Makeup lesson policies

[Shimmer0921]

Hello all!

I am new to registering in this decade, but I have been a LONG time viewer and I think I used to post back in the day as a teen when I rode. My own daughter has been riding for a few years now (wish I could afford both of us but I am happy to support her passion ). I thought I would join again as lately I have started to anticipate some questions arising between the 15-20 years that I stopped riding and she started lol.

My first is. Make up lessons! How do your barns handle scheduling make ups? My daughter rides at a lesson/show barn. They lesson Mon-Fri and have extra staff so the show’s are never an issue. In the 4 years she has been there we have missed maybe 6-8 lessons due to vacation/illness. Vacation we would give notice weeks in advance and an illness at least 24 hours (maybe one time as she would rather die then miss a lesson). Our barn’s policy is that EVERY missed/cancelled lesson will be honored (with notice on our part). Which is great!

My question is, is it up to us to keep track of make ups and reach out to schedule? Or should they be reaching out to offer us a slot? Also what about if it is not a cancellation on our part? If they cancel due to unforeseeable circumstances do we forfeit the lesson and money? In the past couple years lessons get cancelled due to heat (completely reasonable), holidays, the trainers are tired from a show (again all completely reasonable), horse health issues, etc etc. I understand it ALL. I just want to know what other barns do. Should I be keeping track of cancelled lessons and reaching out to ask for make ups? I have at times asked if she could ride a different day and then I feel like a jerk for asking… Recently we have had multiple lessons cancelled last minute in past couple months. I understand horses and circumstances are unpredictable but we also pay a LOT of money. I am just curious how other barns handle this so I can go about getting her make ups done without coming across as a jerk. I grew up in a small barn where my trainer was like my family and I worked at the barn 5 days a week to afford my pony so this is a bit of a different concept to what I am used to.

Thank you for any input!!

[Curly_Feather]

I pay a monthly fee for a lesson every week. I miss a lot of lessons due to work and other commitments. It is entirely up to me to keep track of the number I’ve missed, and to schedule make-up times.

At the end of each year I often have a bunch of missed lessons, that I paid for but couldn’t make up.

[fivestrideline]

Typically I take responsibility for reaching out to schedule makeups. Think about it this way - the barn has X number of riders a day, but you only have 1 to keep track of.

Your makeup policy should be in the contract. It should spell out what happens if you cancel, if the barn cancels, how much notice is required, how long until makeup lessons “expire” if unscheduled. There’s no harm in asking for clarification - I’d reach out to the trainer in charge.

It sounds like your barn has canceled a higher number of lessons than usual lately? Or have you canceled a higher number than usual? If it is the barn canceling, they should be taking care of the rescheduling or refunds, and you shouldn’t be paying for something you aren’t getting. I would be keeping track.

Again, this is a case where you have to rely on the contract and it doesn’t hurt to ask for clarification - don’t wait until you’re feeling shorted on services. Ask now, politely and without accusation, so that everyone is on the same page!

[trubandloki]

@Shimmer0921

Hello all!

I am new to registering in this decade, but I have been a LONG time viewer and I think I used to post back in the day as a teen when I rode. My own daughter has been riding for a few years now (wish I could afford both of us but I am happy to support her passion ). I thought I would join again as lately I have started to anticipate some questions arising between the 15-20 years that I stopped riding and she started lol.

My first is. Make up lessons! How do your barns handle scheduling make ups? My daughter rides at a lesson/show barn. They lesson Mon-Fri and have extra staff so the show’s are never an issue. In the 4 years she has been there we have missed maybe 6-8 lessons due to vacation/illness. Vacation we would give notice weeks in advance and an illness at least 24 hours (maybe one time as she would rather die then miss a lesson). Our barn’s policy is that EVERY missed/cancelled lesson will be honored (with notice on our part). Which is great!

