Travel Rules & Requirements

These requirements and policies are intended for people joining mixed groups of individuals. These requirements are intended to set a standard of expectations among people of different riding background and styles in order for everyone on the trip to enjoy their adventure. If you have your own group of 3 or more riders some of the requirements can be adjusted.

Riding Gear 

Helmets are required by all clients on these trips. We are too far from home and families.

All riders must carry a charged cellphone while they are riding. We also suggest buying a charge pack for your phone to carry with you while you ride. For those with iPhones we ask that riders share their location on their phone with staff indefinitely throughout the trip. Other Apps may be required to help with location sharing with the group.

Riding Courtesy and Expectations 

Certain expectations are common practice at Painted Bar Stables on every trail ride. These expectations are:

Same Gait Riding and Catch Up Groups: All horses riding within a group must maintain the same gait as the other horses. This means that if a lead horse is walking, other horses in the trail should not be trotting to catch up. It is the responsibility of horses in the front to maintain reasonable speeds within each gait for other horses in the herd.

Exceptions to this may occur if part of the group would like to trot or canter and another part of the group needs or wants to stay at a slower gait. In these cases the slower group will always proceed down the trail first so that the faster group may play catch up. It is the responsibility of riders who want to go faster to hold their horses back or turn them to face backwards while they wait for the first group to give them enough distance to run. If a rider cannot hold their horse back unassisted they are not entitled to go with the faster group. The faster group may never pass the slower group and must reduce speed before catching up.

Whiplash Reduction: Horses in the back of the line are prone to the “whiplash effect.” What this means is that horses riding in the rear of the ride will actually be riding at fast speeds and playing “catch up.” To reduce the effect of whiplash on other riders all riders are expected to maintain gait and not be popping back and forth between gaits on a regular basis as gait changes can cause other horses behind them to replicate the action and catch those riders off guard. Any changes of gait at turns, especially upward transitions, will also always be accomplished only after the last horse in the string has made it around the corner. Downward transitions should also always be noted by lead riders through hand gestures at least 3 strides PRIOR to the downward transition in order prepare other riders.

Maintaining Distance: While everyone knows it’s hard to keep other horses off of one another when they want to go somewhere and especially when they are traveling respecting space is an important part of etiquette and the responsibility of the rider, not the horse.
We maintain MANDATORY MINIMUM DISTANCE of 5′ in all directions (forward/rear AND left/right) at all times. If your horse gets kicked, bitten, or injured by another horse because you were closer than this mandatory it will automatically be your fault. You are also required to know which horses have larger personal space boundaries and it is your duty to respect them.
A recommended distance is 10′ between horses. At this distance if you look between your horses ears you should be able to see the hind feet of a horse in front of you.

Passing and Side-by-Side Riding: Whenever passing another horse, the horse in the back must always ask permission to pass. Permission must be granted not expected.
Most of the trails we will encounter will most likely be single file width trails where riders are expected to maintain order unless we announce a passing zone. In the case that we do encounter wider trails allowing us to come out of single files, riders should flank other horses instead of riding single file. Flanking involves riding in what I would call “Mighty Duck Formation” where horses are off to the side and ahead or behind one another by 3.’ Flanking reduces competition and racing behaviors as well as encouraging horses to take notice of each other better.

Nuisance and Control Policy on Recreational Rides

Private Horses: If a privately owned horse is becoming a nuisance to other riders or cannot be kept in control by their rider within the herd, that horse and rider pair may be asked to ride independently away from the group or in a pair with another rider on recreational rides for safety and pleasure of all riders on the trip. These riders would be provided with a pre-marked route including the time and location where we will all meet up again for snacks or lunch, as well as an emergency plan and meet up location.

Painted Bar Stables Horse: If a rider is having difficulty with a Painted Bar Stables horse, is unable to keep the horse in control within the herd or is becoming a nuisance to other riders they may be asked to leave the group and ride with the 2º guide. Painted Bar Stables horses cannot be ridden independently on trips without specific permission from staff.

Horses and Humans that Cannot Keep Up

We will be traveling a lot of distance and there are many reasons that a horse or rider could be having a hard time keeping up with the group.

