had a chat with my RI not sure on this one!!!

[Suggs]

Hi all

my riding group are having a hack together in a couple of weeks we will be with two RI's, anyway most of my group are past ridders getting back in the saddle as am i. Anyway our RI said we will be able to hack out now and again as a group wich is good as most of the group are realy ridding for that rather than constant lessons for ever more, well we were then told hacks are in the afternoon so we can have a lesson first in the morning as per normal. But we were also told we will not be able to hack out if we dont have a lesson first as the school owners wont have it, so to have a hack we must also pay for a lesson on the same day and pay for the hack too, so basicly to book a hack you must also book a lesson for the same day, was also told that if we stay at the school we would be expected to have lesson for ever more and if we miss 3 lesson in a line we loose our place in the school. Now i enjoy ridding there the RI's are all realy great and friendly the group are all good sports and get on together too, but my idea was that in time to do regular hacks and less lesson's, is this the norm in all schools these days, when i was last ridding regulary at a different school i would hack out almost every Sunday for 1-4 hours without ever being asked to book lessons on top, im thinking i may stay for a while as i still need some training to get back to my past standered but then may have to look for a new place to hack with:(

H

[Bertie]

I would say that the school is being a little unreasonable to be honest, at the end of the day their running a business which provides a service and you are entitled to use that service as and when you wish to. As with most things life doesn't always run to plan and you have to juggle things accordingly, I would suggest you start to look for a new school :(

I ride regularly at my school and although I have my problems with them I stay because on the whole the good out weighs the bad, I have my permanent place in my weekly late night lesson and regular spot every other week for a semi private at the weekend. If I need to cancel, as I don't do it regularly I don't get charged the cancellation fee of it's less than 24-hours notice as I'm a regular.

The school shouldn't keep your spot on idefinitely in the class if you don't intend to be a regular attender but should allow you to hack out without a a lesson prior to it (i mean the same day here) if you've proven you riding ability in a number of lesson before hand.

[andreaB]

mmm , sounds like a monet spinning technique to me!

in alot of the gruops at my local rs thay do alternate weeks hack & lesson , or sometimes just whatever the group as a whole decide they'd most like to do that week!

[Mehitabel]

not sure aout the norm, but it's certainly not how we do things. we don;lt let riders hack out unless they have had at least one lesson or we've seen them WTC in the school - so many people lie about their abilities. so if it;'s a holidaymaker we ask them to come early and pop them on beforehand for a quick whizz round the school and then we can make sure they can ride. prospective regular riders are asked to school first and then the instructor decides if they're able to go out - but after that they can do as they please.

[ajhainey]

Being told you must have a lesson with them before hacking is normal - however it is not normal to have to do this everytime. At my school you do 'lose your place' if you miss more than 3 or 4 lessons but I don't see why they care if you have lessons or hacks - you pay the same right! aj xx

[Morganna]

Never heard of the likes of this myself. My RS regularly takes people on hacks for a lesson once they are confident enough but they certainly wouldnt expect us to take a lesson before hand. The way they see it there is no point in learning to ride if you cant put it into practice out in the open.

I can understand the "lose your place if you miss 3 lessons thing" as they may be busy and have a waiting list of people who want lessons. I know of one riding school around here that has a 3 month waiting list for learners

[LMS]

Oh boy, I'm going to be the Devil's advocate here:
First & foremost the Riding School is a business & they provide many services. As a business, depending on the quality of services & staff provided, their insurance & association will have some requirements.

Missing 3 lessons in a row: as an instructor that is very frustrating. I get paid by the session not by how many riders there are and if the lesson is cancelled: I don't get paid nor does the rider get reimbursed.

That time slot could've been filled by someone else.

Now requiring that you must take a lesson in the am in order to be able to go out on a hack later that day, I can see their point: you are all returning to riding therefore they must insure that you lot aren't a liability.

The riding school and it's personel involved are only looking after everyone's wellfare (and their butts).

