Riding School Watch

[Heather]

This is a pm that I was sent last week. Sadly the rider's experience is far from unique. I would like anyone else with experiences such as these to pm any of the team, as there needs to be a dossier collated so that hopefully, something can be done. I know the school that this riders is writing about . It used to be a yard where I took my working students years ago, to do their BHS exams. It was one of the friendliest yards, not intimidating to nervous exam candidates, and is still owned by the same people.I am very saddened that they are now employing such uncaring people.

> Hi Heather, be prepared for a bit of a rant but I'm in tears and need to get this out sad.gif

Just came back from my first lesson since the workshop ... good news SBS was lovely and I can sit to the trot for as long as my horse keeps trotting. Thats about all the good news.

I knew it was going to be tough lesson when as soon as I made a move to mount my horse (Coco) she gave me lovely bite on the thigh. No big deal didn't really bother me, but of course my brain now starts wondering "why, what's wrong with you, what hurts?". Or maybe she's just bad tempered I don't know. The lesson was a total disaster, Coco generally trots on quite readily, but flatly refused to run on the track with the other horses. I'm legging her in and using o/s rein (very hard I might add) and all that stuff, and some whip coz she wasn't listening. Anyway to cut a long story short I spent the whole hour going in walking circles in the middle because of course as the others all cantered on I couldn't get in without causing a pile-up even if I had convinced Coco to go on track... all the while my instructor is going "kick her harder, go on, harder, use your whip harder, pull her head over" etc etc. Don't get me wrong, this instructor seems like a very nice guy, very relaxed, and to his credit he never yells at us. But anyway I was so disheartened I eventually gave up and just sat in the middle of the school. I so wanted to dismount and walk outta there but I didn't want to make a scene, and I'm not a quitter. Very hard not to burst into tears right there and then though.

Anyway at the end of the lesson when we all get to comment on our own performance, I made the mistake of saying that she'd bitten me at the start - I didn't get a chance to say anything more before the instructor started - "well you should have been kicking her and working her even ten times harder than usual to teach her a lesson!" Ok I thought, moving right along, "at least I can sit to the trot now" - no comment from teacher (thanks heaps for the positive reinforcement mate) but more talk of kicking and whipping etc to which I finally plucked up the courage to say with a quiver in my voice "Just how hard am I meant to pull her mouth, and kick her, and whip her?" the response? "Harder, harder, harder!" Then, now get ready, this is the best bit of the whole story - he gets on her himself to give a demonstration of how "good" Coco is when ridden his way. "Mounted - whip whip whip whip whip whip whip - of course she went straight off into a canter (not on the bit now I know what that should look like) - whip whip whip whip whip "Look," says the instructor (whip whip whip whip whip) "I don't even need to use my legs" (hands rowing back and forth, whip whip whip whip) (though he did sit nicely despite his constant instruction to us to "polish the saddle"). "Oh yes, doesn't she look so nice with you, but I'm an animal lover and I have issues with hitting the horses" I say with a watch-it-I'm-about-to-blow smile. And then the final straw... "You're paying £23 a week to come here, you should work them as hard as possible to get your money's worth. If I were only riding a horse once a week I wouldn't care if it had the crap beaten out of it, I wouldn't see it again for 7 days. I treat it more as a business". ohmy.gif

I'm not going back.

Thank you for persevering through all that, I've stopped crying. But what now? I'm going to give the instructor that you recommended, a call tomorrow to see if there's any chance he'll have me. I want to teach one day, your way - I know I'm not really interested in competing or Dressage tests or anything poncy like that (I'm not twelve, rosettes on my wall would look naff). But I know I want to do more than just ride around by myself for the sake of it. I'm off now to find an ice pack - I still managed to hit the pommel a couple of times (ouch). Sit back! Sit back!! biggrin.gif

Thanks Heather, sorry about the 4 page monologue.


Shocking isn't it? We have had many cases like that over the last few years on New Rider. There must be a way of improving the lot of the riding school horse, surely?