My question is, is it up to us to keep track of make ups and reach out to schedule? Or should they be reaching out to offer us a slot? Also what about if it is not a cancellation on our part? If they cancel due to unforeseeable circumstances do we forfeit the lesson and money? In the past couple years lessons get cancelled due to heat (completely reasonable), holidays, the trainers are tired from a show (again all completely reasonable), horse health issues, etc etc. I understand it ALL. I just want to know what other barns do. Should I be keeping track of cancelled lessons and reaching out to ask for make ups? I have at times asked if she could ride a different day and then I feel like a jerk for asking… Recently we have had multiple lessons cancelled last minute in past couple months. I understand horses and circumstances are unpredictable but we also pay a LOT of money. I am just curious how other barns handle this so I can go about getting her make ups done without coming across as a jerk. I grew up in a small barn where my trainer was like my family and I worked at the barn 5 days a week to afford my pony so this is a bit of a different concept to what I am used to.

Thank you for any input!!

Welcome (back)!

My experience is that scheduling make-up lessons is something the rider needs to do.

I always found it easiest to do it at the time I was cancelling - Trainer, I just had a work commitment come up, so next Tuesday evening so I can not make my regularly scheduled lesson time. Can we schedule a make-up time? I am free every other evening next week.

Clearly, you do this while your trainer is not sitting on a horse or in the middle of something important.

[chocolate_chip_in]

Yes, it’s up to you to reschedule if a lesson is cancelled. I’m in a much smaller program than your daughter so my trainer is good about saying “Hey the vet is running late so I need to cancel for today, want to reschedule to [other time]?” or whatever, but it’s spelled out in the contract that it’s the rider’s responsibility to reschedule.

[NC001]

From my experience with a few different lesson barns is you will get so far in the hole with missed lessons there isnt enough time/open slots to make them all up. Rescheduling is on you to make sure it happens but don’t be surprised if it’s hard to get those in.

[Mallard]

I pre-pay for lessons along with my board. Things are very flexible at the barn.
I always re-book at the same time as I cancel.
If coach has to cancel, she will offer up days to make it up.

[GraceLikeRain]

I’d recommend speaking directly with whoever is the ultimate authority and understand if they have a clear policy in place about the timeframe for making up lessons. Some allow lessons to roll over month to month, others do not. I’d assume it was the clients responsibility to track lessons unless otherwise.

[findeight]

The barn only knows when the client’s lessons are scheduled. If Susie cancels her Thursday at 4pm lesson, barn has no idea what day and time Susie can make that up. So, if client cancels it is client who needs to handle the make up,

If barn cancels? IMO and IME, it is up to barn to ask client when they want to make that time up. Preferably at the time client is notified.

One thing to be clear on is who schedules the lessons. Bigger programs usually have an office manager who schedules the lessons (and often vet, farrier etc.). Smaller programs rely on the trainer who handles everything else plus teaching, training, showing. Much easier with the big properly staffed barns and lesson programs.

Whichever you are in, you need to initiate rescheduling right away if the barn does not. Do not wait then call saying your make up/ must take window expires in 3 days.

[Jsalem]

As a trainer, I’d like to point out that the “makeup” issue has reached a crisis point. Everyone is busy. I do understand that. But your trainer needs to make a living and if we’re talking about lesson programs, your lesson horses have to have a humane schedule.

In my barn, the owner clients pay a monthly training fee. We have an indoor arena and several trainers, so lessons are very reliable. If a student misses a lesson, we substitute a training ride that day. On the very rare occasion that we cancel lessons (for example, we didn’t teach Wednesday or Thursday last week for Thanksgiving) we really don’t offer a makeup. For heavens sake, we don’t offer lessons 52 weeks a year. The way I see it, 4 weeks a month is reasonable for a total of 48 weeks out of the year. These days, there are Owners that struggle to ride independently. They seem to want a “lesson” every time they ride. I really try to create riders who are competent to ride and enjoy their horses on their own! I sometimes have to point out to a client that while they were on vacation, we were still working- keeping their horse ridden. We don’t owe them a makeup lesson. Most people settle into our routine and feel confident that they are getting a good value for their training dollars.

