Booking Terms

By ticking “I agree to the Booking Terms”, you accept these terms for this Booking. Please read them with the Listing, which shows the provider’s own cancellation terms and any extra rules.

The key points

• You are Booking with the provider named on the Listing, not with Horse Marketplace.
• Your Booking is confirmed only once the provider approves it and you have paid (or, for pay-in-person bookings, once it is approved).
• The provider’s cancellation terms on the Listing apply.
• Riding and handling horses carries a real risk of injury. You must give honest information and follow the provider’s safety rules.
• Horsebox and trailer security deposits are paid to the provider at collection, not to us.

Who you are Booking with #

• Horse Marketplace is run by Horse Marketplace (“we”, “us”). We run the website and take card payments on the provider’s behalf.
• We do not give the lesson, run the venue, keep the horse or own the vehicle. Your contract for the Booking is with the provider named on the Listing (“the Provider”).
• The Provider is responsible for the service, their horses, premises, vehicles and staff, and for holding the licences and insurance their business needs.
• Some Providers are businesses, and some are private individuals. You have more legal rights when you book with a business. If you are not sure which a Provider is, ask them before you book.

Booking and payment #

• Most bookings are requests. The Provider approves or declines them. When a request is approved, you receive a payment link, and the Booking is confirmed once you pay.
• If you do not pay within 48 hours of approval, the Provider may release the slot.
• The price on the checkout is the total you pay through Horse Marketplace. This may include a Booking or service fee; if so, it is clearly displayed.
• Some costs are paid directly to the Provider and are shown on the Listing, for example, a hire security deposit, extra mileage, fuel, or late-return charges.
• Card payments are processed by Stripe. We never see your full card details.
• If a Listing offers in-person payment, you pay the Provider directly at the session. We do not handle that money and cannot refund it.

Cancellations, changes and refunds #

• The Provider’s cancellation terms on the Listing apply to your Booking.
  
• If a Listing gives no cancellation terms then our standard marketplace terms take effect:

Notice given before the Booking starts	Refund
7 days or more	100% of what you paid – less payment processing fee
7 days to 48 hours	50% of what you paid – less payment processing fee
Less than 48 hours	No refund
No-show (not cancelled, did not attend)	No refund

• The Provider may cancel or move a Booking if weather, ground conditions, a lame or unwell horse, or another safety reason makes it unsafe to go ahead. If they cancel and you do not accept a new time, you get a full refund less payment processing fee.
  
• If the Provider cancels for any other reason, you get a full refund less payment processing fee.
  
• You can ask to move a Booking up to 48 hours before it starts. The Provider decides whether to accept.
  
• Bookings are for a specific date or period, so the 14-day cancellation right for online purchases usually does not apply. This does not affect your other legal rights.
  
• Refunds go back to the card you paid with. They usually appear within 5 to 10 working days. Horsebox and trailer hire security deposits are paid to the operator at collection, not through Horse Marketplace, and are returned by the operator under their own terms.

Your responsibilities #

• Give honest, complete information when asked: the rider’s age, ability, experience, height and weight, and any medical condition that could affect safety. The Provider may refuse or stop a session if information was wrong or the activity becomes unsafe.
• Follow the Provider’s safety rules, yard rules and staff instructions at all times.
• When mounted, wear a riding hat that meets a current recognised safety standard, correctly fitted and fastened, and safe footwear with a small heel. Wear a body protector if the Provider requires one.
• Do not ride, handle horses or drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Under-18s must be booked by a parent or guardian, who accepts these terms for the Booking and arranges supervision unless the Provider agrees otherwise.
• You are responsible for loss or damage you or your party cause, deliberately or carelessly, to the Provider’s horses, premises or vehicles.
  
  If you bring your own horse (arena hire, livery, mobile coaching and some lessons):
  
• Your horse remains your responsibility. It must be fit to work, vaccinated as the Provider requires, and travel with its passport.
• Tell the Provider about any vices or behaviour that could put people or horses at risk.
• Do not bring a horse that shows signs of infectious disease or has been in contact with one in the last 21 days.
• Hold third-party liability insurance for your horse where the Provider asks for it.

