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The Bealiba Brumby:
June 2016
http://www.bealiba.ponyclubvic.org.au
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Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of Bealiba Pony
Club was held on Monday 21st March. The office bearers voted in for 2016/2017 are:President:
Vice President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Canteen:
First Aid:
Grants
Rick Sierer
Sonya Stuart
Debbie Weir
Julie Gould
Sonya Stuart & Camille Dowling
Dawn Bulger
Heather Blazko
2016
Coming events
June
18h Rally
12th M/B PC Winter Woollies Gymkhana
26th Huntly/Spring Gully CT
27/28Two‐Day Clinic with Allan Mitchell
28th Zone Mee ng @ Maryborough
July
16th Cross‐Country with Yona Lloyd
17th Rally with Yona Lloyd
17th St.Arnaud PC Winter Woollies Gymkhana
24th Midland Zone Horse Trials
31st Neangar Park Dressage Jackpot
August
5th Midland Zone AGM
7th Rally with Peggy Mills
14th Maryborough Horse Trials
21st Midland Zone Flat & Show Jumping
28th Maldon Horse Trials
September
10/11Smokey Memorial” Event
13th Zone Mee ng @ Maryborough
18th Rally
18th Mandurang South PC Super Cross
25th Neangar Park Gymkhana
23/24/25/26
Four Day Camp
October
16th Rally
16th Huntly/Spring Gully Gymkhana
23rd Maryborough Hickstead
November
12th Bealiba Dressage Jackpot
13th Bealiba Show Jumping Championships
19th Show Jumping with Allan
20th Rally with Allan
20th Castlemaine Dressage & CT
Dec 4th Xmas Rally
11th Midland Zone State Qualifier Dressage & SJ
Membership fee’s 2016-2016
Junior $240
($135 PCAV Membership plus $105 BPC Membership)
Associate Member $260 (17yrs & under 26 years)
($155 PCAV Membership plus $105 BPC Membership)
Adult Riders $170
($155 PCAV Membership plus $15 BPC Membership, normal rally fees will apply
when in attendance).
Adult Supporters $20 (Parents of riders pay no Fee)
Please Note: The following applies for families with two or more r ider s in Pony
Club.
$225 - 2nd rider in family if under 17 years, $245 if over 17 years.
$210 - 3rd rider in family if under 17 years, $230 if over 17 years.
$195 - 4th rider in family if under 17 years, $215 if over 17 years.
The Rally Day fee remains the same - $10 per rider
MEMBERSHIP CATERGORIES
JUNIOR RIDER
Members who have NOT turned 17 on or before 30th June in any year
SENIOUR RIDER
ADULT RIDERS
Members who turn 17 on or before 1st July in any year. Associates are 17–25
years.
Riding Members over the age of 25 years.
ADULT SUPPORTER
Non Riding Adult Members supporting the club.
Membership is now going online!!
An old country farmer had a wife who nagged him constantly, from morning till night she was always complaining about something.
The only time he got any relief was when he was out ploughing with his old mule. He tried to plough every day.
One day, when he was out ploughing, his wife brought his lunch out to the field. He drove the old mule into the
shade, sat down on a stump, and began to eat his lunch. Immediately, his wife began nagging him again.
Complain, nag, complain, nag--it just went on and on. All of a sudden, the old mule lashed out with both hind
feet, caught her smack in the back of the head. The kick killed her dead on the spot.
At the funeral several days later, the minister noticed something rather odd. When a woman mourner would approach the old farmer, he would listen for a minute, then nod his head in agreement; but when a man mourner
approached him, he would listen for a minute, then shake his head in disagreement.
This was so consistent, the minister decided to ask the old farmer about it. So after the funeral, the minister
spoke to the old farmer, and asked him why he nodded his head and agreed with the women, but always shook
his head and disagreed with all the men.
The old farmer said, "Well, the women would come up and say something about how nice my wife looked, or
how pretty her dress was, so I'd nod my head in agreement." "And what about the men?" the minister asked.
"They wanted to know if the mule was for sale."
