The Working Rally is the backbone of Pony Club activities and members are encouraged to attend on a regular basis. It may be either mounted or, during the winter months, unmounted and instruction will be given by our qualified Pony Club instructors. Members are grouped wherever possible with similar abilities, but this very much depends on who has booked in.
Booking In – Rally dates and details can be found on our new bookings website. Below are a few points that you should be aware of/remember for all rallies: Please book in for all rallies using the link. If you have any problems using this system please contact Karen or Sarah. Whilst we don’t want to turn anyone away we have to have a ‘closing date’ to enable the rides to be decided and correct amount of Instructors booked. If you are unable to attend a rally you have booked into, please let Karen know ASAP as there may be a waiting list. No refunds will be given with less than 4 days notice unless the space can be filled or the rally has been cancelled by us. For arena-based rallies, your times will be posted on our private Facebook page at least 2 days ahead, we will aim to ‘tag’ you but would encourage you to check the page to find your time. If you need assistance with this please contact a committee member .If you have entered two ponies with the same rider, one will go on the waiting list and only if a space is available will the second pony be allocated a space. Please remember the rally dress code should be adhered to for every rally. Please remember long hair must be tied back and in a hairnet, and strictly no jewellery. You, your pony and its tack should be clean and neatly presented. We will aim for no more than four in a ride in an arena and six for a day rally or camp. There may be circumstances when this is difficult to achieve due to cancellations. Rallies are heavily subsidised by the branch and we have to consider the cost implications if we are left with 2 or 3 in a ride due to people cancelling. Please bear in mind how difficult and time consuming your cancellations can make it for the organisers.
Members should aim to arrive at least 20-30 minutes before the rally starts. This allows time to tack up, ponies to settle, and enables parents to assist with setting up equipment. Parents please remember you have paid for your child to come and be taught by a Pony Club instructor and you should not enter the arena without first asking or being invited by the instructor, nor should ‘helpful’ comments and suggestions be made from the side-lines. If you have any comments please direct them to the rally organiser who will consult with the instructor at the appropriate time. Please remember that wherever the rally is being held you are responsible for clearing up after your pony both in and out of the arena. Many venues do not permit ponies/horses being left tied up to boxes unattended, nor do many allow hay nets being fed outside of boxes. Please clear all muck and hay from around your box before leaving. Dogs should not be brought to rallies unless it is unavoidable – in which case they should be kept on a lead by your vehicle and not walked around the venue. Parents & members’ assistance may be required to help put equipment away at the end of the rally and pooh-pick arenas and car parks. All help is gratefully appreciated, committee members give their time voluntarily and many hands make light work!
The following is a letter which was sent to all members in Feb 2023 which you may like to refer to:
Behaviour
We are extremely lucky to be allowed to use private and commercial venues to hold our rallies. They are all someone’s home, business or both and we would ask that everyone respects the rule that we are only allowed to use the car parking area and the facility hired or provided for the lessons. Damage
or injury could be caused to people, stock or facilities if these rules aren’t followed and our insurance may be invalidated.
Our landowners are generous, and very happy, to allow us access to their land and premises. A ‘Please’, ‘Thank You’, or a smile to everyone you meet goes a long way towards being invited back.
Safety
When attending a rally, camp or other PC event it is a prerequisite that you are able to manage your ponies and horses safely. We all understand that horses can be unpredictable, and a loose or unruly horse or pony can cause significant harm.
If you have any concerns about your ability to control your pony or horse, please contact Karen or Sarah before booking onto rallies. We are here to help you and together we can come up with a plan.
We all want the members to progress, but this has to be done in a safe manner. More often than not this requires taking one step at a time. We all have experience of, and understand, that there is an adjustment period as your child moves up to the next pony or horse. It is extremely important that this step means that the rider is not over-horsed whatever their level.
We are planning to ask any new combinations or members to attend an assessment rally so that we can make sure that they are placed in the most appropriate group for their current level. We understand that they may not always be with their friends, but will do our best to accommodate requests where appropriate.
Riding is an exciting, fun and enjoyable activity but it is inherently dangerous and situations can deteriorate very quickly. It is vital that we minimise the risks as much as possible while still enabling our members to learn and enjoy their Pony Club experience.
Should you have any questions on the above, or any other matter, please feel free to contact Karen, Sarah or Vic in the first instance.
We apologise for the rather long list of ‘do’s and don’ts’ but it is always useful to remind everyone!
We look forward to seeing you all at some point at the rallies but if you have an issue you want to raise then you may wish to ring Karen or Sarah in the first instance. The aim of the committee is to give you the best experiences we can at Pony Club with your ponies, we want you to have fun!
From the Committee