Bullengarook Pony Club Inc Reg No A0008682Z PO Box 259, Gisborne, Vic 3437 Bullengarook Recreation Reserve Bacchus Marsh Road, Bullengarook. General Information For Members Published May 2 2009. Updated April 15 2013 Page 1 of 9
Introduction Bullengarook Pony Club Inc. is part of the Pony Club Association of Victoria (PCAV), which comprises over 200 clubs, which are allocated into geographical regions called zones. Bullengarook Pony Club is part of the Central Zone. The Pony Club organisation is world wide and affiliated with the Equestrian Australia (EA) and British Horse Society. The Pony Club is a youth organisation that shares a common interest in horses. We aim to: encourage youth to ride enjoy a variety of equestrian sports and activities provide instruction in horsemanship and horsemastership teach the proper care of horses. Attendance at a Pony Club is made available through a club Rally. There are many details that need to be organised to have a successful, smooth running club. Whilst there is a Committee of Management, the co-operation of both parents and riders is required, to ensure the club s overall success. This document is designed to provide useful information and a set of operating guidelines that are specific to the Bullengarook Pony Club and in addition to rules and guidelines set down by the PCAV. CONTENTS Introduction... 2 Pony Club Grounds... 3 Rally... 3 Fees... 3 DC... 3 Activities... 3 What Type of Horse Is Best Suited?... 4 Uniform... 4 Weather... 4 Cars and Car Parking... 5 Gear Check... 5 Gear Check Missed Or Late To Rally... 5 Unsafe or Inappropriate Tack or Combinations... 5 Attendance - Leaving Activity or Rally Early, Late Arrivals... 5 Attendance - Parent/Guardian Must Be In Attendance... 5 Attendance - Absent Riders... 5 Attendance - Unmounted... 6 Attendance Records, Rider and Horse Qualification... 6 Grading Horse and Rider (Combination)... 6 Certificates... 6 Awards - End Of Year... 6 Parental Interference... 6 Code Of Behaviour... 6 Gripes... 7 Specific Parent/Guardian Involvement... 7 Working Bees and Event Assistance.... 7 Equipment Set-Up and Canteen Duties... 7 Code of Behaviour - Riders... 8 Code Of Behaviour - Parents... 8 Code Of Behaviour - Spectators... 9 Unsure About Anything... 9 Page 2 of 9
Pony Club Grounds Bullengarook Pony Club grounds and clubrooms form part of the Bullengarook Recreation Reserve and are shared with other Equestrian user groups. The pony club has exclusive use of the equestrian facilities on rally days. Riding on the oval at the front of the reserve is prohibited unless the reserve committee gives permission. Rally The first Sunday of each month, excluding January, is the designated riding day, which is called a rally. On arrival each rider and/or their responsible adult must sign the attendance book. The rally commences with gear check at 9.30 am and activities from 10am to 3pm. Riders need to be saddled and ready by 9.30 am. No rider should commence or join an activity unless his or her gear check has been completed. Rallies are run by the club s DC. Fees Pony club membership runs from July 1st to June 30th. Fees will be set by the committee each year and must be paid before the annual return is sent to PCAV, usually early June. The club s fees include insurance for the rider. For this reason no rider with unpaid fees has permission to ride at a rally. DC The DC (District Commissioner) is appointed each year by the clubs Committee. He/she is responsible to the Committee, The Central Zone and the PCAV. The DC s role is to arrange and co-ordinate all rally requirements including all activities, instructor recruitment and instruction. Further, the DC is responsible for grading of all riders and their horses (combinations), safety issues and the general welfare of the members. Activities The rally activities will cover a diverse range of equestrian skills - flat work/dressage, jumping, games, cross country, navigation, and anything else that can be thought of to provide a broad range of experiences, fun and education to the riders. Whilst due emphasis will be given to providing a solid foundation in the elementary areas of flat work and jumping, the aims of pony club are to provide broad experience, skill and enjoyment. Pony Club is not solely about instruction and certainly not about focussing on one area of riding. Consequently, all riders are expected to participate in all activities. Pony Club is not designed for riders who want to specialise in one or two equestrian disciplines alone. Page 3 of 9
