Helpers at RS aaargh!(long rant)

[tubby1]

My 5 year old daughter is currently taking riding lessons and she is in a beginner class. there are often complete beginners and little ones like my daughter who need some help from leaders. I find it so frustrating that often the leaders are very young and some are so inexperienced at leading. They often spend more time chatting to each other or they try to avoid having to lead in the first place. The RI has to spend time with the leaders showing them what to do which is unfair to the riders who are paying. Today the leaders wanted to leave 15 minutes before the end of the lesson so they could get ready for their own lessons. The girls are nice girls and some of them are better than others.but surely there must be some standards that riding schools must have when it comes to helpers. What are the helpers like where everybody else rides? Sorry for the long rant but it annoys me every sunday. (I did speak to the girl in charge today but I am not sure it will help)

[eml]

I have actually given up teaching younger children such as 5-7 year olds as they are very labour intensive in terms of needing leading etc. and I cannot provide enough competent helpers.

I know of schools that have various schemes ranging from parent must lead to all beginners having to have 1:1 either a costly exercise or involving trainee staff.

I have a very formal Stable Helpers club where among other activities they practice leading and 'teaching'. This I know is unusual. but by the time they help a 'real' customer they are competent. This however is reflected in what I have to charge.

If what you see is normal practice at your school (it is at a lot) then you may be getting a reasonably cheap price or at least getting a place for your child, we have to limit places not only to pony availability but to that of helpers.

[anna15]

it makes no wonder they stand chatting and avoiding it, when theyve been running round for the past 3hours, for very little reward. When i was a leader it sucked big time, it is the RS's responsibility, so if you choose to complain make sure you emphasise that. in my experience this is how its always been:o

[cat_burglar31]

yeah they can be quite frustrating where i ride too, some instructors let them they come into the arena during lessons and hang around with the excuse of poo picking (but surely it doesnt take 4 of them to do that?!) they mostly just get in the way and make noise. I think they're quite helpful on the yard though.

[horse__obsessed]

I used to hate leading when I worked at a RS. Hours of running around the school does nothing for me im afraid :o It was that or not help though. I do think talking is a little OTT though

[tubby1]

The leaders get a free lesson for helping which I think is quite reasonable. When I helped out many moons ago you got a free ride once every six months if you were lucky!

[*Solo's Mum*]

i know when i used to help at an RS i used to do all the things under the sun to get out of leading
but my only reason is because we got NOTHING out of it not even a weldone or a thankyou!
if i got a free lesson like they do then i think i would have been more inclined to lead ;)
x

[Mehitabel]

echo eml - a riding schol offering leadrein lessons can't run without leaders. like eml we have a 'grooms club'' where they learn about leading and how to help the instructor, and beginner leaders first walk with a more experienced leader to learn the ropes before having a pony on their own.

can you lead your daughter yourself?

[anna15]

well at my yard, i absolutely hated it, i only kept going because i wanted to keep riding and couldnt afford lessons.
Getting there for 7, grooming tacking up, sweep all yards, leading at 9,10,11,12,1 on busyish days mucking out at the end of the day. same next day, but with an hours 'lesson' when they could fit you in even if it was below/above your ability, usually on new naughty ponies who had just been picked up from the dodgy local sales.
personally i think its a crap deal if your not even aloud to have fun, most RSs in my experience are like this. I was pretty frustrated when people commented, when half the time we were bullied by the older girls and YO picked on us saying we were lazy and overweight.:o
This is usually 10-13yrold kids who are giving up all their weekend to be helpfull, we werent alloud days off, like for friends birthdays etc., the normal stuff kids do. Its hard work at that age...:o

[horses4eva888]

we werent alloud days off, like for friends birthdays etc., the normal stuff kids do. Its hard work at that age...:o

:eek::eek:

Allowed? You were helping they didn't own you! That's terrible anna15:(

[lolahutt]

eml, your Stable Helper's Club sounds like something that more RSs need.

When I worked at an RS we only did lead reins as one to one. The RS used any helpers for the lead rein lessons and therefore sometimes the lessons were not good. But the parents could request who they wanted (it was coz I often got requested that I got a proper job their rather than just helper!:D).

