Index Page What is Pony Club 2 Gisborne Pony Club structure 2 Membership Information 3 Parents/ Adult Supporters responsibilities 3 Pony Club Cards 3 Fees 4 Uniform 4 Rally Days 5 Attendance 5 Sign in Book 5 Unmounted Rallies 5 What to bring 5 Corrals 5 Newsletter 6 Certificates 6 Gear Check 7 Competitions 9 Grading 9 Events 9 Risk Management 10 Where to Find Information 11 Important Contact Details 11
Welcome to Gisborne Pony Club. We hope that your time with us is enjoyable. We aim to offer you opportunities to improve your riding in a safe environment for both you and your pony. What is Pony Club? Pony Clubs operate as a non-profit organisation dedicated to the development of the young rider, concerned equally with the practical skills and social development of riding members. The operation of the clubs is governed by the Pony Club Association of Victoria (PCAV) which sets the standards and rules by which all pony clubs are governed. Gisborne Pony Club. Gisborne Pony Club is part of the Central Zone (Victoria is broken into 10 Zones). Our grounds are located at the I R Robertson Reserve Couangalt Road Gisborne South. The club is operated through a volunteer committee. Structure of the Pony Club There is a Committee of Management of the Club, consisting of: - President - Treasurer - Secretary - District Commissioner and Assistant D.C. - Chief Instructor - Up to 8 ordinary members The committee, except the District Commissioner, is elected at the Annual General Meeting usually during the April rally. All members and parents are encouraged to attend and to make themselves available for positions which become vacant. Nomination forms are available at the rally prior to the AGM. The Committee appoints the District Commissioner after the AGM, at their first meeting which is traditionally held directly after it. The Committee meet monthly prior to the next rally. Membership information. Membership in pony clubs is open to children of any age. When a member reaches the age of 17 he/she becomes an Associate Member. Associate members continue riding membership within the pony club up to the age of 25. We are proud to add that a number of Gisborne Pony Club senior riders have gone on to become instructors in the club. To apply for entry to Gisborne Pony club (GPC), an application form must be completed and submitted to the club secretary, along with the specific joining Gisborne Pony Club Members Handbook R2 October 2013 Page 3 of 12
fee. Acceptance into the club is, of course, dependent on there being room with the current membership. You will also need to fill in a medical and other information form. Membership provides access to all pony club activities. It permits the member to compete in any pony club rings at competitions being held throughout the state. As attendance at rallies has a direct impact on eligibility to compete, please refer to the PCAV rule book for details (available on the website www.ponyclubvic.org.au). Parents (Adult Supporters) Responsibilities. Membership entails certain responsibilities on the part of parents. In particular, each rider must have an adult supporter in attendance at each rally; this can either be a parent or another delegated adult. Unfortunately if a rider does not have an adult supporter in attendance they will be asked to dismount. The Pony Club relies on parental support and the success of GPC is dependent on families of pony club members being able to contribute in some way. Parents must be willing and prepared to give 20 hours of service each year included in these hours is mandatory assistance at 2 club competitions each year. There are a variety of jobs to do, many of which do not need horse experience such as working bees, setup for rallies and event duties. A volunteer hours record book is located in the club rooms for you to log your service hours. Please ensure you remember to fill in this book to avoid embarrassment at the end of the year. Members who fail to fulfil their hours will have their membership reviewed by the committee at the end of the year. Pony Club Cards On admission to the Club you will receive a Pony Club Card which is a record of you and your horse's attendance at Rallies and your grading for competitions. This card will be kept up to date by the Card Secretary each rally. Generally he/she will keep these cards unless you are competing, then you will need to collect the card prior to the end of the rally and complete the cards register so that we know where your card is. Without your card you will be unable to compete. It is your responsibility to ensure your card is correctly completed with horses name, your details and your grading, any errors in the card will also prevent you from competing. Alert the DC of any errors. Do Not make any changes yourself, only the DC and Card Secretary can complete the cards. Fees We have annual memberships which are due by 30 April each year. Part of the fee that you pay is paid to PCAV for affiliation and insurance of the riding member and the balance of the fee is used to pay instructors and to cover the Gisborne Pony Club Members Handbook R2 October 2013 Page 4 of 12