Heather

[Miriam]

I have to admit that the riding school I went to only asked you to use the whip to back up your leg aid.  In fact half the time they did not even ask you to use that but to 'Kick, Kick, Kick'.  The biggest thing I found was that they hated you asking questions.  How on earth are you supposed to learn if you don't know why things are happening that you know should not.  I always lost my stirrups in canter but when I asked the instructor why this would happen all I was told was 'It's you'.  Ok I know its probably me more than the horse but that was not helping me to find a solution   I laways say I learnt more after leaving the riding school than in it    

[skh_26]

I totally agree with Miriam's last sentence.  
I still regret not marching out of one my my past riding schools without paying.  I was leading the mare I was due to ride into the indoor school and I could already tell she was in a grumpy mood, possibly in season. She would not go the last few metres and just stood her ground.  I was trying to coax her but nothing happened.  Then my instructor came over to her put one hand on the pommel and one hand on the cantle and gave the pony the most horrendous kick in the ribs.  I was utterly shocked and couldn't believe my eyes.
I do feel ashamed that I didn't speak up but I found her a scary person and I didn't feel confident enough to say how I felt.  Not long after I had a reason to stop going as I was moving house, so that ended my time there.
While I was riding there I had bought Heather's book which gave me hope that there was 'another way' out there to improve my riding which was going nowhere.  When I moved I was very lucky to find that there was a classical instructor just a stones throw away who has transformed my riding along with what I have learn't from Enlightened Equitation.  I have also found a book by Joni Bentley (Riding success without the stress) useful as the illustrations are easy to picture in your mind while you are in the saddle, although I haven't really used her Alexander Technique stuff.
I think more people should vote with their feet and not but up with unacceptable behaviour, I know that I'm not going to tolerate it anymore.

[Rachel]

That's disgusting.

[Kit Kat]

Very disgusting.   Riding should be like ballroom dancing; not an S&M session.

skh_26, can't believe someone actually football kicked your horse!! So grateful I've never witnessed that with my own eyes.  If that were any other kind of animal there'd be court charges from the RSPCA.  Begs the question, why is it ok when it's a horse .....?

Kat

[Rachel]

Shocking isn't it? We have had many cases like that over the last few years on New Rider. There must be a way of improving the lot of the riding school horse, surely?

Heather

It's not just riding school horses who are being mistreated, management wise, as yesterday I went to a well-known, kinda theme-park, with school, and was very unhappy about how some of the animals were being kept.

They had two shetland ponies who were kept together in a fairly large stable. They had only a very small area of bedding, but what was worse was their FEET. Laminitis 'rings' all the way down. Not been trimmed for a while, so the ends were turning clog-like. Very c****y hay - they wouldn't eat it, they ate their bed instead - and whilst I know laminitics are hard to keep, they needed something to munch on, even if there wasn't very much of it. It was also very hot in there - there was a plastic roof - and no breeze to where they were.

Sorry as this is off-topic, but I am MAD   about this! They weren't the only ones - who in their right minds would put a llama (of all animals!) with her baby in a public area, with no privacy!!!

[nix]

It is shocking Heather, but the BHS really don't seem interested in what goes on in their approved schools from what I can tell.

I worked at an exam centre for a while and the standards were appalling. Some of the horses hadn't been turned out for years (some of the older ones hadn't been turned out for most of their lives) ... as "they may hurt themselves". All of the instructors were of the "kick and pull" brigade, one really quite good rider was told "you would be good if you weren't so nice to the horse"!!!!! Working pupils were told to whip the horses before the jumping phase of exams (out of view of the examiners) in order for them to perform well. One working pupil, when told to take a jumping lesson, said she couldn't because she didn't know how to teach jumping and was told "it doesn't matter because they're all c**p" ... referring to the customers! I don't recall any of the horses having decently fitting saddles and every single one would try to bite and/or kick you when saddled. The BHS revoked their riding and road safety exam status last year because of the unsafe condition of the tack used and unsuitability of the horses for the exam ... however no further action or enquiries into standards at the centre were forthcoming.

I would have stayed if I thought I could have made a difference, but I was just deemed eccentric ... or maybe just plain mad or stupid. All because I advocated there was possibly a better way of doing things. It would be wonderful if we could influence the way these horses are treated and riders (and future owners) are taught.

[Pete]

Mmmmmmm

Softly, softly comes the revenge....


Treat this like a military operation guys.  Ask Sarah B about it....
First., plan your attack.  Want to see this riding school sorted.  OK - organise the team.  
1.  Video.  2.  Have several people there on several occasions. 3.  Photos of tack.  4.  Find out when the instructor is on duty.  5.  Target lessons by that instructor.  6.  Video them all.  

Build the dossier.

We have numerous powerful contacts - but we must have COLD, HARD evidence.  Stop whingeing and get the evidence.  As my old boss used to say "Show me the Bucks".  A video is incontrovertible -  you can't argue.  

We'll name and shame them - but it needs to be organised, and backed by 100% evidence.

Over to you - if you are game, we'll help.

