Pony club stable management!

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Liloandstitch

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Does anyone know what the criteria for good stable management at pony club camp is?
Tried so hard last year with a nice thick bed with banks and constant clean water and haynet. Cleaned tack after every ride and brushed for at least half an hour before I road. I was extremely please with myself and only got fourth!
Really eager to get better or even win this year so any tips would be great :)
 
Good heavens I'd assumed it was standard kit for anyone in Pony Club! It can be bought online or the Secretary will have copies to purchase.
 
You should have one already! But yes you have to buy it.
Stable management would be simple things like making sure always has fresh water, beds are clean and swept back, when tying up always tie to string and not the ring, picking out feet before leave stable and pick feet out after riding, brush before and after riding (I'd say 10mins is plenty, unless horse is filthy lol). Make sure pony is trimmed (ears, poll, fetlock & coronet band) and tail pulled or plaited, and no shavings in tail, make sure you plait for the rides.
rinse bit after riding, clean tack after day's rides, don't forget to clean inside of stirrup treads and in the gullet of saddle. And take bridle apart to clean it! Same with stirrups and leathers, take them off when cleaning ;)
If pony is rugged leave rugs neatly folded after taking them off, clean feed buckets once a day etc. if you go into stable always close door after you, always wear gloves when leading horse etc.

The criteria is different for each pc camp but doing the above would be pretty good for SM at camp, the above is usually what is expected when doing pony club tests anyway :)
 
Oh right okay thank you- no one from my branch seems to have them? Might just be a misunderstanding of mine. Was very helpful knowing this anyway :)
 
You probably do this already but give tack and pony a really thorough clean before going to camp eg make sure all the holes in your tack are cleaned out and ever bit of leather is soaped and polished, scrape off the much that collects in the buckles, give the pony a bath, wash mane and tail etc. If you start off with everything immaculate it's so much easier to keep it that way. Make sure your own appearance is spotless all the time etc. If you want to win it takes time and effort , TBH I just wanted my daughter to have a good time and come home a better rider so she never won it but she always did enough to look smart and tidy!!!
 
This was very helpful thanks, I forgot that it is also about how I present so I'll make sure a clean my boots and always hairnets etc! :)
 
oldie48 said:
You probably do this already but give tack and pony a really thorough clean before going to camp eg make sure all the holes in your tack are cleaned out and ever bit of leather is soaped and polished, scrape off the much that collects in the buckles, give the pony a bath, wash mane and tail etc. If you start off with everything immaculate it's so much easier to keep it that way. Make sure your own appearance is spotless all the time etc. If you want to win it takes time and effort , TBH I just wanted my daughter to have a good time and come home a better rider so she never won it but she always did enough to look smart and tidy!!!
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Oh I forgot about no soap in holes, a toothpick is good for that:)
Nb. In case anyone thinks Im a SM weirdo lol I actually really enjoy the SM side of horses and happily clean all the tack in the tack room (although I prefer bridles to saddles lol) and when younger did a lot of showing :p plus I was taught by a traditional person who was old school pc & horse care - and I'm trying to bring back proper stable management into our branch of Pc as it has slowly declined, especially in younger members as I exam and train up to c test atm :)
 
Remember also the details. Lead rope always coiled. Headcollar pulled through the ring / bars not left on the floor. Bucket handles turned to the wall not the pony. If the saddle is left on the floor leave it correctly positioned with the girth over the cantle. Bridle tied up correctly when hung. No spilled hay around the stable. I would disagree with an earlier poster about plaiting for every ridden session at camp - we certainly don't do that other than the dressage competition day. But mane / tail obviously neat. When you pick out feet do it into a skip bucket not the bed. Muck out tools etc neatly stacked not jumbled. Grooming kit kept neat.

Camp is about improving - so don't be afraid to ask your camp manager or stable manager of advice on how to improve. You might also want to see if your branch would take part in the national horse & pony care competition - you can find details on the PC website. Stable management for the Championships!
 
Stable, water in front corner, haynet at back. Either leave a square with no bedding by the door or leave a strip all along the front with no bedding.

Never more than one dung in box at any time.

Tip water into drain, not on ground. Clean bucket twice daily.

Tie to a weak link. Before riding, quarter horse. That is , pick out feet, Oil, wash off stable stains, brush horse in four quarters, should take 15 mins. Brush mane and tail with body brush, sponge eyes nose dock.

