Booking Conditions
1. Making Your Booking & Contract
In order to make your booking, the booking form must be completed and signed by the party leader (‘the Client’) who must be over the age of eighteen. On signing this form the Client confirms that all members of the party agree to bide by the Terms and Conditions set out in this document. A Contract will exist between the client and Equestrian Escapes as soon as the confirmation invoice has been issued. This Contract is governed by English law and in the unlikely event of a dispute both parties agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts at all times.
When completing the booking and riding experience forms, the Client is required to provide full details which truly reflect the personal information and riding ability of all members of the party.
On signing the booking and riding experience forms the Client declares that the information provided is accurate.
2. Payment
In order to secure your booking, a deposit of 20% of the total holiday price must be paid within ten days of making your provisional booking. We must receive the balance including any additional costs no later than eight weeks before departure. A reminder will be issued to the Client ten weeks prior to departure. If full payment is not received on the due date we reserve the right to treat the booking as cancelled and, therefore, apply cancellation charges as set out in clause 7 below. Should you make your booking within eight weeks of departure then the full cost of the holiday will be due immediately.
3. The Cost of Your Holiday Arrangements
Equestrian Escapes reserve the right to increase the price of your holiday in the event of exceptional cost increases which are out of our control. In the event of this occurring, we will absorb an amount equivalent to 2 % of the holiday price excluding any charges for alterations requested by you. Only amounts in excess of 2% will be surcharged. If this equates to more than 10% of your holiday price, you will automatically be entitled to cancel your holiday with the payment of a full refund of all money paid excluding alteration charges. Exceptional cost increases will include increases in transportation costs including fuel, taxes, (including VAT) or other fees payable for services such as passenger taxes or charges at airports or ports.
All itineraries clearly state what is included and excluded in the price of each holiday. In signing the booking form, the Client agrees to the itinerary and the price of the holiday.
4. Cancellation by Equestrian Escapes
In the unlikely event that we have to cancel your holiday for reasons other than
a) Fault of the client
b) Force majeure
c) Insufficient numbers to proceed with ride
we will endeavour to offer you an alternative holiday of at least comparable standard if available.
5. Alterations & Changes by Equestrian Escapes
Equestrian Escapes do the very best to ensure holidays are provided as booked.
However, our holidays and itineraries are planned months in advance of promotion and, therefore, are occasionally subject to changes. In the unlikely event that a ‘significant’ change is made, then subject to clause 6 below you will be given the option (to be exercised by giving notice to us in writing within 14 days of notification of a significant change) of
a) accepting the change; or
b) cancelling your holiday, whereupon you will receive a full refund.
A ‘significant’ change is a change in dates, a lower standard of accommodation for the whole or significant proportion of the holiday or a change to the whole or significant proportion of the riding programme.
In the event of minor alterations and changes made by Equestrian Escapes, no refund or compensation will be given and if you cancel the holiday the provisions of clause 7 will apply.
A minor change or alteration includes any change which is not a significant change.
If we are aware of changes prior to booking, we will inform the Client before a booking is made.
6. Force Majeure
Equestrian Escapes regret we cannot offer refunds or compensation in the event of cancellation or alterations as a result of force majeure. Force majeure is defined as war, threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, strike, lock-out, government action, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, flood and adverse weather conditions.
7. Cancellation by You
Bookings may be cancelled at any time prior to the departure date by written notification by the Client. The cancellation date will be taken as the date that written confirmation is received by Equestrian Escapes. For this reason, Equestrian Escapes recommend recorded delivery. Cancellation charges are expressed as a percentage of the total holiday price and are payable to Equestrian Escapes. Cancellation charges are as follows
a) 35 days or less before departure 100% cancellation charge
b) 35 – 56 days before departure 50% cancellation charge
c) Up to 56 days before departure 20% cancellation charge (namely loss of deposit)
8. Alterations & Changes by You
Should you wish to make changes to your holiday after confirmation, Equestrian Escapes will use our best endeavours to make the requested alterations, although we provide no guarantee that this will be possible.
An administration charge of �20 per person may be implemented at the discretion of Equestrian Escapes on each occasion when an alteration is made at your request.
Further, all additional costs incurred by either Equestrian Escapes or our suppliers are payable by the client.
9. Liability
In signing the booking form, the Client and all members of the party accept that horse riding is classed as a high risk sport and being in the vicinity of horses poses risks. Whilst riding or in the vicinity of those horses which are in the care of the tour operator or guide on your holiday, you must comply at all times with their instructions. It is a condition of your booking that you accept that the tour operator or guide is entitled to insist that you dismount or to refuse you the right to ride for any reason including your inability, health or behaviour, if they consider you are endangering or may endanger the safely or welfare of any persons or horses including yourself. In the event of such circumstances, you will not be entitled to any refund or compensation.
Please note that the laws, requirements and standards of the country in which any services which make up your holiday are provided, apply to those services and not those in the United Kingdom. As a general rule, these requirements and standards will not be the same as the United Kingdom and may sometimes be lower.
Equestrian Escapes require that the Client and all members of the party wear suitable safety equipment including hard hats whilst in the vicinity of horses. We require that hats comply with relevant safety standards, are purchased from reputable suppliers and are fitted by qualified persons.
On signing the booking form, you accept our suppliers may require you to sign separate acknowledgment and personal liability forms before you are allowed to ride. Refusal to sign such forms may result in your not being allowed to participate in riding or other activities. In those circumstances you will not be entitled to a refund or compensation from Equestrian Escapes.
