RIDING LESSON commitment

When you become a part of our lesson program, you commit to weekly lessons on a monthly basis.

PAYMENT POLICY

• We require students to sign up for auto-pay which automatically charges the card on file on a monthly basis.

• If you choose to discontinue lessons, you must notify us prior to your next auto-payment.

• There are no refunds if you choose to discontinue lessons mid-month.

Cancellation/Missed Lesson Policy

• Lessons missed for any reason other than instructor cancellation are not refunded or credited and make up lessons are not guaranteed.

• If you cannot make your lesson time, let us know right away. It is best to send a Slack message, but you can also text your instructor or the main farm number. If you need to schedule an absence, let us know as soon as possible. As noted above and below, make-up lessons are not guaranteed.

• Lessons missed without prior notification will be considered a No Show. A No Show will not be allowed any makeup opportunity, and after two No Shows, a student will be removed from the program with no refunds.

• Make up lessons are not guaranteed, but if your instructor is available to schedule a makeup with you, it must be made up within 2 weeks of the missed lesson and are $15 ($10 for Young Riders and $5 for Pony Pals).

• Classes cancelled by Hidden Hills due to instructor unavailability or inclement weather will either be rescheduled or will be credited to the student’s next session.  No refunds will be given.

Inclement Weather and holidays

• Rain/Storms: We are thankful to have a covered arena so that lessons can generally carry on despite the weather.  We often teach horsemanship ground skills during rainy weather. Severe storms are often short-lived and spotty, so we tend to hunker down during a storm and then resume lessons. We will note on Slack if we choose to cancel due to severe weather.

• Cold Weather: We carry on despite the cold weather, but please make sure your riders are prepared for cold weather riding!

• If you choose to cancel or reschedule due to inclement weather, please let us know as soon as possible.  All normal cancellation policies apply.

• Holidays: We do not teach on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day. We generally teach during other holidays and school spring and fall breaks. If you need to schedule an absence due to a holiday, school break, or other reason, please inform your instructor as soon as possible. As noted above, make-ups are not guaranteed, but your instructor will see what options there might be for a make-up.

Lesson Procedures

• Hidden Hills teaches total horsemanship from the ground up. Toward that end, we teach all riders in Level 1 and up how to prepare their horses for their lessons and how to clean up afterward.  Expect hour-long lessons to last a bit longer for riders to help with a few barn/horse chores.

• New riders can expect the majority, if not all, of their first few lessons to be primarily groundwork. Once basic horse handling skills and ground skills have been learned, the amount of time spent in the saddle depends largely on how quickly the rider can get their horse ready.

• Our instructors strive to provide at least 30-40 minutes of riding instruction per 60 minute lessons, with 10-15 minutes budgeted for grooming and tacking and another 10-15 minutes for untacking and clean up. If your rider needs more time to prep for their lesson, you can talk with your instructor bout arriving a little early.

• When you arrive at your lesson, check in with your instructor before handling any horses.

• Parents are welcome to drop off riders for their lessons, but we are not responsible for any riders prior to or after their lesson time.

• Parents, siblings, and other guests are welcome to watch lessons from outside the barn. Please do not interfere with instructors or gather in or around the barn or work area.

• We encourage our students to participate in the schooling shows and other events hosted at Hidden Hills and off site.  These are great ways to “show off” learned skills and discover riding strengths and weaknesses.  Ask your instructor about upcoming events and how to prepare for it.  All events will incur extra fees. 

Riding attire

• Long pants, closed toed shoes, and an ASTM certified riding helmet are required for all riders. We provide helmets for new riders. Students in Level 2 and above should have their own helmets and proper riding boots (smooth sole with 1” heel). For examples of proper attire, check out the examples we put together here.

• During cold weather, please be sure your rider is dressed warmly with appropriate riding gloves and warm socks/shoes.

• Our Rider Apparel Exchange at the barn Office is a great place to exchange, buy, or donate your good, clean used riding clothes and shoes! All items, unless otherwise marked, are $10 or can be exchanged.

TERMS & CONDITIONS AGREEMENT

This is the Terms & Conditions including the Cancellation Policy that all clients agree to at booking.

1. I understand that I am committing to weekly lessons for the entire posted session. If I do not book for the entire session, then any remaining lessons will be booked for me.

2. I understand that if I do not pay tuition in full at the beginning of the session, then tuition is due monthly at the beginning of each month. If I do not pay via another method, then I understand that my card on file will be charged automatically at the beginning of the month.

3. I understand that once the session begins, lessons missed or canceled for any reason other than instructor cancellation are not refunded or credited and make up lessons are not guaranteed.

4. I understand that I will be charged a $45 drop fee for dropping out of lessons before the end of a session.

5. I understand that lessons missed without prior notification will be considered a No Show. A No Show will not be allowed any makeup opportunity, and after two No Shows, a student will be removed from the program and a Drop Fee will be charged to my card on file.

6. Make up opportunities, as available, must be made up within two weeks of a missed lesson and are $15.

7. We generally do not cancel lessons due to inclement weather. Please see Lesson Information on our website for complete inclement weather policies.

8. In the unlikely event that Hidden Hills cancels a lesson due to instructor unavailability or inclement weather, lessons will either be rescheduled or will be credited to the student’s next session. No refunds will be given.

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The Beginnings of a Horse Girl