Standard of Access

1. Purpose of Access

Vonfidel Ranch is not a high-volume riding attraction. It is an equestrian institution built around welfare, discipline, and quiet authority. Riding access exists in order to:

• protect the horses from volume-driven use,
• preserve the land and the silence it offers,
• enable staff to work correctly, not frantically,
• give riders a standard that cannot be compressed to convenience.

Every decision about who rides, when, and under what conditions is made within this frame.

2. Numbers and Group Composition

Rides at Vonfidel Ranch are intentionally small. The Ranch can accommodate up to six riders on a ride, but that is an upper ceiling, not a target.

Group size and composition depend on:

• rider ability and experience,
• temperament and alignment within the group,
• the specific horses selected and their current workload,
• weather, terrain, and route for that ride.

When the standard, the horses, or the atmosphere would be better protected by fewer riders, the Ranch runs private or very small rides instead. Riders are never added simply to “fill” a group.

3. Entry Paths for Riders

Not all riders enter the saddle in the same way. Vonfidel Ranch maintains distinct access paths.

3.1 Signature Riding Holidays

Signature riding holidays and seasonal riding programs are reserved for riders who are already competent and suitably prepared. These are not beginner products.

• prior riding experience and physical readiness,
• acceptance of pace, discipline, and quiet field practice,
• participation in briefings without resistance.

3.2 Introduction & Horsemanship Programmes

Beginner riders are welcomed through a separate horsemanship funnel. These programmes build foundational handling, balance, and awareness and may later prepare riders for advanced participation.

Beginners are not placed directly into Signature Riding Holidays. This protects both the horses and the standard.

4. Horse Welfare and Rotation

Horses at Vonfidel Ranch are not scheduled around bookings; bookings are shaped around the horses. Welfare and rotation are governed by:

• proactive, preventative nutrition and horse-keeping philosophy,
• daily first-light physical and behavioural checks,
• strict rotation of work, rest, and reserve horses,
• refusal to over-use any horse for convenience.

If a horse does not present correctly during morning checks, it is not worked—regardless of guest expectations or booking pressure.

5. Conduct and Non-Negotiable Disqualifiers

Access to the saddle is a privilege governed by conduct. Vonfidel Ranch may decline or end a ride when behaviour falls below the expected standard.

Non-negotiable disqualifiers include, but are not limited to:

• intoxication or substance use affecting judgement or balance,
• disrespect toward staff, horses, or other guests,
• known medical issues that make riding unsafe,
• exceeding agreed weight limits for specific horses,
• aggression, shouting, or uncontrolled behaviour around the horses,
• refusal to follow instructions from wranglers or guides,
• any conduct that creates unnecessary risk to horse, rider, or land.

These standards are not punitive. They exist to keep the horses safe, the staff able to work correctly, and the environment aligned with the Ranch’s doctrine.

6. Silence, Awareness, and Ride Discipline

Vonfidel Ranch encourages a riding culture of quiet connection. Guests are not required to be silent, but:

• chatter is kept measured and situationally aware,
• instruction and environmental cues remain easy to hear,
• the horses are not treated as props for noise and performance,
• the land and its stillness are given room to register.

Guides set the tone for communication on each ride so that everyone can work and ride in a high-end, calm, and discernible manner where nothing important is missed.

7. Real-Time Access Discretion

Conditions in the field can change. For that reason, the Ranch retains calm, professional discretion over ride decisions on the day itself.

Rides may be modified, delayed, shortened, or, in rare cases, cancelled or reassigned based on:

• horse condition and behaviour at morning checks,
• weather, ground conditions, and visibility,
• rider readiness, fitness, or conduct at the time,
• any emerging safety or welfare concern.

Where adjustments are needed, they are made to protect the horses, the riders, and the long-term integrity of the Ranch’s standard—never to inconvenience for its own sake.

8. The Agreement Between Rider, Horse, and Land

By choosing to ride at Vonfidel Ranch, guests enter into an agreement that goes beyond a booking:

• to respect the horses as working partners, not equipment,
• to accept the professional judgement of the wranglers and guides,
• to move through the land with restraint, not entitlement,
• to uphold the silence, discipline, and welfare doctrine that make this place possible.

The Ranch, in return, undertakes to:

• place welfare over volume in every decision,
• maintain staff, horses, and systems at a standard consistent with its doctrine,
• offer riders access that is honest, disciplined, and never performative.

Everything else—routes, schedules, photographs, and stories—fits around this agreement, or it does not happen at all.