Rufford Pony Club Speed & Fitness Training 10th July 2024

An amazing opportunity for members to build their confidence and knowledge during a fun, encouraging and educational training session.

The training is aimed at members who are, or have been, competing across country at 70cm and above. All participants must be confident riding at speed in an open space.

⌚ Stop watches and radios 🎧 will be supplied to each rider. 

Participants will:

* Be educated on correct fitness training to ensure the care and welfare of their horse or pony.

* Gain a greater understanding of cardiovascular and muscular fitness in both the horse and rider. 

* Discuss and practice the stages of the riders position and gears

* Learn what different speeds feel like 

* Have the benefit of radio communication with the coach while on the gallops

* Learn how to use a stop watch in training, in competition in the start box and course.

* Learn how to effectively hold a strong horse in cases where control is an issue.

For established riders, subject to weather, there may also be the opportunity to jump a few fences in a set time/distance.

The training will also be beneficial to those with young/green horses who need to be taught to open up and gallop. 

Once work on the gallops is completed, advice and handy tips for the care of horses post fitness training will be given.

Attendees will receive a document to download to complement the training sessions themselves.

Please speak to Eventing Co-ordinator, Jill Hoyland, if you have any queries.

Dress Code Members for all Rufford Pony Club events Rufford Polo and Sweatshirt or white Shirt and Pony Club Tie, Black, Brown, Navy White or Beige Jodhpurs. Jodhpur or Long Boots (No Trainers, Wellies or Muckers allowed whilst riding)

Riding hat conforming to Pony Club Standard (tagged) – for XC skull caps must be worn.

Up to standard body protectors (BETA 2018 Level 3 standard – blue and black label) required for XC.

Any new members attending for the first time or if any member has recently purchased a new hat your hat must be checked and tagged before you are allowed to ride.

Long hair must be secured neatly / worn in a hair net.

No Jewellery allowed.

The Pony Club Equine Influenza VACCINATION RULE 2024

To protect the health of all horses and ponies and the biosecurity of the venue, the following rules will apply to all Pony Club activities. Members competing with other organisations, such as FEI, BHA and HPA, or at certain venues, for example racecourses, will need to comply with their vaccination requirements.

1. Passports

A valid passport (registered on the Central Equine Database) and vaccination record:

• must accompany the horse / pony to all activities

• must be available for inspection by the event officials

• must be produced on request at any other time during the activity

2. Equine Influenza Vaccination Schedule:

No horse / pony may attend an activity, compete or be present as a companion unless it has a Record of Vaccination against equine influenza completed by the veterinary surgeon who gave the vaccination, signed and stamped line by line, which complies with the Minimum Vaccination Requirements set out in the Equine Influenza Vaccination Schedule below.

All horses and ponies receiving a new primary course of vaccinations from 1 January 2024 must be vaccinated according to this schedule:

• initial primary course of two vaccinations (V1 and V2) must be given: the second vaccination (V2) must be administered within 21-60 days of the first initial vaccination (V1)

• Horses may attend activities 7 full days after receiving the second vaccination of the primary course (V2).

• A first booster vaccination (V3) must be administered within 120 – 180 days of the administration of the second vaccination of the primary course.

• Thereafter booster vaccinations must be administered at a maximum of 12 months intervals.

Horses and ponies must not attend activities within 7 days of receiving any vaccination. For clarity: no horse or pony may compete on the same day as a relevant injection is given or on any of the 6 days following such an injection.

NB: This is the minimally appropriate booster schedule; it is highly recommended that horses and ponies competing regularly and travelling around the UK and abroad follow an optimal schedule and receive a booster within 6 months +21 days prior to arrival at the event or activity, in line with the FEI protocol.

Restart

Any horse which is found to have breached the requirements above in relation to V1 (initial vaccination); V2 (second vaccination) and V3 (first booster), or exceeded 12 months between subsequent boosters, must restart and receive a minimum of V1 & V2 and had a 7 day post-vaccine stand-down before being allowed entry to any Pony Club activity.

Historic Vaccinations

o    Horses that received the primary course prior to 1 January 2024 are permitted to have an interval of up to 92 days between the first (V1) and second (V2) vaccination of the primary course and for the first booster (V3) an interval of up to 7 months following the date of the administration of vaccination V2.

o    For the period 1st October 2022 to 31st December 2022, lower risk equines may have, with veterinary advice and approval, extended the annual booster period to 15 months if there was a genuine veterinary shortage of vaccine. The subsequent booster should have been made within 9 months, resulting in 2 booster vaccinations in 2 years and making the 2023 vaccine booster date no more than 24 months from the 2021 due date. Vaccination records which have this extension clearly approved and annotated by the vet will be accepted at Pony Club and BHS Riding Club events, but other venues and competitive bodies may insist on a 12month interval and hence if a booster is missed a restart may be necessary.