Hi,
I'm looking for open and honest advice please. We have been a customer of a stables where my children have had lessons for 3 years. 10 months ago we purchased a horse, and was offered full livery inc a set number of lessons per week for my children. We then purchased another horse 6 months ago, with exactly the same livery terms, and the same price. So I pay a set amount each month for each horse. In this includes them being fed 3 times per day. Since buying the 2nd, I have actively offered help, and I do some of the shifts for them. Some days I will do the morning shift, and feed, and muck out all of the horses (approx 20). I also, most days muck out over half the horses in an afternoon, when I am there with my children. The new horse has been a little difficult, so the yard owners son has been riding him once a week, as part of the lessons included in the livery. I said I would muck out that day, so as I was helping them in return. On top of this I have been paying for private lessons, for my child to gain confidence on the more difficult horse. I pay this upfront per month. The teacher has said she no longer wants to give the lesson because she does not want to run around with a lunge whip! I completely understand her thoughts on this, so I asked if I could offset the money I had paid for the lessons against the livery next month. This caused serious upset. Apparently I am ungrateful, and i do not respect what they do. my horses have no shelter, and all the other liveries have shelter, and we all pay the same! I have never complained, and there are only 2 of us that really help the yard owner. I regularly help prepare the horses for the lessons, when they are too busy. There have been several occasions where the horses have not had lunch because the yard owner has not prepared the buckets, and the teacher who is up there at the time refuses to prepare them, so they go without. There are many days they are not mucked out in an evening, which is why i took it upon myself to do it when I am there. I do not want my horses in dirt. I was told the price for the liveries would be the same because they would both be fed the same. But the past 3 months they have reduced the smaller horse feed by nearly half. They say he needs to lose weight, and he does not need as much. I have not been offered a reduction, and after the last discussion, I dont dare ask. The arena is hardly free because they have lessons mornings and afternoons so its difficult to be able to use the horses out of school times. The bitchiness and the things I hear said about there customers is horrible. I know they will be saying similar about me, which hurts because I only ever try to help them. I do not have lots of experience but I always want to learn, and am always eager to help in anyway. My children say there lessons are boring because they never learn anything new. My eldest in constantly being put in different classes because they move her around whenever they have space! We cannot plan our lives because there is no set routine. I have spoken to the owner, who said I could go up at 9am, but the arena is then used at 9.30.... Somedays they dont get breakfast until 8.30-9am, so I would be taking them away from their breakfast, and then i would have 2 not happy horses. Overall I feel like I am paying for a service, and I end up not getting what is agreed. I have compared prices and I am not getting it overly cheap. I did wonder if it was because they were under charging their services as to why the service is declining. I went to look at other livery yards, and 1 has offered me it £100 cheaper and including 5 lessons a week each. I only get 2 lessons where we are at the moment. The distance is similar, but my only apprehension is that the horses are stabled. Where they are now they are in a very smalI sand paddock. There is no shade or shelter. Im concerned that moving from being outside to a stable environment would be damaging for the horses. Overall the atmosphere of the other place is super friendly and welcoming. And they were great with the kids. Where we are now, I know everyone, and all the customers talk to me. We are all very friendly. The only problem is the owners, and the teacher. The new place would be kind of starting over again. The girls are very popular where they are, but they are also upset that there horses sometimes go without lunch, and that 1 of them has had there feeds cut in half. Today they have sent a message to all the owners asking if anyone can give lunch. They are obviously not there again to do it. The training of the more green horse is not going well. I need more help, and they are not able to provide it. We have difference of opinions in how it should be done. They wanted me to sign him over to the school for a month so as they could get as many people riding him as possible. But for me, they would only be putting much larger children than mine on him, and I would still have to get him working for my child. Its not that he is bad, but he gets a little over excited in the school, and can canter off, and he can also doze off when he chooses, and refuses to move. The problem, I believe is that my child is still small, so leg length and arm strength is not helping. But because I said No, to the school, I was told there is nothing more they can do to help. I accept this, so I am trying things differently with just us. Overall at the moment the children are unhappy, and I dread going there each day. We go everyday without fail, and we cannot think about not seeing them each day. What would you do???? any advice..... tips???