Learning to care for your pony

Horse & Pony Care Sessions are very useful and instructive when progressing through the Pony Club Efficiency Tests and for the Horse & Pony Care Competitions held annually at Area and Championships.

This type of training covers specific areas in much more detail and depth. If during the course of the training, over several sessions, the Coach feels that members have gained enough knowledge of a certain subject then they may award the relevant badge, however that is secondary to the gaining of knowledge and it is not the main intended outcome of the session.

There are three levels:

• Minis: Questions to be based on the Care section of the E, D and easier parts of the D+ Test cards and Mini Horsemanship Achievement Badges. At the Championships a small number of questions will cover all of the D+ syllabus.
• Juniors: Questions to be based on the Care section of the D, D+, C and easier parts of the C+ Test cards and Horsemanship Achievement Badges. At the Championships a small number of questions will cover Advances Achievement Badges and all of the C+ syllabus.
• Seniors: Questions to be based on the Care section of the C+, B and AH Test cards. Questions at AH Test level should be used sparingly as not all Branches/Centres will have AH Test level competitors.

Eligibility Requirements:

Mini Competition – Teams to consist of three Members. Ages to be 10 years and under on the 1st January of the competition year, with one Member to be 8 years or under on the 1st January of the competition year.

Junior Competition – Teams to consist of three Members. Ages to be 13 years and under on the 1st January of the competition year, with one Member to be 11 years or under on the 1st January of the competition year.

Senior Competition – Teams to consist of three Members. Ages to be 25 years and under on the 1st January of the competition year. One Member to be 16 years and under on the 1st January of the competition year. Of the remaining two Members, one may be between 21 and 25 on the 1st January of the competition year.

Teams make their way around different ‘stations’, each of which will comprise of a different theory or practical based topic. Ten minutes are spent at each ‘station’, during which time Members are asked a series of questions to be marked by the Assessor.

Points will be allocated per section. One round will be chosen, at random, as the ‘tie-breaker’. In the event of a tie, the Team with the highest score in that particular round will be declared the winners.