What Type of Horse Is Best Suited? The perfect horse! That is, one that willingly allows the rider to join in all activities without danger to horse, rider or others. The breeding is not relevant to pony club, only that the rider and horse are safe and able to participate. This is usually evident in a horse s temperament relative to the rider s skill. Parents are encouraged to look for horses with this in mind. Sometimes it is tempting to look for a horse that is either young and inexperienced (green) that can grow up with the rider or alternatively, a horse that has demonstrated high performance with other owners but too advanced for the prospective rider. In both examples, care should be taken. Over time, many children have had their safety compromised, lost confidence and/or have become fearful of riding with such purchases. It should also be considered that a horse or pony under four years old cannot be ridden in pony club graded competitions. Safety of both horse and rider not only takes into account the tack that is being used or the horse temperament but other issues too. As one such example, the height of horse and rider should be such that the rider is neither too big or too small for the horse. Many other issues need to be taken into consideration but too many for this document. Uniform An approved safety helmet and fully soled riding boots must be worn by any rider on a horse at any time. This is an insurance requirement. Use of a body protector for jumping shall be a requirement for all riders at the club from August 2013. Our club has a full official uniform that can be worn at rallies and must be worn at pony club competitions or events. We also have a casual uniform that may be worn at rallies. Full uniform is: fawn/beige/banana jodhpurs, white shirt, PCAV or BPC tie, BPC jumper OR fawn/beige/banana jodhpurs & BPC polo shirt. Casual uniform is: red polo shirt, red or royal blue rugby jumper, fawn/beige/banana jodhpurs or moleskins, club spray jacket. Polo shirts, rugby tops and jodhpurs can be purchased anywhere and BPC polo shirts, ties & spray jackets from the club. The club has a uniform secretary who is able to help with your requirements. The rider must wear full club uniform within three months of joining. Shirts must be tucked in during gear check and activities. Coats may be worn over the uniform for inclement weather. However, more stringent rules may apply at competitions such as no coats and jumpers remain worn, unless permission is given to remove as advised by the competition chief steward. Weather Rallies will only be cancelled in the event of a day of Total Fire Ban. Otherwise, rain, hail or shine the rally will proceed. Rallies will always commence, regardless of weather conditions, so that attendance can be recorded. This is to allow riders to maintain their qualifying requirements for competition. If it is very wet or cold, riders should wear rainproof coats with uniform underneath. If the weather is extreme, the rally may be shortened or have unmounted activities in the clubrooms. Page 4 of 9
Cars and Car Parking Drivers entering the Bullengarook Recreation Reserve must comply with the advisory speed signs or drive at walking pace only. The reserve is a shared public facility and members of the public may enter at any time. Please respect other users. Cars and Floats may be parked in the area around the Harrison pavilion on rally days in designated areas or at the direction of club officials. Gear Check Riders need to assemble saddled up and mounted for gear check on the ménage by 9.30am. Prior to gear check, all riders must have recorded their details in the attendance log. Gear Check Missed Or Late To Rally Any rider who misses the 9.30 a.m. gear check must present themselves to the DC before attending any activity. Permission will then be given to join an activity. Riders are encouraged, as a matter of courtesy, to apologise to the instructor for being late. The need to inform the DC is matter of not only courtesy but also importantly, safety and satisfaction of insurance requirements. Also, so that attendance may be recorded if eligible (also refer Leaving Activity or Rally Early, Late Arrivals section below). Unsafe or Inappropriate Tack or Combinations The DC is required to maintain due diligence with safety and procedures. This is a PCAV insurance requirement. Consequently, the DC is sometimes placed in a position of having to make assessments about the condition and suitability of tack and combinations. On very rare occasions, this may mean that a rider is not permitted to proceed past gear check or to the activities. If a decision is made to dismount a rider, parents and riders are obliged to tolerate the decision and seek to rectify the cause of the problem before the next rally. Attendance - Leaving Activity or Rally Early, Late Arrivals If a rider needs to leave early, the rider is expected to courteously inform the instructor and the DC, not only as a courtesy but also as a serious safety issue. The DC needs to know the whereabouts of all riders and parents/guardians at all times. The need to arrive late or leave a rally early, on rare occasions, is understood. However, regular occurrences will result in an absent attendance being recorded. This is because PCAV expects attendance qualifications will be achieved by attending full rallies. Attendance - Parent/Guardian Must Be In Attendance It is a condition of membership that a parent or nominated responsible adult, be in attendance with their child at all times. Again, this is a safety and insurance issue. If a parent/guardian arrives with their child but must leave during the rally, another must be nominated. Attending adults are required to print their name on the attendance log at the start of the rally. The attendance log is located on the card secretary table in the clubrooms. Attendance - Absent Riders If a rider is unable to attend a rally, it is important to advise the DC prior to the day if possible. This allows the DC to plan the rally efficiently, especially when it comes to booking instructors and arranging groups. Page 5 of 9
