Health & Safety

Risk Assessments

Risk assessment is the cornerstone of good health & safety management, and in achieving the overall aim of reducing injuries. To keep the approach clear and simple we provide templates to give an indication of the types of hazards that could be encountered and actions that could be taken, however it is extremely important that these templates are amended and reviewed to ensure the hazards that may cause injury are included, or any other hazards not covered are added. A method of undertaking this duty is to carry out and record a risk assessment for all Pony Club activities. It is a statutory requirement to have risk assessments completed prior to the event.

If you are an Official, Volunteer or Coach, the Risk Assessment Guidance and Templates are can be found in the Resource Hub in Health and Safety/Risk Assessment.

Risk Assessment Training

The Pony Club provides training to support those carrying out Risk Assessments for activities, this training is open to all- Members, coaches, volunteers and officials.

The training runs through the basics of carrying out a Risk Assessment such as identifying a Hazard and measures which could be put in place to support a safe event. These are run online via zoom and are bookable through the link below.

Dress and Tack

The dress code for each of the individual sports is given in the individual rule books. However, there are some items of dress that have safety implications. Members are expected to dress correctly and safely for all Pony Club activities.

• Clothing – When mounted at Pony Club activities, Members should wear a riding jacket or Branch / Linked Centre sweatshirt, plain-coloured jodhpurs, a suitable plain-coloured shirt with a collar and The Pony Club tie. As a minimum shoulders must be covered for all riding activities, except for Sports where long sleeves are compulsory.
• Footwear – Only standard riding or jodhpur boots with a fairly smooth, 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.  No other footwear will be permitted.
• Jewellery – The wearing of any sort of jewellery when handling or riding a horse/pony is not recommended and if done at any Pony Club activity, is done at the risk of the member/their parent/guardian. However, to stop any risk of injury, necklaces and bracelets (other than medical bracelets) must be removed, as must larger and more pendulous pieces of jewellery (including
  those attached to piercings) which create a risk of injury to the body part through which they are secured. For the avoidance of doubt a wristwatch, wedding ring, stock pin worn horizontally and/or a tie clip are permitted. It is recommended that stock pins are removed for cross country.
• Hair – Must be tied back securely, in a safe manner to limit the risk to hair being caught and prevent scalp injuries. Sports may have additional rules.
• Medical Armbands – Medical Armbands are advised if not accompanied by a responsible adult, including hacking on roads and are compulsory for Pony Racing and for Endurance rides.
• Hats and Body Protectors – These are to be in accordance with guidance and meet recommended Safety Standards as detailed in the Rulebooks and links below.
• Magnetic Stirrups – The Pony Club does not permit the use of magnetic stirrups, as our focus is on training and helping our Members develop independent leg control. We believe it’s important for riders to learn how to recover a lost stirrup while riding, which magnetic stirrups may not allow. Please see the Stirrup Rule for full details.

Insurance

The Pony Club insurance policy is provided by Howden Insurance Brokers Limited.

Newly introduced in 2023 as part of our insurance renewal is the Micro site, which holds all the relevant documents and materials to support Branches and Event Organisers as well as Members and Parents. Please see the website linked here.