Horse Care
Expectations at US Pony Club
Championships
Jessica Leonard,
C3
Keeneland Pony
Club, MidSouth Region
Click here to view this article as a PDF
Upon Arrival:
When you arrive at championships, the
first step will be to set up your horse's stall. This will include:
· Removing
any staples and nails from the stall area.
It is important to remove these to prevent injury to the horse,
and is most easily accomplished prior to laying down bedding, because
any dropped nails will be easier to find.
· Bedding
the stall. You will need to
make sure that you provide plenty of bedding for your horse. You can
bring your own, or if you are traveling a long distance, bedding is
available on the competition grounds. Check to see what bedding is
acceptable for the facility at which you will be staying. (In 2008,
there will be shavings available for purchase onsite- generally around
$6.00 each)
· Hanging
the water/ feed buckets. Two
water buckets are needed and should be hung with natural bailing twine;
nylon twine (usually red or yellow) can be used but does not have
breakaway capability.
The buckets must be hung at your
horse's chest height so that the horse cannot get a hoof caught, and it
is best to use at least two loops of twine, as water buckets are heavy
and you won't want a flooded stall!
If you plan to put electrolytes in your
water, you must have one bucket of plain water and one with
electrolytes, the latter of which must be labeled as containing
electrolytes.
The same is true of feed buckets, which
must be large enough that the horse is able to get their head in easily.
If your horse has special needs, i.e.: they need a feed tub on the
ground, special arrangements will need to be made with individual HM for
each rally, and it is a good idea to have an extra five gallon bucket on
hand just in case a tub is not accepted.
Round buckets, which are often used for
feed, must have two points of attachment, while flat-back buckets only
need one.
Attaching a stall card.
You will be required to place a stall card on the front of your horse's
stall. This needs to have all of your contact information, as well as
information on your horse. Any special conditions need to be noted so
that Horse Management is aware of your horse's background in case of an
emergency. A sample of a stall card can be found in the appendices of
the Horse Management Rulebook, Appendix I, pages 105-106 and also on the
Pony Club website under forms ('Stall card').
· Lead
Rope: You must hang your
lead on the stall door where it is easily accessible and can be grabbed
quickly in an emergency. You can loop it through a ring of twine if you
like.
· Hanging
of fans. Because
Championship takes place during summer, it is usually very hot and
humid. Most competitors choose to hang a box fan on the front of their
stalls which can be used to keep the horse cool and comfortable during
down times. Fans must be turned off when the horse is out of the stall,
and unplugged at night. You will need to check with your Horse
Management judges to determine how to properly and safely hang your fan.
Bring extra bungie cords, plastic ties, and a ladder to set up your fan
(parents may help with this during move in).
· Write
the stall number on halters.
Your horse must have their stall number
on their halter, usually applied with masking tape and a marker. This
will ensure that if your horse should make an escape, someone will be
able to catch them and return them to their stall. For this reason,
halters must be left on at all times unless special permission has been
given by the Chief HM Judge (make sure to note this on the stall card).
· Turning
in medications and veterinarian notes.
If your horse will require any
medications, a note from your veterinarian must accompany them and both
must be turned in to the Horse Management office upon arrival at the
competition and before the Competitor Briefing. An example can be found
in the 2007 Horse Management Rulebook, Appendix F, page 101. Very
important: all medications must be given while supervised by a Horse
Management Judge.
Equine Preparation for formals:
· Bathing:
Most facilities have a
designated area for washing your horse. You will need to find out where
this is and comply with the rules of your Horse Management and the
facility.
· Grooming/
Presentation of horse: Your
horse must be groomed to the standard of your rating. Pride should be
taken in your turnout at formals, and a glittering clean, dandruff free
horse will make a great impression on your examiner. Your stable manager
can accompany you and help give your horse a final look over before your
formal, making sure that your horse has not collected dust, stepped in
manure, or become dirty in any other way on the trip to the formal
stations.
Prior to competition:
· Tacking
up: Although your tack will
already have been inspected for safety, each time you tack up you will
need to make sure that everything fits your horse properly and that
nothing is pinching or causing your horse discomfort in any way.
· Safety
Check: Your Horse Management
judges will designate an area for safety checks and you will need to
report there before each ride. You should present a clean, well cared
for horse with well-adjusted, clean tack. This will show your judges
that you respect them and yourself and that you take pride in your
appearance and your horse's.
During warm up:
· You
will need to thoroughly warm up your horse prior to competition to
prevent any injury. You will need to keep in mind the weather also. If
it is hot and humid, you should monitor your horse to make sure that
they do not get overheated. Be considerate and aware of other riders and
follow the basic guidelines for riding in a group, keeping plenty of
space between horses, and watching the other riders to prevent cutting
them off.
After Competition:
· When
you are done competing, your horse must be properly cooled out. Walk
them back to their stalls and un-tack. If they require hosing, you can
take them to the wash racks and hose them off, making sure to scrape the
hot water off as you go, since their excess body heat will be absorbed
into the water. If hot water is left on them, they will not cool down.
If they do not need hosing, make sure that you thoroughly brush out any
sweat marks and remove dirt from the legs and belly.
