About 2 months ago, my friend, Karla and I decided to change instructors. We had been riding together for almost 2 years with our instructor, Sara. Other people had come in and out of our group, we were the only original people left in it.
Girl #1 could maybe get around an x-rail course with a 2' jump put in somewhere. But she only rode one horse. On any other horse she was a complete mess, and would freak out if she was put on anybody else (Sara usually never put her on anybody else.) Girl #2 was about the same level, but she did ride different ponies. Girl #3 did basically x-rails. If her horse had any problems whatsoever (ie. spooked at all, tripped, anything) she would just stop, and walk.
For perspective, with our new instructor, Karla and I do 2'3/2'6 courses. I know it's not all about height. I'm not saying that oh, we're so much better than them. But the problem is that all we would be doing is cross-rails. And then since they would actually need help getting over them, we wouldn't even be getting any critique getting over them. So basically we were paying to get on ponies/horses and do a lot of flatwork and do a bit of jumping over cross-rails with almost no instruction. We might as well be paying for a hack (which would be a lot cheaper).
So, in September-ish Sara was made Barn Manager. Around that time we also asked to be put in a semi-private, because of obvious reasons. She said just to wait a month, because there was a schooling show at our stable in October. Because of being Barn Manager she had to arrange it. We said sure. A month went by, she said to give her a little more time. At some point, she switched Girl #3 to a different group.
Then over holiday break Sara wasn't there and we got a lesson with Liz, an instructor who had been there for a few months. We had a lot of fun with her and got along with her quite well. Karla and I decided to approach the idea of a semi-private with Sara one more time, and if she said she still couldn't do it, switch to Liz. Obviously, we ended up switching.
We also worked at a summercamp at my stable, run by Sara. I worked there last summer, Karla worked there the last 2 summers. There's a wintercamp for a few days over holiday break.
After the lesson we told Sara that we were switching to Liz, she approached us and told us that there were 3 complaints about us during wintercamp. (She couldn't be there.) We had absolutely no complaints during summercamp. There were only a few people working wintercamp. We approached one of the counselors who worked with us a few weeks later and he said he had no idea, and he's a very, very straightfoward guy.
Liz told my sister (who rides) a couple weeks ago, after she found out why we actually switched, that Sara that she had "refused to teach Karla and I anymore because we were obnoxious and always wanted to do things we weren't capable of. And not to give us any special privileges."
My sister and I are going to be leasing a horse that belongs to a boarder at Liz's barn (very small barn at her house). The owner's pregnant, so it's a very cheap lease. Horses are very, very expensive in my area. We can't afford it any other way. But when Sara found out about it she flipped out at Liz.
Since Liz is the Barn Manager she should be setting up the lease of our horse. But since she was so upset about it, we have to go through the head instructor instead. We can't mention it around the stable at all.
Karla and I were planning on working at camp this summer. I was basically guaranteed to work there. They had a lot of people who wanted to work there last summer, so I 'volunteered' for part of last summer, because Sara said that I would be basically guaranteed to be first picked this summer and could be paid for more of last summer. I only ended up being paid for 4 week (out of 10) of last summer. I didn't end up holding it against her, even though she said I would've been paid for more like 6. But she said I definitely should've been hired for this summer if I wanted to be. But now when I've asked her if she's going to be hiring Karla and I she says we'll have to wait for the 'counselor meeting' in April to see who signs up to be a counselor!Argh!
And there are actually plenty of other lies she's told about me and my new instructor (particularly my instructor. I didn't want to go on about things that weren't directly related to me).
Thanks to anybody who actually read through all of that! I know it was really long...
(All names have been changed.)
Girl #1 could maybe get around an x-rail course with a 2' jump put in somewhere. But she only rode one horse. On any other horse she was a complete mess, and would freak out if she was put on anybody else (Sara usually never put her on anybody else.) Girl #2 was about the same level, but she did ride different ponies. Girl #3 did basically x-rails. If her horse had any problems whatsoever (ie. spooked at all, tripped, anything) she would just stop, and walk.
For perspective, with our new instructor, Karla and I do 2'3/2'6 courses. I know it's not all about height. I'm not saying that oh, we're so much better than them. But the problem is that all we would be doing is cross-rails. And then since they would actually need help getting over them, we wouldn't even be getting any critique getting over them. So basically we were paying to get on ponies/horses and do a lot of flatwork and do a bit of jumping over cross-rails with almost no instruction. We might as well be paying for a hack (which would be a lot cheaper).
So, in September-ish Sara was made Barn Manager. Around that time we also asked to be put in a semi-private, because of obvious reasons. She said just to wait a month, because there was a schooling show at our stable in October. Because of being Barn Manager she had to arrange it. We said sure. A month went by, she said to give her a little more time. At some point, she switched Girl #3 to a different group.
Then over holiday break Sara wasn't there and we got a lesson with Liz, an instructor who had been there for a few months. We had a lot of fun with her and got along with her quite well. Karla and I decided to approach the idea of a semi-private with Sara one more time, and if she said she still couldn't do it, switch to Liz. Obviously, we ended up switching.
We also worked at a summercamp at my stable, run by Sara. I worked there last summer, Karla worked there the last 2 summers. There's a wintercamp for a few days over holiday break.
After the lesson we told Sara that we were switching to Liz, she approached us and told us that there were 3 complaints about us during wintercamp. (She couldn't be there.) We had absolutely no complaints during summercamp. There were only a few people working wintercamp. We approached one of the counselors who worked with us a few weeks later and he said he had no idea, and he's a very, very straightfoward guy.
Liz told my sister (who rides) a couple weeks ago, after she found out why we actually switched, that Sara that she had "refused to teach Karla and I anymore because we were obnoxious and always wanted to do things we weren't capable of. And not to give us any special privileges."
My sister and I are going to be leasing a horse that belongs to a boarder at Liz's barn (very small barn at her house). The owner's pregnant, so it's a very cheap lease. Horses are very, very expensive in my area. We can't afford it any other way. But when Sara found out about it she flipped out at Liz.
Since Liz is the Barn Manager she should be setting up the lease of our horse. But since she was so upset about it, we have to go through the head instructor instead. We can't mention it around the stable at all.
Karla and I were planning on working at camp this summer. I was basically guaranteed to work there. They had a lot of people who wanted to work there last summer, so I 'volunteered' for part of last summer, because Sara said that I would be basically guaranteed to be first picked this summer and could be paid for more of last summer. I only ended up being paid for 4 week (out of 10) of last summer. I didn't end up holding it against her, even though she said I would've been paid for more like 6. But she said I definitely should've been hired for this summer if I wanted to be. But now when I've asked her if she's going to be hiring Karla and I she says we'll have to wait for the 'counselor meeting' in April to see who signs up to be a counselor!Argh!
And there are actually plenty of other lies she's told about me and my new instructor (particularly my instructor. I didn't want to go on about things that weren't directly related to me).
Thanks to anybody who actually read through all of that! I know it was really long...
(All names have been changed.)
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