Stable Rules

Alvari Tall stable rules

We do not have unreasonable demands or restrictions. But a stable brings together adults, children and quite a few large animals, each with a mind of their own. So a few shared rules are necessary.

Most of them come down to three simple things: common sense, consideration for others and safety.

If something slips your mind, we will give you a friendly reminder. But if the reminders start piling up faster than mud on a horse’s legs and the rules still are not followed, we may unfortunately have to accept that our stable is not quite the right fit.

  1. Horses need a peaceful evening too.

    The stable is open from 9:00 to 21:00. Please arrange visits outside these hours in advance. Horses may not have Netflix, but they still need a quiet night.

  2. Park your car where cars belong.

    Use the designated parking area and make sure your car does not obstruct other road users, horses or the stable’s daily work.

  3. “Hello!” and “Goodbye!” are completely free here.

    Say hello when you arrive and goodbye when you leave. Besides being common courtesy, this serves an important safety purpose: we know who is on the grounds and who has left.

    If someone has gone to the pasture with a horse and has not come back, for example, it helps to know that we should go and look for them.

  4. Rubbish will not find its own way to the bin.

    Rubbish belongs in the bin. If you spot litter, please pick it up if you can, even if it is not yours. It probably was not dropped deliberately: sometimes things seem to fall out of pockets all by themselves.

  5. Music is welcome; a festival is not.

    Music may be played on the grounds, but keep the volume low enough that horses, fellow stable members and neighbours are not forced to share our taste in music.

  6. A celebration is possible, but let’s discuss it first.

    Events on the stable grounds may be held by prior arrangement with the stable owner.

  1. What a horse leaves behind, its person cleans up.

    If your horse leaves anything more than hoofprints outside the paddock, please clean it up straight away. Cleaning tools and containers are provided on the grounds: we have made this task as easy as possible.

  2. Someone else’s horse does not need a secret treat-giving granny.

    Do not give treats to other horses without their owner’s permission. A horse may have a special diet, a health issue or simply a remarkable talent for looking as though it has not been fed for at least a week.

  3. Horse feed belongs to someone too.

    Do not take another horse’s feed without agreeing it with the person who owns the feed. The horse claiming otherwise is not sufficient evidence.

  4. “I only borrowed it for a moment” still needs permission.

    Use other people’s equipment and belongings only with the owner’s consent. If it is not yours, ask first.

  5. If a horse leaves the stable, someone needs to know.

    Tell a member of staff if you take a horse off the grounds for a hack, an off-site lesson, a competition or any other reason.

    If a horse is missing from the grounds for an unknown reason and nobody knows that it has left, we have to consider the possibility that something has happened.

  1. Say where you are going and take your phone.

    Let someone know when you go hacking and take a charged phone. Ride with a companion whenever possible: company makes it more enjoyable and safer if something unexpected happens.

  2. A horse’s calling card need not stay in the middle of the road.

    If your horse leaves droppings on the road while you are out riding, please move them to the verge.

    Good relations with neighbours and other road users are worth more than a pile left in the road.

  1. A helmet is more than a fashion accessory.

    We recommend that horse owners always wear a helmet when handling their horse. It sets an example for others, and your horse needs you tomorrow too.

  2. A body protector is a very good idea.

    We recommend wearing a body protector when riding, especially when jumping.

  3. Helmets during lessons are not up for debate.

    Wearing a helmet during lessons is compulsory. Always. 100%.

    There is no room for creative interpretation here.

  1. Children come for their lesson, not to spend the whole day at the stable.

    Children attending lessons may arrive up to one hour before their lesson starts and must leave once their post-lesson tasks are finished.

  2. Paddocks and pastures are not playgrounds.

    Children attending lessons must not wander around the paddocks or pastures. They should only enter to bring in or turn out their lesson horse.

  3. Smaller people need a bigger person keeping an eye on them.

    Children at the stable must be supervised by an adult and treat both animals and other children kindly.

  4. A child who is not attending a lesson must not wander around the grounds alone.

    The person who brought the child to the stable is responsible for their safety.

    Horses are generally lovely. They also weigh several hundred kilos and have never studied the highway code.

  1. You can get your camera out, but speak to us first.

    Filming and photography on the stable grounds must be agreed with the instructor or a member of staff.

  2. The internet has a longer memory than a horse.

    You need the instructor’s or a staff member’s permission to upload or share photos or videos taken during lessons on the web or social media.

    Before posting, consider whether everyone in the photo or video also wants to appear online. The stable cannot be responsible for comments added to uploaded material or for its further distribution.

  1. If something bothers you, speak to someone who can help change it.

    If you have a question, an observation or a concern, speak to a member of staff. Most problems are much easier to solve when they are discussed with the right people.

  2. Leave the backbiting out of stable life.

    Problems at the stable do not improve by discussing them with everyone except the person who can help resolve them.

    Come and talk to us. We will listen and try to find a solution.

  3. Good ideas are always welcome.

    If you have a suggestion for doing something better, tell us. We may not be able to put every idea into practice, but we will certainly keep good suggestions in mind.

  4. We do not put other stables down.

    Every stable has its own people, horses and way of doing things. Not every place has to suit everyone; otherwise we would all fit into one stable.

  5. Speak about fellow stable members as you would like them to speak about you.

    We have a lovely, friendly community and want to keep it that way. If a problem arises, we focus on solving it.

Some rules leave no room for humour.

  1. Taking someone else’s property is not allowed.

    Stealing other people’s belongings will result in the immediate termination of services. We will notify the police if necessary.

  2. Fire and stables do not mix.

    Smoking and the use of open flames are strictly prohibited on the stable grounds.

  3. Come to the stable sober.

    You must not enter the stable grounds under the influence of alcohol, narcotics or any other intoxicating substances.

  4. If something breaks, tell us.

    If your actions damage stable property, report it immediately. The damaged item must be replaced with an equivalent new one, or the stable must be reimbursed for its replacement cost.

  5. Think about insurance for yourself too.

    Working with horses always involves some risk, so we strongly recommend having suitable life and accident insurance.

Alvari Tall should be a place where both people and horses feel welcome.

We consider one another, keep things tidy, discuss problems openly and use common sense.

If you are unsure whether something is allowed, ask first.