The Lone Ranger and Tonto walked into a bar and sat down to drink a beer. After
a few minutes, a big tall cowboy walked in and said, "Who owns the big white
horse outside?"
The Lone Ranger stood up, hitched his gun belt, and said, "I do...Why?"
The cowboy looked at the Lone Ranger and said, "I just thought you would like
to know that your horse is about dead outside!"
The Lone Ranger and Tonto rushed outside, and sure enough, Silver was ready to
die from heat exhaustion. The Lone Ranger got the horse water, and soon, Silver
was starting to feel a little better. The Lone Ranger turned to Tonto and said,
"Tonto, I want you to run around Silver and see if you can create enough of a
breeze to make him start to feel better."
Tonto said, "Sure, Kemosabe," and took off running circles around Silver. Not
able to do anything else but wait, the Lone Ranger returned to the bar to finish his drink. A few minutes later, another cowboy struts into
the bar and asks, "Who owns that big white horse outside?"
The Lone Ranger stands again, and claims, "I do, what's wrong with him this time?"
The cowboy looks him in the eye and says, "Nothing, but you left your Injun runnin'."
WHATS BEEN HAPPENING AT OUR PONY
CLUB?
Our Grants Committee (Heather Blazko) applied for a
grant and we were lucky enough to receive it.
Our club will now have a brand NEW arena rake
(valued at $4000), this means that we can say farewell to the scary old gate with tyres on top. It did the
job for a few years and was a cheap alternative.
Thank-you Heather for taking the time
to
apply for this grant.
How to work out the weight of your horse.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could take your bathroom scales out and get
your horse to pop on board?
No such luck. Aside from most scales maxing out around 130kg, there’s
also the small matter of a leg at each corner.
Scales capable of weighing large animals such as horses and cattle are
very pricey. That means we either have to find another way of weighing
them, or use some other method of calculating weight.
Why do we need to know the weight of a horse in the first place?
You may need it to give the animal an accurate dose of medication or a
wormer. Your horse’s weight is also important when working out daily rations.
It’s important that doses be as accurate as possible. Under-dosing runs the risk of
building resistance in bacteria or internal parasites.
Overdosing is an expensive waste of medications and can create unpleasant (and
unnecessary) side-effects.
Firstly, we can get an approximate idea of the weight of a horse from the tables
that work off height and type of horse.
While this gives a broad indication, there can certainly be wide variations from the “normal range”.
As the weights for each type indicates, the range is considerable
A more accurate way is to use a means of calculation based on the dimensions of the horse.
WEIGHT GUIDE
TYPE
Height at withers
(hands) (cm)
Weight range
(kg)
Shetland
8-10
81-102
200-225
Pony (small,
saddle)
10-12
102-122
225-350
Pony (large)
13-14
132-142
250-360
Galloway
14-15
142-152
275-400
Lightweight
hack
15-16
152-163
350-500
Heavyweight
hack
16-17
163-173
450-600
Draught
16-18
163-183
550-800
One such method has been developed by staff at the New
South Wales Department of Agriculture.
They developed the following formula:
Weight in kilograms equals the girth in centimeters
squared (that is, multiplied by itself), then multiplied by
the length of the horse (in centimeters) from the point of
the shoulder to the point of the buttock.
This number is then divided by 11,000 to give the final
result.
Officials have found this method to be quite accurate for
most horses, but it can be out by up to 50kg in extreme
cases.
Another option is to use a weigh station, like the kind at
rubbish depots where cars and trailers are weighed coming
in and then leaving, and charged on the basis of the difference.
Some weigh stations will allow you to do a weigh-in for a modest charge, but always check first.
It’s pretty simple: Take your horse down in your float, and weigh in. Remove the horse and weigh again. The difference is naturally the weight of your horses.
Load up and head for home.
It’s possible you might have a friend who has a set of scales capable of weighing big animals. Most of these are
designed for cattle, so you need to ensure that the way it is
set
up is safe for horses. The last thing you want to do is snag
a
leg.
Owners who don’t take their horse for a weigh-in need to
build a picture. For example, if the above calculation ties
nicely with the table based on height and type of horse, it’s
pretty likely your estimate is pretty accurate.