We accept responsibility for ensuring that all parts of our contract with are properly performed except where failure or improper performance is due to:
a) your own acts or omissions.
b) the acts or omissions of a third party not connected with the provision of your arrangements and which are unforeseeable or unavoidable.
c) Any event which either we or the suppliers of the services in question could not have foreseen or forestalled even with all due care.
d) Force majeure
Although Equestrian Escapes will honour our contract with you in accordance with the above exceptions, it should be noted that accommodation, transport and other services we arrange on your behalf belong to and are managed by independent suppliers for whom we act as an agent and, therefore, we do not have direct control over these components.
Equestrian Escapes’ liability is limited as follows:
Liability other than for death and personal injury is limited to such amount as is reasonable taking into account the cost of the holiday booked with us and the extent to which your enjoyment of the holiday has been affected but (without prejudice to that) will not in any event exceed twice the cost of the holiday booked for the person affected (excluding any alteration charges). In the case of lost and/or damaged luggage or personal possessions (including money), our liability is limited to �25 per person as you are assumed to have taken out adequate insurance at the time of booking.
Equestrian Escapes will not have any liability to you for any damage, loss, expense or other sums of any description which
a) on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking, prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you.
b) did not result from any breach of contract or other fault by us or our employees or, where we are responsible for them, our suppliers.
Additionally Equestrian Escapes will not have any liability to you for any business losses.
In all cases, the liability of Equestrian Escapes in relation to any service is limited or excluded in accordance with the provisions of all international conventions relating to the provision of such services as if Equestrian Escapes was a supplier of the services in question, for the purpose of the relevant convention.
10. Travel Documents & Arrangements
Equestrian Escapes will use our best endeavours to provide assistance in finding and booking suitable travel and accommodation for your holiday. However, with the exception of transfers as per itinerary, Equestrian Escapes is not responsible for travel arrangements to and from your destination. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have all the necessary documentation for your holiday and Equestrian Escapes will not have any responsibility or liability towards you for any failure on your part to comply with requirements current at the time of your departure or any losses or costs incurred by reason of any omission on your part.
11. Delays
Equestrian Escapes will not offer any assistance in the event of a delay at your outward or homeward points of departure. Please refer to your carrier for assistance.
12. Behaviour
On signing the booking form, the Client accepts responsibility for loss and / or damage caused by the Client or any member of the party. Full payment for any such loss or damage must be paid directly to the appropriate party immediately. If you fail to do so you must indemnify us against any claims including legal costs subsequently made as a result of your acts or omissions.
We expect all clients to behave with consideration to other people. If, in our opinion, or in the opinion of any other person in authority, the Client or any member of the party behaves in such a way to cause or be likely to cause distress, danger, or annoyance to any third party or damage to property, we reserve the right to terminate the holiday arrangements of that person without notice. In this situation, our responsibility towards that person (including any return transfer arrangements) will immediately cease and we will not be responsible for meeting any costs or expenses that that person may incur as a result. We will not make any refunds or pay any compensation,
13. Special Request or Medical Problems
Although Equestrian Escapes will use our best endeavours to forward any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier, we regret we cannot promise that any request will be complied with unless we have expressly confirmed this to the Client in writing. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed onto a supplier or the inclusion of the special request on your confirmation or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met. Unless and until expressly confirmed in writing, all special requests are subject to availability. Please note that in general the rides carry a weight limit of 85 or 90 kg, if you are above this weight you need to check with us before booking.
14. Complaints
If you have a complaint or are unhappy about any aspect of your holiday, you must immediately inform the guide or operator of your holiday so that they can endeavour to put it right. If the matter cannot be resolved locally to your satisfaction and you wish to make a complaint you must telephone or fax Equestrian Escapes (we will accept reverse charge calls) at that time so that we may try and resolve the situation. If you are still not satisfied, you must notify us in writing, giving full details of the complaint, so that it reaches us not later than 28 days after the last day of your holiday. If you do not comply with any of these requirements, we will not accept any responsibility for the matter giving rise to your grievance, having been unable to put it right immediately or to investigate it at the relevant time.
15. Data Protection Policy
So that we may process your booking and ensure your travel arrangements run smoothly, we need to use the information you provide such as name, address, riding experience and any specific requirements.
We take full responsibility for ensuring proper security measures are in place to protect your booking.
We will not pass your details onto third parties not connected with your holiday. It is necessary to pass information provided by you onto the relevant suppliers. The information may also be received by security or credit checking companies, public authorities such as customs, immigration, if required by them or as required by law. Unless informed otherwise by you, we may use your information to provide you with future offers and information.
16. Financial Security
In compliance with the UK Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tour Regulations 1992, an insurance policy has been arranged to protect the monies paid in respect of the travel arrangements offered in respect of your holiday and to cater, where necessary (and subject to the terms of the insurance policy) for a refund of such monies and/or your repatriation to the UK in the unlikely event of our financial failure.
17. Conditions of Suppliers
Please note that all services are provided subject to the conditions of the relevant supplier. Some of these conditions may exclude or limit the suppliers’ liability to you, usually in accordance with the appropriate international conventions which apply to the services provided by such suppliers.
18. Insurance
Travel Insurance is mandatory for all clients travelling on these holidays and customers must demonstratethat they have adequate cover. Equestrian Escapes offers a comprehensive insurance policy that includes cover for personal belongings, cancellation, medical problems and it is, of course, valid for those participating in horse riding activities.
The cost of the cover for trips up to 7 days of duration is �20