Hi LB
That is a funny story however, sorry to be a party pooper, my god, it could have ended in serious injury or worse for you and/or the children.
Novices (wearing a BSEN helmet and suitable footwear) should be led by a competent person (who is also wearing a BSEN approved helment). The fastest they should go (even when being led is trot). It never ceases to amaze me that more people arn't seriously injured each year.
There is a low class (although BHS approved) riding school a mile from my house. They borrowed my old driving pony for a few months a few years ago when I lost my grazing. Because I was worried about the competence of the owner and her unpaid staff (small children under the age of 13), I visited each night to ensure my pony was alive and well.
I've never seen more dangerous practices in my life. From allowing little kids to handle nags just bought from the market, offloading new stock straight off the back of a trailer, to tack which was dangerous (reins about to break etc). Walking through a field of 20+ hungry horses with one feed bucket....... the list goes on.
Anyway, sadly, a girl was allowed to go in a stable to assist the vet with a difficult foaling. I do not know the exact circumstances of what happened but the girl ended up dead. The HSE has been involved and the riding school was shut down for a while.
Maybe I should have reported unsafe practices, I don't know but with the BHS inspecting it and approving it, I assumed they must have seen a certain amount of goings on.
I have 42 years experience with horses and have only had one bad experience with a young colt which I owned. I would have shot it dead on numerous ocassions if I had had a licence. The ****** was evil personified on four legs. In the end, the knacker man came out and disposed of it.
Lisa