23 PCAWA THE HORSE or PONY - GENERAL 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. 1. HORSE/PONY This all relates to the PCAWA s main objectives the Safety of the Rider and the Comfort of the Horse/Pony 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) Eyes and Nose to be free from discharge The sighting of any blood (whether wet or dry) on the horse from either the mouth, nostrils or spur area during Gear Check, or during the activity, will entail elimination (horse/pony not permitted to be ridden in these circumstances). There is no appeal against this decision. Rider/Team Manager to wipe mouth and then represent horse to ascertain if still bleeding. If in doubt, refer to Chief Coach, Steward or Vet. (Excess slimy salivation with rotten smell does not entail elimination.) Bleeding from any other area must be reported and checked by the Vet on Course and/or the Steward, the Ground Jury or Coach, whichever is applicable 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 No splits or big chips out of unshod hooves; no loose shoes, risen clenches, lost shoe, hoof too long at toe or growing over shoe Horse/Pony must have either: or or or 4 Unshod Hooves (Well cared for) Front 2 Hooves Shod, Back Hooves Unshod Back 2 Hooves Shod, Front Hooves Unshod All Hooves Shod
24 Must be 4 years of age to take part in Competitions and Efficiency Certificate Examinations 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 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 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 False tails permitted but they must not have metal parts Artificial colouring or spray painting of horses or ponies is not permitted except for Fancy Dress, Musical Ride, Pas de Deux, Freestyle events if it is required as part of the costume. 2. MANE - SAFETY NOTE 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 3. MANE - PULLING Before an unruly mane After neat and tidy Pushing the shorter hairs back towards the crest 3. Pulling the long hairs 4. With a coarse or tough mane, the hair will have to be wound around the comb
25 4. MANE BANDING 5. MANE FRENCH BRAID 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
26 6. MANE 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 take in, plait the strands that are left and fasten the end as you would an ordinary plait. 7. MANE SHOW PLAIT
27 8. MANE SOME OTHER STYLES OF 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 9. TAIL Adjusting the length of the tail by holding it at the angle the horse carries its tail while being worked. Recommended length of tail to hang between 5 cm (2") below hocks and 5cm (2") above fetlocks when working.
28 ABUSE OF THE HORSE or PONY ANY ABUSE OF THE HORSE OR PONY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AND WILL ENTAIL ELIMINATION/DISQUALIFICATION 1. 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 sensitise 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 the sighting of blood on the horse/pony, whether wet or dry, will entail elimination. 2. 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, eg 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
29 As a reprimand The only appropriate time is immediately after a horse has been disobedient, eg 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, eg the skin is broken or there is a weal the use of the whip is excessive 3. 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 4. 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.