It's of the utmost importance to us that everyone has a great time and enjoys their Pleasure Ride experience. Whilst the committee can do everything in our power to make that happen, we need your help too. Below are some important conditions to safeguard people & horses from harm, but to also protect the enjoyment of our event for all who attend.
Please read the following carefully as they are all enforced.
- Whilst this is an unaffiliated event, all riders must wear a certified protective helmet at all times when on horseback. This is an insurance requirement and will be strictly enforced at all times by ride organisers. Any riders who refuse to wear a helmet will be asked to leave the ride and cease their involvement on the trail during the day.
- All dogs must be on a lead at all times. We are happy for you to bring along your shorter four-legged friends but for the safety of all people, horses and other dogs we require them to be on a lead over the weekend.
- If your horse kicks or strikes out please ensure its tail is ribboned. Some parts on the trails can be tight and single-file required which can be a hazard for horses that strikeout. A ribbon in a horses tail can be easily identified by riders and the proper precautions can be taken.
- Excessive speed taken during the ride, especially when overtaking other riders, will not be tolerated. We are all there to enjoy a trail ride and the company you will find on the tracks, and horses and riders can be made uncomfortable when passed at a fast pace.
- Riders must not pass the designated 'front markers'. These markers will be wearing hi-vis vests and help control the pace of our ride so we reach certain destinations at certain times. Similarly, there will be a designated 'back marker'. All riders must be present between the back and front markers. If you see or hear them coming behind you, please ensure you get moving so we can all get back for dinner time.
- Please keep your camping area clean and tidy. There will be poo bags available at check-in and we would appreciate everyone placing their horse poo inside them. There will also be bins for general waste. We need to leave the reserve completely clean for the campers who stay at the grounds outside of our ride weekend.
- Respect each other. We won't have any problems over the course of the weekend if everyone is mindful of each other both on horseback and around the campsite.
Rider Capability
Whilst our event is indeed called a Pleasure Ride, a moderate level of rider capability and experience is required. This event would not be suitable for first-time riders as we do need people to ensure an adequate pace is kept on the ride for operational requirements. Please keep in mind that horses should also be exposed to large group-riding situations before attending our event, as it can be very overwhelming for both rider and horse due to the number of people on the trails at the same time.
Track Surfaces
The organisers always try to utilise new trails and tracks so that people returning for another ride get to experience something different. We also make a conscious effort to include as many paddock runs with softer surfaces as possible. The track is comprised of some dirt tracks and gravel/tarmac roads though, so we would recommend shoes for all horses if possible, otherwise appropriate boots for barefoot horses. This ensures that you and your horse get to enjoy the whole ride without the risk of injury.
Stallions
Whilst we understand some of you may want to bring along your beautiful boys, they are not permitted to attend our ride. The delicate fact is that they tend to cause their lady friends to misbehave which unfortunately sometimes leads to accidents. We want to ensure everyone has a great time and enjoys the countryside freely and without concern.
Private Property Access
Our event utilises a significant amount of private property including commercial property plants (wineries, grain farming, livestock farming etc). It is important for the preservation of these businesses that diseases are not transported onto the grounds where they operate. Diseases can be easily brought onto the paddock trials via the dirt in your horse's hooves and on your riding attire.
It is important that if you are coming from an area that has experienced any agriculture diseases that you contact the ride organisers before booking your ticket. For example - the Yarra Valley has a deadly grape-growing disease that could be extremely harmful to the local wineries that happily allow us passage. If in doubt, please ask us.
Wet Weather
In addition to the above, wet weather conditions can cause difficulties for our farming friends. Sending 200 horses through the same gateway can dig up their ground surfaces quite substantially. In the event of serious wet weather conditions (which is unlikely in this region in October, but not impossible) we may need to decrease the number of riders attending for that year. Should this event come to fruition everyone will be notified in advance, with those attendees directly affected being personally contacted by a Ride Organiser via phone.
Cancellation & Refund Policy - General Conditions
We understand and are sympathetic towards the fact that there are circumstances that may arise that prohibit you from attending the ride.
We are required to enforce the below policy to ensure the success and future longevity of our event. All funds raised are invested back into the reserve where the event is held, which improves the infrastructure and facilities available to you for the following year's event.
ALL cancellations MUST be accompanied by a doctor's certificate OR veterinary certificate in order to be eligible for a refund.
No refunds will be granted without one of the above certificates which must be supplied to us prior to the ride taking place. You are unable to receive a refund if you attempt to supply the certificate after this date, due to the organisers having already invested your funds into running the event. It is a constant situation for us where people pull out of the ride at the last minute when preparations have well and truly begun for the weekend. It also means those lovely people on our waitlist also miss out on a great opportunity to attend our event.
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Certificates supplied before Sunday 11 September 2022 will receive a full refund.
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Certificates supplied after Sunday 25th September 2022 will only receive a 50% refund if the ticket cannot be filled by someone else.
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Certificates supplied after Friday 30th September 2022 will not be eligible for a refund.
All cancellations must be emailed directly to Ride Organisers - gwpleasureride@gmail.com - or via our CONTACT US page. We ask that you do not contact us via our Facebook page if your enquiry is cancellation-related as it will not be accepted and processed. All refunds will incur a $5.00 non-refundable transaction fee (enforced by the payment provider).
Thank you for your understanding. We hope you won't need to contact us for a refund and instead look forward to seeing you at the ride!
Cancellation & Refund Policy - COVID Conditions
The Committee is keeping informed of all changes to event limits and regulations as required. We will be following all requirements needed to ensure we keep our attendees safe and healthy which may result in some changes to the way we operate the weekend. Some of these changes may impact what we ask from you as an attendee but hopefully won't impact your enjoyment or event experience too significantly.
We ask for your patience and understanding whilst we continue to work through this area and promise to keep you informed of all significant updates as required. For now, please read the below actions we might need to take in the event any of the below circumstances arise:
1) In the circumstance where we cannot offer a fully catered event, we will provide partial refunds to your tickets to accommodate the change. This amount will be confirmed and communicated only if this measure is required.
2) In the circumstance where we need to adopt an attendee cap, we will confirm the cap limit and refund ticket holders in order from last registered. We will contact you directly in the event this action is required and impacts your registration.
3) In the circumstance where we need to cancel our event entirely, we will contact all those who have registered directly and provide full refunds to all ticket holders as quickly as we can. All refunds will incur a $5.00 non-refundable transaction fee (enforced by the payment provider).
If you have any questions or concerns about the information above information reach out to us via the form on our CONTACT US page. We sincerely appreciate your ongoing support, patience, and understanding and hope to see everyone soon!