Braidwood Pony Club

02/08/2024

Who’s going to Goulburn Pony Club NSW Winter Woollies???? 🐴🐎🤞

02/08/2024

🌟 Good News! 🌟

Entries for the 2024 State Showjumping and Jumping Equitation Championships have reopened! 🎉 Due to recent updates from the State meetings, we’re excited to introduce a new class for D grade riders aged 13 & under 15 years!

📅 Entries Close Midnight 11th August 2024

Please note, showjumping is nearing full capacity for yards. If you have your own portable yards, we kindly ask that you bring them along to help accommodate everyone.

📝 Enter via Nominate: https://nominate.com.au/EquestDn/Event.aspx...

ONLY Generic merchandise is available for purchase now. The deadline for event merchandise orders has passed, but we will have some extra event merch available for sale on the day at the Championships.

Thank you for your understanding and support. We can't wait to see you there!

01/08/2024

I wonder what it could be 🤔🐴🐎🐴

Something fun is on the way 💚💛 All Pony Club members, get ready to join in!

01/08/2024

01/08/2024

Who’s going to make this birthday cake 🎂🐴🐎🐴🎂

31/07/2024

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🐴

At Pony Club Australia, we believe a well-trained horse is a happy horse. Habituation, which simply means "getting used to," is a crucial part of training. Horses often encounter potentially scary things in their environment, like aerosol sprays, wheelbarrows, visiting trucks, dogs, and flapping rugs or tarpaulins.

Our horse welfare policy emphasises the importance of training horses to habituate to these regular stressors. Proper habituation helps your horse remain calm and content.

It's important to remember that horses have strong memories of fear, making these experiences hard to erase. When training, introduce new, potentially scary things gradually and carefully, ensuring your horse never becomes anxious or upset. This approach, called working below the stress threshold, prevents fear and anxiety.

Rushing the process can lead to flooding, where the horse becomes permanently frightened of the object. Instead of habituating, the horse becomes sensitised. Always progress slowly and steadily when training your horse to habituate.

𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲-𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲: Gradual, patient training helps your horse adapt to its environment, ensuring a calm, happy, and well-adjusted equine friend. 🐎❤️

📸 This horse is getting used to the ball during a Stockman's Challenge activity at
Alice Springs Pony Club - an excellent example of habituation in action!

31/07/2024

💛💚💛💚 💖

30/07/2024

24/07/2024

Forbes Pony Club is looking forward to another successful Charlie O Connor weekend with the showjumping day and...

24/07/2024

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 | Ensuring the best possible welfare outcomes in equestrian sport requires thoughtful consideration of potentially aversive equipment. Improper use of the whip can cause lasting physical harm and mental distress to horses.

Pony Club Australia's Horse Welfare Policy emphasises that a horse's mental security relies on clear, consistent training where they respond to light, almost invisible aids. This is crucial because, while horses are adept at communicating with each other, they often find humans confusing, leading to conflict behaviours such as bucking, rearing, bolting, and spooking

Key points from our Horse Welfare Policy include:

▪️ Do not use a whip or any item to hit an unridden horse, except as a guide when loading or in ground work exercises, or using a lungeing whip while lunging.
▪️ Do not hit a horse's head with a whip or any item.
▪️ Do not strike a ridden horse more than twice in succession; after the last effort in competition; with an overarm action; to vent the rider or coach's temper; or on any area other than behind the rider's leg or down the horse's shoulder.
▪️ Parents, supporters, and coaches must not instruct riders to use a whip a non-approved manner.

In Pony Club Australia's Syllabus of Instruction, the whip is introduced as a training tool at the C*/K level, for members aged 14 and older. Members learn that the whip is most effective during pressure-release training. This method, known as negative reinforcement, involves taking away pressure (which must only ever be slight) when the horse responds correctly, encouraging the desired behaviour.

Members are taught never to use the whip in anger or as punishment.

