised she could not go riding, I did not phone the school as it was under 24 hours so we would still have to pay and tbh I was worried about dd. Perhaps I should have phoned. I admit that.

We turned up this week for dd lesson expecting to pay for this week and last week. We arrived and the lesson was packed, loads of new kids, there must have been at least fifteen. We were then told dd had lost her place as we were missing last week. They told dd to go on to the stable and if anyone was away she could ride. So dd stood in all her gear but everyone turned up. DD was told to leave, she was now in floods of tears. Another parent who normally had sunday lessons but had switched for one week to our lesson offered to let dd take his dd place as he said this was awful but i said no as dd was already upset and there no point upsetting another child. The parent was not at fault the stables was.

I have told the stables exactly what I think of them and we are going elsewhere.

OP posts:
BandofMothers · 20/04/2008 14:56

I would be furious, stupid woman

littlelapin · 20/04/2008 14:56

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iheartdusty · 20/04/2008 14:57

that's shocking. What a horrible woman.

is there some kind of central body, eg national institute of riding or something you could report them to?

Freckle · 20/04/2008 14:58

That many children in a lesson is not only unfair on all the pupils, but potentially dangerous, particularly if they are all relative beginners. I'd definitely go elsewhere. You may have to pay more but your dd will benefit from a better quality of service.

NomDePlume · 20/04/2008 14:59

That would never happen at the place DD rides. It sounds like a v badly run establishment

twinsetandpearls · 20/04/2008 15:00

I had not thought of that, they are linked to some horse riding organisation as while I was waiting yesterday I was reading their notice board.

Someone had fucked up as I overheard them saying we don't have enough leaders today.

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twinsetandpearls · 20/04/2008 15:01

Each child does have an individual leader but still too many in one lesson.

I am phoning stables today.

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twinsetandpearls · 20/04/2008 15:04

My mum wanted to write a letter to the local paper but I don;t know whether they would print it.

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TheHedgeWitch · 20/04/2008 15:29

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twinsetandpearls · 20/04/2008 15:30

I suppose so the hedgewitch

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dizzydixies · 20/04/2008 15:31

I would be furious and they're silly too - happy customers means good word of mouth reputations

twinsetandpearls · 20/04/2008 15:39

I don't think it shows much business sense TBH as dd has gone every week, she has all the gear so clearly this is something she really wants to do and they have given her plave to someone who might not come back.

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currantbunmum · 20/04/2008 15:42

Sounds oversubscribed to me, DD (5) only has max 4 in her group.

What a witch, I would move to a different school if possible.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 20/04/2008 17:55

Sounds exactly like the place my DD used to go to. They had far too many kids in the lessons, round and round in an indoor school nearly nose to tail with no gap between the front and end of the line!

They had some stupid policy on booking the next lesson (we only went fortnightly). One day we got there and couldn't book for a fortnight's time as it had been booked up already.

We found a much nicer place.

jajas · 20/04/2008 18:01

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twinsetandpearls · 20/04/2008 21:36

WE found a new riding school this afternoon.

No we are in Blackpool

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Muuuuuuuuum · 20/04/2008 22:30

riding is an expensive hobby - i think a little more respect for their clients would be a good thing

lucyellensmum · 20/04/2008 22:30

definately not being unreasonable. I always find riding stables terribly cliquey places to be honest. Hoping DD doesnt develop a desire to ride (can't afford it), even though my friend has a horse she could ride - the thought of opening my purse and emptying out on the equestrian shops and riding stables counter puts me off.

CrossnessMaureen · 20/04/2008 22:34

Do you not have to book each lesson or session in advance then?

jajas · 20/04/2008 22:35

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twinsetandpearls · 20/04/2008 22:46

We were not told that they book each session on advance. I contacted the riding school and asked for weekly lessons. They phoned me a few weeks later and said they had a space in one of their classes and I thought that was dd space until we said we no longer needed it.

I think a courtesy call to say does your dd not want her place.

I could understand if we kept not turning up or if we came once or twice and did not return. I checked with the other riding schools we visited today and this is not usual practice.

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twinsetandpearls · 20/04/2008 22:47

Buying a horse is a long way of for us, once dd gets more confident we may let her hire a pony for the day.

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seeker · 20/04/2008 22:53

I don't think there should be more than 6 children if there's only one instructor - particularly little children. I wouldn't go back if I were you.

lucyellensmum · 21/04/2008 12:45

I often worry when i see stables taking young children out on roads, on the lead rein, but being led by children!!

FluffyMummy123 · 21/04/2008 12:46

Message withdrawn