Remember every time you bring horse out of box to pick out feet. Open door wide, clip back if you can.

Carry hay/straw to box in a large split sack or tarpaulin square, to avoid leaving a trail.

When you muck out make sure you don't make a mess around your wheelbarrow/muck sack. Ensure only dirty straw goes out.

Make sure you use and store your mucking out equip safely.

Before you go to camp wash all your grooming kit. Thoroughly clean your tack.

Weigh all your feed. Clean feed buckets and feed bin daily.

After work, strap for 45mins, make sure you use body brush and curry comb. Final wipe over horse with damp stable rubber.

Pick feet out into a skip/bucket so as not to make a mess.

Definitely get yourself a Pony Club manual. You might find a secondhand one on eBay.

In all, be quick, tidy and economical.
 
Tnavas is quite right - but the practicalities of pony club camp won't allow for much of this. And with the best will in the world it is as alien and old fashioned to our kids these day as ... we are?!

Both PC and BHS say haynets at the front to avoid mixing with bedding. Nets at the back have their uses but fallen hay will mix with the bedding which might encourage a horse to eat the bedding. The practicalities at camp are really that the net goes where you can tie it. Temporary stabling does not have attachments at the back or sides.

For camp you are expected to do a full groom before the first ride. but right to quarter off before the second ride.

Where you bring the horse out to pick out the feet or not depends on camp rules. With temporary stabling and sometimes in tight spaces it can be safer to remain inside. Years of competition experience mean that my PC daughter and I do pretty much everything with the horses inside the stable as it is safer that way. (Or at least it is if the horse is safe!)

In well over 15 years as a pony club parent I haven't seen a muck sack - but we did have them 40(eek!) years ago when I was a camper!

Most camps I know of do not allow the campers to mix their own feed but have a camp manager to do it. We ask campers to bring dry feed pre mixed and in separate plastic bags for each feed with only wet ingredients to be added. Senior / associate camps are different - but I'm presuming OP is a junior.

Strapping... Brilliant stuff. No-one know how to do it these days. It does appear in theory in the B test and BHS stage 2. I would not have a child do it I'm afraid. And I very much doubt you would have a spare 45 mins at camp to do it - even if you had the stamina. I do like strapping - I'm not sure I could do it for 45 minutes - sorry!

But absolutely get a PC Manual. It was updated recently so second hand ones will be out of date - but they are not expensive. You really need one to do your progressive tests anyway. All these replies really do just go to show that there are as many opinions on what will get you top marks as there are people scoring!
 
From what I have gleaned from my daughters pony club then the thing to remember with stable management is focus on the horse. So make sure that all sweat marks are washed off, that feet are picked out, that beds are clean and skipped out between rides, that haynets don't dangle too low, that water buckets are clean and topped up and that a spare haynet is full and hanging outside the stable, available to be hung up if the first one is empty. Make sure you tie up when in the stable and gloves/hats are worn when handling the horse outside the stable. Gloves should not be worn for tacking up , grooming as this gives you less feel.

Tack should be cleaned at the end of each day, and bits washed off after every ride. The bridle should be put up properly with straps through keepers and throatlash through the reins. Girths & numnahs should be removed from saddles and leather or synthetic ones should be cleaned , material ones should be brushed off to remove the worst of the hair.

All stable areas should be kept clean and tidy and tools put away not left loose. Muck should be thrown up onto the muck heap and the muck heap then tidied.

It is hard work but if you get into a routine it does get easier, the main thing is to enjoy it.
 
I was a little geek at camp, I remember winning tack and turnout consecutively!

As well as what your doing, remember little things like: do your lead rope up properly, don't just leave it hanging; nothing outside your stable that shouldn't be there - grooming kit etc.

Everything has to be spotless - you, clothes, pony, tack, stable, tack area, sleeping area!

I blame pony club for making me so OCD :D
 
Shay said:
Remember also the details. Lead rope always coiled. Headcollar pulled through the ring / bars not left on the floor. Bucket handles turned to the wall not the pony. If the saddle is left on the floor leave it correctly positioned with the girth over the cantle. Bridle tied up correctly when hung. No spilled hay around the stable. I would disagree with an earlier poster about plaiting for every ridden session at camp - we certainly don't do that other than the dressage competition day. But mane / tail obviously neat. When you pick out feet do it into a skip bucket not the bed. Muck out tools etc neatly stacked not jumbled. Grooming kit kept neat.

