Please read the following list of required and recommended kit. As well as our Policies, Procedures, Bad Weather Policy, and Waiver of Liability below. If you have any questions, see our post with FAQ’s, or contact one of our staff.

By making a booking as a member with A M Equestrian you acknowledge, accept, and agree to comply with all of the below.

FACILITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

• ^{Riders are required to be dressed to ride safely as below. We cannot allow anyone to ride or enter the premises who is not wearing appropriate safety equipment.}

HELMETS:

• _{Must be worn by all clients while both riding and in the yard area.}
• _{Must be of current NZPCA safety standards which you can find here. Please note that these have updated recently, ensure that any new helmets you purchase will be of the new safety standard – some shops are still selling old stock.}

FOOTWEAR:

• _{Riding boots must be worn by all persons while riding.}
• _{Sturdy closed toed boots or riding boots must be worn by all persons in the yard area.}
• _{New riders are welcome to borrow helmets and riding boots for their first few sessions. We ask that all gear borrowed is to be returned tidily to the tack shed, clean and ready for the next person to use.}

REQUIRED CLOTHING:

• _{A fitted shirt which covers the shoulders, such as a polo shirt, or long sleeved base layer. For Pony Club riders, a uniform AME polo}
• _{Jodhpurs, breeches, or riding tights}
• _{Long socks}
• _{A fitted warm layer}
• _{A waterproof layer in case of rain}
• _{All regular riders and all persons riding on a subscription membership are required to purchase their own helmet and riding boots.}

New riders may ride in leggings until they acquire some suitable riding pants.

• _{For safety reasons we cannot allow anyone to ride in baggy t shirts, hoodies, strappy singlets, or shorts.}

OPTIONAL BUT RECCOMMENDED:

• _{Riding gloves}
• _{Chaps or gaiters for your lower leg}

We also recommend bringing a water bottle, sunscreen, and sunglasses during the summer months.

• _{We are happy to show you around our facilities or have prospective students come and watch a session. To protect the privacy of our clients, lessons or visits are invited by appointment only.}
• _{NO DOGS. Not even in your car. This is to ensure the health and safety of all involved and the preservation of property. Note that you will see dogs around the facility, these belong to the landowners and livery clients. These dogs are stock safe and their presence is pre approved.}
• _{Riders are invited to arrive 5-10 minutes prior to their scheduled lesson time to ensure they are ready to ride. Please see the list above, and contact our staff if you have any questions. Pony Club riders should arrive well in advance of their ride time, as specified for each level.}
• _{For health and safety reasons – we can only allow students to enter the yards during their scheduled lesson time, and only under staff supervision.}
• _{Additionally, no parents, caregivers or otherwise are permitted to enter the yard area at any time. We do invite spectators from the picnic table area.}
• _{Please ensure that you check in with, or hand your child over to, an instructor or the yard manager at the beginning of the session. This allows us to know how many people are in the yard area at all times and ensure everybody’s safety.}
• _{The above rule applies at all times. We endeavor to prevent rider falls, however if a rider was to fall from their horse we must insist that you allow our experienced staff to handle the situation. If support from parents is required, we will certainly call on you.}
• _{We have a strict no bullying policy. Any client found to be bullying others will be asked to leave the program immediately.}
• _{Safe riding and handling practices must be followed while in contact with any equine, if in doubt – Ask your instructor! Any persons deliberately or repeatedly ignoring instruction from staff will be asked to leave the premises.}
• _{Any damage caused to property or stock caused by a visitor to the properties negligence will be billed to them accordingly.}
• _{Children on the property are to be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times outside of scheduled staff supervision.}
• _{No person is to enter a yard or paddock without express permission from staff.}

