Scheduling 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.
Lesson Booking Requests
We accept lesson booking requests for specific days and times. We do not book lessons based on requests for specific horses or instructors. At the start of the booking process, we internally confirm the availability of a suitable horse and instructor. We are not able to process request based on conditions/preferences of specific horses or instructors. Preferences for a specific horse or instructor in a lesson request will be disregarded.
Recurring Lessons
A recurring lesson is repeated weekly on the same day and at the same time. These lesson bookings are the most popular and receive scheduling priority. While subject to adjustments when necessary, we also reserve the same horse and instructor each week to maintain consistency for students, horses, and instructors. However, changes may occur due to unforeseen circumstances.
Non-Recurring (Single) Lessons
Non-recurring lessons are booked individually and are not a weekly commitment like recurring lessons.
These lessons are subordinate to recurring lessons and may be cancelled if they conflict with a request for a recurring booking. Conflicts include:
Time Conflict – A new recurring student requests the same time slot.
Horse Availability Conflict – Each horse has a maximum number of rides per day. If a recurring lesson is booked with the same horse; whether at the same time, directly before or after the lesson, or if it would exceed the horse’s daily ride limit, then the non-recurring lesson may be cancelled to ensure appropriate spacing and workload for the horse.
__________________
Guest Lessons
Guest Lessons may be booked individually or on a recurring basis. Guest Lesson bookings are only confirmed after payment has been received for the specific lesson.
Scheduling a Lesson
Lesson booking requests are accepted, for up to, one calendar month at a time plus 7 days before the start of the month.
Lesson Cancellations Notices
Lesson cancellations notices are accepted during the month of the cancelled lesson or up to 7 days before the start of that month.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations are only accepted by submission through our Cancellation and Rescheduling Application.
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.
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 as 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.