Pony camps and holiday courses: taking bookings by the day

Decide first whether parents book the whole week or day by day, then set up your slots to match. For a full-week camp, create one slot on the first day with as much capacity as you have ponies, and say in the description that it covers the whole week. For day or half-day courses, open one slot per day across the holiday week, repeated on the weekdays you choose. Each child who is booked takes one place, and a full day disappears from your page.

Formats and prices are examples. A slot in Book always sits within one day, so a five-day camp can't be one long slot. Booking the Monday slot of a full-week camp stands for the whole week: say it clearly in the service name and description, for example "Pony camp, full week (Mon–Fri), 9:30–16:30".

A full week gives you a stable group: the same children, the same ponies, a programme that builds from day to day. Create a service for the camp, then one slot on the first day of each holiday week you run it, with a capacity equal to the number of ponies and places you can supervise. When all places are booked, that week is hidden from your page, and parents can still choose another week.

List the programme in the description: grooming, riding, stable care, a hack or a small show at the end of the week. Say what time to drop off and pick up each day, since the booking only shows the first day's times.

Some parents need childcare for a day or two, not a whole week. For those, open one slot per day of the holiday week. Create the Monday slot and repeat it on Monday to Friday until the Friday, and the week is ready. Morning and afternoon half-days work the same way, as separate services with their own slots and capacity.

If a child comes several days, the parent books each day: the public form books one place in one slot at a time. You can also book a whole week of days yourself from your calendar, if a parent calls you.

Set each slot's capacity from what you can safely run: the number of suitable ponies and the number of children you and your staff can supervise. If a pony is lame midweek, lower the capacity of the next days or book the missing place yourself with a note, so you're not overbooked.

During the holidays, your usual weekly lessons may continue alongside the camp, or stop. If they stop, delete those lesson slots for the holiday weeks so riders can't book them. If they continue, check that the same ponies aren't counted twice: a pony that works in the camp all morning may not be available for a lesson at noon. Book doesn't check overlaps between services, so this planning stays with you.

The booking form asks for first name, last name, email and phone, plus an optional note. Ask parents to book in their own name and to write in the note:

You receive an email for each new booking with this note. Parents receive a confirmation with a calendar file. Kit lists, forms to sign and payment stay with you: say in the description how you handle them.

Parents plan holiday childcare ahead. Create your camp and course slots for the coming holidays as soon as your dates are set, so they appear on your page when parents start looking. Your page shows the times in your centre's time zone.

If you have to cancel a day, because of weather, a closed arena or too few children, cancel from your bookings list and contact the parents yourself: Book doesn't email them about cancellations or changes. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited bookings, no commission, no contract.