PCAWA THE HORSE or PONY - GENERAL

Transcription

1 PCAWA THE HORSE or PONY - GENERAL 33 THE COMFORT AND WELFARE OF THE HORSE/PONY MUST BE CONSIDERED PARAMOUNT AND SHALL BE ABOVE THE DEMANDS OF RIDERS, COACHES, OWNERS, OFFICIALS, ORGANISERS OR SPONSORS. In the interest of the horse or pony, the fitness and competence of the rider shall be regarded as essential. A RIDER WEIGHING MORE THAN 53 KILOGRAMS (8 STONE 5LBS) DRESSED TO RIDE, MAY NOT RIDE A PONY 12.2 hands or under IN ANY ACTIVITY. This all relates to the PCAWA s main objectives Safety of the Rider and the Comfort of the Horse/Pony 3.1 HORSE/PONY Age of Horse/Pony: Minimum Age of Horse/Pony for Competition and Efficiency Certificate Examination: Permitted from the beginning of the calendar year in which it turns 5 years. A horse that is rising 4 at Jan 1 of the year does not meet this criterion. As it has not yet completed 4 full years of life from birth. For Rallies: Horse/pony 2 to 3 years of age may be ridden at rallies with the prior knowledge and approval of the Club Coach Co-Ordinator. Recommended that they only be ridden for short, gentle sessions with NO jumping Older Horses: Horse/Pony over 20 years of age may be ridden at Rallies and Competition with the knowledge and approval of the Club Coach Co-Ordinator Verifying Horse Age: Age of horse, in the first instance is to be verified by viewing the horse/pony date of birth on a foaling certificate or registration papers. In the absence of this documented proof of horse date of birth (and age), the horse s brand may be inspected and date of birth shall be assumed at 1 August of the branded foaling year. Condition: To be in good condition with shiny coat, and fit for work required. Not to be thin and tucked up with a staring coat appearing to be underweight. The horse/pony not to be over fat To be clean, well groomed (no dried sweat or dirt) and neat (trimmed) Blood Rule: The sighting of any blood (whether wet or dry) on the horse, in particular from the mouth, nostrils or spur area during Gear Check or during the Activity must be reported to the Chief Coach / Chief Judge / Steward / Technical Delegate or Vet (whichever is most applicable). MAY entail elimination (horse/pony not permitted to be ridden in these circumstances). There is no appeal against this decision. Ask the Rider or Team Manager to wipe mouth and then represent horse to ascertain if still bleeding. If in doubt, refer to Chief Coach / Chief Judge / Steward / Technical Delegate or Vet (whichever is most applicable). Excess slimy salivation with rotten smell does not entail elimination.

2 34 Eyes and Nose to be free from discharge Eyes, Nose and Dock to be clean No chronic cough Not lame No injuries, wounds, bleeding, swellings, sores causing lameness Hooves: To show evidence of recent care Hooves to be picked out. Not in need of farrier s attention (D) (not too long at toe or hoof growing over shoe, shoe not too worn (B), no loose shoes (C) or risen clenches (A)). A B C D Horse/Pony must have either: 4 unshod hooves OR front 2 hooves shod, back hooves unshod OR back 2 hooves shod, front hooves unshod OR all hooves shod

3 3.2 MANE 35 To be plaited for Dressage competitions, and for C*, B & A Efficiency Certificate Examinations To be plaited for K Efficiency Certificate Examination if necessary for a chosen Option. Plaiting not required for D, D* and C Efficiency Certificate Examinations For horses or ponies with long flowing manes, if pulling or shortening the mane is not an option, then it should be secured: by either sectioning it off with rubber bands (Banding) by a running plait along the top of the neck (French Braid) or by normal plaiting to keep it out of the way of becoming tangled round the rider s hand, whip or gear MANE - PULLING Before an unruly mane After neat and tidy Pushing the shorter hairs back towards the crest MANE BANDING 3. Pulling the long hairs 4. With a coarse or tough mane, the hair will have to be wound around the comb