If there’s a discrepancy, apply some common sense. Is
your horse a heavier or lighter type? Perhaps you could
hunt out another method of calculating weight and see
what result that delivers.
Without scales, it’s certainly not an exact science, but you
should be able to get an estimate within a few kilograms.
in
SHOW JUMPING – EXERCISES FOR HORSE & RIDER
Riding and jumping, like most other activities are best learnt by doing. Practice is as essential for riders as ongoing training is for horses, no matter their current level. The old saying ‘practice makes perfect’ works best when
modified to say: ‘Perfect practice makes perfect’.
THE ROUND FIGURE 8 OVER A SINGLE GROUND POLE
SET UP Place a single ground pole in the centre of
your arena. If the centre of your pole does not have
a painted stripe, mark it with a piece of coloured
electrical tape to indicate exactly where you want
your horse to cross over it.
HOW DO I RIDE THIS?
1. Walk and trot over the pole, in figure 8 pattern as shown.
2. Be sure to practice the pattern in both directions and using both a larger and smaller figure 8.
HINTS Make your circles a comfortable size that allows you to maintain an even pace. Always bring your horse
to the exact centre of the pole (which you have marked). Whether walking or trotting, establish a relaxed and regular rhythm well before the pole, and maintain it over the pole. Strive for very light contact with your horse’s
mouth. Remember this for all these exercises! Focus on an eye level point at the end of the arena as your horse
travels over the pole. Studying the pole is part of your horse’s job, not yours.
WHERE SHOULD I BE LOOKING?
One hears debate over just where a rider should focus when jumping. It is essential to focus first on the centre of
the obstacle to establish your correct line of approach. Then, as you approach the obstacle on the track you have
successfully established, it is equally important that you adjust your focus ahead to where you are going next.
Your horse will be aware of any abrupt change in where you are looking, especially right in front of the obstacle.
It takes conscious practice until it becomes automatic for you to keep your focus the appropriate distance ahead
of you at all times.
CORRECT - Rider looking ahead to the next pole while horse concentrates on the one that he is going over.
INCORRECT - Rider looking down at the ground pole.
DRESSAGE LESSON
Have you ever had a memorable riding lesson? One where your instructor was able to really get his or her point
across in such a way it seemed a light bulb went on over your head?
I had one such lesson. The instructor called in a helper and gave her a piggyback. Weird huh? I thought so too
until she asked the person she was piggybacking to lean to one side, causing my instructor to stagger sideways.
All of a sudden it clicked how much a rider's weight can influence the horse they're on!
Continuing the lesson, the instructor (really earning her fee!) walked around asking the person on her back to
lean this way and that, affecting both their centre of gravity. It’s the same when we're on a horse.
I don't recommend you piggyback someone but you can try it next time you have a heavy backpack on...get
someone to gently shift its weight from side to side and see how it feels. That's how your horse feels! Okay, so
horses are stronger than we are and the weight ratios are different but the basic principle is the same.
Riding is mentally hard work, there’s so much you have to remember! Toes in, heels down, sit up straight, don't
pull on the reins, shoulders back, blah blah blah......
Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you just can't get it together...so much to co-ordinate!
It's also physically demanding and if you’re not fit or using muscles unaccustomed to riding, you’ll soon get
really tired and start flopping about, making it difficult for your horse to work properly.
A good thing to concentrate on as a rider is developing an independent seat. This means you can maintain your
balance without having to hang onto the reins. A horse's mouth is very sensitive. The bit is there for guidance,
not steering or brakes! Having lessons on the lunge is great for developing your balance, seat and sense of
rhythm. You can be lunged without reins or stirrups and maybe even do some basic vaulting exercises. Riding
bareback will also help develop your balance, but it’s a good idea to use a neckstrap to hang onto if you need to.
When you concentrate REALLY hard on keeping a good riding position, you tend to stiffen up which in turn
will affect how your horse goes. One part of you tensing up throws another part out of whack and so on. Just
relax! Go with your horse's movement as much as possible. Be part of him. Sit up and to help release tension,
raise your shoulders and let them drop a few times.