cost of rallies, any excess monies are used to buy equipment. Please see Treasurer for current membership fees. Uniform. The Gisborne Pony Club uniform consists of: Please note all GPC uniform items can be worn at both rallies and for competition. Cream, fawn, banana coloured jodhpurs. Combination of either A (Jmper and tie) or B (Polo shirt and jacket) - combinations of A and B cannot be worn (the polo shirt cannot be worn with woollen jumper for competitions, however can be worn with polar fleece or jacket/vest). A uniform: o White shirt; o PCAV striped tie or Gold tie (PCAV striped tie purchased from uniform shop or ordered from PCAV); o Black jumper with gold sash; o PCAV badge (not compulsory but desired for displaying certificate badge and use in competition) B uniform o Black GPC polo shirt with PCAV logo; or o Gold polo shirt with PCAV logo (Gold shirt allowed until 2015) o GPC fly jacket, polar fleece or vest; o GPC rain jacket (although any rain coat is allowed). Long or short riding boots, fully soled. GPC saddle blanket (not compulsory) Medical armband (required for competition) Rally Days. Most of the items above are available through the club uniform shop which is open during lunch time in the club rooms. A variety of second hand uniform is also available. The primary activity provided to the membership is the club rally. The rally day is held monthly, on the first Sunday of each month (other than January) and runs from 10.30am (gear check at 10.00am) to 3.30pm. The rally is divided up into 4 phases of activity and a lunch break. Each group has different schedules of activities throughout the day such as Dressage, Show jumping, Cross Country, Novelties and Theory. Gisborne Pony Club Members Handbook R2 October 2013 Page 5 of 12
Groups will be made up of riders of similar ability. Groups are reviewed after each rally to ensure all riders progress. Attendance To qualify to compete you must attend 2 rallies on your pony. To gain attendance at a rally you need to ride in at least 2 sessions on the day. New PCAV rules now allow a rider to qualify 2 horses at a rally. To do this you need to ride each horse at 2 sessions on the day. Members must have 50% rally attendance (25% for Associate members) of his/her club (mounted or unmounted) to compete. A horse/rider combination must be graded and have attended 2 rallies in the preceding 12 months. Very Important: Please tell the D.C if you are not attending or leaving early contact details are in the back of this manual. Unmounted Rallies. Members are encouraged to attend unmounted if their horse is out of action. unmounted members can still participate in club activities and give assistance where needed. Unmounted members must still wear approved uniform and report to gear check at the beginning of the rally to have their presence noted. An unmounted attendance will be marked on your card. Sign In Book. A sign in book is located on the table in front of the club rooms anyone attending a rally be it rider, parent, grandparent, sibling or friend must sign in and sign out. We need this information for insurance purposes. Things to Bring. To ensure the well being of your pony don t forget to bring a water bucket, feed,halter and lead, brushes and rugs to put on your horse/pony during unmounted lessons and lunchtime. Corrals. Corrals are available for a fee of $15.00 per year. A corral will be allocated to you for the year. Currently we only have limited corrals available, but are in the process of building new ones. The Corral coordinator keeps a list of available corrals. Please ensure that your corral is left clean at the end of the rally. Gisborne Pony Club Members Handbook R2 October 2013 Page 6 of 12
The Monthly Newsletter The Monthly Newsletter is our main means of communication within the Club. It comes a few days prior to each rally, and contains information about the forthcoming rally as well as other pertinent information. It is sent to each Pony Club family by email and can also be found on the club website. It should be read by both parents and children. The editor always welcomes any input to the newsletter from any pony club members. Certificates During your time at Pony Club you may wish to work towards attaining Certificates, which are given for various degrees of knowledge about horsemanship. The first such Certificate attainable is the D Certificate. More information about these can be obtained from the