Healthy Hooves & Happy Riders
A comfortable horse gives a young rider the best chance to learn, participate and enjoy their Pony Club experience. Hoof comfort plays an important role in how a horse or pony moves, responds and copes with different activities. When a pony is uncomfortable on hard ground, gravel, uneven surfaces or changing terrain, the rider may […]
Why Stressed Horses Shouldn’t Be Left Tied Up
Picture this: you’re at a rally, muster, competition or clinic. Horses are tied to floats and rails while people catch up, walk courses, gear up, spectate, or help elsewhere around the grounds. It’s a very normal part of horse sports. Some horses are perfectly happy to stand quietly tied up all day. That’s often a […]
Three Checks for Correct Bridle Fit
By Fiona Dearing, Bit Right Equine Bridle fitting, much like bit fitting, is a relatively new concept to many riders. When I grew up in the 1980’s (notice how I avoided the use of the term ‘last century there?!) saddle fitting certainly wasn’t something we considered like we do now, and likewise, bridle fitting hasn’t […]
Time to stop trimming your horses’ nose and ear hairs!
By PCA Integrity Manager Suanne Waugh Pony Club Promotes horse welfare first Over time it has become the culture, a tradition or the “norm” to trim your horses’ hairs for a neat, polished look, particularly in some disciplines. However, when it comes to nose and ear hair, Pony Club takes a clear position: these hairs […]
Understanding How Your Horse’s Memory Works
The horse’s memory is excellent, in some ways better than our own. Horses remember places, objects, animals and people very well. Unlike humans, they cannot reflect on memories or deliberately revisit them. Because of this, their memories tend to remain intact over time. Humans can reflect, reinterpret and revisit past experiences, which can lead to […]
Are Our Horses Fit Enough for What We Ask of Them?
When we think about horse welfare, we often focus on feeding, gear, or veterinary care. But one of the most important welfare considerations is something we don’t always recognise straight away: Is the horse actually fit enough for the job we’re asking it to do? It may come as a surprise that many performance horses […]
Welfare Wednesday: How Much Weight Should a Horse Carry?
At Pony Club, our horses participate in many different activities, and it’s important that we always consider their welfare. Research into equine biomechanics and physiology has generally found that most horses can comfortably carry around 20% of their body weight in total load. Total load includes the rider, saddle and all equipment, although this can […]
Why Punishment Doesn’t Help Horses Learn
Sometimes people think that using punishment will stop a horse from doing something “wrong”. But research in equitation science shows that punishment is not a good way to teach – and it can harm a horse’s confidence and wellbeing. Animal behaviour experts explain that punishment: Might stop a behaviour for a short time, but doesn’t […]
Welfare Wednesday: Understanding Wind Sucking & Crib Biting
Many horse owners will, at some point, come across a horse that wind sucks or crib bites. These behaviours are often referred to as “stable vices”, but this term is misleading. It suggests that the horse is doing something wrong, when in reality these behaviours are far more likely to develop in response to stress […]
Bitless Bridles: What They Change — and What They Don’t
By accredited bit fitter Fiona Dearing (Bit Right Equine) In my travels around Victoria, as well as in response to posts and articles I share, I can almost guarantee there will be a comment suggesting that a horse being ridden bitless causes less harm or discomfort than bitted options. Often, it feels as though the […]