Pony Club riders work towards achieving certificates that start at the basic level of learning how to put on a halter and get on and off a pony to learning how to feed. By the time members reach the higher certificate levels they can take a horse and do its foundation training, ride unfamiliar horses and they also have sound veterinary knowledge. The aim is for members to build their knowledge in horse care, nutrition and horse behaviour while developing their riding skills.
Sports taught include show jumping, dressage, eventing, mounted games and tetrathlon where riders compete in a four-phase show jumping, running, shooting and swimming event. In Stockman’s Challenge events, competitors have to navigate their horses through an obstacle course as quickly and carefully as possible. Pony Club members can also learn how to Ride to Time.
What is Ride To Time?
Ride to Time, or Speed to Safety, is learning how to ride at a certain pace, and judge how fast your horse is travelling. For those who are competing or thinking of a career in the racing industry, Ride to Time is the perfect foundation. If you go too slow in the show jumping arena or on a cross country course, you will get time faults. Courses will always have the time allowed printed on the map of the course (e.g. 450 metres per minute), or riders are expected to know it because of the grade/level they are riding. The course is always measured with a measuring wheel, so a 450m course, for example, has a time allowed of 60 seconds. Jockeys and track work riders need to know how fast they are travelling as a trainer may ask for ‘15 seconds per furlong (200m)’ in training. The times have been set based on the cross country times for each grade, accounting for the fact there are no jumps. Riders have one practice run before attempting the competition time in a Ride to Time competition. Rider closest to required speed (timed) is the winner.
Formal Ride to Time Events are run over 1000m and participants must be 12 years or older). While just learning or trying it out, riders can use a 200m straight stretch of flat ground with good footing which will give a time that is multiplied by five as not all riders have access to race tracks. While not the same as riding 1000m, it gives an approximate idea.
The pace that riders go is dependent on a few factors. Formal events for Ride to Time or Speed to Safety use: 120 seconds – Horse trials Grades 3,4,5 riders must ride 1000m at 500m per minute (120 seconds). This is called ‘Maiden’ Class. 109s – Horse trails Grades 1 and 2 riders must ride 1000m at 550m per minute (109 seconds). This is called the ‘Open’ Class.
To put it into context, on a race day a jockey might ride a 1000m race in under 60 seconds, so for Maiden class Ride To Time, that’s ‘half pace’.