· Turn
Backs: You will have a turn
back in which a HM judge will inspect your horse to be sure that they
have been cooled out and that all sweat and debris has been removed from
their coat. They will also check to see that the horse's feet have been
picked out. Turnbacks should be completed within approximately an hour
after you return to the barn and before you leave the stabling area.
· Wrapping:
If your horse's legs require
bandaging after competitions, you will need to sign up in the HM stall
and your wraps must be inspected by a HM judge for safety. In Pony Club
bandages are left on for no longer than twelve hours.
During down times:
· Cleaning
stalls: You will need to
check your horse's stall throughout the day. If you notice that they
have soiled it in anyway, it will require picking out, and a good
thorough cleaning once a day.
· Water:
Be sure that your horse's
water buckets stay full and clean throughout the day.
In the morning:
· When
you arrive in the morning, you will need to complete your morning
chores. These include feeding your horse, cleaning their stall, and
dumping and refreshing their water buckets. Remove the top-off buckets
from the aisle and stow them in your tack room or feed stall. You can
ask a teammate to walk your horse for you while you clean your stall,
which will make it easier for you to work and will allow your horse to
stretch his legs after being stalled all night.
At night:
· Before
leaving at night, you will need to take care of your evening chores and
make sure that your horse is comfortable and happy for the night. This
will consist of topping off water buckets, filling top off buckets to be
placed before each stall, and giving stalls a final cleaning. You should
give your horse their evening feed and make sure that any special needs,
such as bandaging, have been met. Make sure before you leave for the
night that your fans are turned off and unplugged, and that there is no
way that a sneaky horse can pull the cord into their stall. Tidy up your
tack room, hang your pinnies, and empty the trash.
The final day/ Move out:
· The
Tack Room: During the last
day of championships, you should begin gathering your things together
and straightening up your tack room. Pack up as many of your belongings
as possible. It is a good idea to bring a trunk or a large plastic box
where you can keep your smaller items such as horse boots, crops,
bandages, etc so that you are able to keep them together and out of the
way when not in use, Not only will this help to keep your tack stall
tidy during the rally, but it will also make it easier to ensure that
none of your items mysteriously walk off.
On the last day there is often a period
between your last turn backs and awards when you will have some down
time. If your HM judges will allow it, it is a good idea to tear down
your tack room and pack as much as possible during this time, adding
things like saddle pads and bridles, and girths to your box so that the
only things left out are large items (i.e.: saddles, tack boxes, your
boots, wash buckets, etc.) You can then move your things to one corner
of the tack room so that everything is together and ready to be moved
out. By doing this, you will avoid the mad rush that accompanies move
out, in which many items are mistakenly picked up by a teammate, never
to be seen again. If your entire team organizes their own things early,
then it will be clear whose is whose and you will greatly reduce the
risk of losing your personal objects. Also, label anything you think may
be accidentally taken. If your name is on it and it does go home with a
team mate, they will know whose it is and can make arrangements to get
it back to you.
Make sure that you leave the Equine
First Aid Kit, Utility Kit and Human First Aid Kit easily accessible at
all times.
· The
Stall: Many facilities do
not require you to strip your stall at the end of the event, and some
give the option of stripping it yourself or paying a small fee and they
will do it for you. At Championship you must strip your stall before
leaving the grounds and then get it checked by Horse Management. It is a
good idea to bring along a heavy plastic tarp as it is much easier to
make two trips to the dumping site with the tarp than to make ten with a
bucket. You cannot strip the stall or move the horse out until rally is
completely over. It will be easier if the horse is out of the way.
The simplest way to achieve this is to
have a parent hold your horse outside while you muck the stall, or to
load them on the trailer if you are going to be quick. Stripping should
be the very last thing you do, so that the horse is able to remain in
the comfort of the stall for as long as possible. Don't forget to take
your water and feed buckets! Cut down the twine you used to hang them so
that you leave the stall in good shape for its next occupant.
· Once
everything has been stored away on the trailer, the horse safely loaded,
and the stall properly dealt with, take one last look around to be
certain that there is nothing that has been overlooked. Congratulations,
you've made it through Championships!
A special thanks to
Jessica submitting this article!
Jessica joined Keeneland Pony Club five years ago after moving to
Nicholasville, KY. Pony Club introduced her to the horse sports of
eventing, mounted games, and vaulting and she became very active in all
of them. She soon began eventing on her 18 year-old Arabian who had no
jumping experience. After competing with him for two years, she moved
onto a 7 year-old thoroughbred mare who was just beginning her eventing
career. The pair attended Pony Club Championships for novice level in
2006 and place 5th. They are currently competing at training
level with hopes of moving up to preliminary in the fall. After being
introduced to games through Pony Club and attending Championships for
games 3 years in a row, Jessica became very involved with the United
States Mounted Games Association and has since had the opportunity to
compete in Germany and France. She plans to attend the University of
Kentucky in the fall as an animal science major in their pre-vet
program.
Untangling the Mystery of Saddlery for Eventing and
Stadium Jumping
Written by Andrea
Arrandale-Daguanno
presented at the
2006 Annual Meeting by
Jennifer-Merrick
Brooks
NOTE: "The USPC does not endorse any publication, service or
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A pictorial of saddlery fitting, along with rules of
use for USPC Rallies, and USEA events. We have tried to cover all, and
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