I can remember from learning to ride myself that leaders were often talking about totally irrelevant stuff. It is really rude and I wish RIs would be much stricter. It was one reason I left my first ever RS, because it used to make me feel quite intimidated with the way they behaved.

My kids had lessons at a school where there would be up to 20 helpers! Some were fantastic (one now has my Dartmoor on loan) but some would just stand in the middle of the school in a lesson and talk! The RI there is so fab though she never let them get away with it for long, she admitted the younger helpers often created more work for her, with needing to find work to disperse them, than the work they actually did, but that she is all for teaching the next generation etc!!!

[anna15]

yeah, they were all bloody cruel to us:mad:
RI was mean, if you dont keep your heels down your leaving the lesson! i remember being sent out and told i was rubbish, and should just leave. me and my cousin were the youngest, so the older girls bullied us making us do all the mucking out while they sat eating pot noodles. YO laughed about us, and was always telling us we were fat.:rolleyes:

[anna15]

personally i think if they expect the leaders to act in that way they should employ people. its not the kids fault!

sorry but its just so annoying, i have been blamed for so much as a leader! when the idiots put a 4yrold beginner on a 15.2hh cob who was fairly green (at the time i was only 11) and it started napping and trying to rear, im desperately trying to hold this kid on when shes screaming.

[lorna_hpool]

at the RS i went to their had kids leading adults ... but at the RS you didnt know what to expect when you got there. some days you had a laugh and you were always appricated then other day everything you did was wrong

[tubby1]

I think the stable helpers club sounds like a great idea. I would lead her myself but she gets too dependent on me leading her. She doesn't need a leader all the time just to help her get into trot and occasionally with some steering.

[eml]

I don't know how long ago that was anna but it is totally illegal.

Under 14 you are not allowed to work, you can belong to a stable club but it cannot be compulsory to attend and you need to learn something/gain something from it. Working for rides is not allowed as it is just like payment. Even after 14 you would not be allowed to work that many hours or as hard.

We have junior girls 11-13 who come on a Sunday morning, they spend an hour with an adult supervisor learning to groom, tackup, clean tack etc, an hour helping with a novice ride, an hour practicing eg cleaning some tack, skipping out and 30 minutes helping catch /turnout with the adult supervisors.

Senior girls who have been through this are generally 14-16 and come on a Saturday. In the morning they help catch in, groom and tack up and have at least an hours tuition, generally something they would not do in their weekly class, XC, lunging, teaching each other for example. They have an hours social break time and between 12 and 5 take turns in helping with rides, no one ever does two consecutively or more than two a day. They also have a 'job list' to complete which they organise themselves. Some of the oldest helpers have 'special' children they help with, like kids who have helpers at school, and they get a lot of satisfaction out of that.

Your experience sounds miserable.

[horse__obsessed]

eml, your Stable Helper's Club sounds like something that more RSs need.

I think a lot that goes on at eml's RS are things that a lot more RSs need;)

[anna15]

it was eml, we new it was illegal, but we all seemed to think it was normal, they were crazy!

i remember when we had a christmas tips box, for working over christmas, i missed a saturday early december because it was a friends birthday so they said i didnt deserve my share. personally i think thats pretty harsh on a 11yrold kid.

Allot of RSs are similar, so people should be carefull when complaining, as some poor kid might get blamed and be heartbroken.

[palmerlover52]

My old RS operated on you must have 1:1 lessons until you could walk/trot/canter and have a rough idea of diagonals before you could go in a group lesson.

So basically i learnt to canter and got told about diagonals in one half hour private lesson so I could go to groups (Don't like rpovate, I don't like being scruntinised :rolleyes: )

[atd87]

I used to help/work at my riding school, but it was purely voluntary. I was there all day on a saturday half day sunday (was all they did) and there all through the summer (even on their days off). I did it not even for the free rides (i got both free rides and rides when I also had to lead) but just to be around the ponies and learn more about care, training and teaching. The owner of the yard was going to train (and help pay) for me to become an ri for her, but sadly I became ill and had to stop for a while. I did have a couple of parents who were bitchy about me - and the owner stuck up for me and told them if they didnt like it they could leave, but the majority of the parents were really nice including some giving me pressents at chirstmas. The best thing happened when I went back recently for a visit and the owner said and I quote "I remember you, you just sat there and it happened"!

