COAST TO COAST - NORTH ROUTE
Your riding ability
On our long distance rides we will be travelling many miles a day in the saddle, riding up and down hills and over rough terrain so you must be capable of riding in a balanced manner for your horses sake! Our horses health and happiness is always a priority to us and because of the long days in the saddle, we require all riders to be competent in riding with a light seat (i.e posting the trot and light seat in canter) to minimise stress on the horses back. We will be crossing rivers, galloping along beaches and may need to jump small natural obstacles, like ditches or fallen trees - nothing too big, but you need to be a capable rider and able to control a horse at speed. It is also important that you are practised in leading a horse over difficult terrain as there may be times when this is necessary. We require all our riders to be at a walk/trot/canter level.
Get to know a little about the trails and our minimum age/experience requirments
Before You Book Your Holiday
Your riding ability
On our long distance rides we will be travelling many miles a day in the saddle, riding up and down hills and over rough terrain so you must be capable of riding in a balanced manner for your horses sake! Our horses health and happiness is always a priority to us and because of the long days in the saddle, we require all riders to be competent in riding with a light seat (i.e posting the trot and light seat in canter) to minimise stress on the horses back. We will be crossing rivers, galloping along beaches and may need to jump small natural obstacles, like ditches or fallen trees - nothing too big, but you need to be a capable rider and able to control a horse at speed. It is also important that you are practised in leading a horse over difficult terrain as there may be times when this is necessary. We require all our riders to be at a walk/trot/canter level.
Get to know a little about the trails and our minimum age/experience requirments
Before You Book Your Holiday
7 days riding, 6 nights accommodation
COAST TO COAST - NORTH ROUTE
7 days riding, 6 nights accommodation
COAST TO COAST - NORTH ROUTE
7 days riding, 6 nights accommodation
Terms and Conditions
All the fine print you need to know before your riding holiday
Conduct and Safety
Riding is a high risk sport - for your own safety you must comply with the instructions of Highlands Unbridled staff at all times.
You must conduct yourself in a safe manner whilst riding or handling horses. Our horses have been selected carefully for their behaviour and suitability for the job that they are doing, however you ride on the understanding that no horse, however calm and normally sensible, is ever completely predictable and may react adversely in certain conditions.
By signing the booking/registration form, you agree that if for any reason, including your inability, behaviour or health the management or ride leader feels that you may endanger the safety or welfare of yourself, the other riders, staff, the horses or any other person, they may refuse to let you ride. We reserve the right to cancel the ride of any rider who at any time appears to constitute a risk to themselves or the other riders, staff or horses. Any expenses incurred shall be the responsibility of that rider and no refund will be given
Booking Form
Your booking form provides us necessary information so we may select an appropriate horse for your height, weight and riding ability so it is integral this information is accurate and up to date. The more information we have the easier it is for us to allocate you the most suitable horse and the more fun your ride with us will be. Unbridled Scotland (T/A Highlands Unbridled) are not responsible for any issues, injuries or accidents that may arise from you providing incorrect or misleading information on your booking form.
It is very important that you provide us honest and accurate information on your booking form regarding your height, weight or riding ability. If you fail to do so, you may be subject to a penalty payment of £200.
Riding Ability & Ride Assessment
During the first half day of your ride we will assess your riding to ensure that you are a competent rider. We require ALL riders on our long distance riding holidays to be comfortable handling horses and capable of riding in a safe and balanced manner at all gaits. Whilst we do NOT expect you to be an ‘expert’ or competition standard rider, it is important that you have good basic riding skills and are able to comfortably ride at walk, RISING trot (please note we do not allow sitting trot), and a canter. If your chosen route visits the beach, you MUST be capable of riding at gallop. Our horses are ridden in a english/endurance saddles so riders must have a degree of previous experience riding in an English saddle. Sometimes we may change the horse you were allocated if we feel that you would be better suited to a different horse. If after evaluation by your guide, you are deemed unable to ride in a safe and balanced manner or you do not respect our horses, staff and guests; you will be removed from the riding component of the tour. In this instance we would not curtail your holiday, but you would travel with the back-up crew and meet with the riders at the end of the day.
Please note that if you are unable to complete the ride due to overestimation of your riding skills or misrepresentation about your riding ability and/or experience, you will incur a £200 fee to cover the costs and logistics of moving your horse for the duration of the holiday.
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Helmet and Footwear
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You will be required to wear a riding hat that complies with the current standard:
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PAS 015 (1998 or 2011)
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VG1 01.040 (2014-12)
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ASTM F1163 (2004a or 04a onwards)
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SNELL E2001
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AS/NZS 3838 (2006 onwards)
You must bring your own riding helmet that complies with the standards above. If you do not bring a suitable helmet with you for the duration of your riding holiday, you will be unable to take part. Footwear should be something you can both ride and walk comfortably in as on most of our rides, there will be sections where you may be required to dismount and lead your horse, sometimes on rough terrain.
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Non-refundable Deposit
All riding holidays are subject to a £350 deposit per person payable at the time of booking. This is reduced for short breaks and working holidays where a deposit of £100 will be applicable.