Attendance - Unmounted Riders who cannot ride due to illness/injury of themselves or their horse, may attend unmounted and receive unmounted attendance accreditation for their records. To be eligible, the unmounted rider must be in full uniform and attend or help out in activities as directed by the DC. An unmounted rally is a qualifying attendance rally for competitions. An unmounted rider is expected to attend the full rally. Attendance Records, Rider and Horse Qualification The Club maintains membership cards, which are used, for a rider s proof of attendance for qualification or eligibility to ride in all PCAV approved competitions. The most important qualification is to have a minimum 50% rider attendance and two rallies on the qualifying horse. Our club has 11 rallies per year and 50% attendance means 6 rallies minimum. In order to qualify a horse at a rally, the horse must be presented to gear check and be ridden for at least half of the rally activities on the day. There is no obligation to ride only one horse at a rally. However, only one horse per rally may be qualified subject to the rules outlined above. Grading Horse and Rider (Combination) Some competitions require grading of the rider s and horse s relative skill. There are several different grades for dressage, jumping, one-day events and combined training days. A horse must have been ridden at two rallies before it can be graded. The DC is responsible for all grading decisions. Certificates The PCAV has a Certificate award system that whilst optional, is encouraged and included as part of the club activities. The Certificate system is designed to ensure that riders undertake elementary studies in both riding (horsemanship) and care of the horse (horsemastership). Awards - End Of Year Awards are presented at our December break up. The Emma Gordon Award is made to all members with 100% attendance records for the year July through to June. A DC s Award and an Encouragement and Most Improved award is made for each colour group. Parental Interference Parents/Guardians are not permitted to coach riders from the sidelines. This is for several reasons. Firstly safety - distraction can be the biggest cause of mishaps. Then as a courtesy to the instructor - control of what is happening is required. The instructor may have a lesson plan or an approach that may be different to your way of doing things. This can be a new learning experience or point of view for the rider to consider. Well-meaning parents are often the cause of stress and tension for the rider. Parents are often too keen to see their child progress and in doing so, may actually impede the child s ability to learn. The objectivity of an instructor, without parental assistance, is usually the best method of helping your child. Code Of Behaviour All members are expected to abide by the code of behaviour as displayed in the clubrooms and detailed at the end of this document. Page 6 of 9
Gripes In running a club, it is hard to please everyone all of the time. Whilst the DC and Committee do their uttermost to maintain complete satisfaction, we also recognise that this does not always occur. If you find yourself in such a position, for the sake of maintaining harmony, we would encourage you to discuss any concerns directly with the DC or committee member(s) and refrain from talking around any problems, as this only breeds dissatisfaction and undermines the efforts of the club unnecessarily. If after a discussion with the DC or committee member, you are not satisfied, feel free to direct your concerns to the committee in writing. Failing a satisfactory result, an independent grievance officer may be appointed. Specific Parent/Guardian Involvement As stated at the outset, there are many things to be organised at the club and the assistance of parents/guardians is a condition of membership. Working Bees and Event Assistance. In addition to equipment set-up and canteen duties, parents will be required to assist for 8 hours over the year at designated working bees and fundraising events. The coordinator will draw up a roster of tasks and you may nominate for tasks or be assigned tasks as required. The club is heavily dependent on this assistance for its ongoing operation. The club reserves the right to refuse renewal of membership to families who have not participated sufficiently in these activities. Equipment Set-Up and Canteen Duties Each rally requires equipment and the canteen to be set-up. Jumps, games equipment, bunting, dressage letters etc are all part of it. Each parent is allocated to a set-up or canteen duties team and is expected to fulfil their rostered duty. Set-up and canteen duty commences at 9.00 am SHARP on the day of a rally. Set-up also includes pack-up, which for some parts, may happen during the rally but the main action will occur at the end of the rally. If for some reason, your family is not going to attend a rally on the day of your rostered duty, you are expected to make arrangements to swap your duties with some one else who is on another team. This should be done in advance and not left to the last minute. The club needs every family s co-operation, as set up and canteen duty are vital to the rallies success and fair distribution of the workload. Page 7 of 9
