Saddlery & Dress Rules for Pony Club Eventing

DRESS

It is the competitors’ responsibility to ensure that their dress is in accordance with the rules. Contravention may incur elimination. Apart from XC colours and silks, brightly coloured accessories must not be worn.

a) The following rules apply to all three phases:

i) Hats – It is mandatory for all competitors to wear a protective helmet with a cover at all times when mounted, manufactured to one of the minimum standards listed below. It must bear the CE mark and a quality symbol, either the BSI Kitemark, the SAI Global symbol or the official Snell label with number. The CE symbol on its own is not sufficient to ensure consistent standards of manufacture. The PAS 015:1998 and the Snell E2001 meet higher impact criteria and therefore give more protection.

(NB The BS prefix does not mean the hat has undergone batch testing – the hat must carry the official BSI Kitemark)

Children under 9 years old may wear a lightweight helmet that complies with the above standards.

Hats with long ventilation slits are not allowed for members over 9 years old, but hats with vertical plastic / metallic strips are permitted.

All hats must be fitted with a Pony Club Tag and / or be subject to inspection on the day. Competitors whose hats are not tagged must take their hat to the Secretary’s tent on the day and be given clearance to compete. The Official Steward may, at his discretion, eliminate a competitor riding without a hat or with the chinstrap unfastened or in a hat that does not comply with the above standards. A competitor whose hat comes off or whose chinstrap comes undone whilst riding in the competition must, on penalty of elimination, replace it or do it up before continuing. He may dismount without penalty to recover the hat or have it passed up from the ground, or he may stop without penalty to do up the chinstrap.

The cover for Dressage and Showjumping must be black or navy blue.

ii) Hair – In the interests of safety, long hair must be secured appropriately in a hairnet. Hair must not obscure the competitor’s number at any time.

iii) Jackets (Dressage & Show jumping only) – Tweed jackets with a Pony Club tie or a coloured stock, or a navy blue or black jacket with a Pony Club tie or a white or cream stock must be worn. Jackets may be removed during riding in, provided the competitor is wearing a shirt with sleeves. A tie or stock as appropriate must also be worn.

iv) Gloves – Gloves are compulsory for the Dressage phase, and optional for Showjumping and Cross-country.

v) Breeches – Breeches or jodhpurs must be white, cream or beige.

vi) Footwear – Only standard riding or jodhpur boots with a smooth, fairly thin sole and a well-defined square cut heel may be worn. Plain black or brown half chaps may be worn with jodhpur boots of the same colour. Tassels and fringes are not allowed. No other footwear will be allowed.

vii) Spurs – Spurs may only be worn by full B Test holders or with the permission of the District Commissioner. Members without the B Test should carry proof of this permission. Only blunt spurs without rowels or sharp edges may be worn. If the spurs are curved, the curve must be downwards and the shank must point straight to the back and not exceed 3cm in length. Sharp spurs may not be worn.

viii) Body Protectors – An effective Body Protector may be worn for Dressage, is recommended for Show jumping and is compulsory for Cross Country. It is strongly advised that the body protector should impede neither flexibility nor balance.

ix) Medical Armbands are recommended at all times and are compulsory for Cross country.

x) Jewellery – No jewellery is allowed for safety reasons, other than a wristwatch, a wedding ring, a stock pin worn horizontally or a tie clip. Members who are contemplating piercing their ears or any other part of their body should be aware that they will not be allowed to compete until such time as the “sleepers” can safely be removed. The reason for this is that sleepers have in the past caused injuries following falls. There are vulnerable blood vessels behind the ear and if the facial nerve is pierced partial paralysis of the face can occur.

xi) Buttonholes may not be worn.

xii) Prizegiving – Competitors must be correctly dressed in their competition riding clothes (jackets etc) for Prizegivings, either mounted or dismounted. Only saddlery that falls within the Rules of the competition will be allowed.

xiii) Collecting ring / Course walking – Whilst dismounted in the collecting area, or Course walking (both Show jumping and Cross country), competitors must be tidily dressed but not necessarily in riding clothes. Competitors should however be dressed in their riding clothes when walking the Showjumping course at the Championships after 9am on the day of the competition.

b) Dressage only

Whips – A whip of any length may be carried at Levels 1 – 4, but no whips are allowed at Level 5.

Gloves - Must be worn.

c) Show jumping only

Whips - No rider may carry, use or permit to be used a whip greater than 75cm or less than 45cm in length overall.

d) Cross country only

Whips must not be weighted at the end nor exceed 75cm in length.

Body Protectors are compulsory and should impede neither flexibility nor balance.

Medical Armbands are compulsory.

A shirt and stock or polo necked sweater are recommended.

Long sleeves are compulsory .

Watches capable of being started, stopped and recording time elapsed are forbidden at all Levels. This does not apply at Two-Day-Events.

e) Electronic Devices

No receiving, recording, transmitting or monitoring device may be worn by a competitor at any time when mounted. For safety reasons, this includes headphones, mobile phones, ipods, MP3 players and similar devices.

