Two hundred messages in a week
You post the summer pony day dates on Facebook on a Sunday evening. By Monday morning, you have more messages than you can count. Some parents want every day. Some want to book two children but only one has ridden before. One asks if her son can come even though the day is full, because he came last year.
You work through them into a spreadsheet, asking each family to pay by bank transfer. A week later, some have paid, some have not, one day is overbooked by two because two messages crossed, and you still do not know which children are nervous, which have allergies, or which need the smaller ponies.
On the morning of the first day, two parents arrive with children who are not on your list at all, holding screenshots of messages that say "see you Tuesday". You find room, but the ponies do more than you planned.
Why holiday bookings overwhelm the office
Pony days and camps concentrate a lot of bookings into a short time, and every booking has limits behind it.
- Places depend on the number of suitable ponies and the number of helpers and instructors.
- Children need to be grouped by ability and age.
- Payments by bank transfer have to be matched by hand.
- Forms and consent for each child must be collected before the day.
- Waiting lists for full days are kept in messages.
Overbooked days and unpaid places
Overbooking a pony day means turning a child away or stretching ponies and staff further than you want. Unpaid places held by families who then drop out are places another child could have had.
The time cost is large, and it lands in school holidays when the yard is at its busiest. And missing information about children, discovered on the morning of the day, makes things harder for the instructors running it.
Holiday booking with capped places and forms
We build holiday day and camp booking that knows your limits.
- You set up each pony day or camp: date, age range, ability level, price and the number of places, based on the ponies and helpers you have.
- Parents book online, choose days and give each child's age and riding experience. Places are held only once payment is taken through Stripe.
- If a day is full, parents can join a waiting list, and freed places are offered automatically in order.
- Each child's registration and parental consent is collected before the day, using your school's own form.
- Before each day, you get a day list: children, their groups, notes you need, contact details and suggested ponies based on the rules your instructors set.
- After the day, parents can be sent photos or a certificate if that is something you do, and asked if they want to book again.
| Part of the day | Messages and spreadsheet | Holiday booking |
|---|---|---|
| Places | Counted by hand, easily overbooked | Capped by your pony and helper numbers |
| Payment | Bank transfers matched later | Taken at booking |
| Waiting list | Messages | Automatic, in order |
| Forms and consent | Chased before the day | Required at booking |
| Day list | Put together the night before | Ready with groups and notes |
How many places you offer, and how children are grouped and matched to ponies, is decided by your instructors. The system keeps to those decisions.
A summer that runs on a list, not an inbox
When you publish the dates, parents book and pay online, and the days fill up without you answering a single message. The ones who miss out join a waiting list. When a family cancels, the next one on the list is offered the place straight away.
The evening before each day, the day list is ready: children in groups, notes visible, ponies suggested. The morning starts with the fun, not the paperwork.
Do holiday bookings take over your summer?
- Holiday bookings come in by message after you post the dates.
- Payments are matched from bank transfers by hand.
- Days have been overbooked.
- Forms and consent are chased before the day.
- Waiting lists live in your inbox.