D.C. Gear Check. To ensure the safety of the rider, the correct fit of gear and the comfort of the horse, each riding member needs to attend gear check at the start of each rally (10.00am). This is carried out by the clubs gear checkers, without attending and passing gear check riders will not be able to join their groups. Failure to attend gear check will mean that you will not be given attendance at the rally. When participating in club activities, all gear and equipment must be clean and well maintained. All leathers must have sound stitching. Horses should show fit and proper care and maintenance. To help in preparing yourself and your horse for safe and enjoyable riding, we have prepared these guidelines. Comprehensive gear check guidelines are available for down load on the PCAV website and we encourage you to be familiar with these regulations. Rider. Correct Pony Club uniform must be worn by all Riding Members and Associate Members taking part in inter-club, zone, and state pony club events/activities. Short jodhpur/riding boots or long boots must be fully soled, smooth leather or rubber synthetic material. Gaiters may also be used (must be full grain on at least the exposed side (not suede) and fasten down the back (can be black or brown but same colour as boots). Suede Chappettes can be worn at rallies only. A riding helmet complying with the AS/NZ3838, EN1384 or ASTMF1163 only must be worn at all times whilst mounted. Long hair may become tangled in equipment and must be securely tied back. No jewellery is allowed, all piercings must be removed or securely taped. Gisborne Pony Club Members Handbook R2 October 2013 Page 7 of 12
Horse. The horse should be in good condition, well groomed and turned out. Manes and tails should be thoroughly clean, the feet must show evidence of being well cared for, irrespective of whether the horse is shod or unshod. Saddlery. All gear must be safe, correctly fitted and comfortable for the horse. Above all, the gear should be checked to ensure it is safe in every respect. Check the stitching on stirrup leathers, girth points and reins for signs of wear. Bridle The brow band should be comfortable, not pinching around the ears. The throat lash must not be too tight or too loose and be able to fit 4 fingers in a row between the horse and the throat lash. The check strap must be correct length so the bit is comfortable in the horse s mouth. There should be one or two creases in the horse s mouth. Dropped, cavesson, crossed or Hanoverian nosebands may be used. These must be correctly fitted but as the manner of fit can vary depending on the type of noseband, the gear checker will check this for you. Bits Snaffle bits are the preferred type of bit for all pony club activities. The pony club gear check guidelines details the type of snaffles, which can be used. The bit should be the correct size, not pinching the horse s mouth. Saddle The saddle must fit the horse correctly and not be low on the withers or pressing on the horse s spine at the back of the saddle. A saddle cloth must be used and should fit in such a way that there is not ridge or edge under the seat of the saddle where the weight of the rider will cause soreness in the horses back. The saddle must have a girth with 2 or 3 buckles. The girth must be firmly tight. All stirrup leathers must be on the outside of the saddle flaps. Stirrup or leathers are not to be tied down to the saddle flap. Stirrup irons must not be too large or too small. There should be approximately 1-2cm to spare when the boot is in the iron and over to one side. Other Martingales are permitted but must be correctly fitted. Running martingales need to long enough to reach up to the horses gullet. If you are using a Gisborne Pony Club Members Handbook R2 October 2013 Page 8 of 12
martingale it must be fitted with a rubber keeper and the reins must be fitting with stops irrespective of the types of reins being used. Crops may be used. The overall length of the crop (inclusive of the flap) must not exceed 75cm and must be fitted with a leather flap. Long dressage whips are permitted for training purposes only (i.e. Rallies). Only blunt spurs without rowels may be used with the length of the spur not exceeding 2cm. Correctly fitted breastplates and cruppers may be used in all pony club activities. The following equipment is NOT PERMITTED for any pony club activities. *Blinkers *Laced leather boots *Draw reins *Standing martingales *Running reins Competitions. Grading. To ride at all competitions except novelties and gymkhanas you will need to be graded. You and your pony are eligible to be graded after 2 rallies however to be graded the DC must assess your ability. Each phase has its own separate grade the lowest being grade 5 for dressage, combined training and