Camp is about improving - so don't be afraid to ask your camp manager or stable manager of advice on how to improve. You might also want to see if your branch would take part in the national horse & pony care competition - you can find details on the PC website. Stable management for the Championships!
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This was extremely helpful! I never thought about the presentation outside the stable and the little jacks like the bucket, thank you:)
 
There is a special way to use throatlatch to keep bridles tidy, but put the reins up though noseband so it all looks balanced. This may not be the PC way though. After cleaning, take a tiny amount of oil on a tiny sponge and lightly run over the leather of the main parts of the bridle, this will shine it.
 
Noticed someone mentioned taking your bridle apart to clean - do this before you go to camp, but at camp, hang bridle up, pull straps out of keepers and runners and wash and soap bridle, replace straps in keepers and runners.

Then to dress the bridle - with the bridle hanging up - take the throat lash around the front of the bridle, around to the back, through the end of the rein loop, back around the front and do up throat lash. then take the noseband,place it around the outside of the bridle and slide the end of the strap through the keeper and runner.

If you are given suitable space for storing your tack, saddle racks, pegs etc, dismantle your saddle at the end of the day. You really need the manual as it shows you just how to hang up your saddle, leathers, irons and girth. Preferably you will have a clean saddle blanket/numnah each day, if you don't place it damp side up so it can dry.

Clean any boots you use for your horse. If synthetic then give them an extra gleam by using Armarol - used to shine car tyres.

Tip I learnt when I worked for Jenny Lorriston-Clarke was to use boot polish on the outside of a bridle, soap oil from the inside only. With the advent of self shine clear/natural leather shine its so easy to do. I do all my show bridles like this and they stay looking pristine clean. Oil & Saddle soap does attract dirt and doesn't look so good after its been handled.

I'm a Pony Club B examiner and these are the extra things I check for, between the front legs - amazing how many miss this area.

• Between the backs legs especially for mares, clean the udder gently before you head off to camp.
• Wash around the anus and remove all the dusty skin residue that collects. A little wipe with baby oil wouldn't go amiss.
• Clean the instep of your boots with boot polish.
• Clean spur straps if worn, and daily clean your boots well, with real boot polish and a brush, not the self shine.
• Under the foot, scrub the sole and when dry apply hoof oil.
• Inside of ears clean - I only snip the tuft of hair that sticks out, I don't believe in removing all the hair. To clean inside take a wad of cotton wool, apply baby oil, enough to spread across the wad, gently cup the ear and wipe inside the ear, if you find you have too much baby oil then wipe again with a dry cloth.
• The buckle side of the rein is attached to the near side bit ring
• Hair net - no scrunchy but use a plaiting band instead to secure - Hair spray too to get the flyaway hair.
• Find someone to teach you a Windsor knot for your tie, stays in place better and the knot itself is neater.
• Most ties have a loop towards the end of the wider part, thread the thin end through and secure whole with a tie pin.
• Take a clothes brush with you to smarten up your hacking jacket each day, sponge any gooobies before they dry, hang your jacket up on a hanger so it doesn't end up creased.
Be OCD tidy!
 
When my daughter joined the PC I sat and read the manual as I was a novice PC mother and as she was only 6 she needed my help. It was then I realised that if you did everything "by the book" looking after one pony was, in fact, a full time job. As I worked full time this was not going to be possible so we had to work efficiently and over the years we got to know how and when to cut corners without compromising the pony's well being and my daughter's enthusiasm but we were very organised and NEVER let anything (including the pony) get really dirty.
 
Agree it is a good thing to practice dismantling bridle before you go. Make sure it is fitted properly on pony, then when daily cleaning it you take cheekpiece straps out of keepers, raise it one hole, clean bridle, then drop one hole and put in keepers, this way the bridle will fit properly, which is THE most important thing. Make sure the browband is the correct size, neither loose, nor nipping the ears.
I find that a quick wipe over with a sponge and spray daily will keep things clean and in good condition all year round, but remember, one thing you are doing is cleaning tack, the other thing is checking condition of tack.
Agree with picking out feet before leaving stable, make sure both pony and rider are used to doing this. The picking of feet is an opportunity to check foot health and loose or missing shoes.
Make sure you have a small shoe brush, keeping your own boots clean is important too :).
 
