1. CANCELLATIONS: 24 hour notice of cancellation is required. If a lesson time is reserved and you fail to cancel, you will be charged for the lesson. If you choose to pay per lesson, a $35.00  cancellation deposit is required at your first lesson. Your deposit will be refunded in full should you have no unexcused absences. We understand emergencies occur and we will work with you to reschedule your lesson in those cases. As we compete in the spring, summer and early fall, lessons may have to be rescheduled. Students will not be penalized for lessons rescheduled due to instructor absence.

2. PAYMENT: We accept cash, checks, Discover, Visa, and Mastercard. When purchasing a package of lessons, the instructor will keep up with the lessons used and notify the student/parent when a new package is needed. Payment is due on the day of each lesson or the first day of each new lesson program.

3. TARDINESS: Being late to a lesson is only to the student’s disadvantage. If the student arrives 15 minutes late to a lesson, they will only receive the last 30 minutes of their lesson.

4. APPAREL: Blue jeans and tennis shoes or any hard-soled boot are fine for your first few lessons. As you progress, you will want to wear Jodhpur riding pants, paddock boots or jodphur boots and riding gloves. Cowboy boots with a chunky heel, open toed or backless shoes and shorts are not permitted.

5. HELMETS: Helmets are required for juvenile and adult student riders. Blue Ridge Riding Academy will provide a helmet if you do not have one of your own. All helmets must be ASTM/SEI approved.

6. WEATHER: We teach rain or shine, day or early evening. In cases of severe weather, the student will be notified of lesson cancellations. Please note: Extreme temperatures, lightening and high winds constitute severe weather.

7. ROUGH PLAY: As a safety is paramount, there should be no running, rough play or screaming around the stable, as this may disrupt the riding lesson and the horses.

8. OBSERVING: During a child’s first few riding lessons, they may be nervous and want their parents nearby. After your child has had several lessons, we encourage you to allow them to grow in independence and confidence by giving them some "private time" with their instructor during their lesson. Parents are welcome to watch from the large tack room.

9. CHILDREN: Supervision of children at Blue Ridge Riding Academy is the responsibility of the parent. The instructor will supervise your child only during a scheduled lesson. If a student is "dropped off" for their lesson, please pick them up promptly when the lesson ends. Siblings should be supervised at all times and should not disturb the riding lesson or the horses.

10. NO SMOKING: Smoking is not permitted in the barn, around shavings or hay.

11. BEWARE OF THE ELECTRIC HOTWIRE located on the top board of the pasture fence. We caution you against petting or feeding the pasture horses as the may bite, get shocked, or cause you or your child to be shocked by the hotwire.

Please remember that Blue Ridge Riding Academy is located at Blue Ridge Stock Farm. Blue Ridge Stock Farm is a private, professional American Saddlebred training stable. We ask you be mindful that the show horses are athletes, and we ask you not feed them or disturb them in anyway. Riding students are given the opportunity to enjoy hands on time with the lesson horses during their lesson time. Please limit your children to petting only the lesson horses with supervision by the instructor. Some show horses can be aggressive and unpredictable, so this rule is for your safety. Thank you.