Ham House Stables

CHILD SAFETY / SAFEGUARDING ISSUES - I'm writing specifically to warn families considering riding lessons for their children; this comes after my 6 year old daughter had weekly riding lessons for 7 months with instructor Eugenie Barety. Not only were there other issues that I can't elaborate on due to character count limits on Google reviews; the real issue are the serious safety concerns: We were completely new to horse riding and arrived at Ham House Stables from another place where we rented her boots and helmet. When we started here, Eugenie advised to buy new boots and hat, as they don't offer rentals, which I was very happy to do. However, despite knowing that I wasn't a seasoned rider myself and my daughter had only recently started lessons where we rented her gear, Eugenie didn't specify what to look for in terms of best helmet safety. The extent of the advice I received was best places to look for good deals ("they're cheaper from France so I buy there"), so I was obviously left with the impression that all helmets are created equally, and boy was that misleading! In truth, I'd have paid hundreds for the best head protection. I was not shown any safety specifications nor was this even discussed.

When the new helmet arrived, Eugenie was the first horse "professional" to inspect and adjust the helmet on my daughter's head. This is what we've used for the past 7 months. We then went riding at new stables recently, and the first thing the instructor did was spot my daughter's helmet *while it was still on her head,* open it up to inspect the inside padding, and explain that she was sorry but this helmet did not meet any safety specifications from the British Horse Society. Needless to say, my husband and I were shocked. We had to rent a helmet in order for them to allow my daughter to ride that day: that's how concerned they were. So for 7 months, my daughter has been riding, trotting and cantering with unfit safety precautions being made by Eugenie or the stables overall.

I brought this to Minette Rice-Edwards' attention, which one would assume would leave her in shock on behalf of her employee, but instead of apologising for this total lack of care or professionalism, she pushed blame on the retailer and, through implication, onto myself for selling/buying this helmet. She mentioned a sheet they have somewhere with a list of helmet guidelines: my question is how would I know about this or where to find it if not explicitly shown by her employee? How would I even know it exists? In fact, the British Horse Society clearly states that "children's safeguarding is everyone's responsibility." And if my daughter had fallen from a cantering horse, Minette's insurance company would most certainly hold her liable for any injuries.

This is a child safeguarding issue that neither Minette or Eugenie have held themselves accountable for, and therefore I have no evidence that these practices will stop. I have not received any form of gesture for what happened in the form of an apology or reimbursement. My husband and I trusted our daughter's safety with these people and they have not shown any level of care or consideration for how they have let us down. It is morally unacceptable and frankly disturbing as this means there's a huge grey area for which they are not concerned with children's safety and this cannot go ignored. A conscientious, professional establishment would hold themselves accountable and take suitable measures to assure parents that this practice has a) been recognised and, b) unacceptable. Had this been the case, I would not have needed to write this public review.

To see for yourself how they've shirked responsibility, get in touch and I'll be happy to share email screenshots (will add images here soon). She will not even acknowledge Eugenie's mistakes. I have photos/videos of my daughter wearing the helmet during lessons for months. Highly recommend looking to other stables for children's lessons, of which there are many in London to choose from that show more care and professionalism in all regards. More...

If it had not have been for Minette and her team at Ham House stables, I would never have been able to ride across Dartmoor, participate in the Badminton Fun ride (and get my first rosette! ) and furthermore join the Royal Artillery Drag Hunt on a beautiful 18 hands horse on Salisbury Plain. I adore my time at Ham House stables and can't wait until my next lesson (tomorrow!!) thank you all for teaching me so much more about ponies than I could have dreamed of. More...

My daughter loves all of the professional riding trainers at the Ham House Stables. She is a true fan of Minette Rice Edwards and the Art of Riding teaching techniques. I would highly recommend their training if you are seeking professional riding lessons. The horses at the stables are lovely too! More...

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