BEWARE of horse riding stable owner in St. Maarten!

[taswira]

Originally posted by RellingTwin
How rude. If he prefers not to do business with Americans maybe he should just not answer????

Exactly. That is why I (<I>Please</I> forgive me!) question whether it was actually the manager replying to these inquiries, or <b>someone else</b> using his computer and e-mail account, either an irate employee or a kid doing it as a (hurtful) joke. Given the nature of the Internet and e-mail, it is entirely possible that it is an impersonator. If it really IS the manager, he deserves all the bad-mouthing we can dish out. But since I personally know 3 Americans who just last month enjoyed riding at Bayside Riding Club, I am confused by this seemingly sudden change of attitude.

 

[Tluvs2talk]

I guess if anyone really wants to see how they are treated, they could call the buisness and speak to this person on the phone. I would also think that if e-mail is set up at this buisness then Children would not be allowed to play with it. If only one person wrote and had a bad response I would wonder too, but 2 bad responses on different days, kinda doubtful.

 

[taswira]

Originally posted by Tluvs2talk
I would also think that if e-mail is set up at this buisness then Children would not be allowed to play with it.

You are probably right. I just consider all the possibilities. When I said "kid," I didn't mean a child, but maybe an older teen working at the stable. I don't know how secure their office is, but many riding stables have relatively open offices that are not always manned. So that was the scenario I was picturing. I am certainly not defending this man, but considering all the Americans who <I>have</I> enjoyed riding there, plus RellingTwin's post "<I>If he prefers not to do business with Americans maybe he should just not answer</I>" - It makes me wonder. Why <I>would</I> he bother to answer Americans if he wants nothing to do with them? These were both e-mails, right? Is there an attorney among the DISers here? If so, maybe that person would understand my view of this. E-mail or even a phone call (without voice ID) couldn't hold up as evidence. A letter with the person's signature would. Sorry - guess I've had too much caffeine and am complicating something that is probably exactly what it appears to be. I always <I>was</I> a deep thinker.

 

[Tluvs2talk]

taswira,
You do have a lot of good points. I just guess we will have to wait and see if any Diser's have any first hand knowledge of going to the stables to ride. I would also think that a buisness would not want to pass up all the American $$$$ He could make just from cruise ship passengers.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

In another thread, http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=256217 , I asked whether this is, in fact, the correct e-mail address for this business. I found a different e-mail address at a couple of sites.

 

[wovenwonder]

I found another stable on the Dutch side. I do not know ANYTHING about this company -- I simply found it doing a search. I thought it might be helpful to people looking for an alternative.

http://www.stmaarten.org/Activities/Stables.html

And more info found:
Horseback Riding:

Horses have been on the island since the 1600s and were among the only means of transportation for early residents. Today, as then, riding is an excellent way to experience St. Maarten/St. Martin’s secluded beaches and hillsides. Stables here have flourished in recent years, offering excellent facilities, daily rides, leasing and boarding. Bayside Riding Club (Tel: 87 36 64), on the way to Le Galion Beach, features a daily beach ride and pony rides for children. OK Coral (Tel: 87 40 72) at Coralita Beach offers a 2 1/2-hour beach ride. Crazy Acres (Tel: 544-2793) offers lessons and boarding. Lucky Stables (Tel: 544-5255) has horses for beginners and experienced riders, as well as expert guides who will take you on a one- or two-hour ride that features winding trails and a gallop in the Caribbean surf. You’ll even find stables offering romantic night rides, with stops for champagne and toasted marshmallows on the beach.

 

[Limmer]

I thought I read a while back that Barb and Tony ride when on their cruises. I would be curious to know if they have gone here and how they were treated.