ETA: I also got pressents from the owner for christmas and birthdays and I was there from 5-14/15 but helping from the age of 8ish

[Suzanne2]

New ruling re kids working are coming in that will affect youngsters helping out for rides in yards. Adults will all have to be checked out with police etc. It's expensive and will probably have a huge knock-on effect.

[Shire Monster]

Anna it sounds like a really nasty experience you had there, unfortunately, as with any type of business there are good and bad bosses, its not fair to be treated in that way but on the other side of the coin riding can be a fairly expensive past time and as a beginner paying to be taught safely it must be so frustrating if leaders are mucking around.
I think EML has the best way, fair for all involved

[Nimbus65]

Both of my daughters (ages 10 and 12) belong to a helpers' club at our yard and it's very well ordered and well run. They each help one day on the weekend - from 8 to 5 - and my older girl helps on a Tuesday evening. Duties include the usual stuff . . . leading (which they all hate), grooming (which they all love), tacking up/untacking, mucking out, soaking hay, mixing and giving feeds, bringing in and taking out, etc. They receive instruction, take tests and gain proficiency certificates. There's a leading rota, so all kids only lead (max) twice a day (and never back-to-back). As a thank you, they get the odd free hack and, because all the helpers are competent riders, they are often asked to back up or lead file a class or a hack.

Kids can't help until they are 10 AND big/strong enough to handle themselves on the pony yard. Rules are strict. If they're leading, no standing around chatting - it's unprofessional. They can chat to the clients on a walkout, but never in a lesson. They get plenty of breaks and time for fun, but they're never just hanging around on the yard and if they watch the odd lesson, they must be quiet and respectful of the RI.

I would much rather my girls were up at the yard, being useful, learning valuable skills and responsibility (and loving on the ponies, which they love) than sitting inside watching a video game or online w/ their friends all day.

N

[Trundlecat]

My 5 year old daughter is currently taking riding lessons and she is in a beginner class. there are often complete beginners and little ones like my daughter who need some help from leaders. I find it so frustrating that often the leaders are very young and some are so inexperienced at leading. They often spend more time chatting to each other or they try to avoid having to lead in the first place. The RI has to spend time with the leaders showing them what to do which is unfair to the riders who are paying. Today the leaders wanted to leave 15 minutes before the end of the lesson so they could get ready for their own lessons. The girls are nice girls and some of them are better than others.but surely there must be some standards that riding schools must have when it comes to helpers. What are the helpers like where everybody else rides? Sorry for the long rant but it annoys me every sunday. (I did speak to the girl in charge today but I am not sure it will help)

You're paying for a product Tubby, get the owner of the school told & told in writing if you're not getting what you pay for hun. Surely untrained, undiscilined kids leading small kids is a Health & Safety issue? If the leaders are busy chatting & an accident happens the school wouldn't have a leg to stand on insurance wise. Why not point that out & use it as a reason for your "great concern" in the letter? Takes the onus off you being annoyed & turns it round to you doing them a favour ;)

Sympathies for badly treated helpers but if they don't want to do it then they know what to do. I wouldn't let my kids volunteer to "help" because it's a license to have them taken advantage of. Wouldn't have a prob with them joining a proper club like EML's though. That said, I'd still be turning up to do spot checks to make sure they weren't doing anyones ironing or the like (over protective monther lol).

[dukes auntie]

be frustrating, but most of these kids help out with little or no reward , idont think i know off any rs tht could afford paid helpers! if they had maybe childrens lessons would become v expensive and we wouldnt be able to afford them saying that i have found that a quite word with the rs owners if you not happy most welcome the business and perhaps let you lead!

