Terms & Conditions

Anyone booking an experience with Equine Echoes does so on the understanding that:

Cancellations made 14 days or more prior to an experience will be re-scheduled or refunded, after which no refund will be given unless as a result of unforeseeable or extreme circumstances.

They will at all times respect the ponies and alpacas we are observing or inviting to work with us. Whether moorland or field, we enter their home and do so on their terms.

They agree to listen to and act on my instructions at all times. Sometimes our seemingly very normal behaviour can be alarming or seem threatening to ponies and alpacas, especially those for whom living wild is their norm. Consequently some of my instructions may seem unexpected. I am extremely happy to explain both my rationale and our understanding of how ponies and alpacas perceive the world (a large part of the aim of these experiences), but acting on my instruction is non-negotiable.

I reserve the right to end any experience early without reimbursement if I feel either the animals or people involved are being disrespected, or if my instructions are not being acted upon, putting us or the animals at risk.

Any pony or alpaca can behave unpredictably and although Equine Echoes takes every precaution to keep people and animals safe, participants accept that they take part entirely at their own risk.

For guided walks, I will scout beforehand to give as much chance as possible of finding a herd but, as with any experience involving free-living creatures, there can be no guarantee of finding Exmoor Ponies during your experience. No refund will be given if this is the case. There will be a lot of fascinating discussion about the Ponies, experience in tracking them and seeing first-hand how they manage areas for conservation, stunning scenery and other wildlife as well as invitations to take part in mindfulness exercises. No one has yet been disappointed!

It is written into my license with land owners and herd owners, and part of my own code of conduct, that free-living Exmoor Pony experiences will aim to observe ponies as part of the wider landscape and will avoid approaching Ponies closely. At no time will Exmoor Ponies be fed or lured to engage with people.

North Devon and Exmoor can be wet at times. Rain will not result in a cancellation or postponement of an experience. However, if dangerous weather is forecast (high winds, lightning storms, torrential rain, snow and ice) then experiences will look to be postponed to a future date. If this isn't possible then a refund will be arranged.

These Exmoor Pony and alpaca experiences have taken many years to form. My training in Natural Horsemanship (some call 'horsewhispering') began 20 years ago, I am trained to degree-level in the Ofqual-certificated Equine Facilitated Human Development (Level 5), I worked for Exmoor National Park delivering 'Nature Connection' activities and as 'Heritage Officer' coordinating more outdoor experience activities than I can remember. I worked on the staff at the Exmoor Pony Centre between early 2019 to 2021 leading treks out over Exmoor, helping to train the young foals fresh in from the moor, and engaging our many visitors. The experiences I offer will hopefully leave people with a greater understanding of these characterful and hardy creatures, but do not in any way intend to encourage or qualify people to approach free-living ponies on their own.

I reserve the right to cancel or postpone any experience without explanation and will seek to rearrange in the first instance otherwise a full refund will be given.