4 MANE PERMITTED PLAITING 36 a. FRENCH BRAID b. RUNNING PLAIT Take a section near the ears as if you were going to make an ordinary plait. Plait down and take in a small piece of mane as you pass the left-hand section over the centre one. Continue the plait but instead of pulling it tight, let the mane fall naturally. The plait will curve round as you progress. Carry on for the full length of the mane, taking in the same amount of hair each time. Eventually you will have one long plait forming the bottom edge of the mane. When you reach the withers and there is no more hair to

5 c. SHOW PLAIT 37 d. MANE SOME OTHER STYLES OF PERMITTED PLAITING Similar to a French Braid but plaited more along the top of the crest. Lattice or Herringbone Style Plait Sport Horse / Warmblood style Plait. White tape wound around folded-under plait. Quite often used in Dressage by all breeds

6 a. ADJUSTING TAIL LENGTH 3.3 TAIL 38 Adjusting the length of the tail by holding it at the angle the horse carries its tail while being worked. The recommended length of a tail to hang between 5 cm (2") below hocks and 5cm (2") above fetlocks when working. False tails permitted but they must not have metal parts b. A TRIMMED TAIL Trimmed tail (left) has been trimmed along the sides of the tail. This can be done with scissors or clippers, trimming hair along the side of the dock so that it is a few millimeters long.

7 c. A PLAITED TAIL 39 Basics to plaiting a tail Example of plaited tails d. A PULLED TAIL Pulled tails (above) have had the hair at the side of the tail pulled. Hair regrowth is often softer.

8 3.4 ABUSE OF THE HORSE or PONY 40 ANY ABUSE OF THE HORSE OR PONY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AND WILL ENTAIL ELIMINATION/DISQUALIFICATION ABUSE Abuse can be defined as intentionally acting in a way that may cause pain or unnecessary discomfort to a horse or pony. An act of abuse can be any of the following: to whip or beat a horse/pony excessively to use spurs, or to jab the horse/pony in the mouth with the bit, excessively or persistently to compete/ride using an obviously exhausted, lame or injured horse/pony to abnormally sensitize any part of a horse/pony to leave a horse/pony without adequate food, drink and exercise to subject a horse/pony to any kind of electric shock device to rap a horse/pony anywhere in or outside the grounds or the event Blood Rule: The sighting of any blood (whether wet or dry) on the horse, in particular from the mouth, nostrils or spur area during Gear Check or during the Activity must be reported to the Chief Coach / Chief Judge / Steward / Technical Delegate or Vet (whichever is most applicable). MAY entail elimination (horse/pony not permitted to be ridden in these circumstances). There is no appeal against this decision. Ask the Rider or Team Manager to wipe mouth and then represent horse to ascertain if still bleeding. If in doubt, refer to Chief Coach / Chief Judge / Steward / Technical Delegate or Vet (whichever is most applicable). Excess slimy salivation with rotten smell does not entail elimination. 1. WHIP - ABUSE The use of a whip must be For a good reason At an appropriate time In the right place With appropriate severity The whip must only be used either as an aid to encourage the horse forward or as a reprimand As an aid to go forward The appropriate time is when the horse/pony is reluctant to go forward under normal aids of seat and legs The whip may be used down the horse s shoulder or behind the rider s leg It must never be used over-arm, e.g. whip in the right hand being used to the left flank The use of a whip on a horse s head or neck is always excessive use The whip must never be used to vent a rider s temper any use for such a reason is automatically excessive and therefore entails elimination/disqualification

9 As a reprimand 41 The only appropriate time is immediately after a horse has been disobedient e.g. napping, refusing (but not after elimination, when it will always be excessive) The whip should not be used after a horse has jumped the last fence on a course As a reprimand only, a horse may be hit hard It should never be hit more than three times for any one incident and If the horse is marked by the whip, e.g. the skin is broken or there is a weal the use of the whip is excessive 2. SPUR - ABUSE Spurs must not be used to reprimand a horse such use is always excessive Any use of Spurs that results in a horse being marked by a Spur is always excessive 3. BIT - ABUSE The bit must never be used to reprimand a horse, i.e. jabbing the horse/pony in the mouth with the bit, excessively or persistently Any such use is excessive.