BOOKING AND PAYMENT POLICIES

• _{All bookings must be pre paid through the Hello Club booking platform to ensure your place.}
• _{Subscription bookings bill every week automatically from your account, with sessions continuing to run weekly, except for during scheduled breaks such as over Christmas.}
• _{Casual bookings may be refunded, or rescheduled with 2 weeks notice should schedule space permit, and must be used within 30 days of the original booking.}
• _{Subscription bookings will automatically renew until such time that you give 30 days notice to forfeit your place.}
• _{Members with a current subscription to any of our services, and riders with their own horses are eligible for reduced rates for any casual bookings.}
• _{We do not offer catch up classes for students who miss booked sessions without 2 weeks advance notice, except in the case of illness or injury accompanied by a doctors note.}
• _{Catch up sessions must be used within 60 days of the original booking. Frequent absences may result in a student falling behind their peers, we reserve the right to change a students riding group if required to maintain the safety of all our riders.}

BAD WEATHER POLICY

• _{We believe there is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing! We endeavor to run casual lessons rain or shine. Should the weather or ground conditions make it exceedingly unsafe to ride we will postpone and reschedule the session.
  Our facility is in a micro climate of its own, with bad weather often passing around us. Please note that unless you hear from us then we are business as usual. If in doubt, check your emails from the HelloClub portal.}
• _{Pony Club sessions will go ahead no matter the weather, with unmounted horsemanship sessions should weather conditions make it unsafe to ride.}

DEVICE USE
Use of mobile phones or headphones around horses increases risk of accident or injury. As part of our annual review of our Health and Safety policies we have identified an increased incidence of youth using their phones around, and even ON horseback. We would appreciate your parental support in helping riders develop safe habits around horses. 

DEVICES:

• Must stay in riders bags during their lesson
• Are not ever to be used while riding
• Are not to be used to video others without their consent – this includes coaches and assistants
• Will be confiscated by coaches if mis-used and returned only to the parent
• If you need to use your phone (eg to contact your parent), seek permission from your coach

Head phones should never be used around horses, it is imperative that you can hear the goings on around you and instructions from your coaches in order to stay safe.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Any photos or videos posted online featuring any aspect of AME or Shotover Equestrian must be pre approved by your coach
• You must have the express permission of all persons in the photo/video in order for it to be posted online
• Consider social license to operate – ensure that any media portrays our sport in a positive light
• No bullying will be tolerated. Bullying is cause for dismissal from the program.

CHILD – STAFF COMMUNICATION

It is inappropriate for persons under 18 to be making direct private contact with staff except in the case of an emergency. Please monitor your childs mobile use, you may be unaware that your child is often sending multiple messages with horse requests or other questions while they are in class at school, or late at night. All correspondence is to go between parents and our staff.

The BAND app provides a place for riders to ask their coaches questions on the main feed, and to communicate with each other where their parents can also monitor conversations.

GATES

Please keep the front gate closed and latched at all times.

PARKING

Please park alongside the grass, as shown here in yellow:

END OF DAY TIDY UP

Please ensure your rider has completed all their end of day tidy up before leaving. 

Expectations:

• Pick up all manure their horse has done, including at the tie ups and between the tie ups and arena!
• Groom their horse
• Put all their tack away, tidily
• Wash their bit
• Put away all brushes and whips they used
• D+ and C riders are to rug and put horse away in its paddock if required

HORSE REQUESTS

As always, we do not take horse requests. Except on your birthday! All riders get to make a birthday horse request, which we send an email about.

Otherwise, we match you with the horse that we feel will match each rider the best on that particular day. Every horse has something valuable to teach each rider, and it is often the ones that push you to learn a new skill or try something new who you end up loving the most!

P.S. If you’re a regular rider we definitely already know who your favourites are 🙂

WAIVER OF LIABILITY

By completing your registration and making a booking, you:

• _{Agree to follow all facility policies and procedures.}
• _{Acknowledge that there are livestock present on the property including dogs, horses, and other farm animals, and that these can be unpredictable by nature, with their actions able to cause injury or death to an affected person.}
• _{Accept that horse riding, falls from horses, and associated handling of equines carries inherent risks to yourself or your child’s safety, which may cause injury or death.}
• _{Indemnify A M Equestrian from liability of these risks.}