Required Equipment List

Team Equipment

Equine First Aid Kit · Human First Aid Kit · Utility Kit · Cleaning Equipment · Tack Cleaning Kit · Tack Room Equipment · Extra Equipment

Individual Equipment

Individual Equipment · Grooming Kit · Stall Equipment · Feeding Equipment · Extra Polocrosse Equipment

Introduction:

Rallies always bring last minute surprises. Whether it's realizing nobody knows how to tie a stock tie or watching your horse wipe green boogers all over your white breeches, we can always expect the unexpected.

One part of the rally shouldn't be left up to chance, and that's the required equipment. Required equipment is not the parents responsibility to put together, it is for the team to do. Plan a day when everyone can get together and go through the checklist to make sure everything is packed where it should be. Penalty points for missing equipment go to the whole team, not the parent who may have gotten left with the job. The only thing worse than getting penalty points for missing equipment is having to use the equipment and not having it!

Why does Pony Club require each team to bring these items to a rally? It is because members are learning how to take care of their horses and ponies when they are away from home. The items in the Required Equipment kits are things every barn should have to take reasonable care of a mount, and include items that you should have with you when you travel away from home with your horse. Required equipment is everything your team may need at a rally beyond your basic saddles, bridles, and girths. It includes first aid supplies, cleaning equipment, tools, extra tack and even two Pony Club pins. The lists are slightly different depending on whether it's a one-day or overnight rally. Since these lists are very specific and available to everybody, there's no good excuse for not having everything on the list when you arrive at a rally. The Required Equipment Lists are included in every Horse Management Handbook:

  • One day rallies - 2007 Horse Management Rulebook, Form 2b, page 86
  • Overnight rallies - 2007 Horse Management Rulebook, Form 2a, page 85

The Required Equipment List is also a good list of what you should have on hand in your barns at home to adequately and safely take care of your horse. If you own a horse, whether it be kept at home or boarded, then you must have a grooming kit to keep the coat and skin healthy. Those tools must be kept clean as part of the effort to keep the skin healthy. Tack needs to be kept clean and conditioned so it will last longer, stay safe and be more comfortable for your horse. The Required Equipment items for rallies are the same things that you need to take care of your horse at home, and therefore the Required Equipment List should be helpful to those who are becoming first time horse care providers.

The expectation is that the equipment on the Required Equipment List should be brought to rally clean and in good working or usable condition.

Some Horse Management rules regarding Required Equipment:

  • 14c. Tack Room Equipment: Tack room equipment, which must be clearly labeled, includes all items on the Required Equipment List and those items not otherwise specified, such as saddles and bridles. Amplification: All equipment used in competition, other than clothing, must be kept in the team tack room unless otherwise instructed. Labeling: Items must be labeled in such a way that it is easy to identify the owner of that equipment, so the item can be returned to the team or individual who owns it.


  • 14d. Required Equipment List: Each team member is responsible for knowing the location of each item on the Required Equipment List, and how to use each item on the Required Equipment List. Amplification: The Required Equipment List (refer to Appendix D, HM Score Sheets #2A and #2B), lists items most commonly needed and/or used when traveling and/or competing with a mount. All items have a specific purpose. Each team must have all items listed. In the event of missing or incorrect equipment, each team (but not each separate member of the team) or each individual competitor sharing a tack room will be penalized, unless they have just used the item to replace something broken or missing.

Labeling: USPC requires individual and team rally equipment be labeled to make it easier to return items lost or misplaced. Labeling equipment is an important skill for children and young adults to learn because it teaches them responsibility and instills ownership. Some items in the Required Equipment list are difficult to label but suggestions are included on individual pieces. Labeling can be broken down into two categories:

  • Individual competitor items: such as water buckets, grooming items, etc. These should be labeled with the competitor's name and/or competition number.
  • Team equipment: such as the Equine First Aid Kit or Utility Kit items. These should be labeled with team name or initials (such as SPC for 'Smithville Pony Club') or the name or number of any competitor