• For Cross Country riding, Tetrathlon, Pony racing and Mounted Games, a jockey skull cap must be worn with NO fixed peak. Noticeable protuberances above the eyes or to the front not greater than 5mm, smooth and rounded are permitted. A removable hat cover with a light flexible peak may be used if required.
• No recording device is permitted (e.g. hat cameras).
• The fit of the hat and the adjustment of the strap is as crucial as the quality. Most helmet manufacturers recommend you visit a qualified BETA fitter.
• Hats must be replaced after a severe impact as the protection will be reduced. Hats deteriorate with age and should be replaced every 3-5 years
• Hats, must be worn at all times when mounted with chinstrap fastened.
• For Show jumping and Mounted Games the hat silk, if applicable, shall be navy, black or brown ONLY
• For Dressage, hats and hat silks must be black, navy or a conservative dark colour that matches the riders jacket for Area competitions or above. Pony Club hat silks are acceptable 
• The Official Steward/Organiser may, at their discretion, eliminate a competitor riding without a hat or with the chinstrap unfastened or with a hat that doesn’t comply with these standards. 

• The Pony Club and its Branches and Linked Centres will appoint Officials, who are familiar with The Pony Club hat rule, to carry out hat checks and tag each hat that complies with the requirements set out in the hat rule with an aquamarine Pony Club hat tag. Hats fitted with an aquamarine Pony Club, British Eventing (BE) or British Riding Club (BRC) hat tag will not need to be checked on subsequent occasions. However, the Pony Club reserves the right to randomly spot check any hat regardless of whether it is already tagged.
• Tagging indicates that a hat meets the accepted standards, NO check of the fit and condition of the hat is implied. It is considered to be the responsibility of the Member’s parent(s) /guardian(s) to ensure that their hat complies with the required standards and is tagged before they go to any Pony Club event. Also, they are responsible for ensuring that the manufacturer’s guidelines with regard to fit and replacement are followed.

Your DC willl check your Riding Hats at the first rally you attend and attach a Hat Tag. All new hats will need to be hat tagged also.

• Body Protectors are compulsory for Cross Country and Pony racing whether training or competing. If a body protector is worn for any Pony Club activity it must meet BETA 2009 Level 3 standard (purple label) or BETA 2018 Level 3 standard (blue and black label)
• 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. 

• BETA recommend body protectors are replaced at least every three to five years, after which the impact absorption properties of the foam may have started to decline.
• Riders who choose to use the Woof Wear Body Cage EXO must lodge a key with the Event Organiser when they collect their number.
• BETA 2009 Level 3 standard body protectors will continue to be accepted until 31st December 2024

All members attending a mounted Pony Club activity must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Many parents attending a rally, like to be within earshot so that they can not only watch the action but also hear what the instructor is saying to their child. However we do ask that you refrain from adding your your own comments to those of the instructor, while the lesson is in progress. Of course you mean to be helpful, but extra instructions from the “sidelines” may confuse the children and can be very irritating to the instructor (not to mention discourteous). It may be that you feel your child does not understand what is being asked of him or that the instructor has different methods or ideas to those your child is accustomed to. In such cases, once the lesson is over you and your child will be able to discuss the session together and to decide what has been learned and whether any differences in approach were or were not helpful to the individual rider.