Ok, so I'm going to try to make to the point about horses and riding in Japan. I'm from the east cost of the US and have been riding horses and taking care of them for 20 years. I now live in Japan with my husband (who is a Japanese native). Ever since we moved here a few years ago, I have been itching to be with horses, riding, training, and stable-hand stuff. I live in the Tokyo area and searched quite a bit for riding stables. There are plenty around if you know how to look online. (most sites are in Japanese of course) So I went stable viewing and job hunting. Because of my background with horses and my fluency in Japanese I got many job offers. Below I will tell you about some of the places I have 'visited' and worked. Although needless to say I DO NOT work with horses anymore in Japan...which breaks my heart..but it broke my heart even more to be exposed to their conditions here... Below I will list the name of the club, the conditions of horses and stable, and riding ability/riding instructors (I have yet to see a 'Trainer' even though they call themselves that.)
1)Hinode Horse Riding club in Tokyo. Horses were in poor condition body scale 1-2 Stable in rough condition, club house very messy and cluttered with junk, couldn't tack up my lesson horse so i don't know that aspect. Outdoor riding arena with Dirt footing. no turnout. Instructors: I knew more than my lesson instructor and all she had me do was w/t/c and she said in order to pick up the canter just keep hitting the horse with the whip. Horse had no idea about leg and rein aids..(needless to say I refused to whip the horse to a canter..just did w/t and was a waste of my time and money. Watched a trainer give lesson and finally said to my husband..."god...lets get out of here". Appalled by this place.
2)Fujisawa Riding Club in Kanagawa Went here for a job interview. The owners wanted to hire me but I refused. During my interview the owner asked me non-horse related questions 'like..how much my husband made in his job', but mostly he bragged about his son (whom i never heard of and quite frankly didnt care..) They have a huge and beautiful indoor but that's pretty much it. From what I saw on my 'tour' of the stable, the stalls looked like temp stalls you see in traveling shows. I wanted to see the horses but he wouldn't let me check them out. the owner of the place pretty much did nothing but brag about his son, the indoor, and that famous people come to ride there. All of the crap i don't care about. Horses people..horses..thats why I'm there.. Anyways, they called me the next day ask me to work for them and I said no thank you. I don't know much about this place in terms of riding skills (no one was having a lesson), or horses condition because he didnt let me get too close..which i found to be strange since I was offered a job there..
3)Atsugi Riding Club in Kanagawa: Horses: Most of them were very unhappy, pinned ears back while cleaning stall, 2 horses there would lung at anyone that walked by and 1 was downright dangerous. All horses were about a mid to high 1 or low-mid 2 in body scoring. Stable: small stalls, board across front for door, sawdust shavings, outside cross tie structure, no turn out, sandstone outdoor arena, feed was oats, bran, hay cubes (no hay bales), and salt. Trainers: Hisao & Nao Mukojima. Hisao is a nice person, very happy guy, although Im not to keen on his riding (even though he does well in horse shows here). He rides the horses very hard! Jumps them very hard, from what I saw he pushes the horse over a certain height once, then raises the bar jumps again, does the same thing. Then the horse jumps a height he cant fully make and knocks over rails, and he would raise the height again! Then another time, a horse was really badly colicing..sweating, laying flat down in the stall. I told Nao and she didnt say anything. I said I'm going to walk this horse now! If things don't change something needs to be done (like call a vet or give banamine) She just looked at me dumbfounded. So I got the horse walked it around while some other instructor was doing a lesson. And he said..umm you can put that horse back in his stall now. I knew clearly that the horse wasn't ok. I explained about the colic to this guy and she said..well your in my way, and the horse can just lay down. I looked at him and said (in English so he wouldn't understand) 'what are you stupid!' so being force to put the horse back in the stall..and right away the horse went down. I went to Nao and told her what had happened and then she finally got the seriousness of the situation and yelled at the instructor (hehee dumb@$$) and made one of the younger kids walk the horse around. I went back up to the arena and the kid was so mad he had to walk the horse (which i would have gladly done!) he kept saying 'why do i have to walk this stupid horse..just put it back in the stall' and the instructor was like 'that girl is making you, don't walk the horse just get on and ride it." I was like...Jesus Christ you people are so thick you make me sick. That was the last straw at the place! Never saw Nao his wife ride but she understood about some aspects of horse care. When 'trying' to train their horses' staff members as well as Hisao use a saw like pulling on the reins to try to collect the horse. And I mean like..PULLING like WHOA stop this crazy runaway horse pulling.. I worked here for just 1 week which felt like a lifetime! When I told Nao I quit she asked why and I let her have it..of course with tears in my eyes because i just felt so bad for the horses. Work staff was unfriendly (except for one girl who left for the same reasons I did!). The club house is very nice, roomy, and clean, but don't be fooled by the pictures of the stables on there website..place was a dump in my opinion.