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You can have a spare bucket of water outside the ponies stable for quick top-ups of the in stable bucket. Refresh this bucket regularly.
Wash the mucking out tools before going to camp, and then ensure they are clean of stray nuggets of poo or straw before storing safely after use. At home the tools are hung on a wall , camp will be harder but never leave them lying on the ground.
 
I'm chuckling at this thread, having never been in pony club. . .

And then you get a full time job and just do what is needed before work/bed (delete as appropriate) :D.
 
If stabling is temporary then take an over the door hanging peg rail to keep your cleaned tools hung on.

Beware that smart arse solutions to keeping your stable clean and cleaning out all used bedding are NOT marked highly, says she who sent her daughter off to camp with a black polythene sheet to put down on the grass as a liner and then full rubber mats before putting in the bedding. I loathed having to get every last speck of straw out of the grass when I was in PC and it just seemed sensible to prevent the straw from getting to the grass in the first place. It did indeed make the job much easier but was apparently not in spirit of camp.
 
Just a couple of things that always get extra points; hoof oil inside and outside hooves, not just quickly slapped on the front.

Also, this is a bit OCD, sweep the grass!!! We get extra points for having the front of the stable swept, our PC camp always uses temporary stables on grass and we like to see the grass in front swept with no odd bits of hay left around.

Good luck :)
 
ester said:
I'm chuckling at this thread, having never been in pony club. . .

And then you get a full time job and just do what is needed before work/bed (delete as appropriate) :D.
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I work on the basis of what is best for the horses, and also my available time (normally very little) .
Having read this thread I am now dreading Csmp. We have only recently joined and this will be my daughters' first camp.

Apparently they must have been wormed within x weeks of camp. I worm count and only worm as necessary so I sm not too happy about this.

I don't like hoof oil and only use it if we do a show. I really don't want the kids oiling every day.

I can see I sm not going to be a very good PC mum! ;)
 
Oh yes, none of this has much to do with real life!! But we're talking about camp, which is all about 24/7 horsey heaven, and I think it's essential that the children know how and why to do all of this. Then they can use whatever knowledge they need on a day to day basis, and of course when they go to a show or out hunting then they will know how to clean their tack till it shines, and that they have to scrub the bottom of their stirrup treads, and how their hairnet should be neatly done etc. And as you go through life you learn why all the little things matter - e.g. I always thought the correct way of putting a rug on and off was a bit pointless, but when I went to work in a show jumping yard with young horses, I soon learnt why there is a proper way to do it when I left a neck cover dangling and it spooked a young horse and I got really bad rope burns (I wasn't wearing gloves either!!). It is all good stuff!
 
I managed all that without PC though tootsietoo ;)

OldNag, who is going to know if you wormed them or not :p.

and no, can't think of anything worse than putting hoof oil on daily, not good for feet at all, shows only here too! I think I'd be there questioning most of the 'whys' a lot ;).
 
ester said:
I'm chuckling at this thread, having never been in pony club. . .

And then you get a full time job and just do what is needed before work/bed (delete as appropriate) :D.
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Tbh even having been part of PC for nearly 3+ years I still don't really see the point in having to clean tack thoroughly after every single ride and having to constantly make sure the stable and pony are spotless! Yes I understand checking tack and keeping them clean/healthy but it is silly to think they do this on a day to day basis! At home I just work with making them fairly clean and safe whilst not ruining my daily time :)
 
Oh but it's the stuff that's not in the manual that's the most useful. At my daughter's first junior camp a small lad slipped off his pony and went into melt down, his screams spooked every pony in the ride. what a lot of fuss, we all thought until small boy was up ended and lots of lollipops fell out of his pocket. Poor thing had impaled himself on the sticks! This was not covered in "The Manual", it still makes me smile.
 
oldie48 said:
Oh but it's the stuff that's not in the manual that's the most useful. At my daughter's first junior camp a small lad slipped off his pony and went into melt down, his screams spooked every pony in the ride. what a lot of fuss, we all thought until small boy was up ended and lots of lollipops fell out of his pocket. Poor thing had impaled himself on the sticks! This was not covered in "The Manual", it still makes me smile.
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Crikey! I won't be riding with lollipops in my pockets ever now!😂
 
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