• FAQ

Q. What is happening to training and competitions during the Covid outbreak?

A.  Ayr Riding Club is a member of British Riding Clubs (BRC) and follows the advice of BRC and HS (HorseScotland) when deciding whether to run training and competitions in the present circumstances.  The rules and regulations change fairly frequently so we will try to keep you up to date with what we are able to do.  We did have training sessions at Muirmill and Morris from August to November 2020 and have made assessments for both sites, as have their owners.  Social distancing still applies when you are on a horse and we have test and trace forms for anybody assisting a rider and anyone who is not an ARC member.  Click here and here for the forms.  We hope to re-start group training in 2021 as soon as we are allowed.

Q. Biosecurity measures in response to the Equine Flu Outbreak? 15.2.19

A. Please note that Ayr Riding Club will be asking to check passports before your ponies or horses are unloaded at any riding club lesson or event from now.  If you do not have your passport with up to date vaccination details you will be asked to leave the venue immediately.

If you have already entered an event or lesson and your pony or horse does not have up to date vaccinations, a refund will be offered if you cancel your booking in advance.

Please keep an eye on the venue websites and facebook pages for updates and/or contact them directly to check the bio security measures each are taking before attending your chosen show. Please be responsible.

As has been demonstrated in this outbreak, vaccinations are vital in tackling the spread of the disease so all owners MUST ensure their vaccination records are up to date. If it’s been longer than 6 months since the last vaccination, we strongly recommend discussing a booster with their veterinary surgeon.

Any queries please contact Julie Hanna on 07739171524.

Q. Why have Ayr Riding Club decided to use an online booking system and Equo in particular?

A. Equo is a robust system supported by the company that run Horse and Hound. The booking fees are relatively small, and the benefits to the committee and club going forward are many. As information is entered by the members it is more likely to be up to date and accurate. All committee members can see online a membership list – including your emergency contact details, training session bookings, etc and Equo gives us an instant up to date e-mail list to save holding individual versions elsewhere. For organising shows, Equo will work out dressage times for multiple arenas, hold entry details per class – this will help in planning future shows – and we can e-mail competitors direct from Equo if anything major changes or we have to cancel a class or event.  It also stops the need to use cash and gives a refund back to your credit card if necessary which is very useful in these uncertain times.

Q. How much does it cost to book through Equo? 

A. There is a flat fee of £1.50 per booking so it is more economical to book a few items at the same time eg membership and training session.

Q. How do I book into training?

A. To book into training, log in on Equo, go to search events, put Ayr riding club in as organiser – bottom of left hand  side under filter, click on filter and everything that is open for booking will appear.

Q. How can I see which sessions are full and which have spaces? 

A. Click on VIEW. this lets you sees which  sessions have spaces (enter) and which are already full (register interest). Please register interest even if all the sessions are full, as this will help the club contact you if a space becomes available, and also lets us understand the popularity of session throughout the year which will help in planning future training.

Q. How a can I see what sessions I am interested in and which I have booked into?

A. To add a session you are interested in click Add to Calendar. To see your sessions – click Dashboard. Sessions you have booked and paid for online will appear automatically.
If you have asked for a session to be moved by a committee member or have entered a session using a voucher, your booking will not automatically appear on your Dashboard. You can add it yourself by clicking add to calendar from the event page.

Q Where can I find more help on using Equo?

A. Go to Help FAQ from the Equo home page. There are questions, answers and short videos to help you understand how to use the system. If you get stuck, please contact the committee.

Q. What happens if I need to cancel a lesson?

A. Contact the lesson organiser – details under View on event listing page. ARC will remove you from the session and contact everyone on the waiting list. We will also advertise spaces by e-mail and facebook as appropriate.

Q. Will I get a refund for a cancelled lesson?

A. As lessons are priced just to cover the cost of arena hire and instructor, a refund will be made from stripe/paypal if we are able to fill your space. ARC will be considerate of the notice period given and reason for cancellation.

Q. I don’t seem to be getting e-mails re spaces on lessons?

A – check your spam folder and mark these messages as not spam

Q. I can see an event I want to enter , but Equo won’t let me enter?

A – Not all of ARC events will be open for booking from the time they show on Equo. Some of the events on Equo will be put on in advance so they appear in Horse and Hound event listings and show directories. Members will receive an e-mail confirming new training, competitions that have been added to Equo and the dates you can book from.

Q. How can I tell which time I have lesson time I have booked in for?

A. – If the class has a time on it, this information will be on your payment receipt.

Q. What about times for Competitions?

A. Times for competitions – i.e. dressage will be posted on Equo. You will receive an email from Equo advising you that the times are available to view.