FIRST TIME PONY OWNERS AND THEIR PARENTS 

Welcome to Pony Club. You have made the right decision to join Pony Club. It is the perfect place to learn all there is to know about how to look after a pony and to learn to ride in a safe environment with expert instructors. Hopefully you will have a lot of fun along the way.

To begin with, there seems so much to learn and it may seem at times, like everybody else knows so much more. It could be quite easy to feel left out or confused by conflicting information. This is why we have decided to write this, to help you and your parents to an easy start at Pony Club and to help you make the most of your first season. Apart from reading this you should buy the Pony Club Manual (Version One). It contains all your child needs to know in order to pass the first two pony club grades and is a good introduction to riding and horse mastership. 

Rules And Safety 

A lot of the rules and regulations may at first seem petty and designed to make life difficult and riding more expensive than it is already. Most of these rules are there to ensure the safety of horse and rider. Shoes without heels may cause your feet to slip through the stirrups, or your foot may get stuck in the irons when you fall and this is very dangerous. A long sleeved top for cross country gives you just that extra bit of protection. The hard hat needs no explanation, it should comply to safety standards and the numbers are regularly upgrade and checked.

The pony’s tack will be checked at every rally and may be checked at one day events held at Pony Club. Once a month, points will be awarded on “turn out” (for the cleanest, neatest tack and general appearance). Dirty and neglected tack is a hazard to the pony’s health and may be unsafe if any of the stitching is worn. It is also essential that the tack is fitted correctly. If you are at all unsure, ask your instructor or one of the senior riders to check it for you. 

Rally Nights 

The Pony Club rallies start at 6:00 pm sharp. This means that for a mounted rally you need to be ready to ride and mounted at that time. We assemble in front of the Clubhouse important news and information will be given out here, so parents, if your children are young or do not always remember messages, make sure you hear the notices as well. This is where you are told where to go for your rally. Sometimes there are unmounted rallies. These involve learning about horse mastership and how to care for your pony. For your pony club grades you need to know this as well as being able to ride. In these instances, you can leave your pony in the paddock or at home, but do remember to wear your Pony Club uniform. If for any rally you are late, go to your instructor and wait for him/her to tell you what to do. If you need to leave early, make sure you excuse yourself so no- one will worry where you have gone and send out a search party. 

What About Grades Then? 

Your instructor will tell you when you are ready to go for your first Pony Club grade. He/she will make sure that you know all you need to, to pass the test. The club organises these exams and you want to look your best on the day. Passing your “D” certificate will allow you to wear a little “D” on your pony club badge. The certificate grades are D, D+, C, C+, B. A &H. For C+ and B the exam is divided into two parts ridden and theory, you may choose to do only one part. 

How Do Parents Fit In At Pony Club 

Pony Clubs are youth organisations though we like to think of your Pony Club as a family club. We are forever trying to raise funds to improve facilities and to be able to send teams away to external competitions. Events and Ribbon Days are one way the club makes money. Events take a lot of preparation though. Arenas and rings need to be set up, jumps need to be put up and cross country courses need to be flagged. Many hands make light work and the more the merrier applies. Running a Pony Club is also quite labour intensive. The grounds need to be looked after, the jumps need to be painted and the toilets need to be cleaned from time to time. Working bees are held to meet these needs. Working bees are a good opportunity to get to know some of the other parents, have some fresh air and exercise, and you might learn a lot too. Even if you think you have no skills, we will surely find something you can do. Our club is only going to be as good as the effort we are prepared to put into it. It is during working Bees that we make life long friends and the kids have huge amounts of fun working together, children that are not amongst these working Bees can feel left out so we encourage you all to join in.

Apart from working bees, help is always needed on the day of an event. Running an event (especially a one day event) requires a lot of men (and women) power. We need ring stewards, fence judges, writers, time keepers, gear checkers, canteen assistance and a variety of other roles. Again, here is an opportunity to learn a lot about the pony club movement. Your child may be on a lead rein anyway at the beginning. But even if not, help is sometimes needed to hold ponies while the children do certain exercises, and sometimes parents can also make themselves useful by putting up jumps, or setting up barrels. Apart from that, you can always watch and enjoy the summer evenings in the open air and chat to other parents of horse mad youngsters. You may be able to gather all kinds of useful information about where to get good quality feed, or bargain riding gear. 

The End Of The Season 

... will come all too soon. There is the AGM to look forward to though. Everyone should attend this, because it is at the AGM that we discuss the year that has been and the year to come any grizzles are aired and we celebrate our Season ending with wine and nibbles. The prize Giving is set and it is here that all the prizes and trophies are given out. There are a lot of trophies to be won, and not just for those who have been successful at competitions. Awards are given for those riders who have shown the most improvement, for those who have the highest score for turnout and attendance at rallies, etc. And it is a chance to see all your new friends again before the long winter break. In the meantime - have a happy, safe and successful season! 