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Balance Due
You will be invoiced for the balance of your ride 8 weeks before the ride departure date. The balance of your payment will be due no later than 6 weeks prior to your ride's departure date. If you book your holiday within 4 weeks of your arrival, then the total cost will be due immediately. If payment is not received by the due date, you are no longer guaranteed a place on your selected ride. There will be no refund for cancellation of holiday within 6 weeks of your ride's departure date and the full cost of the holiday will be forfeit if cancelled within this time.
Weight Restrictions
For our horses welfare we have a riders weight restriction of 15st which is approximately 95kgs or 210lbs. Please be as honest as possible on your booking form regarding your height and weight as we use these estimates to select the most suitable horse for you.
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Fitness
Whilst the majority of this holiday will be undertaken on horseback, there will be certain situations and terrains on each route which will require you to have a good level of fitness. You must be capable of walking and leading a horse over uneven terrain at heights for periods ranging from half an hour to an hour during the day of riding. If you book a riding holiday without a basic level of walking fitness, you are putting yourself and the rest of the riding group at risk. This requirement can be more demanding on some routes than others so if in doubt, please make sure to contact us with your concerns.
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Medical Problems and Dietary Requirements
If you have a medical condition or special dietary needs, we must be made aware of this at the time of booking. Please note that this includes any old injuries that may affect your ability to be in the saddle for a length of time such as knee or back injuries. Many of the hotels we use are very remote and will not be able to access diet specific supplies easily - for example, gluten or lactose free, although with a little bit of advanced notice they can get what you need in stock before you arrive. You must ensure that you bring enough of any medication you may need to see you through the duration of the entire ride, as you may not be able to get what you need locally as we ride through remote areas where pharmacies are few and far between.
Luggage and Personal Items
You will be provided with saddlebags in which to carry your lunch and any items you want to carry with you during the day's riding. Your luggage will be forwarded between accommodations, however it is your responsibility to keep your personal effects safe and Highlands Unbridled accept no responsibility for loss or damage to your personal effects.
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Changes to Itinerary
Occasionally it may be necessary to change our planned itinerary. This may be due to bad weather conditions, impassable trails, or the closure of trails. By signing the booking form, you accept that If it is deemed by the management or ride leader that it would be unsafe or impossible to use the planned itinerary, that route may be changed.
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Dangerous Weather Conditions
With riding in Scotland, comes a variety of interesting weather conditions. Our horses are used to being ridden on the trail in all conditions be it wind, rain or shine. However, we ride in very remote areas where adverse weather conditions can quickly become extremely dangerous to both horse and rider. As guest, staff and horse safety is at the forefront of our operations, we take this responsibility seriously. Due to this, we reserve the right to alter the route or itinerary of your riding holiday at any time before or during the tour due to but not limited to: thunderstorms, heavy rain causing flooding, impassable river crossings, extreme wind causing blocked trails or dangerous riding conditions, severe government issued weather warnings, heavy snow or severe ice.
In the very rare case that dangerous weather or terrain conditions arise, we will do our best to provide you with an alternate riding route. Please note however that in some situations, this may not be possible and may result in the cancellation of one or more days of your riding. In this case, we will continue to provide your transport, accommodation and meals as agreed at the time of booking and offer you alternative tour options for the day/s. Unbridled Scotland (T/A Highlands Unbridled) will not be liable for any refunds of your balance paid due to unavoidable weather conditions.
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Transport
Unbridled Scotland (T/A Highlands Unbridled) is not liable for any costs you incur en route to our premises/the meeting point of your tour if your travel is delayed or impeded due to but not limited to: adverse weather conditions, public transport restrictions/cancellations, bereavements or personal circumstances. We will do our best to provide solutions to get your holiday with us back on track however no refund for missed day/s of your tour caused by travel delays will be owed. It is for this reason that we suggest you take out travel insurance to cover trip cancellation/delays and that you always allow yourself extra time between travel and tour commencement dates
Cancellations
In extreme circumstances, or if less than four people in total book a ride, it may be possible that Highlands Unbridled may have to cancel your holiday. We will notify you at least 6 weeks before your ride is due to commence if we need to cancel due to insufficient numbers – this is a very rare occurrence and something we try to avoid if at all possible.
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In these circumstances, we will offer you alternative arrangements, however if these are unacceptable to you we will refund any monies paid to Highlands Unbridled Ltd by you, but will not be responsible for any other losses incurred. Therefore, we recommend that you take out separate insurance for your travel arrangements.
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Travel Insurance
It is a booking condition that all clients must have travel insurance that covers them against personal injury, medical expenses, death and repatriation for the full duration of their ride. We also recommend that your cover extends to holiday cancellation, travel costs, personal effects and currency. You must bring a copy of your insurance with you in order to join the ride. You must specify horse-riding when you arrange your insurance to ensure you are covered. Membership of some horse riding organisations, such as the British Horse Society include a level of insurance, so it is worth checking to see if you already have cover.
If you have any questions at all regarding our Riding Holidays or terms and conditions, please contact us and we will be happy to help.