ecrozier
Well-Known Member
Doing a local PC ODE on Sunday as a warm up before getting back into BE, know I have to wear long sleeves XC, but are there any other rules I should know about that differ? Glove colours etc?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Seriously, be prepared for any daft rules at all at pony club.
They can and do make them up as they go along: son who has competed a lot BE up to Intermediate was doing a PC ode on his young horse to get it out, the tack steward at the dressage told him to take off his leather martingale stops from the reins. This took about 5 minutes of struggling and pulling and his warm up totally wasted. I was mad and told the sec. but she said " we've always had that rule". Never did get the stops back on.
Then at the XC start on the same day, no-one was checking armbands at all. In fact I saw a child go off without one on. Crazy.
I don't think there is an actual pc rule against stops on reins; martingales obv. can't be worn for dressage, but the stops aren't part of the martingale are they? The rule says "Martingales....are not permitted." The stops are part of the reins. Anyway, common sense should surely prevail. I've tack checked a lot for PC myself and I always try to be reasonable. If the competitor has something illegal or dangerous: they change it. If it is just not in the rules but makes no diff. to the horse (i.e. piping on saddle cloth) I tell them to change it for next time and to be careful if they are going to pc area.