[LeftBrainer]

Many many years ago I was an over eager brat helping out in exchange for rides and lessons at a riding school in deepest darkest Cornwall - I was probably rubbish at it, I just remember loving everything to do with working at the stables so put my all into it. I desperately tried to get it right - can't remember being shouted at too often so maybe I wasn't that bad afterall:cool:

As a stable lad and occasional RI (young kids a speciality) I've always worked on the principle that the customer is paying for a lesson and expects a good so I'd make sure they got as good a lesson as me and my little helpers could provide. So I'd keep just as keen an eye on my helpers as my riders - the rider the pony and the helper were one unit as far as I was concerned and my helpers always knew that.

If you're paying for something you don't feel you're getting, then have a word with the person who's profitting from your money!

[Spider]

At my old RS i used to lead in the beginners class. However the main RI would only let me and a couple of other girls do it after one of the younger girls who were leading didnt realise that the little girl on the ponys back had fallen off! (she was too busy texting!)
Tho tbf, i agree with what you say about the girls trying to get out of leading as lots of the girls at my old RS used to do that also. i used to enjoy it lol!

[Flash Harry]

I myself am very, very fortunate as my 2 and half year old daughter is lucky enough to have an old pony (which has been there and done it) to ride, learn with. I think that the prices you pay for riding lessons even for little ones is terribley high - IMO if you pay for a service then you should receive the best! This i feel is down to the owners of riding schools,not the leaders,`lead by example` - encourage the young leaders? :)?

[eml]

Wouldn't have a prob with them joining a proper club like EML's though. That said, I'd still be turning up to do spot checks to make sure they weren't doing anyones ironing or the like (over protective monther lol).

Totally agree I would be doing the same, I wish more parents took an interest. What is this ironing thing?:D

Seriously I was a stable helper throughout my teens, perhaps I was lucky or perhaps I just enjoyed working and being given responsibility. I was treated more like weekend daughter by my RI and although I worked hard I loved it. Probably different as it was a tiny yard so I was the only helper. Some of my now grown up helpers do refer to me as their second mum so can't be all bad.

[Popz]

Oh the good old days of leading! :D I actually used to quite enjoy it, it made a nice break from forking back the muck heap :rolleyes: We never got anything for it and just did it for the joy of being around the horses. I don't remember ever being told off for talking but I probably should have been! I rarely chatted to my friends but would spend the entire hour chatting away to the poor kid I was leading! I think I meant well though, I just wanted to impart my wisdom and told them all about their ponies and taught them colours and things, I also like to think my incessant chattering helped the shy kids come out of their shell a bit! :D

I still get called on to lead though on the odd occasion that the lesson before mine does games and one of the kids isn't as confident, I enjoy it, it brings back the memories of the good old days!!

I know it must be annoying when the leaders are unprofessional and I think they need telling about it, but I'd much rather see a group of young girls hanging about at the stables than on a street corner or inside glued to a computer (says the person whos been flicking through forums for the last hour!! ;))

[horseygal90]

I don't know how long ago that was anna but it is totally illegal.

Under 14 you are not allowed to work, you can belong to a stable club but it cannot be compulsory to attend and you need to learn something/gain something from it. Working for rides is not allowed as it is just like payment. Even after 14 you would not be allowed to work that many hours or as hard.
...
Your experience sounds miserable.

*Puts up hand* This isn't uncommon, I've been illegal too and although I pointed it out 12 year old horse mad people don't really have much of a voice!

Leading was my favourite part, it got me out of poo picking and I really enjoyed chatting to the kids when we weren't doing 'work' (i.e when waiting for someone to trot to the back). I had my worst experience leading though - I was leading this girl on the fastest pony there, she kept kicking him to ask for trot and my instructor was getting really annoyed because I was doing my upmost to stop this pony farta*sing off at a rate of knots, eventually she told me to just let go to teach her a lesson and the pony ran off and collided with a fence sending her over the top :o :eek: whilst I had to just stand there!

TBH I quite enjoyed it, when I wasn't being sent to do the worst jobs (as one of the youngest, it seemed that I got all the skanky things to do) or when it wasn't raining...

ETA - I kinda wish I still did it, I have a very boring routine during the holidays - Sleep, computer, TV, sleep... Sleep, computer, TV, ride (on Wednesdays), sleep. :o