Now the one thing that I don't agree with is charging you full price for both? But many stables do that. Are they giving you a good rate at least? Meaning, separatly how much is a lesson & how much is a hack? Having to have both in the same day, I would expect a discount.

[Mehitabel]

Now requiring that you must take a lesson in the am in order to be able to go out on a hack later that day, I can see their point: you are all returning to riding therefore they must insure that you lot aren't a liability.



doyou reallythink that's necessary every time though? so if you';ve done this every week for a year, you still have to ride twice a day?

first time - absolutely - every time - not even slightly.

[LMS]

How long did they say this needed to be done?

[Bertie]

doyou reallythink that's necessary every time though? so if you';ve done this every week for a year, you still have to ride twice a day?

first time - absolutely - every time - not even slightly.

Got to agree with you here Mehitabel - a lesson before every hack after you've proved your ability is a joke :rolleyes: and totally unrealistic

[Peace]

My YO had to stop allowing non-students to hack out on school horses, it was just too great a liability. Even after an evaluation and a mini-lesson in the ring, it was just impossible to know if the person had sufficient balance to keep them from going out the side door if (well, when) a horse spooked out on the trail. The last one to do so insisted there must have been something wrong with her horse, since the other horse didn't spook, and wanted the school to pay her for six weeks of missed work because she sprained her wrist.:rolleyes:

So I get why hackers also have to be enrolled in lessons. But I'm not sure I understand why the hack and the lesson have to booked the same day?

[Mehitabel]

How long did they say this needed to be done?

i had interpreted it as every time you wanted to hack - of course if it's only the first time, that is entirely reasonable if they don't know your riding. given they all already have lessons there though, i do think it is a bit excessive.

[Suggs]

thats the point im making, were not new to the school my group has progressed through several ability levels starting from indoor lessons plodding around a barn to outdoor cantering in a large paddock, i agree you have to make sure someone can ride before letting them out hacking but the impresson im getting you have to ride weekly to keep in the school (its a very busy school with waiting list) so i can understand that, i mean if i didnt ride there for a few months i cant expect to turn up and get a slot, you dont get charged for canceling a lesson as long as theres a bit of notice wich is fair i think, but im getting the impression its a very lesson orientated school with little hacking out and it did sound like no lesson no hack what ever level ridder you are wich if thats the case there going to loose a fair few in my group, they also have mentioned a club in the school were you pay £15 membership and for this you can hang around the yard helping out (shoveling pooh) and they have a few fun afternoon's like obsticle courses were again you have to pay for this extra and again is a afternoon thing, the lessons cost £19 per hour and the hack is the same, so not cheap doing both but theres no choice, i did think that the hacks would be instead of the lesson maybe once or twice a month, looks like i was wrong:mad:

[Peace]

im getting the impression its a very lesson orientated school with little hacking out and it did sound like no lesson no hack what ever level ridder you are

Yes, it does sound like the school has decided to change its focus from hacking - to competition, maybe? And is trying to discourage those who mostly want to hack.

I've seen plenty of barns like that around here - seems its usually dressage barns, no idea why, though. I agree its probably time for your group to find another school.

[coverblown]

I agree that there must be an ability / risk assessment done before allowing someone to hack out.

But no riding school or lesson can PREVENT someone falling off, if horse spooks, rider loses concentration etc..

The best they can do, and most do, is warn of the risks and ensure that people accept that riding out is their choice.

[kedwards]

The responses to this have been very interesting to me. The idea of only allowing hacking to students who are in regular weekly lessons is pretty much the standard where I live.

[Wally]

Some riding schools have waiting lists, so it might not be that unreasonable that they ask you to make a committment, if you comit to one ride every week then only come one in three, the school will have budgeted for that and turned someone else away.

I want to see someone ride before they hack out with us, but not every time, if they havn't been for a while I want them to have a lesson first to make sure. Insurance being what it is, One has to make sure you have made every possible precaution.