Now for the lesson horse people? Yikes, that’s a different story. They pay a monthly tuition fee which equals 4 discounted lessons. They are paying for a lesson spot. If they miss that lesson (which went on without them) they aren’t “owed” a makeup. Any 5th lesson in a month is considered a makeup. We balance our lesson horse schedule so all the horses have breaks and days off. You wouldn’t believe the number of cancellations! What we’ve learned to do is fill an empty slot if there is one available, but we don’t add spots or add days to the Trainers or Horses schedules. We weed out students that can’t wrap their heads around this Tuition idea and drive us crazy with reschedule requests.

So in answer to the OP question about scheduling Makeups- please realize that everyone is busy and your trainer just wants to make a schedule and keep to it.

[clanter]

@Jsalem

For heavens sake, we don’t offer lessons 52 weeks a year. The way I see it, 4 weeks a month is reasonable for a total of 48 weeks out of the year

when I was a bank officer we used 360 days to be considered one full year which made life easier

later in life where I was working I was on annual based salary… I always took Feb 29th off when asked why I just told them it was a work for free day that I was not being paid for so I just took it off instead

[Pehsness]

This is an interesting thread because I’ve been wondering the same thing. I pay monthly on the 1st of each month. But weather, work, kids… I miss a lot sometimes. And I don’t always have free time to make them up.

I finally decided that it’s just a sunk cost for me. I’m paying to keep my spot in the lesson program, essentially. Not to mention I know if I emailed/texted whathaveyou on non-lesson days, I would get an answer to my question. Thinking of it this way takes the pressure off on both ends, I think.

Most kids sports programs don’t offer make up times. You pay for the session, if you can’t come you can’t come.

[lilyforever]

I find it really depends on the barn and the size of the riding program! I’ve been at a few different lesson barns and the onus has always been on me to inquire about a makeup lesson when I’ve cancelled a lesson. They always had a log of cancelled lessons but I also kept track of missed lessons to make sure I did my makeups. They also always have a cancellation rule like you only get a makeup if you cancel a certain amount of time in advance. And often they require the makeup to happen within a certain amount of time. There was also one barn that only allowed one cancellation per month to have a makeup. With my current coach it’s more of a pay as you go basis so it’s a lot more casual.

[Aussie_2020]

Your program sounds good. I had a trainer that would only do make up lessons if you could make her 11am flat class. The jumping lessons were full so there wasn’t room to slide in, and the one evening flat class was always full too. If you knew far enough in advance that you wouldn’t be there you could schedule an additional training ride.

Her lessons weren’t all the same either so if by chance there was an opening in a jump class the rider might not fit in anyway.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

If you’re the one doing the canceling, ideally, you might want to reach out and schedule the makeup when you’re canceling.

“I’m sorry, my daughter has SAT prep this Friday night so she won’t be able to come to the group lesson. Do you have any openings during the weekend or on Tuesday?”

Even if your daughter is sick, assuming she’s not deathly ill: “I’m sorry for the late notice, but she wasn’t able to go to school today and she has a high fever. If she’s feeling better, do you have any openings next week so she can double up in two group lessons?”

If the instructor is canceling, say, “I totally understand! What days and times would work for you to make it up? Let me know when you get a chance.”

[Baybear]

I feel the onus is on the rider/parent to keep track and reschedule a missed lesson, and so much depends on the facility’s program. IME the larger lesson programs have a more restrictive cancellation/make-up policy and some may even limit the # of times one can make up a lesson. IME when I was riding at a larger lesson barn even though they had a flexible make up policy finding a time where you slide into a make-up lesson, at the correct level, was hard due to group size, day and time. All perfectly understandable. Many of these places also had the old - if weather doesn’t permit riding then an indoor lesson will be held [read: classroom]. Which I always thought was kind of amusing, if the weather conditions are snowing and icy so no riding outside - Hmm not so sure I’m going to risk driving to the barn on icy roads. Rather lose the lesson money than risk damaging my car, other cars and possible injury to myself (or others).

My current barn the trainer and assistant trainer are pretty flexible with cancellations and make-ups. Barn is mostly working adult riders so there is always the chance that one of us gets stuck working late or since we’re in the DC metro area traffic is often a nightmare. The odd jack-knived tractor trailer can snarl traffic for hours.