Responsibilities:

We encourage all students to spend extra time developing bonds with the horses. All group and private lesson students are required to groom and tack horses, as well as help with barn chores. The minimum time commitment is one half hour before and one half hour after each lesson plus an additional hour of barn chores.  

Equipment: 

All students are required to wear an ASTM/SEI approved riding helmet and heeled boots with a smooth sole while riding.

Liability Release:

Parents or guardians of all students are required to sign a liability release prior to starting lessons.

Fees:

Are due the first lesson of the month and are non-refundable.  Please pay by check/money order only and reference student’s name on the check.  Payment made after the 15th of the month will incur a $25 penalty.  Student will not be able to ride until the penalty is paid.  Habitual late payments may result in revoking riding lessons or raising the penalty fee as determined by the VRA management.

Make-up Lesson Policy: 

In the event students cannot ride their scheduled lesson, the lesson may be rescheduled provided there is space and the instructor has given prior approval.  The instructor should be notified as soon as possible.  If VRA is not made aware of the student’s cancellation prior to the lesson, the lesson is forfeited. If the missed lesson is due to a scheduled event (vacation, finals, etc.) the make-up lesson must be completed in advance of the scheduled event.   Once the make-up is scheduled, it cannot be re-scheduled again; if a student cancels a make-up lesson, that lesson is forfeited.

Missed lessons must be made up in the same month or, if missed in the last week of the month, it must be made up in the first week of the following month.  If a student misses a scheduled make-up, the student will not be entitled to a second make-up lesson.  Make-ups are only available when there is room in an appropriate class.  Please plan ahead of time.

Make-ups for holidays will be handled depending on the day on which the holiday falls.  Prior to any holiday, VRA instructors will announce holiday make-up dates which  will be posted on bulletin boards in the barn..

Lesson Change Policy: 

If a student needs to change from lessons twice per week to once per week, they must notify their instructor at least two weeks before the month the desired change takes effect. When changing to once per week students are not guaranteed their preferred class.  A meeting with the instructor will be necessary to determine whether or not the rider can keep up with the requested class.

A student is only entitled to the amount of lessons they schedule.  VRA instructors want students to ride as much as possible and are happy when the students get an extra lesson in a long month.  However, students are only entitled to the extra lesson if they have attended all planned lessons, as agreed upon in  their schedule.  If a student cancels a class in a long month, they are not permitted to make it up if the monthly total still equals the scheduled amount.

Private lesson students must give a minimum of 24 hours notice for lesson cancellation.  If a lesson is cancelled with less than 24-hour notice the lesson must be paid in full.