FAQS

No practice Thursday, September 10 due to the Middle School experiential learning trip.Transportation is provided by Wakefield to and from Beverly for every weekday practice.Riders train in groups of up to five. Beverly provides the horses — no horse ownership required.

If your rider will be absent or delayed, please notify us as soon as you know:Email: beverlyeq2010@gmail.comText: 561-309-1167Because horses are prepared in advance for practices, early notice prevents unnecessary disruption to the barn routine and ensures horses are not pulled out and tacked up unnecessarily.There are no refunds or make-up lessons for missed practices. In limited cases, we may attempt to schedule a private make-up lesson. Please note:Private make-ups are billed at a different rate than group lessons and are not one-for-one replacements.Make-ups must be scheduled within the same season, around the existing practice schedule.Any lessons not taken during the season are forfeited.There are no practices on days when school is not in session, including snow days. Practices missed due to school closure will not be rescheduled. Please refer to the Wakefield high-level school calendar for more information.If a rider cancels their enrollment in the program, any refunds or reimbursements will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Beverly hosts monthly VHSA Associate shows onsite, so riders compete at the same facility where they train, on horses they know.Middle School: Two show entries are included in the fall program fee.Fall show dates: Saturday, September 12 and Saturday, October 10.Riders are welcome to compete in more shows beyond the two included, at any Beverly VHSA show on the calendar.How the additional shows work: these are arranged privately with Beverly rather than through the school program. The family enters the rider through Strider, the online entry system VHSA uses, and Beverly bills the family directly for the show horse, show-day coaching, and any other billable items — the same way Beverly handles its regular clients. VHSA Associate Championship — November 5–8 at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, for riders who qualify.Upper School: Three show entries are included in the fall program fee.Fall show dates: Saturday, September 12 and Saturday, October 10, with a third date to be confirmed. A full calendar will follow.Riders are welcome to compete in more shows beyond the three included, at any Beverly VHSA show on the calendar.How the additional shows work: these are arranged privately with Beverly rather than through the school program. The family enters the rider through Strider, the online entry system VHSA uses, and Beverly bills the family directly for the show horse, show-day coaching, and any other billable items — the same way Beverly handles its regular clients.VHSA Associate Championship — November 5–8 at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, for riders who qualify. Riders who show consistently can qualify on their own results, without depending on team performance or an unpredictable calendar.

The practices occur at Beverly Equestrian, a year-round riding facility about 7 minutes from school in The Plains. The school provides transportation to Beverly for all weekday practices for the upper school and middle school students enrolled in the full program. Beverly Equestrian has a heated and light indoor arena for year round practices.

Because we are working with horses and safety is of paramount importance, riders must have the minimum skills necessary to control horses safely in a group. Specifically, the riders need to be able to:· mount the horse by themselves,· steer, stop, and regulate pace, and· keep proper and safe distancing from other riders at the walk and trot. If a rider cannot meet these requirements, the rider is not ready to be in the middle school program. In the fall, we are willing to take on some riders who can walk but are not quite ready to trot in a group as long as the riders understanding they may need to watch during the more advanced skill portion of the practice until they catch up.Otherwise, there is a joint development program through Wakefield and Beverly geared for riders who need some one-on-one tutoring to be ready for the team.

The pre-season period is included for the Upper School program. There will be 6 lessons before school begins.

Middle School:Included: 16 lessons, coaching, a Beverly horse for every practice, grooming, two show entries with show-day coaching, and weekday transportation.Not included: VHSA junior membership ($60, paid directly by families), show attire, and snacks.Winter and spring are separate seasons with their own fees, and riders are not required to enroll in all three.Upper School:Included: Lessons, coaching, a Beverly horse for every practice, grooming, three show entries with show-day coaching, and weekday transportation. Not included: VHSA junior membership ($60, paid directly by families), show attire, and snacks.Winter and spring are separate seasons with their own fees, and riders are not required to enroll in all three.

WESP provides horses, coaching, and transportation to a riding/training facility for students in grades 6 through 12 who are interested in equestrian. Because the program provides the horses, there is do DO NOT NEED TO OWN YOUR OWN HORSE to join. However, because the program must find enough suitable horses to facilitate the program, if your rider is even considering joing the program, please let the program director know your interest by August 15 of each year.

Because this program depends on the availability of safe and suitable school horses, we ask riders to give advance notice of their intent to participate. Riders are asked to provide notice of their intent to participate as soon as practicable but at least by August 15 each year. THIS IS BEFORE THE SCHOOL REQUIRES YOU TO MAKE YOUR SELECTION, so do not wait to hear something from the school to contact us.