Pony Club Australia is committed to the highest standards of horse welfare. Our policies outline clear welfare standards and best practices. It is expected that riders, coaches, officials, and supporters adhere to our policies and refer to our Syllabus to meet both PCA and community expectations.

Learn more about our Horse Welfare Policy and Syllabus on our website: https://ponyclubaustralia.com.au/

📸 Pony Club Australia Certificate Manual image demonstrating the correct use of a whip as a guide during ground work exercises.

23/07/2024

Wishing all our Equestrian Olympians and their trusty steeds all the best as they compete for their country.
Go Aussies Go 💚💛🇦🇺🐴👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

🌟 Wishing Our Olympians the Best of Luck in Paris! 🇫🇷 🌟

As the Paris competition kicks off at the end of this week, we want to extend our heartfelt best wishes to our incredible Olympians! Your dedication, hard work, and passion inspire us all, and we couldn't be prouder.

Eventing Team:
- Chris Burton - Brymaroo Pony Club, QLD
- Kevin McNab - Millaa Millaa Pony Club, QLD; Malanda Pony Club; Mareeba Pony Club
- Shane Rose - Forest Hills Pony Club, NSW; Avondale Pony Club, NSW
- RESERVE: Shenae Lowings - Riverside Pony Club, WA

Jumping Team:
- Thaisa Erwin - Uralla and Districts Pony Club
- Hilary Scott - Moree Pony Club, NSW; The Oaks Pony Club, NSW
- Edwina Tops-Alexander - Avondale Pony Club, NSW
- RESERVE: Amber Fuller - Bega and Narooma Pony Clubs

Dressage Team:
- Jayden Brown - Brookfield Horse and Pony Club, QLD
- William Matthew - Wanneroo Pony Club, Perth, WA
- Simone Pearce - Bamawn Extension Pony Club, VIC
- RESERVE: Mary Hanna - Nambour Pony Club, QLD

To all our riders and their supportive teams, know that your Pony Club family is cheering you on every step of the way! 🐴✨

Good luck, ride with pride, and bring home the gold! 🏅

Timetable courtesy of The Back Rail

23/07/2024

Celebrate the Olympics with Pony Club Australia! 🐴🏅

Let's come together to celebrate the spirit of the Olympics within our Pony Club community! Here are some fun ways your club can get involved:

✨ Host Watch Parties: Gather your club members and watch the equestrian events together. Cheer for your favourite athletes and enjoy the excitement of the games.

🏇 Organise Olympic-Themed Rallies: Plan fun rallies with Olympic-inspired activities and challenges. Create a festive atmosphere with decorations and games that celebrate the Olympic spirit.

👩‍🏫 Invite Past Olympians: If you're lucky enough to have a past Olympian in your community, invite them to give a talk or demonstration. Their stories and experiences can inspire and motivate our young riders.

📸 Share Your Olympic Spirit: Capture your club's celebrations and tag us in your best Olympic-inspired photos and videos using the hashtag . Themes like 'Best Olympic Pose' will add an extra touch of fun!

Don't forget to invite local media to cover your events and showcase the incredible enthusiasm of our Pony Club community.

We can't wait to see how you celebrate the Olympics! We'll be sharing the highlights on our social media, so stay tuned and get ready to show your ! 🎉

Pony Club Victoria Pony Club NSW Pony Club WA Pony Club Queensland Pony Club Tasmania Pony Club Association NT - PCANT Pony Club Association of South Australia Inc.

22/07/2024

Our officials may not be the ones winning the ribbons, but without them, there would be no ribbons to win. Are you ready to join their ranks? Start by signing up for the Australian Sports Commission's online course. You can complete it anytime, anywhere, on any device.

💚 What you'll learn:

1. Who you officiate - understanding the modern participant
2. How you improve - understanding yourself, reflecting and continuously improving
3. What you officiate - fundamentals to officiating well
4. How you officiate - preparing to officiate and decision-making considerations
5. Where you officiate - optimising the environment
6. How you connect - effective communication
7. How you engage - interacting and engaging with others

👉 Sign up for the free Community Officiating Essential Skills Course at https://www.ausport.gov.au/officiating/education/essential-skills

📸 Christine and Rebecca from promoting gear checker accreditation.