Pete

[Tiga]

I witnessed an appauling lesson the other day delivered to a member of our local fledglings group. The Instructor is a BHSII I believe, from a large well thought of exam centre run by a FBHS. While I know we can't help how our voices are, a lot can be done to improve delivery. The lesson was conducted in a totally bored sounding monatone (thats when she wasn't shouting), giving the impression that she just did not want to be there and was not interested.

The child was aged about 13yrs and was riding her own pony, an arab cross type of about 14.2hh and of middle age. To start with the girl sat like a sack of sh 1 t, about which nothing was said. The pony was going round with its head in the air despite the draw reins which she was constantly told to shorten, the only effect being to ram the ponies neck further back into its withers and make it even less inclined to go forwards,while having no effect at all on the nose poking and high head carriage. The child was kicking at every stride and couldn't keep her legs still if her life had depended on it, again nothing was said about that.

The final staw came when the pony kept incorrectly taking right canter lead on the left rein. The instructor started shouting at her and lost her rag. The remedy for this 'disobedience' and 'taking the pi55' by the horse is apparrently to stop it dead by hauling on its mouth, and when it has stopped to kick it really hard two or three times in the ribs before you send it off into canter again.

I have let my Instructors registration lapse (BHSIT) as I am so ashamed of the crimes perpetrated by some my former collegues. :(  

[Maz]

I'm glad I'm not the only one to moan on about the state of riding schools! I've been ridin 7 years now and have been through numerous riding schools, and still haven't found a 'close to perfect' one. My last school was very unprofessional, and the lessons didn't really teach you much, and now I have leapt to the other extreme of a very BHS school with an instructor who 'commands' rather than teaches. I think there should be a compiled list of acceptable schools somewhere on this site. No doubt with the state they are currently in, it wouldn't take long to create.  

[phillipa]

hi, I'm new, so forgive any mistakes or postings in wrong places!! I know i have been lucky. I go for weekly private lessons at a BHS school in West Wales. they are so good that they were the ones who on my first ever lesson realised that one of my hips had dropped (hypermobility) which was why i couldn't get balanced. I went straight off to a chiropractor who sorted me out and now I'm as level as i will ever get.
i then spent four months on the lunge and now I still consider myself a beginner, even though before this i had been riding since i was five (now 32)

I know there are bad ones out there. i went on a hack in Berkshire and the horse was just too old - couldn't keep up with trot and kept tripping and falling on both knees - i reported them to the BHS and was told following my ride the horse had been retired.
But after all those postings i know i have been very lucky. It just seems so wrong that the bad ones keep getting away with it.

Phillipa

[tcmurray]

hi
i have to say that im appalled at what i have read here.  its just so sad that these beautiful creatures are still being treated like this in 2003 despite all efforts by caring people.  perhaps its to do with horses being a `prey` animal. what i mean is that they tend not to make a noise when in physical pain.  i know if i was to kick my dog (which of course i wouldnt) she would make a noise as if being murdered, whereas if i were to kick a horse it would probably show distress in a different way.  perhaps these morons think the horse doesnt feel pain as it doesnt react in the way other animals might.  not an excuse of course but another example of the humans races ignorance of other living beings.  Sorry, ill shut up now  

[Rachel]

tcmurray - I think you're right. If people choose they can ignore their horses body language showing that they are unhappy/uncomfortable/etc. A whining dog is harder to ignore, and more people notice it too.

[Kit Kat]

Here's an update (it was me in the PM by the way, I don't mind admitting it).

When I called to "formally resign" from the class, the boss of the school didn't even ask why!  I'm sure they're used to people coming and going, but if I were in his shoes I would at least ask if there was anything wrong.  

So the verdict?  They just don't care ... shock, horror.  <_<

Kat

[Heather]

Thanks everyone for this feedback- glad to hear that Philippa  found a truly good one- do please let us know where it is so that we can pass on any potential clients!!

Jan ( Tiga) that is particularly shocking- how can kids learn like this, bad enough in schools never mind on their own ponies, but to be encouraging the use of draw reins , especially when used in this manner, is appalling. It makes me ever more determined to try to do something about the teaching standards in this country. I have two friends who have kindly offered their services on our EE management team, who are both very experienced in the formulation and structure of teaching courses, and aer being a great help to get our EE courses, really structured and able to be run on a very professional basis.

Being an airy fairy Gemini, this is especially necessary to get me into a more formal teaching role, and their efforts whilst I am sure frustrating for them, aer nevertheless much appreciated!!

Heather