Riding club constitution and rules

About this document

This is a comprehensive legal document setting out the terms and conditions for any equestrian club as an unincorporated association. By that, we mean any association of two or more people, who have come together to form a club to pursue the common purpose of equestrian activities. Mutual rights and responsibilities arise from the rules which members agree to – that is, this agreement.

This agreement sets out the terms on which the club will be constituted, who controls its administration and its funds and specifies its purpose and goals. In law, this type of group is called an ‘unincorporated association’ because unlike a company, it has not been ‘incorporated’. It therefore has no legal identity of its own, beyond the identity of the individual members. The members of course, still require rules by which to regulate their association in the pursuit of their common aims achieve their common aims. For this reason, you will need a document such as this.

Whether you wish to promote riding and equestrian activities, to organise instructional meetings, lectures and competitive events, to organise hacking under appropriate supervision or to be affiliated to the British Horse Society and so on, this document is suitable.

This document is our comprehensive members' club rules in its simplest form. That is, there are no provisions for property such as club premises and no provisions for an alcohol licence.

Application and features

• Sets out a clear and logical structure by which to manage your organisation, association, club or group;
• Suitable for a variety of equestrian or riding clubs;
• Written in plain English;
• Includes explanatory notes.

Contents

• Main objective;
• Subscriptions, resignation, suspension and expulsion;
• Management of the association;
• Powers of the committee – what are they and who decides;
• Annual general meetings (AGMs);
• Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs);
• Quorum at meetings;
• Voting at meetings;
• How and when the rules can be amended;
• Provision for dissolution and winding-up;
• Other usual legal paragraphs;
• Schedule of annual subscription charges;
• Explanatory notes and guidance.