horse trials and E grade for showjumping. The DC will not grade you for a discipline if she and the Chief Instructor do not think you are capable of competing at the prescribed level, this is for both safety and rider confidence. If you wish to be graded let the DC know so that she can discuss it with you. You can do this by leaving a note in the DC s communication folder. Initial grading must be completed at a rally, subsequent up grading can be done at any time but must be signed off by the DC. Events There are many events held throughout the year including GPC events, Zone events, team events and events run by other clubs. Information regarding forth coming events can be found in the events folder (situated on the table in front of the clubrooms) in the newsletter or on the website. The Central Zone website has entry forms for all events happening in our Zone available for download. Entering an Event Entry is up to the individual rider for club events, once graded you can complete the entry forms and send them to the respective clubs. For Zone Gisborne Pony Club Members Handbook R2 October 2013 Page 9 of 12
and Team events entries will be completed by the club, you just need to register your interest with the DC. Remember You will need a correctly completed card, pony club uniform and medical armband to compete. Showjumping Events - Consists of showjumping only competitions Horse Trials and One Day Events - Consists of three sections to the competition, Dressage, Showjumping and Cross-Country. Combined Training Day - Consists of two sections to the competition, Dressage and Showjumping. Games Days - Consists of teams from each Pony Club competing against each other in a number of games. Gymkhanas - Consists of lots of different small competitions, some testing riding skills, turn out and some fun events. Risk Management. It is recognised that horse riding can be a dangerous sport to minimise the risks GPC has a comprehensive risk management plan (available for download on the GPC website). Some important points to note include: Floats and cars are to be parked nose to nose, leaving plenty of room for horse traffic. If a horse is tied to a float, the float must be attached to a car. Horses must not be tied up by the bridle. A headstall and lead rope are essential. Riders must walk their mounts between sessions and around floats. Riders are to observe the horse free zone around the club rooms. All riders must have an adult supporter present. Young children must be supervised at all times. Horses should be unsaddled and given water during unmounted sessions and lunchtime. Any falls or incidents must be reported to a committee member immediately and an incident report completed (this will be sent to PCAV in case of an insurance claim). Sun screen is available at the club rooms, riders are encouraged to be sun smart. Riders are only to jump and canter when an instructor is present. Please do not use taped off corrals. These have been condemned due to hazards that may injure both horse and riders. Gisborne Pony Club Members Handbook R2 October 2013 Page 10 of 12
Riding at the Pony Club Grounds. The pony club grounds are open to members to use. You will need a combination for the arena locks, which will be given to members via Email. Please do not give this combination to any non GPC pony club member including non pony club instructors. The combination will be changed a couple of times a year and you will be given the new number again via Email. Sometimes we need to close the grounds if it s very wet or if one of the other user groups has booked it. Before planning on riding please check the IR Robertson Reserve website www.irrobertsonreserve.com to check they are open. Please ensure you clean up after use, including removing horse manure, there are manure bins placed in both sand arenas. If your child jumps it should be only at the height that they are graded at and should be supervised by a knowledgeable adult or instructor and not by themselves. Gisborne Pony Club Members Handbook R2 October 2013 Page 11 of 12
Where to Find Information. www.ponyclubvic.org.au has downloadable information regarding: Gear check guidelines. Event rules. Event calendar and entry forms. Dressage tests. www.gisborne.ponyclubvic.org.au has lots of information regarding club events, newsletters, risk management etc. Important Contact Details. DC: Carol McCoag cmccoag@gmail.com Mob:0423059313 President: Ann Bush annbush2@gmail.com Secretary: Katrina Lang McDougall gisborneponyclub@gmail.com Treasurer: Julie Burns buffyswool@optusnet.com.au Newsletter Editor: Katrina Lang McDougall gisborneponyclub@gmail.com A full list of positions and co-opted positions are available on the website. Gisborne Pony Club Members Handbook R2 October 2013 Page 12 of 12