In the case that we have a 2º guide we will split the group providing two different ride options: slower and shorter, faster and longer. These rides would have a common meet up location during the day in order for people to reunite for meals as well as to switch groups.

At any point in the trip Painted Bar Stables staff may mandate that horses or riders need to be ride with specific groups for safety. These decisions are non-negotiable.

Personal Horses: If you worry about the fitness of your personal horse it is your responsibility to make sure that you either book a trip with a 2º guide in order to ensure alternate route options or be willing to ride independently with on pre-determined routes.

Painted Bar Stables Horses: Those riding Painted Bar Stables horses are not allowed to ride independently without a guide unless they are on an endurance race riding on a certified route that has check points with volunteers, water troughs and veterinarians.

Lameness and Injury

Unfortunately it is a possibility that a horse can go lame wherever you are riding, at home or away and as a result we do not offer any refunds beyond refunds we are able to recoup from entry fees.

Personal Horse: If your personal horse goes lame on a trip you are responsible for the care and cost of your animal. Owners must provide their own veterinary supplies. We travel with a veterinary kit that goes well beyond vet wrap and bute and supplies can be purchased from us as needed. As needed we will work to help you arrange contacts with a vet or farrier through our contacts and will get you to any service provider we can find.  We will provide a packing list for a veterinary kit to all owners but we strongly suggest you at least carry with you Bute Paste, multiple rolls of VetWrap, and some sort of EasyBoot or Renegade Boot to use in the case of lost shoes on trail.
If your horse is unable to continue to ride for the journey you have the following options:

1. If you are driving your own trailer you have the option of leaving the trip and heading home with your horse. 
2. If we are at an overnighting site with stalls, or we are able to arrange a special stall location for your horse, you are welcome to leave your horse back at its stall and join us to these locations in order to go hiking, biking, kayaking or other opportunities that may be available on your own.
3. You are welcome to stay back at the overnighting location with your horse and sleep in,  watch movies that we will provide for you or read any books you have brought with you.

While there is risk of trailering under all circumstances, if your personal horse is injured in the Painted Bar Stables trailer we will take responsibility for 15% of the veterinary cost accumulated during this trip.

Painted Bar Stables Horse: If a Painted Bar Stables horse goes lame on a trip it will be determined by staff if they injury is a result of reasonable wear and tear or a result of rider error. In the case of that it is determined that it is a result of rider error, the rider will be responsible for 85% of the resulting veterinary care costs, including if it was a result of a equine behavior they had been pre-informed about as an inclination of that specific mount by Painted Bar Stables. When determining what is reasonable wear and tear we will be taking into account that there is additional stress, mileage and terrain changes while on these journeys. If your horse is unable to continue to ride for the journey you have the following options:

1. You would be allowed to ride the Painted Bar Stables horse that the 2º guide has been using for the trip to continue to be included in the ride opportunities. 
2. If we are at an overnighting site with stalls, or we are able to arrange a special stall location for your horse, you are welcome to leave your horse back at its stall and join us to these locations in order to go hiking, biking, kayaking or other opportunities that may be available on your own. 
3. You are welcome to stay back at the overnighting location with your horse and sleep in,  watch movies that we will provide for you or read any books you have brought with you.

Traveling Accommodations 

Most cabins offer housing that has shared beds (queen size) and shared rooms. Private bedrooms and larger beds are prioritized for couples traveling together. Sharing beds may come up in the planning process and it is the guests responsibility to inform staff if they definitely don’t want to share a bed. In that case, we do have some army cots available to use or can reserve accommodations that have more beds and bedrooms at additional cost.

A rental car is reserved for guests to use for their own transportation as well as an to use as an emergency support vehicle for the caravan. On most trips a Chevy Suburban is rented in order to provide comfortable occupancy and enough storage for personal belongings. Our 2º guide will be the driver of this vehicle unless that guide is expected to be hauling a trailer in a separate truck. In that case 1-3 guests would be asked to share driving responsibilities of the support vehicle.
For safety no guest is invited to ride in the truck hauling the large Painted Bar Stables trailer during long distance drives.

Damage Caused by Horses

Personal Horse: If a personal horse causes damage or breaks someone’s items or Painted Bar Stables resources then the owner and or rider of that horse is responsible for the repair or replacement of the item.

