Cancellation Policy

Scheduling riding lessons is more complex than most other activities. Each lesson requires matching the rider with a suitable and available horse—considering the horse’s size, training level, and temperament—as well as an appropriate instructor. Horses are also limited in how many lessons they do each day and need scheduled rest periods between lessons to ensure their well-being. All of these factors are reviewed and aligned for each lesson booking.

Because of this complexity, we strictly adhere to our scheduling and cancellation policy. Every booking and cancellation requires significant time and management.

Definitions

Cancellation: Any change to the scheduled day or time of a lesson. Re-bookings are considered cancellations.
Free Cancellation: A cancellation that does not incur a charge for a cancelled lesson.
Cancellation Notice: An emailed or texted notification received, for one or more consecutive canceled lessons.
Cancellation Limit: The number of free cancellation notices allowed per month, based on membership tier.
Cancellation Cutoff: The latest time a cancellation notice must be received to qualify as a free cancellation.

Free Cancellation Notices Per Month

Bronze Membership: 1 cancellation notice per month, if received by 6pm the previous day.

Silver Membership: 2 cancellation notices per month, if received by 6pm the previous day.

Gold Membership: 4 cancellation notices per month, if received within 2 hours of the lesson.

Welcome Package: 1 cancellation notice, if received by 6pm the previous day.

Guest Lesson Student: 1 cancellation notice per month, if received by 6pm the previous day.

Legacy Student: 1 cancellation notice per month, if received by 6pm the previous day.

Cancellation Timing

Lesson cancellations notices are accepted during the month of the cancelled lesson or up to 7 days before the start of that month.

Cancellation Charges

Cancellations that do not qualify as a free cancellation or for a cancellation illness exemption, are charged the lesson price.

Cancellation Illness Exemption

Each rider is entitled to up to two (2) self-declared cancellation illness exemptions per calendar year. No doctor’s note is required.

To qualify, each notice of cancellation must be received by 10:00 AM on the day of the scheduled lesson via email to managers@riversideequestrian.ca.

An illness exemption may cover multiple consecutive lessons related to the same illness and remains valid until the rider has recovered and is able to return to lessons. Each illness counts as one exemption, regardless of duration. To extend an illness exemption because the student has not recovered, notice must be received by 6pm the previous day.

Once the two annual illness exemptions have been used, sickness-related cancellations are no longer accepted; however, the standard cancellation policies still apply and are available to the student.

Illness exemptions do not carry over between calendar years.

Late Arrival

If a lesson cannot proceed due to late arrival, the standard cancellation policy applies.

Please arrive 30 minutes before your lesson. Unexpected delays, such as traffic can impact arrival time. Lessons cannot be delayed due to scheduling constraints for instructors and horses.