Rally Guidelines
Good practice at rallies
Turn up in plenty of time and be ready to be tack checked at least 10 minutes before the advertised start time. You may not be allowed to join in if you are late.
Don’t forget to say hello and thank you to your instructor.
Instructors will check the turn out of both pony and rider at each rally and have the right to remove a rider who has unsafe tack which cannot be made safe on the day. Please pay particular attention to stitching on stirrup leathers as bad stitching will mean you won’t be allowed to ride.
We try to make our rallies, camp and events as much fun as possible, but equestrianism can be a dangerous activity and accidents do happen. To make things as safe as possible for everybody concerned we ask that our Branch members abide by the following rules.
RIDING HATS/HELMETS
Members must wear a protective helmet manufactured to one of the minimum standards listed under the PC Hat Rule. Hats must be checked and tagged before riding at any PC event, including rallies. For more information see:
British Eventing, British Riding Clubs and The Pony Club unified the hat standards across all three Member Bodies; resulting in a single hat tag being accepted. The new ‘aqua’ coloured hat tag will carry the logo of the body that checks the hat so that the source of the tagging can be tracked and will mean that riders no longer have to wear multiple tags on their hats.
BODY PROTECTOR RULE
The Pony Club does not make the use of body protectors compulsory, except for all cross country riding and Pony Racing whether it be training or competing. For general use, the responsibility for choosing body protectors and the decision as to their use must rest with Members and their parents. It is recommended that a rider’s body protector should not be more than 2% of their body weight. When worn, body protectors must fit correctly, be comfortable and must not restrict movement. For more info please have a look at: body-protector-rule-2024.pdf (pcuk.org)
CLOTHING & FOOTWEARWhen mounted at Pony Club activities, members should wear a riding jacket or Branch sweatshirt, Beige, cream, navy or black jodhpurs, a suitable plain-coloured shirt with a collar and The Pony Club tie or pony club polo shirt. Only standard riding or jodhpur boots (black or brown) with a fairly smooth, thin sole and a well defined square cut heel may be worn. Plain black or brown half chaps may be worn with jodhpur boots of the same colour. Tassels and fringes are not allowed. No other footwear will be allowed. Stirrups should be of the correct size to suit the rider’s boots. They must have 7mm (¼”) clearance on either side of the boot. There is a tendency for manufacturers to put a treaded sole on riding boots. These will significantly increase the risk of the foot becoming trapped in the stirrup in a fall which could result in serious injury. In the interests of safety, Wellington boots, “Muckers”, or trainers MUST NOT be worn. Boots and stirrups with interlocking treads are not permitted, nor are the boots or treads individually.mNew clothing is not expected, but what is worn must be clean, neat and tidy. Jeans should not be worn when mounted except when specifically allowed by certain disciplines. Polo shirts in Branch colours are allowed to be worn at rallies and at camp, however long sleeves should be worn for all jumping activities. Long hair MUST be tied back neatly.Gloves to be black, brown, navy or cream. If the weather is bad, a Branch jacket or other plain, dark coloured waterproof jacket should be worn. Absolutely no hoodies to be worn when mounted.
JEWELLERY
No jewellery is allowed for safety reasons, other than a wristwatch, a wedding ring, a stock pin worn horizontally or a tie clip. It is recommended that stock pins are removed for cross country.
SPURS
Only blunt spurs, without rowels or sharp edges, may be worn. If the spurs are curved, the curve must be downwards and the shank must point straight to the back and not exceed 3.5cm in length. Sharp spurs may not be worn. Spurs that have a smooth rotating ball on the shank are permitted. The measurement is taken from the heel of the boot to the end of the shank.
TACK
Tack should be clean (bits in particular) and in good condition – no loose stitching and be a good fit. Martingales require rein stops and a stop where the martingale meets the neck strap. Reins must not be so long that they hang in a loop near the rider’s foot. Clean girth, well maintained buckle guards and numnah which must be a plain colour: white, cream, brown, black or navy.
YOUR HORSE OR PONY
· Well groomed
· Tidy mane and tail – no need to plait
· Hoof oil
· Hooves in good condition
· Clean dock, muzzle and ears
VENUE SAFETY / RULES
Horses / ponies MUST NOT be left unattended when tied up outside your trailer / lorry.
Horses / ponies MUST NOT be ridden in any area designated as a vehicle park, or elsewhere at the venue except with permission from the rally organiser.
All dung, rubbish, etc must be removed from the venue upon departure. Make sure that all droppings your pony leaves at any point between your horsebox or trailer and in the arena are removed.
Beware of pushchairs, small children and other people who may not be able to move our of a horse’s way quickly.
Small children should be supervised at all times.
Dogs, if permitted at the venue, must be kept on short leads.
REMEMBER, horses and ponies are unpredictable animals and every care must be taken to be responsible at Pony Club events.
It is a requirement for a trained first aider to be on the rally field and a person nominated to record accidents. These can be different people, so if you wish to volunteer for either role, please let the rally organiser know.
Area/ Interbranch/Cup Day eligibility
Members and their mounts must have attended three rallies to be eligible for Cup Day and Interbranch/Area competitions.
Lorna Muirhead is the Rally organiser.