The Horse Management Triangle

1. The Horse Management Triangle By: Jon Straub

2. Paraphrased from, “Horse management at rallies," Pieter Kark former HMO and CHMJ, western New York region, USPC. Updated 2005. With additions from Jon Straub

3. What is Horse Management….. • First and foremost, horse management sets us apart from any other horse organization. • Horse management is about finding ways to care for horses, tack, and riders that will be safe, reduce the risk of accident and injury as much as possible. • It is designed to teach skills and provide knowledge to our members as they progress from one rating to the next. • It prepares our members to take on the responsibilities of horse ownership by judging their horse management practices at rallies and ratings. • Horse management instruction and experience in pony club is designed to encourage the kids to ask questions into the nature of horse care and safety. This is based on logical and practical reasoning as well as COMMON SENSE. Remember common sense rule all. • Horse management promotes sportsmanship. • It helps our young members develop the confidence required for sensible decision making.

4. What does Horse Management teach us…… • Horse management give pony clubbers the ability to think for themselves and to use COMMON SENSE. • Horse management creates confidence in our memberships decision making skills, which is an important life skill. • Horse management teaches pony clubbers to stand up for themselves and to explain in detail, which are handy life skills, as well as proper time management skills. • Horse management teaches pony clubbers sportsmanship and team building skills • Horse management teaches pony clubbers respect, for themselves and authority figures. • Horse management teaches pony clubbers responsibility and leadership. • Horse management gives pony clubber get interview skills. • Horse management teaches pony clubber teamwork

5. Teacher or Judge… • Pony club is an education based organization that is constantly changing and updating. • Horse management judges are in fact first and foremost TEACHERS. • Did you know that at a rally, ONLY a chief horse management judge can take off points. • Assistants jobs are to observe, help, advise, and note area for improvement and bring it to the chiefs attention. • Because we are a education based organization, the chief will meet with the assistance throughout to discuss trends and area of improvements needed in the barn, and to make sure there is consistency throughout the barn

6. Why is their variation within Horse Management • Different areas of the countries have different ways to care for their horses and different problems that can threaten a horse’s health and safety. • Different breeds of horses differ in their needs; individual horses differ in size, shape, and temperament; so much that what is best for one horse may not be good for another, just like us. • The rules in the horse management handbook represent one good way of doing something. The way in this horse management handbook is only one way that is effective for horses in most places, but not all. • Lastly because we human, we all focus on different things, but we are guided by our trusty horse management handbook.

7. Daily Horse management begins at home with…. • Daily care of horse • Daily care of tack • Equine nutrition • Proper fit of tack and other equipment • Bandaging • Proper barn and pasture management

8. It’s the first rally of the year and your first time being a judge. What do you do?? • First off, introduce yourself to your chief and get a lay of the land. • Walk the barns and introduce yourself to the kids and see where you can help them. Remember we are their to help and teach the kids something. • When you see things going well, tell the kids and when you see area for improvement tell them and why!!! This is where the teaching aspect comes in. • Because we are at a competition, by making notes of area of improvement along with the time. It will ensure that the kids will not get written up for the same thing 6 times in a fifteen minutes window. • By touching base later, after a timely manner, see if the kids fixed the problem. • Our goals at rally is to teach the kids something and hopefully learn something from them.

9. At the beginning of Rally • Try to keep the parents out as much as possible. Let the kids have fun without their parent. Let them learn to be independent. • For parent who have reluctant for leaving the barn, work with the chief and organizer to find an area for that parent to volunteer in.

10. Briefing • Everyone at the rally: parents, coach, regional staff, club staff, rally officials, and lastly every horse management assistant should attend all required briefing and BE ON TIME. • The briefing will be the single most informative meeting at the rally. It can address everything from where to get water and disposal of manure, to extreme weather, to any scheduling changes. • Do not be afraid to ask question at the briefing, that what it is for.

11. Should be taught daily Guided by the standards Just because a pony clubber has meets/achieves a rating, does not mean that they are ready to rally Methods of teaching Demonstrative learning Check off list Readings, lectures, and study sessions By example, which is the most effective form of teaching Daily Horse Management

12. Why pony clubber should be proud at rallies Rallies encourage pony clubbers to take pride and recognize their accomplishments, both on and off the horse. The rally is a chance for pony clubbers to show off what they have learned Most importantly it creates TEAMWORK!!! Rallies

13. Jon’s 10 cents on unauthorized assistance • Unauthorized assistance can be penalized severely even though it may be the parent or coach, and not the competitor, who commits the infraction. • As a general rule, cheering, shouts of encouragement, and applause are appropriate and expected. • Instruction, criticism, and negative comments are almost inevitably “unauthorized assistance.” • On the other hand, safety and health of both competitor and horse mean that it is appropriate and correct behavior, to hand a mounted rider eyeglasses, or hearing aid that have fallen off. • It is appropriate and almost obligatory to give a cup of water to a rider that look dehydrated, red in the face, too sweaty or to dry and in need of hydration to avoid heat illness. • A parent knows the child best, it the family’s responsibility to inform the chief of any health issues. • Also, horse management judges are life long learner, that never are able to get out of pony club.

14. Training of Judges • What makes a good judge • Judges to the standard • Excellent people skill • Creative problem solving • Flexible • Life long learner, handbooks are guidelines not the end all. • Loves to work LONG days, 5 AM to 9 PM • Listen to others, well. • Judge will indicate meets, exceed or below the standard. • A good judge will attend local, regional, and national horse management seminars to keep up to date on rule changes and changes in the equine world.