Code of Behaviour Riders 1. Play by the rules. 2. Never argue with an instructor or official. If you disagree, have your captain, coach or manager approach the official during a break or after the competition. 3. Control your temper. Verbal abuse of instructors, officials or other riders, deliberately distracting or provoking an opponent is not acceptable or permitted in any sport 4. Work equally hard for yourself and/or your team. Your team's performance will benefit, so will you. 5. Be a good sport. Applaud all good riding whether by your club or the opposition. 6. Treat all riders as you would like to be treated. Do not interfere with, bully or take unfair advantage of another rider. 7. Co-operate with your coach, teammates and opponents. Without them there would be no competition. 8. Ride for the fun of it, and not just to please parents and coaches. 9. Treat all horses with respect and avoid using cruel, rough handling and mistreatment at all times. Code Of Behaviour Parents 1. Remember that children ride for their enjoyment, not yours. 2. Encourage children to participate, do not force them. 3. Focus on the child's efforts and performance rather than winning or losing. 4. Encourage children to always participate according to the rules. 5. Never ridicule or yell at a child for making a mistake or losing. 6. Remember that children learn best by example. Applaud good riding by all riders whether they be by your club or the opposition. 7. Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from sporting activities. 8. Respect officials' decisions and teach children to do likewise. 9. Show appreciation of volunteer coaches, officials and administrators. Without them, your child could not participate. 10. Treat all horses with respect and avoid using cruel, rough handling and mistreatment at all times. 11. To facilitate a complete grounding, education and the smooth running of rally days, your child is expected to participate in all designated activities, unless medically/physically incapacitated. BPC does not permit children or parents to select only some of the activities or equine disciplines. 12. Under the club constitution Parents and Children must comply with the decisions of the PCAV, Central Zone, Bullengarook Pony Club Committee, District Commissioner (D.C.), Instructors and Team Coaches. 13. Parents must fulfil duties as Rostered, in the Canteen and Equipment Set Up of rallies, Working Bees or Events when staged. 14. Where children cannot attend a rally, the D.C. should be informed as early as possible prior to the rally day so that any necessary adjustments to the program can be made. 15. Drivers entering the Bullengarook Recreation Reserve must comply with the advisory speed signs or drive at walking pace only. The reserve is a shared public facility and members of the public may enter at any time. Please respect other users. Page 8 of 9
16. Cars and floats may be parked in the designated areas around the Harrison Pavilion or at the direction of a club official. 17. All parents/guardians and children are expected to become familiar with the Code of Behaviour as displayed in the club rooms and conduct themselves accordingly. 18. All parents/guardians must remain in attendance with their children at club rallies and events. Where there is an inability to attend, a replacement consenting guardian must be nominated and recorded on the attendance sheet located in the clubrooms at the start of the rally. Code Of Behaviour - Spectators 1. Remember that children play sport for their enjoyment, not yours. 2. Applaud good performance and efforts from each team. Congratulate all participants upon their performance regardless of the outcome. 3. Respect officials' decisions and teach children to do the same. 4. Never ridicule or scold a child for making a mistake. Positive comments are motivational. 5. Condemn the use of violence in any form be it by spectators, coaches, officials or riders. 6. Show respect for your opponents. Without them there would be no event. 7. Encourage players to follow the rules and the officials' decisions. 8. Do not use foul language or harass riders, coaches or officials. Unsure About Anything If you are unsure about any club matter, the Secretary or President is usually your first port of call. However, if it is specifically about riding issues, the rally programme or competition requirements, the DC is the person you want. Page 9 of 9