SADDLERY

It is the competitors’ responsibility to ensure that their tack is in accordance with the rules. The Official Steward has absolute discretion to forbid the use of any bit, gadget or spur which he considers cruel or misused. Competitors using saddlery and gadgets that are not allowed will be eliminated. Any equipment not covered in these Rules must be referred at least two weeks in advance of the competition to The Pony Club Office to allow time time for the Chairman of the Eventing Committee to be consulted. All tack must be correctly fitted. Disabled riders are welcome to apply to The Pony Club Office to use special equipment.

a) The following rules apply to all three phases:

i) Bridles – Plain black or brown bridles only may be used (white or coloured piping or decoration is not permitted on browbands or nosebands). For safety reasons, leather bridles are recommended.

ii) Bits may only be used in their manufactured condition without any additional covering to or on any part. All synthetic bits must be black, brown or white.

iii) Tongue Straps are not allowed. Tongue guards are permitted for Showjumping and Cross-country only.

iv) Reins – Split reins, Ernest Dillon reins, Market Harboroughs and balancing, running, draw or check reins of any kind are forbidden. (A running, draw or check rein is one that is attached to the saddle, girth, martingale or breastplate on the horse.)

v) Neckstraps may be worn in all phases at Levels 1 – 4, but only whilst riding-in for the Dressage Test at Level 5.

vi) Saddles – Black or brown saddles of plain English type with white, brown, dark blue or black girths. Competitors wishing to ride sidesaddle must notify the organiser of the competition at the time of entry.

vii) Stirrups – Stirrups should be of the correct size to suit the rider’s boots. They must have 7mm (¼”) clearance on either side of the boot.

viii) Rider’s Legs – Neither the feet nor the stirrup leathers nor stirrup irons may be attached to the girth, nor the feet attached to the stirrups.

b) Dressage only

i) Numnahs, saddlecloths or pads – only white, cream, navy blue, brown or black are permitted, with no logo. Any piping around the edge should be of the same colour.

ii) Bits – Only snaffle bits that follow the configuration of those pictured below are permitted. They may be used with any of the cheeks or rings illustrated. BUT any normal riding bit is permitted when riding the Introductory Dressage Test.

The following Myler bits are permitted: MB01, MB02, MB09 and MB032 with loose rings, D rings, eggbutt or full cheeks (without hooks and sleeves).

Different combinations of metal are allowed in one bit.

Unless bits follow the configuration of those illustrated below they are not permitted for Dressage.

1. Loose ring snaffle
2.a Snaffle with double-jointed mouthpiece (French link)
2.b Snaffle with double-jointed mouthpiece
2.c Snaffle with double-jointed mouthpiece with Lozenge
3. Egg-butt snaffle
4. Racing snaffle D-ring
5. Egg-butt snaffle with cheeks
6. Loose ring snaffle with cheeks (Fulmer)
7. Snaffle with upper cheeks only
8. Hanging cheek snaffle
9. Straight bar snaffle. Permitted also with mullen mouth.
10. Snaffle with rotating mouthpiece
11. Double jointed with roller in the centre
12. Unjointed wavy snaffle (plastic or rubber only).

iii) Bit guards are not allowed.

iv) Nosebands – One only of either cavesson, drop, flash, grakle or Mexican are permitted. Nosebands should be correctly fitted and should not cause discomfort.

v) Martingales and bearing, side, check or running reins are not permitted. Breastplates and cruppers are allowed.

vi) Boots & Bandages may be worn whilst riding-in, but not during a Test, with the exception of Equiboots, which may be worn during a Test.

vii) Neckstraps may be worn at Levels 1-4, but only whilst riding-in at Level 5.

viii) Blinkers of any kind are forbidden.

ix) Fly-fringes, Gauzes & Ear Covers that cover any part of the horse’s head may be worn when riding-in, but not during the Test, except for ‘headshakers’ who may receive dispensation to wear a nose-net on production of a Veterinary note.

c) Show jumping & Cross country only

i) Saddlecloths – Plain white, cream, navy blue, brown or black saddlecloths, including pads, are allowed. Any piping round the edge should be of the same colour. When representing the Branch, saddlecloths in Branch colours with appropriate Branch logos may be worn. Logos must not exceed 200 sq cm.

ii) Bits – Pelham or curb bits of any kind may only be used with both bit and bridoon reins, or with a single rein attached to a leather ‘D’ joining the bit and bridoon rings.

Kimblewicks, if used, must have the reins attached to the main ‘D’ only.

Bitless bridles, hackamores, Mikmars and Myler combination bits are not allowed. See illustration below.

Gags - snaffle, Continental and American may be used with a smooth, Cherry Roller or Waterford mouthpiece and may be used with one or two pairs of reins or leather ‘D’s. The length of the shank, measured from top to bottom, shall not exceed 19cm (7.5”). There may be no curb attachments to these bits. Elevators (which have a fixed mouthpiece) are not permitted.

iii) Martingales – The only martingales permitted are Irish, Standing, Running or Bib, only one of which may be worn at the same time. Standing martingales may be attached only to the cavesson portion of the noseband fitted above the bit.

iv) Nosebands – The only nosebands permitted are Cavesson, Drop, Flash, Grakle, Mexican, Combination or Kineton, only one of of which may be worn unless using a standing martingale with a combination, kineton or drop noseband, in which case the addition of a cavesson is allowed. Nosebands should be correctly fitted and should not cause discomfort.

v) Blinkers or any attachment to the horse or bridle which may affect the animal’s field of vision are prohibited. Sheepskin may be used on the cheek pieces of the bridle providing the sheepskin does not exceed 3cm in diameter measured from the animal’s face.

vi) Bit guards made entirely of rubber and smooth on both sides are permitted.

vii) Tongue Guards are permitted. The use of tongue straps, string, twine or cord in or round the horse’s mouth is forbidden.