4) Hachioji Riding club in Tokyo. I worked at this place for 4 months (before going back to the States for an extended visit) The horses conditions range from 2-3 depends on the horse (some are more valued than others...) Most horses have semi-good dispositions but they are all over worked! Horses get AM feed which is oats, bran, salt, powered calcium and hay cubes. Lunch for some horses is pellets don't know what type but it looked like hay stretcher (but it wasn't) they get hay twice a day (unless i was working ^^ they got more when I was there) Stable is nothing to brag about, stalls in main stable are very small with cement walls all around and a metal bar for a door/stall guard. Bedding is saw dust but sometimes in the fall they use leaves..which is gross but whatever..(remember I had to clean the stalls) Outdoor arena was sandstone, very hard, and very dusty. Training..training..without naming names...I'll just say, most of them don't know how to lung a horse, they always use the gag technique and the horse just goes crazy..NO control at all! Horses don't know any cues for lunging and most don't know leg, rein, and body aids. Lessons consist of anywhere from one on one to 13 people at once. Horses head to butt everywhere! Lessons here are great for anyone that wants to w/t/c in a large circle with no learning on how to collect your horse or use aids. All lessons I have seen have been..."walk...trot..change driection..canter..trot.." If you want real lessons this isn't the place for you i think. Anyways, No turn out although I've seen 1 horse on occasion up at the jumping arena (again sandstone) in "turn out". Tack and equipment is horrible. Saddle pads are dirty, ripped, moldy not washed often, same with the saddles and the bits for most of them...a crime! Saddles don't fit horses, I've seen saddle sores, girth rubs, spur sores on the horses. Some horses (especially the ponies) have rain rot and nothing is done about it. Stalls (when I wasn't cleaning them) were always a mess! I always had to dig down deep to get the urine out of the stall. (btw no stall mats) One time the middle-school High school kids that ride and help out there cleaned the stalls...i had to redo them all because they only took out 1/4 truck bed full of mess..when it takes 1 1/2 truck full... Pony stable is horrible..ponies are in bad condition with rain rot, thrush, saddle sores (even open saddle sores on withers) saddles don't fit, saddle pads ripped, way too big, never cleaned, bits are rusted! Main Instructor (the owners son) tacks up ponies and leaves them in stall for hours with all tack on..they give hay to ponies with bridle still on! I always took everything off and tried to explain to the main pony instructor that you shouldn't do that.. I've watched him ride, and take care of ponies..He isn't a horse person, he has been around them all his life but doesn't have the first clue in what to do. We had this new green pony from Hokkaido (i fell in love with her) and I was training her to lunge using voice command and lunge line pressure, and whip position which i was able to use my hand she was so smart!, pick up her feet for grooming and riding her. The main instructor also was working with her..however his technique.. use the lung whip until she ran. Slap and hit her until she lifted up her feet (Yeah..I saw this once and I yelled at him..I really did..I didnt care at that point) and he doesn't know how to ride.Always after he rode this pony..i had to re-train her! I remember riding together with him and he was staring at me and saying...oh..wow...no wonder..so that's how you do it.." Anyways, moving on. The key word during lessons on both horse and pony side is 'muchi' aka Whip. everyone has spurs and whips...and everyone believes they need spurs and whips to get the horse/pony to move. Rode one cross country horse there..they told me he had a fast canter..horse was uncontrollable and didnt know what a half halt was. After getting off one of the instructors had the balls to tell me 'I'll show you how to ride that horse next time' I just bit my tongue. Really, they should show the horse natural aids and not use artificial means of getting a horse to move. I would run fast too if I was whipped all the time, rather than squeezed into a transition. Most of the horses I rode didnt know leg and rein aids...anyways, i could keep going on and on.. The only thing going for this place is that everyone there clients and staff are really nice, give or take a few people. I no longer work there because when I went back to Boston the big earthquake had happened and my month visit turned into 9 month visit. Back in Japan now..but I don't think I would go back since all this time past...and since I'm just the American girl at the Japanese stable..there is only so much i can advise and tell without stepping on toes or being rude. So if you are a horse person like me..where the horses always and must come first..be warned that Japan is not America, its not a horse country, they don't know the ins and outs of horse care, or riding (could be why you don't see them rank high in the Olympics..) nor do they have the space, or distribution of good horse care/feed product. I have never once seen a feed like in America such as triple crown, senior, or other top grains. Then again, as a Japanese instructor once told me.. "Horses are a commodity not a partner or friend. After all its like a machine." If you live in Tokyo and had to choose between the stables I listed. Hachioji is by far the best. Also, Hachioji has another location in Tokyo called Ongata Stable. This place is much better in horse care, stalls, training. In fact they have a fluent English speaking 'trainer' (I will call her that!) named Sato-san. She is awesome, she went to uni in America I think it was Michigan and got a degree in Equine studies. She speaks her mind and doesn't get caught up in all the Japanese political business crap. She is all about the horses. I would have gladly worked with her at Ongata but transportation getting there is a little troublesome. Lastly, I haven't been there but I heard and was warned to stay away from any CRANE riding schools in Japan, due to bad conditions of horses and the snooty atmosphere, as well as it is 100% rider orientated with no regards to the horses. I hope that this has helped anyone interested in riding in Japan. If anyone knows of real true horse loving, good horse care places in Tokyo, let me know! I have yet to find any. Kristin
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