LESSONS RULES
Please click each section to expand it below.
THE FIRST LESSON
Lessons are booked and paid for in advance. Absolutely no lessons will be given without payment. Prior to the lesson the parent of children under 19 will be asked to read and sign a Waiver of Liability form. A friend or relative cannot sign for the student. Proper riding footwear is mandatory, in particular, a boot with a small heel. Helmets are not required for the first lesson as students will be coached on the ground to start.
MONTHLY SCHEDULE
Before the end of the month, please make sure you have informed us that you wish to continue to participate in lessons at your regular time. This ensures that you receive the same time slot as the month before. If you do not pay for your lessons before the beginning of the month they are not considered to be booked. Should the student want to take a hiatus from lessons over the summer months their current time slot will unfortunately not be held open for their return.
CANCELLING LESSONS
Anna’s Contact:
(902)956-4794, or email her at afbriand@hotmail.com, or send her a Facebook Message .
Kaila’s Contact
(902)986-6999, or email her at kvwatters@hotmail.com, or send her a Facebook Message.
It is important that you call and not become a “No Show”. Lessons may be canceled without penalty with 48 hours’ notice, lessons that are canceled with less than 48 hours notice will be subject to the lesson fee, unless we can find a substitute for your riding time. We do not guarantee our ability to find last minute substitutes.
MAKE-UP LESSONS
You are responsible for scheduling your make-up lessons. This must be done through your instructor. Make-up lessons may be scheduled within the same month as the missed lesson and will be subject to availability. If the make-up lesson cannot be made up in the same month, it must be made up the following month or will be forfeited. Make-up lessons may be on a different day and time than your regular lesson. In instances where lessons are cancelled by Meadow Brook Stables or the Instructor (i.e. inclement weather or instructor illness) then a make-up lesson will be scheduled by your instructor. If you have to cancel a Make-Up Lesson it will be forfeit. There is a limit of one Make-Up Lesson per Month.
WHEN TO ARRIVE FOR LESSONS
Grooming and saddling the horse are part of every lesson. Horses need to be thoroughly groomed before and after each ride. All equipment must be put away. Students should arrive 10-20 minutes before the lesson, and plan to stay 10-15 minutes after their lesson. The more the riders learn about grooming and tacking up skills the more tasks they can do by themselves in the future. The early arrival doesn’t apply to our young riders that need assistance with catching their horses, grooming and tacking, their lesson starts at the scheduled time. If students show up 15 minutes late their lesson is forfeit, and no refund will be given.
ROUTINE FOR PARENTS
Parents are welcome to watch their children ride. We do ask if bringing children to the lesson that aren’t riding that they sit quietly to observe and don’t pose as a distraction to the horse or rider.
HORSE ASSIGNMENTS
The instructors consider many different factors when assigning horses including the riders’ size and skill, and the horses’ temperaments, workloads, training. Each horse will teach you something. Asking is all right, but please do not demand that you ride (or not ride) certain horses. Instructors reserve the right to hold a ground or theory lesson when deemed necessary or appropriate for any lesson.
WHAT TO WEAR
Helmets: ASTM-certified riding helmet. We recommend taking your child to Greenhawk (either in Truro or Halifax) to get properly fitted for their own helmet.
Boots: Must have a well-defined heel.
Pants: Jeans, leggings, breeches or sweat pants may be worn
Gloves: A must during the cold weather.
Tops: Form-fitting tops should be worn.
Riders should dress for the weather in layers with sweaters that zip or front-button so they can be easily removed or put on while the student is helmeted and mounted. Jackets must be zipped up if they are worn while riding. Hair must be kept out of the face by being tied back. No gum chewing while riding.
STAYING WARM OR COOL
During winter months we recommend the use of Hot Paws (or similar) hand and feet warmers for the lessons, and coming with a thermos of hot chocolate. During summer months we recommend coming with a water bottle or Gatorade, as well as sun block.
FEEDING TREATS
Horses love carrots and apples but please ask first before feeding them. Please feed with a flat, open hand to avoid harm to your fingers.
RULES OF THE BARN
All Riders, parents and guests are expected to follow the Rules of the Barn. These rules are in effect for the safety and well-being of all the horses and all the riders. Please respect our rules and understand that everyone has the same rules. If people attending at the barn cannot respect and participant under the said rules they will be asked to ride and train elsewhere.
