Left in tears

I just brought my daughter home in tears. I'll keep it short. She got scared, she told the teacher she was scared and that the horse was going too fast for her. The teacher's reply, and I quote, "canter!, CANTER!, Don't be silly!" this is while my daughter is on the horse and in tears!
The instructors at Mobberley Riding school are very volatile. One lesson they are sweet and smiling, the next they are ice queens. I was there, I always stay to watch the lessons. I wish I had it on video, you would see exactly what I mean. Last lesson, the same teacher was so encouraging and enthusiastic, this week however, one would think she was paying community service.

Moreover, after the ordeal, there wasn't an apology or explanation other than "we've all been through that, if you're going to get scared like that you might want to think about wether riding is for you". Talk about kicking her while she's down. Needless to say, her confidence is on the floor. Riding had brought such enthusiasm and joy to my eight year old; half an hour at Mobberley just killed it.

They said that if she had said "no, I absolutely do not want to do that" they wouldn't have pushed her. I'm sorry, but any well-behaved 8 year old girl is unlikely to say that. Having expressed her fear and asked to slow down should have been enough. In conclusion, if your child has it in him/her to turn around and say "no" to the adult instructing them, go ahead and sign them up. If not, then I advise you to look elsewhere. There are other riding schools in the area. We will try Cheshire Riding School.