Painted Bar Stables Horse: If a Painted Bar Stables horse causes damage to someone’s items or Painted Bar Stables resources it will be determined if the cause of the damage was a result of reasonable equine behavior or a result of rider or handler error. If the damage was caused by the rider or handler they will be responsible for the entire cost of the repair or replacement of the item, including if it was a result of a behavior they had been pre-informed about as an inclination of that specific mount by Painted Bar Stables. If it was a result of a equine behavior that a rider or handler would have been unable to prevent, the Painted Bar Stables will share the cost 50%.

Horse Feed, Hay and Supplements: 

Personal Horses: All owners must bring and pack enough grain for their personal horses for the entire trip. Consider bringing some sweet feed in case your horse starts to refuse to eat. Also pack beet pulp or alfalfa cubes to soak in water to help with hydration.

Hay is only provided for personal horses if they are riding in the Painted Bar Stables trailer. Anyone wishing to bring their own hay in the Painted Bar Stables is welcome providing we have space. Anyone driving in caravan must pack their own hay.

Supplements and electrolytes are not provided for personal horses. We do carry them as essentials in our trailer and can be available at cost if they are needed. Supplements we suggest while traveling include: Selenium and Vitamin E, UlcerGuard, and corn or vegetable oil. For electrolytes we suggest Enduramax (strong dose electrolyte), Perform ‘N Win (mild dose with sweet taste), or LyteNow (syringe which is good throughout the ride). People may also want to consider SmartPak Electrolye Pellets which are very palatable.

Painted Bar Stables Horses: Everything is included for all of the horses and staff will help with meal portions.

Ground Support from Painted Bar Staff: 

While we will all work as a team for the care of the entire herd specific actions are the responsibility of the rider or owner. However, on the ground it needs to be understood that staff is the primary care givers for the Painted Bar Stables horses and owners are the primary care givers for their personal horses. This is because of the assumption that student riders will be less knowledgable than owners because they don’t actually know the horse as well as staff. 
In the saddle support is obvious and provided willingly for everyone equally

Personal Horses: Owners are expected take responsibility for their horses on the ground. This includes:

• making sure their horse is in the right place and the right state of tack at all times, 
• monitoring water intake and providing water to their horse,
• monitoring diet and feeding their horse, 
• Monitoring the need for electrolytes, determining electrolyte dosage and administering electrolytes
• inspecting their horse for injuries, lameness and metabolic state, 
• providing care for injuries, 
• loading and unloading their horse from the trailer, 
• blanketing or using coolers appropriately for their horse, 
• trace clipping for heat reduction if necessary

Painted Bar Stables Horses:  Riders of Painted Bar Stables horses are expected take responsibility for their horses on the ground but can also expect a significant amount of support for their horse. Staff will take responsibility for the following things but riders are very encouraged to participate: monitoring diet and feeding their horse, determining electrolyte dosage and administering electrolytes, providing care for injuries, loading and unloading their horse from the trailer, blanketing or using coolers appropriately for their horse, trace clipping for heat reduction if necessary. Rider responsibilities  includes:

• making sure their horse is in the right place and the right state of tack at all times, 
• monitoring water intake and providing water to their horse,
• Monitoring the need for electrolytes, 
• inspecting their horse for injuries,  lameness and metabolic state

Refund Policy summarized:

Cancelation of Trip Prior to Departure

60 Days Prior to Trip Start:

• 95% Refund
• 5% Non-Refundable

30 Days Prior to Trip Start:

• 50% Refund
• 25% Held as Account Credit
• 25% Non-Refundable

14 Days Prior to Trip Start:

• 50% Refund
• 50% Non-Refundable

Why do we have these these cancelation policies?

In order to plan your vacation, we need to prepay a number of reservations for our journey including hotels, cabins, stalls, certain banquet meals and event registrations. Many of these are non-refundable.
In addition to this, there is a lot of work that goes into the calculation of the price of the trips and the minimum number of people. As we get closer to the start of the trip it becomes impossible to advertise to fill places left to cancellation.

Are there any exceptions?

Yes! If someone is able to fill your place on the trip then we will give you a 95% refund and only hold 5% as a non-refundable inconvenience fee.