Horse risks #

• Horses are large, strong animals. Even well-trained, well-handled horses can spook, kick, bite, buck, bolt or fall without warning.
• Riding, handling and being around horses, and driving or towing horse transport, carry a risk of injury (including serious injury) and of damage to property.
• By Booking you confirm that you understand these risks, accept them as part of the activity, and have told the Provider anything relevant to your safety or your horse’s.
• Nothing in these terms limits anyone’s liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law does not allow to be limited.

Lessons, coaching and experiences #

• The Provider chooses a suitable horse and level for the rider, and may change the horse, instructor or activity for safety reasons.
• Weight, height, age and ability limits on the Listing are there for horse and rider welfare. If a rider exceeds them without telling the Provider, the Provider may refuse the session and treat it as cancelled by you.
• Mobile coaching: you provide a safe, suitable area and your own horse. The coach may decline to start if the ground or facilities are unsafe; their travel charge, if any, is on the Listing.

Arena and facility hire #

• Your booked time includes setting up and clearing away. Leave the facility as you found it, including putting poles and jumps back and removing droppings.
• Keep to the number of horses and riders, and the rules on jumping, lunging and loose schooling, stated on the Listing or at the venue.
• Supervise any children, spectators and dogs you bring.

Livery and stabling #

• Your Booking reserves the stable or grazing for the dates booked. The type of livery and what is included are on the Listing.
• The Provider may ask you to sign their own livery agreement before arrival. That agreement covers day-to-day care, notice periods and unpaid fees.
• The Provider may require vaccination records, worming records or a strangles test before your horse arrives.

Horsebox and trailer hire #

• Driving: every driver must hold the correct licence category for the vehicle (or, for a trailer, for the car and trailer together) and meet the minimum age and years-held rules on the Listing. Bring your licence and a DVLA check code to collection.
• Towing: for trailer hire you supply the towing vehicle. It must be rated to tow the loaded trailer, with working electrics.
• Weight: never exceed the vehicle’s or trailer’s maximum weights, including horses, tack, water and passengers.
• If you cannot show a valid licence, or your towing vehicle is unsuitable, the Provider may refuse handover and treat the Booking as cancelled by you.
• Deposit: any security deposit is paid to the Provider at collection and returned by them on their terms. It does not pass through Horse Marketplace and we cannot hold or return it.
• Insurance and excess: check what insurance the hire includes and the excess you would pay, both shown on the Listing. You pay the excess and any damage the insurance does not cover.
• Charges: you pay any fuel, extra mileage, tolls, clean-air or congestion charges, and parking or traffic fines during the hire. The Provider may pass fines on with a reasonable admin fee.
• Return: return the vehicle on time, mucked out and as the Listing requires. Late-return charges on the Listing apply.
• Welfare: you are responsible for the welfare of the horses you carry and for following animal transport law, including rest and water on longer journeys.
• Do not use a hired vehicle to carry other people’s horses for payment unless the Provider agrees in writing and you hold any authorisation the law requires.
• If the vehicle breaks down or has an accident, follow the Provider’s instructions, report accidents to the police where the law requires, and do not arrange repairs without the Provider’s permission.

Our role and responsibility #

• Every Provider’s identity is checked by our payment partner, Stripe, before they are paid. A “Payment Verified” badge means we have seen evidence of the Provider’s personal details and banking details.
• Other details we have checked of a Provider will be displayed on the Providers profile page and Listing page such as a “Insured” badge or “Licensed Operator” etc.
• We do not inspect venues, horses or vehicles, and we do not supervise sessions or hires.
• We are responsible for running the website and payments with reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for what a Provider does or fails to do.
• Our wider responsibilities and limits are set out in our Terms & Conditions. Nothing in these Booking Terms affects your legal rights.

Problems, privacy and the law #

• Problems: raise any problem with the Provider first, using Horse Marketplace messages, within 24 hours of the session or hire ending. If it is not resolved, contact us with your Booking number. We will reply within 1 business working day.
• Privacy: we share your name, contact details and Booking details with the Provider so they can deliver your Booking. See our Privacy Policy.
• Changes: if we change these terms, the new version applies to new bookings only. Your Booking keeps the version you accepted.
• Law: these terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you can also bring a claim in your local courts.