WEATHER
Lessons, or any portion of lessons, canceled due to inclement weather (i.e. thunderstorms, high winds, snow) will be made up. We will make every effort to contact you in advance of inclement . If you have any concerns about the weather please check the Facebook Group for Updates.
PAYMENT POLICIES
We ask that all students commit to taking at least one lesson per week and commit to a Block of Lessons (1 month) at a time. We request a minimum of two weeks’ advance notice in the event that you need to change your lesson schedule or withdraw from lessons.
Payment is due on the first day of the month. If payment is not received by the 7th of the month, a $25 late fee will be automatically added to your Invoice, an additional $2.50 fee will be added each day until the Invoice is paid in full. In that event please check your balance of your Invoice before submitting payment. This must be in the form of cash or eTransfer or a check (payable to Meadow Brook Stables) for the correct and full amount. In the event you are unable to make your (full) payment at that time, your Invoice will be adjusted. Payment must be made prior to your next scheduled lesson, or that lesson will be forfeited. The exception to this is if you are paying weekly for your lessons, you will not get the discounted rate and will be invoiced as such (which must be discussed ahead of time and arrangements made to pay as such) – otherwise it will be assumed you are paying for the whole Block on the 1st and be Invoiced as such.
You are responsible for the cost of all of your scheduled lessons. We schedule lessons at the start of a Lesson Block (i.e. September and October is one lesson block, if your lesson normally falls on a Friday and there are 9 Friday’s between those two months you will be Invoiced for 9 Lessons, if you can’t make it to one of the scheduled lessons in the block you will be required to schedule a Make-Up Lesson. With the exception that you inform us that there is 1 of the 9 lessons you can’t make before you are Invoiced).
PLANNED ABSENCES
If an absence is noted at the time of payment, i.e. the first lesson of the month, this will be considered a Planned Absence. A make-up lesson may be scheduled within the same month as the absence. A Make-up Lesson Request form must be filled out by your instructor at the time of payment for a make-up lesson to be scheduled. Any absence not noted at the time of payment is considered an un-planned absence.
UN-PLANNED ABSENCES
The lesson will be forfeited. We understand last-minute conflicts arise, however we are unable to accommodate a make-up/credit due to our large client base. Our programming is well planned and we make every effort to limit the number of participants per lesson.
NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN.
NO EXCEPTIONS
GENERAL RULES
- Cigarette smoking, cigar smoking, pipe smoking or any other type of smoking are prohibited anywhere on property.
- No alcohol use will be allowed on property. If you are found to be intoxicated you will be removed from the property at once and your boarding contract will be cancelled immediately.
- Dogs are not allowed on the property unless cleared with Meadow Brook Stables Management.
- Clean up after your horse(s) if (s)he soils any of the common areas (this includes the riding arena, yard, or driveway – you do not have to clean up after your horse if they soil on the road or pasture).
- Put things back the way you found them (if you open a door close it, if you unlock a door lock it, if you open/close gates make sure you put them back the way they were, if you turn off the fence to get a horse out turn it back on when you put the horse back in, if you put out obstacles in the arena put them back away when you are done, if you turn on the hose be sure to turn it off when done, if you turn on a light, turn it off when done etc…)
- Do NOT let your horse walk on the lawn, especially in wet conditions, if your horse does walk on the lawn and leave holes you will be responsible for filling the holes and seeding it.
- No guests may ride or handle horses at Meadow Brook Stables without prior permission from Meadow Brook Stables Management.
- An ATSM Approved helmet is mandatory while mounted for any rider under the age of 18.
- All motor vehicles must be parked only in designated parking areas, do NOT park on the grass.
- No borrowing of anyone else’s equipment without their permission. We will not be responsible for or mediate disputes regarding misplaced/stolen/broken equipment.
- Please make sure all tack, brushes, saddles etc are picked up and placed back in the respective area.
- Halters are NOT to be left on horses while in pasture.
Your cooperation in recognizing the importance of these rules, as well as adhering to them, is greatly appreciated. This is your notice of these rules. These rules are for your protection as well as the horses. The above rules are subject to change at management’s discretion, you will be notified in writing of any changes.