19/07/2024

Congratulations to our 🇦🇺 Pony Club quizzers 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🐴🐎🐴💛💚🇦🇺💚💛

19/07/2024

Does your club need more instructors?

Pony Club NSW is hosting another Bronze Zoom session happening on 29th - 30th July at 7pm! 🌟

This is an excellent opportunity for:
- Anyone who wishes to start their instructors journey.
- NCAS instructors who need to update.
- Old system 1, or Introductory instructors who need to transition to the new system.

Please note, there may not be many Zoom sessions left this year. If you still need to attend one to transition from the old to the new system, this is your chance!
🗓️ Dates: 29th -30th July
💻 Platform: Zoom
Don't miss out on this important opportunity to stay updated and move forward in your instructor journey! 🚀

💻 Register now limited spots available:https://ponyclubnsw.org.au/forms/bronze-state-instructors-zoom-school/

You will need to purchase your book and do your Horsemanship and gear check online first before your attend the zoom at https://ponyclubnsw.org.au/education/bronze-certificate/

17/07/2024

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗠𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆?

At Pony Club, our horses participate in various activities, and it's essential to consider their well-being. As responsible owners, we need to be mindful of how much work is suitable for our horses. Researchers have studied the ideal weight-carrying capacity of horses to help us make informed decisions.

As outlined in Pony Club Australia's horse welfare policy, the combined weight of the rider and saddlery should not exceed 20% of the horse’s weight. For example, a 13.2hh pony weighing 400kg should not carry a rider weighing more than 80kg with gear.

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲'𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁
If you're unsure of your horse's weight, you can estimate it using a tape measure and this horse weight calculator: https://bit.ly/3VZlPSm

𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁
Once you know your horse's weight, you can calculate its maximum rider weight using this handy tool: https://bit.ly/4d3nVHG. Note that this tool assumes a well-balanced rider, a horse at their ideal weight, and a properly fitting saddle.

𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗠𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆

𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
A horse that can easily carry weight usually has a well-muscled, short back and thick cannon bones. This horse will have a lower centre of gravity compared to a horse with long legs and a long, weak back. Always consider your horse's build and adjust their fitness plans accordingly.

𝘍𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 & 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
The fitness and balance of both horse and rider are crucial. An unfit or unbalanced horse will struggle to support the rider’s weight while maintaining its own balance. Similarly, an unfit rider—or one that is too tall for the horse or pony—can throw off the horse’s balance, leading to discomfort and potential injury. Ensuring both horse and rider are in good condition is essential for a safe and enjoyable ride.

𝘋𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 & 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬
Activities over rough terrain, for longer durations, and at increased speeds demand more effort from the horse. Only attempt such activities if both horse and rider are fit enough to handle the increased physical demands.

𝘌𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 & 𝘏𝘰𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦
Always ensure your equipment meets the needs of the activity. A properly fitting saddle distributes the rider’s weight evenly without causing muscle soreness. Regular hoof care is also vital; hooves should be trimmed to provide a balanced, flat surface for weight-bearing. For horses that wear down their hooves quickly or have thin soles, consider using shoes or protective boots based on professional advice from a farrier or veterinarian.

𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲-𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲
Understanding your horse’s weight and the maximum weight it can carry ensures their welfare and promotes a long, healthy partnership. Always consider your horse’s physical condition, the demands of the activities you engage in, and the quality of your equipment to keep your horse happy and healthy.

15/07/2024

Have you been keeping up with the adventures of our Pony Club Australia International Quiz Team? 🇺🇸

They’ve had a jam-packed weekend, visiting Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby Museum, Second Stride, Inc., Spy Coast Farm, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, and even enjoyed a hack around Masterson Station Park.

