Terms & Conditions

Poppywood Alpacas Terms & Conditions

Please bear in mind that for your safety and enjoyment of our experiences we politely require all our guests to read and understand these before booking and joining any experience.

By booking onto any of our experiences you are acknowledging and agreeing to our terms and conditions.

A minimum of 4 people is required (does not have to be from the same booking/group) for our walks and experiences to go ahead (unless a private booking has been made.) In the unlikely event this number isn't reached we will notify you 24 hours before your booking and move your booking to a date of your choice, subject to availability, or a voucher or refund will be offered.

Please view our 'How to find us' page and read carefully. Some sat navs do try to send people the wrong way. We cannot be held responsible if you get lost and are late/miss your booking. Following our directions or Google's directions is advised.

Please arrive no earlier than 10 minutes before your walk starts.

Only those who have purchased tickets will be allowed to participate in the walks and experiences.

Health & Safety

There will always be a short specific safety briefing at the start of any experience, anyone deliberately and continually not adhering to the information provided in this briefing during the walk or during any interaction with the alpacas will be asked to leave, without a refund.
Our walks have some steep inclines and unlevel terrain which some people may find challenging therefore our walks are only suitable for those who can walk unaided for up to 90 minutes over, at times, uneven terrain and up and down hills, therefore making it unsuitable for prams and wheelchair users. We do offer ‘Alpaca experiences’ they are perfect for families with younger children or those who don't fancy or can't join us on the 90 minute walk.
Children under 5 years old are not recommended to join our 90 minute walk, this is due to the nature of the walk. If you are looking to bring an under 5 then an adult spectator who is NOT leading an alpaca must accompany them, managing a young child and an alpaca is not allowed unless in a baby carrier/sling.
Visitors of all ages will need to stay calm around the alpacas and not make big sudden movements or be very loud.
You must stay near your young person if they are leading and be ready to take over if they get into difficulty. Most adults can hold a pulling haltered alpaca, but some younger visitors may struggle. We remind families that although our alpacas are very gentle, friendly creatures, as with all animals they can be unpredictable.
Alpacas may kick if they sense something close behind them. We don’t want that to be you or the alpaca behind. Please be aware of their hind legs and keep humans and animals away. It is especially important to remember this if we engage with people we meet on the walk who haven’t been briefed, especially children.
All our experiences are supervised by a suitably trained person, guests are not permitted to take the animals unaccompanied or leave the group with an animal.
Hand washing facilities are provided. Those who accompany children have responsibility to ensure that adequate hand washing takes place.
Please wear closed toe sturdy shoes (or wellies in the wetter months). Sandals, crocs or heels are not suitable. We will still walk in the rain so please bring waterproofs if necessary and dress appropriately. We won’t be held responsible for any damage to shoes or clothing.
Our farm is strictly a no smoking site.

Understanding alpacas

Our alpacas are inquisitive and friendly, they enjoy looking around and meeting people, but they can be wary of sudden movements or loud or what they perceive to be threatening behaviour.
Alpacas are prey animals by nature and therefore constantly alert. If they are are not enjoying an interaction they will just wander away across the field!
Our alpacas rarely spit directly at people, it is usually a last resort as it tastes horrible for them and gives them what we call ‘spitty mouth’. If they cannot escape from a threatening situation they may then have to!
The other potential spitting time is during an alpaca rivalry/fighting session or sometimes at feed time, over who gets the last bit – in which case it’s best just to stand clear!
The boys are the most confident in nature and also as we take them for walks and do more activities with them.
Petting – as with humans, alpacas very much vary in how much personal space they prefer. The good thing is they will just tell you by moving away if they are not happy to be touched.
We find using the back of your hand to stroke can be less threatening, as it is less of a ‘grab’ position.
The girls are used to having people nearby and the alpaca mums are relaxed about their young as long as we respect their space. Again, they will just move away if they feel you are too close.

Never touch the rump or the back end of an alpaca as they may kick, The area behind them is just out of their range of vision and kicking is their defence to ward off what they can’t see very well!
Alpacas are herd animals – they believe in sticking close together for safety. If one gets left behind he may start to run to catch up. If we are on a walk, for the safety of the people at the back, the front party needs to stop and wait if a gap opens up between the alpacas.
If you drop the lead your alpaca will generally stay in the group and not run off unless alarmed. Do not chase him. We can then pick up the lead and carry on.
On a walk you are part of their herd. They trust us to be good, calm, confident leaders. This is for them as well, so make sure they have fun and get to stop and admire the view when they want to or need a toilet break!
Leading Techniques
Do not wrap the lead around your hand – you need to be able to drop it quickly if you are in danger.
Alpacas don’t like a tight lead or being dragged. You can encourage them forward using short ratchet movements: pull – release – pull – release. Give them time to work out new situations.
If your alpaca is reluctant to walk, release the pressure, you may be pulling too hard. Also try moving to the end of your lead and slightly away from your alpaca so that he can see past you, it may be that he is not confident with you yet and needs a little more space to get going.
If you are in danger of falling or being dragged, drop the lead.
Watch out for the lead rope getting wrapped round your alpaca’s neck. If this happens, hold the end of the rope and manoeuvre yourself around the alpaca so you are back on the right side.

Mobile Devices and Photographs

You need to be alert and in charge of your alpaca at all times. However, taking photos is an important part of the experiences so feel free to snap away when you are in a safe place with no obstacles, cars, horses, dogs etc.
We may take photos for use on our Facebook page and website to promote our activities. Please let us know if you don’t want your photo to be used. Similarly, please respect the privacy of other people when posting your own photos.
Please refrain from using your phone during the walk for anything other than photos. You need to be able to pay attention at all times to your alpaca and the conditions around you.
No dogs allowed including guide or assistance dogs.

Cancellations

We may be forced to cancel walks or experiences due to unsuitable weather conditions for the alpacas. This includes heat waves or strong winds and heavy rain. This decision will not be taken lightly but always in the alpacas’ best interests. Please be aware of this ahead of booking.
Cancellations made more than 48 hours before the start will be invited to reschedule the experience. Cancellations made less than 48 hours prior to the experience, can still be rescheduled at a fee of £10pp regardless of age or experience type. If you miss your walk or experience due to being late you will have to rebook at full price. We cannot be held responsible if you get held up in traffic or you do not follow our directions for how to get to us. Cancellations must take place in writing to poppywoodalpacas@yahoo.com
We reserve the right to postpone an experience if, due to the nature of the business, circumstances arise that are out of our control.
We will request an email address and phone number from you on booking and will leave messages on both of these if there is a cancellation. Please check these as we will not be held responsible for you missing the messages. We will then arrange a mutually agreeable alternative date.
We are unable to offer refunds.

Vouchers

Vouchers are valid for 12 months.
To redeem a voucher please visit our booking page, choose a date and then email us with your name, voucher number and preferred date so we can book you on. Our booking system does not support bookings with vouchers.
Voucher extensions can be purchased for an additional £10 per voucher which will give an additional 3 months to use the voucher. Extensions must be purchased before the expiry date.
STRICTLY NO EXTENSIONS WILL BE GIVEN OTHERWISE.