FAQs

Once you have decided which week(s) you would like to book, go to our online booking form at www.stonarschool.com/ridingcamp. The Short Courses team will then check availability and process your booking, and a confirmation and invoice for the 40% deposit will be sent. The balance will then be due by the 3 March for Easter Camp and by the 16 June for Summer Camp. Please note that completion of the online booking form does not guarantee a place on the Residential Riding Camp.

We will be ready to welcome our guests between 3pm - 5pm on the Sunday afternoon, in time for a tour of the equestrian facilities, boarding houses and a welcome from our staff. You should arrive at the designated boarding house as stated in the Student Handbook (or follow signs to the Equestrian Centre if you are bringing your own pony/horse) where you will be met by our staff. 

On the first day of the camp, we will not be able to offer early supervision. The riding week finishes with an afternoon tea and rosette presentation on Friday afternoon, to which family and friends are invited to attend, with riders leaving with their parents afterwards. Children attending from overseas have the option to stay on the Friday evening and depart on Saturday morning if needed for their flights or onward travel.

Our vaccination policy requires that all vaccinations are up to date and horses must have received an Equine Influenza booster within 6 months upon arrival. 
A copy of your horse’s passport will be required prior to arrival.

Please do not bring your horse to Stonar if any of the following apply:

• Your horse shows any signs of ill health including lameness, fever or nasal discharge. 
• Your horse has had a temperature in the last two weeks. 
• There is any chance your horse could have come into contact with an infectious disease ie; strangles.

On arrival to the Equestrian Centre, the Yard Manager will complete a horse health checklist with you. Horses with any signs of ill-health including a 
raised temperature will not be permitted on to the yard. Failure to meet these requirements will mean your horse will be turned away.

Please note that due to our bio-security policy, we are unable to offer turnout during your horse’s stay.

The School will provide hay or a rider may bring their own. Haylage can be provided at extra cost. All hard feed must be supplied by the owner. Please bring your horse’s usual tack and equipment, including rugs for different temperatures and weather, passport and their grooming kits. We will provide water and feed buckets, wheelbarrows, and yard tools. All riders are expected to care for their horse themselves, with our yard staff being on hand to help and support where needed.

We ask you to fill in details on the booking form including weight and height, riding experience and confirmation that they have the correct riding equipment 
to bring. New for 2024: we are also asking for videos to be submitted in support of booking forms. We initially group riders by ability based on this information, then, once they are with us, the first riding lesson will be used to assess whether they are in the correct group. There may be some changes to groups and horses, especially after the first day and during the week to allow your child to get the most out of their stay. Please be patient with us whilst these assessments are being made. They ride in groups of no more than 6. Please be as accurate as possible when providing your child’s riding experience to allow the Equestrian Centre staff to allocate the correct riding group and pony/horse (if needed).

There is no need for any money on our residential camps as everything is included in the price! However, we do run a little tuck shop so £20 (in change) 
is a suggested amount, but this is at your own discretion. You may also wish to send your child with a small amount of spending money for the tack shop.

We pride ourselves on the quality of our residential boarding staff and riders are taken care of from their arrival until their return home. The children will be 
supervised at all times at the Equestrian Centre, at mealtimes, during activities and whilst moving between activities. During free time, staff on duty may give specific areas where students might spend their free time onsite for short periods. Children aged 14 and over may also be given the option to spend free time unsupervised in specifically agreed areas, as long as permission has been granted via the Booking Form, and they follow the rules set out by their houseparent.

The vast majority of our visiting riders are girls but we are keen to encourage boys too! Our accommodation allows separation for sleeping but communal social areas. We would also contact parents to let them know if there are other boys and suggest alternative camp dates if this is an important factor in the booking.

Our riding camp children use the School’s boarding houses so they get a real sense of what it’s like to be a boarder in our beautiful school. All boarding 
houses are only a few minutes’ walk to the Equestrian Centre, dining room and activities spaces. Rooms are a combination of single and twins. Rooms 
and shared areas, including bathrooms, will be cleaned regularly during their stay with a weekly laundry service. Whilst all bedding is provided, children are 
required to bring their own towels including an extra one for swimming. An in-house laundry service can be offered during the week for emergencies.

If your child would like to share with a friend, please let us know by email once the booking has been accepted and we will do our best to make sure they 
are together. Most of the time is spent in larger groups though, during riding, activities and meals, so there is plenty of opportunity to make new friends.

In our experience, we are confident that young people will settle and love their stay with us. They are kept busy, have constant supervision and love making new friends. We are sometimes able to offer day camp places, but these start after breakfast and finish before the evening meal and are not available to book until two weeks before the start of the camp, and only if spaces are available.

We understand that young people like to stay connected to friends and family whilst parted, so we are happy for them to bring a mobile phone. We fill the days with activities and social interaction so there will be little time for online activity. It is, therefore, suggested that any other devices are left at home. We do not allow phones to be used during riding activities, organised social activities or overnight (phones are handed in at bedtime). Children will not be able to participate in riding or the camp in general if they are not able to abide by this rule.

We recommend that you take out full insurance to cover cancellation, accidents and loss of personal items. You will also need your own horse insurance in place if bringing your own horse, ensuring the policy covers riding camps.

Stonar School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children with an aim to create a culture of vigilance. Our aim is to ensure all 
children are safe and protected from harm by having the correct safeguarding procedures in place with safety as a priority. As part of our commitment to 
safety and welfare, we aim to nurture personal development during the camp. We use experiences on the camp to talk about resilience, confidence, honesty, 
tolerance, kindness, health and well-being. Please note that Stonar School has a strict no drug, alcohol and smoking policy.  Please see here for more information.

As well as the majority of our staff being First Aid trained, an on-site Medic offers qualified medical care throughout and we have access to a local health 
centre and hospital if required.

We welcome international students to our camps in April, July and August. 
 

To ensure the safety of your child and others on the camp, we require your child to have a good level of English enabling them to understand instructions and rules. If you are unsure if your child meets this level, the Short Courses team will be happy to guide you.

All riders require their own riding helmet that has been fitted by a professional (all helmets must meet current BHS Standards), riding boots and gloves. For 
those intermediate and advanced riders, a non-fixed peak helmet and a well-fitted body protector or air jacket are required to ride on our cross-country 
course. From 1 January 2024, only body protectors/air jackets with a BETA 2018 label will be accepted. Please note that riding on the cross-country course is not guaranteed.