The Pony Club offers so many activities both non ridden and ridden and there can be a lot to discover! This page highlights useful information to get started, the Branch Committee are also on hand to help everyone with questions and offer guidance.
Please find below some useful information about hats, body protectors and more importantly what to wear at a rally and how we expect our members and parents to conduct themselves at rallies and events
What to wear:
All members are expected to be neatly presented when attending rallies and events, long hair tied back and in a hair net. No jewellery/ hoodies etc to be worn whilst riding and handling horses.
Plain coloured jodhpurs and a Vale of Clettwr polo shirt and sweater are expected at rallies. At competitions and tests, members are expected to wear a shirt, pc tie, jacket, cream/white/ beige jodhpurs and dark coloured boots. Riding hats should be dark in colour with a navy/brown/black hat silk where appropriate. Hair nets must be worn for long hair as well as gloves. Their metal pc pin with current coloured felt underneath the pin is to be worn on the lapel of the jacket.
Hat and Body Protector Rules 2024
In order to ensure riders are wearing the most up to date riding hats, please note that from the 1st January 2023, the following hat standards will no longer be accepted, due to the age of hats made to these standards:
1. PAS 015 1998
2. SNELL 2001
To manage this change, a new colour of hat tag will be required for all BE, PC and BRC activities from 1st January 2023. For 2024 the hat tag is Pink
Hat Rule 2024
Members must always wear a protective hat when mounted. Only hats to the following specifications are
acceptable at any Pony Club activity. The Pony Club is consistent with fellow BEF (British Equestrian)
Member bodies in its Standards for Riding Hats. Individual sports may have additional requirements with
regard to colour and type. It is strongly recommended that secondhand hats are not purchased.
The hat standards accepted as of 1st January 2024 are detailed in the table below:
Hat Standard Safety Mark
>Snell E2016 & 2021 with the official Snell label and number
>PAS 015: 2011 with BSI Kitemark or Inspec IC Mark
>(BS) EN 1384:2023 with BSI Kitemark or Inspec IC Mark
>VG1 with BSI Kitemark or Inspec IC Mark
>ASTM-F1163 2015 & 2023 with the SEI mark
>AS/NZS 3838, 2006 with SAI Global Mark
Note: Some hats are dual-badged with different standards. If a hat contains at least one compliant hat standard
it is deemed suitable to competition, even if it is additionally labelled with an older standard.
• For cross-country riding including Eventing, Tetrathlon and Horse Trials, together with Pony Racing (whether
it be tests, rallies, competition or training) and Mounted Games competitions, a jockey skull cap must be
worn with no fixed peak, peak type extensions or noticeable protuberances above the eyes or to the front,
and should have an even round or elliptical shape with a smooth or slightly abrasive surface, having no peak
or peak type extensions. Noticeable protuberances above the eyes or to the front not greater than 5mm,
smooth and rounded in nature 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) as they may have a negative effect on the performance
of the hat in the event of a fall.
• The fit of the hat and the adjustment of the harness are as crucial as the quality. Members are advised to try
several makes to find the best fit. The hat should not move on the head when the head is tipped forward.
The Pony Club recommends you visit a qualified BETA (British Equestrian Trade Association) fitter.
The Pony Club, Safety & Welfare
November 2023
• Hats must be replaced after a severe impact as subsequent protection will be significantly reduced. Hats
deteriorate with age and should be replaced after three to five years depending upon the amount of use.
• Hats must be worn at all times (including at prize-giving) when mounted with a chinstrap fastened and
adjusted so as to prevent movement of the hat in the event of a fall.
• For Show Jumping: hat covers, if applicable, shall be dark blue, black or brown only. Branch/Centre team
colours are permitted for team competitions.
• For Dressage: hats and hat covers must be predominately black, navy blue or a conservative dark colour
that matches the rider’s jacket for Area competitions or above. The Pony Club Hat silk is also acceptable.
• For Mounted Games: hat covers, if applicable, shall be dark blue, black or brown only.
• The Official Steward / Organiser may, at his discretion, eliminate a competitor riding in the area of the
competition without a hat or with the chinstrap unfastened or with a hat that does not comply with these
standards.
Hat Checks and Tagging
The Pony Club and its Branches and 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
Pony Club hat tag. Hats fitted with a 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 is an external verification of the internal label and indicates that a hat meets the accepted
standards. The tag does NOT imply any check of the fit and condition of the hat has been undertaken.
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.
For further information on hat standards, testing and fitting, please refer to the British Equestrian Trade
Association (BETA) website: British Equestrian Trade Association – Safety and your head (beta-uk.org
Body Protector Rules 2023/2024
Body protectors are compulsory for all Cross Country riding and Pony Racing whether it be 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).
BETA 2009 Level 3 (purple label) body protectors will continue to be accepted at Pony Club competitions until 1st December 2024.