When you're rising to the trot, sit gently on your horse's back...imagine someone thumping down on your back.
What would you do? Hollow your back in an attempt to get away from it while probably feeling very grumpy!
It's the same at the canter–you need to
swing your hips with your horse's rhythm
while keeping your upper body steady and
balanced, and your hands giving with the
horse's head movement.
Have lots of lessons, the more the better!
Watch others having lessons to pick up
even more hints. If you observe other riders'
positions being corrected, you’ll soon be
able to pick a good position AND just as
importantly, the effect it has on how the
horse behaves.
Go to shows and watch riding classes and
study the winning riders. Sometimes they
look so good it's hard to see them giving
any visible aids. That's what makes them a
good rider!
For example, when they might want their
horse to slow down, they feel the reins gently while restricting forward movement
with their seat, becoming a dead weight so
to speak. Well educated horses soon recognize this 'aid' means to slow down.
If you're a fairly novice rider, don't try to make a horse arch his neck. This is also called 'on the bit' or
'collection'. It's when a horse is light and rounded with his hocks beneath him giving impulsion from the rear.
You need to learn how to get a horse to do this by having lessons on an educated horse. Then when you know
what it feels like back to front and inside out, you can have lessons on a not-so-educated horse with an instructor telling you how to gently ask a horse for it.
Meantime, ride your horse with as light a rein contact as possible (hmmm, I think I’ve mentioned this already
but hey, it’s important!)
JUNE BIRTHDAYS
A very special “Happy Birthday”
to:
Abby Fry turned 20 on 1st June.
Lilly Jackson turns 14 on 18th June.
Danielle Peacock turns 18 on 21st
June
SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP
Rogie Carless applied for a scholarship to Highview College (in
Maryborough), he put a lot of time and effort into his application making a very special book. I am pleased to announce
the Rogie was successful in obtaining the Distinction Scholarship. Well done Rogie.
MARYBOROUGH HORSE TRIALS
It was great to see some Bealiba riders competing at the Maryborough Horse Trials.
Ben and Josh Baumgartner had their first horse trials competition at Grade 3, I strongly believe that if
we can keep these boys interested and focused that they will eventually be competing at Grade 1 level.
Bridgette Sierer had her first competition at Grade 4 on Perri, Bridgette is doing a wonderful job on
this horse, while Perri has good jumping ability she can often become hot. Bridgette rode her well
and finished the day with a big smile on her face.
Kayla Blazko took part in her second horse trials event, competing at Grade 5. Kayla did a wonderful
job to ride a clear show jumping and cross-country finishing on her Dressage score. She placed 3rd.
Well done.
Our Adult member Kellie Barnett competed in Grade 3 Open, she was pleased with her show jumping, loved the cross-country and thought that her Dressage could have been better. Kellie placed 2nd
riding Full On Courage (Furbie).
JULY CLINIC & RALLY
A one day Dressage and Cross-Country Clinic with instructors Yona & Nina Lloyd will be held on Saturday 16th July at the Dunolly HRAC grounds. Maximum of 6 riders per group. Cost for the day
$70.00.
Our July Rally will be a warm up for the Midland Zone Horse Trials which will be held at Charlton on
Sunday 24th July. We will set up some dressage arenas to practice the tests and a show jumping
course. Yona Lloyd will also be instructing cross-country at the rally.
MIDLAND ZONE FLAT RIDE & SHOW JUMPING EVENT
This event will be held on Sunday 21st August (venue to be decided). The Flat Ride consists of four
riders riding one test. Last year we entered three teams, some riders having their first go at a team
ride, it is lots of fun so please think about being part of a Bealiba Flat Team. The Show Jumping is
open to all graded riders (F, E, D, C, B & A). Our August Rally will be held on the 7th August, we will
have a show jumping course so that we can practice and time will also be allocated for flat practice.
Bealiba Pony Club Uniforms
Club uniforms can be ordered through our Club Treasurer (Julie
Gould).
Prices for Uniforms are as follows:
Competing Jacket - $60.00
Competing Polo - $40.00
Competing Rugby - $55.00