Head over to their page to see all the photos and fun details from this fabulous crew, who are doing an amazing job of documenting their travels! 📸

Pony Club International

11/07/2024

💪 Pony Club Safeguarding Challenge 💪

Are you ready to strengthen integrity and safeguarding practices at your club? Take on the challenge with these eight simple actions!

Can your club complete them all by December 31, 2024?

For questions, reach out to PCA Integrity Manager Suanne Waugh at [email protected].

📥 Download the poster here: https://bit.ly/3LjnAov

10/07/2024

Welfare Wednesday | Teeth! 🦷🐴

Today we're talking about dental care for your best mate! Your horse’s teeth should be regularly cared for by a professional. Unlike our teeth, a horse's teeth are continually erupting (growing) from the jaw as they age. The constant chewing of grass and hay grinds them down at roughly the same rate as they erupt. However, because they don’t always line up perfectly, sometimes a horse will get a rough edge or sharp point.

While these usually don’t bother a horse much if they were just chewing grass in the wild, it's important to keep their teeth well maintained for riding and using bits and nosebands. This ensures your horse is comfortable when ridden and can eat well.

A veterinarian or equine dentist should check and rasp your horse's teeth approximately once a year, or any time you have concerns. Very young and very old horses usually need more frequent dental care. Signs of dental issues include losing weight, difficulty chewing, dropping food (also called quidding), reluctance to accept the bridle, or difficulty with contact when ridden. A dentist will identify sharp or uneven areas and rasp them down, a process known as floating, using either hand tools or power tools.

Keep your horse happy and healthy with regular dental check-ups!

09/07/2024

And they're off! 🛫 Safe travels to our superstar team as they head to the Pony Club International Quiz Exchange in Kentucky, USA. We are incredibly proud to be represented by:

🟢 Annabelle Ennis-Wert from Werribee Pony Club, VIC
🟡 Hector Brennan from Woodlands Pony Club, VIC
🟢 Kaitlyn Brockett from Lilydale District Pony Club and Adult Riding Club, TAS
🟡 Sharne Haskins from Londonderry Pony Club, NSW
🟢 Rachael Edwards (coach), VIC

New to Quiz? Members don’t need to ride to participate in this discipline. They are selected based on their knowledge and certificate level. The quiz typically consists of the following phases:

Written Test Phase: Questions based on proficiency standards up to one level above the participant’s age group.

Mega Room Phase: Competitors identify horse-related items displayed on various tables, matching them with an answer sheet.

Games Phase: A variety of games covering general knowledge and horse management.

Classroom Phase: Team members answer required questions in a classroom setting.

⭐ Good luck to our Aussies! We can’t wait to follow your adventures!

Pony Club Victoria Pony Club NSW Pony Club Tasmania

05/07/2024

🎉 Attention Senior Mounted Games Riders! 🐴

We're excited to announce that the PPMG Prince Philip Mounted Games National Championships will be held in Victoria, near Melbourne, on Saturday, 26th October! This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your skills and represent NSW on a national stage.

Here's what you need to know:

📅 Event Dates:
- Arrival in Melbourne: Friday, October 25th (morning)
- Competition Day: Saturday, October 26th
- Departure: Sunday, October 27th

📍 Event Details:
- Location: Victoria, near Melbourne
- Competition: Teams will swap horses every 4-5 races, adding an exciting twist to the event!

💰 Costs:
- Approx. $500 per rider, covering:
- Accommodation (2 nights)
- Meals
- Entertainment
- Transport
- Gala Dinner
- Competition Entry
- First Aid

🔍 Team Selection:
- Based on a written application and a ridden trial.
- Ridden Trial Dates: August 3rd-4th at B**g B**g Racecourse, alongside the trial for the NSW Junior team.

📧 How to Apply:
If you're interested in being considered for the NSW PPMG senior team, please send your EOI to Rob McLachlan at:
- Email: [email protected]
- Mobile: 0431 428 262

Don't miss this chance to be part of this event! 🏇✨