Pony Club Rules

New Bylaws 7/10/09

Updated March 2015

1. Supervision: All Junior Riders under the age of 18 are not allowed to ride on Massey Pony Club grounds without Parent Supervision or arranged Adult supervision with another parent, with the exemption of 17 year olds who may ride on pony club grounds as long as another person is present.
2. Supervision (Rallies): All riding at rallies must be carried out under the supervision of an instructor or other authorised person. Parental assistance is always welcome. No one may ride in a reckless or dangerous manner and all riders must regard the safety of others at all times.
3. Non members riding on branch grounds must pay a $10 Ground Fee (unless the District Reciprocity Rule applies then a Ground Fee envelope must be completed). Non-members schooling or exercising members horses must pay a ground fee. Exceptions: Organised events, Open Days, Training Sessions, Paid
4. Instructors needing to hop onto a horse during a lesson, a non-horsey friend visiting the club or approved by committee.
5. Hard Hats: Approved safety hard hats MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES when riding on Pony Club grounds or on the road. Check the NZPCA website for safety approved numbers.
6. Pony Club Uniform: Approved Safety Riding Helmet, MPC Polo Shirt, Sweatshirt or Jacket, Beige or Black Jodphurs, Jodhpur boots or long riding boots, hair to be tidy and tied back. Correct uniform is to be worn at every rally, exceptions to this rule is at the discretion of the Head Coach.
7. For District Events the Uniform of West Auckland is beige jodphurs, white shirt & red tie also red jerkins may be worn over the white shirt. It is important that when you represent Massey at District Level you wear this uniform with your Pony Club Badge and certificate pin.
8. Gumboots: The wearing of gumboots while riding is NOT PERMITTED on MPC Grounds. Spurs: Rowelled (sharp) spurs are not permissible.
9. Kicking: Any ponies or horses that kick or are likely to endanger other horses/riders must have a RED RIBBON tied to the tail.
10. Unruly Horses: All horses must be under control at all times. Owners of dangerous or unruly horses will be told to remove them.
11. Stallions: Stallions are not permitted on Pony Club grounds at any time. Horses under four years of age may not be jumped on Pony Club grounds.
12. Reporting to your Instructor: Report to your instructor before joining a ride if you are late or have to leave early.
13. Riding on the Road: Members riding on any public road MUST NOT ride on footpaths and must obey the road code and local authority by-laws AT ALL TIMES.
14. Interfering During Rallies: Parents and riders may not interfere during any lesson being conducted by an instructor. Members who have any complaints, criticisms or suggestions are to be forwarded to the Secretary or Head Instructor in writing. 
15. Overnight Grazing: Permission must be given by the Grazing Manager BEFORE you may leave your horse overnight. If you need to graze your horse overnight on rally nights and/or the night prior to rallies, this will be free of charge and horses must be paddocked where a Grazing Manager directs. Use of pens by members for sick or injured horses must be notified to the Grazing Manager and is free of charge, provided the pens are left in a reasonable condition. A Grazing Fee of $6 may apply to casual grazing for horses that have been penned at Pony Club for more than 3 days this will be at the discretion of the Grazing Manager.
16. Behaviour: Bad language, excessive use of whips or spurs, or cruelty to horse/pony will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
17. Drugs: Any member found to be using illegal drugs on MPC grounds will result in instant dismissal from the club and your membership fee will be forfeited as a result of the dismissal.
18. Smoking is NOT allowed on Pony Club grounds at any time.
19. The “GROUNDS CLOSED” sign is to be adhered to at all times. We ask that you exercise your discretion when using the grounds and that you refrain from driving vehicles, jumping horses and or riding in general when conditions are adverse due to weather.
20. Grounds will be closed for Cross Country two weeks prior to ODE Events. Exception for rallies who are able to jump Cross Country for levels not included in event up to one week prior – this excludes the water jump.
21. All horse poo MUST be pickup and removed from the Arena and Club house areas.
22. All Show Jumps and poles used in the Arena are to be put away after use, this prevents jumps being used excessively in the same part of the arena which causes potholes, and keeps it clean and tidy for the next people using the Arena.
23. Dogs must be kept under control and kept away from the club house and on a lead around the arena, clubhouse or plum tree paddock. Any complaint about a dog will lead to the dog being banned from the grounds. No dogs at Rallies or events. All dog poo to be removed by owner.
24. Any breach of one or any of these terms and conditions will at the discretion of the Club Committee lead to the termination of the grazing rights on the Club grounds. (Two strikes and out with one week’s notice).
25. There is to be no riding in Pony Club grounds whilst working bees are in progress, unless stipulated by Working Bee Co-Ordinator
26. All Members excl Committee Positions are required to attend Working Bee’s. If working bee’s were not completed in previous season then payment of Working Bee Levy is to be paid in advance for the following season. (For further info please refer to your Membership Form.)
27. Should any of the above rules not be followed this could result in a Warning issued from the Club and either MPC grazing terminated or membership forfeited.

Young Horses

Mounts under the age of 4 years are not able to attend rallies or competitions but may be ridden on the grounds at other times with consideration for other riders (which means if the youngster is playing up and likely to cause other riders a problem, it is to be ridden in a paddock on it's own and other riders asked to keep away). Members may apply in writing to the committee for dispensation from this by-law.

Applications will be considered on a case by case basis. The committee reserves the right to withdraw any dispensation given if, it in its sole opinion, there are any problems arising from the young horse or pony attending rallies or events.

Stallions

Stallions may be allowed at competitions at the discretion of the Branch Committee and permission must be obtained prior to the event.

Stallions are not permitted to partake in any other Pony Club activities. The Stallion must be accompanied at all times and must be in a secure location eg. a yard, so that there is no possibility of this horse coming into contact with any other horse on the premises. Full precautions must be taken whilst moving the Stallion from its enclosure to the transporter on arrival and on departure. Also whilst moving from its enclosure to the competition area. Should the stallion become unruly or be considered a hazard to other mounts or riders, the Ground Jury or Branch.

Committee shall have the right to insist that the animal be removed from the grounds.

General Riding Conditions

A horse, which is, in the opinion of the Coach, not fit for Club work for reasons of age, health or temperament, may be barred from the Club grounds. The horse may return to the grounds when the reason for it being barred has been remedied and approved by the branch committee.

WE RUN UNDER THE NATIONAL GUIDELINES OF THE NEW ZEALAND PONY CLUB ASSOCIATION THE MANIFESTO OF RULES AND REGULATIONS IS AVAILABLE ON THE NZPCA WEBSITE AND FORMS OUR CONSTITUTION.