Musters

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At MGDH&PC we hold two musters a month, usually it is the 2nd Saturday of the month and the 4th Sunday of the month but always check the Club Calendar on the website because sometimes the dates may change! On the 2nd Saturday we have the Seniors Muster... 10 am to 12pm and in the afternoon from 1pm to 4pm is the normal muster with the graded coloured hats. The 4th Sunday of every month is the graded coloured hats Muster from 9am to 3pm.

New members and new horse and rider combinations will be assessed and/or reassessed by the Chief Instructor to establish the correct Colour group that they will go into. Musters are a fantastic opportunity to learn about basic riding or showjumping, dressage, eventing and sporting. Musters keep you up to date with all the relevant information regarding you, your horse and the club, not to mention it is great fun to ride with your friends! The Chief Instructor sets out what each colour group will do in a muster and is then assisted by the other Instructors to implement those lesson plans. Any queries must be directed to the Chief Instructor only, as she/he makes the decisions regarding the Musters!

The Seniors Muster is a fantastic opportunity to have some fun in a relaxed atmosphere for our "Adult" members. No need to wear the uniform, just come along with your sense of humour. Some of you may walk around and some of you may be somewhat vocal as you attempt new things (like jumping!). Their is only one rule - NO KIDS! Now, who can resist that!
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At the beginning of a muster all riders are to lead their horses on foot down from the floats or feed yards to the white gate down on the canteen field for the compulsory gear safety check. After a successful gear safety check you will be given your hat cover and you may then warm your horses up (gently – walking and trotting only - except for red, blue and purple who may do some controlled cantering as part of your warm up). At 9am (or 1pm for Saturday musters) you need to line up in a troupe line to begin the day. All lessons and groups will commence at this time and if you are late you may miss out participating! Any latecomers need to report un-mounted to the Chief Instructor for a gear safety check before they are allowed to join in. After a break eg: lunch do not remount until your Instructor gives you permission. At the end of the day the Instructor will dismiss the riders and you will need to walk your horse back to your parents/guardians to ask for their permission to keep on riding as you are no longer under the care of the Instructors.

Keep in mind at all times MGDH&PC members, their friends and family are expected to adhere to all Club and PCAQ Rules and Policies etc at all times and nothing less will be acceptable!

PRESENTATION

Time to dig out the saddle oil and nugget your boots. All riders will be assessed and marked out of 10 for presentation during gear safety check. Make sure you have a clean well-groomed horse with picked out feet, oiled hooves and a brushed main and tail. Also have clean and oiled gear that fits correctly and is safe, pay special attention to bits, girths, stirrups and your boots, make sure you are wearing the correct uniform and that it is clean and tidy with the shirt tucked in. A trophy is awarded at the end of the year for Best Presentation! Points are recorded each muster for this trophy including for attendance and presentation but you must stay for the entire muster to retain those points, the only exceptions are due to injury or sickness if you or your horse leaves unexpectedly early. Click here for more about Natural Presentation.

OUR UNIFORM

Our uniform is compulsory for all members. It consists of the blue polo shirt tucked in and beige jodhpurs for regular musters. Our equine friends must be wearing the white saddlecloth with the MGDH&PC emblem embroidered onto it. More uniform details can be found on this website under Uniforms be sure to check it out!

CANTEEN

All members are rostered on for canteen duty, this is a requirement of club membership. All members will be allocated a duty day and will be notified. The canteen roster will also appear on the website in the Canteen section under site menu. If you are unable to fulfil your canteen duty it is up to you solely to organise a swap with another member. The Canteen Co-ordinator must be notified of the change at least 48 hours before the actual duty occurs.

SAFETY

Safety, Safety, Safety! Nothing is more important than the safety of our members and their horses. Keep up-to-date by regularly reading on this website our Rules and By-laws section, the musters page, the newsletter and never stop asking questions! Listen to the Instructor at all times! Make the effort to do the 'right thing' always!

We cannot stress enough the importance of the rules being adhered to, here's are just a few examples of our rules and expectations:

Do not mount until you have had a gear safety check and been allocated a colour group.
After a break ie: lunchtime, do not remount your horse until your instructor gives you permission.
All riders will be dismissed by the Instructors at the end of the day and will be required to dismount and walk back to their float/yard etc. Parents/Guardians will be solely responsible for the riders upon dismissal by the Instructors.
Punctuality, if you are late you may not be allowed to join in. If you are late unexpectedly, report to the Chief Instructor for a gear safety check before mounting.
All riders under 16 years of age must have an adult guardian present at all times.
The Chief Instructor is in charge of all musters and designates to the other Instructors what to do, so any queries etc must be directed to the Chief Instructor. Respect at all times your Chief Instructor and all the other Instructors! Remember to say thankyou! Always listen to your Instructor at all times, never ride off anywhere without permission!
Only riders participating in a muster are allowed to ride on the MGDH&PC grounds during a muster day. Make sure all your membership paperwork, Equine Influenza information and fees paid etc are in good order to attend a muster.
Helmet and boots: under 17s wear brown jodhpur boots and 17 and over can wear black top boots or leather chapettes. The minimum safety attire required to ride on MGDH&PC grounds are a PCAQ approved helmet. AS/NZ 3838, EN 1384, ASTM F1163 or better with an effective chinstrap. Helmets tested to AS2063 may no longer be worn. Boots with smooth soles and elastic sides only unless you are an adult rider. Back protectors a good idea. All riders are strongly recommended to wear helmets at all times when around horses which includes tacking, grooming, leading and bathing.
It is highly recommended that throughout the year we should always Slip. slop, slap - Sunscreen is a must! as is a Water bottle!
Never leave a horse or horses tied to an unhitched float. If you do need to unhitch your float please move your horse to the pens or tie it to someone else’s float.
Do not tie your horse up to the canteen fence during musters.
Keep horses at a safe distance from each other at all times!
Treat your horse and your fellow riders well and with respect at all times! Do not come to a muster with a bad attitude, you will be asked to leave! Poor sportsmanship will not be tolerated at any level! If any bad language, cheek or misbehaviour is reported, the rider will be stood down for the remainder of the muster. Any insubordination to an Instructor by any member under the instruction shall be reported to the Chief Instructor who will order the offender to leave the training area for as long as shall be deemed necessary. Repeated insubordination will be reported to the Committee, which shall have the power to suspend the offender at its pleasure and/or cancel the offender’s membership. Similar disciplinary action will be taken against any member mistreating a horse.
No doubling or inappropriate riding permitted.
Parents must not interfere in musters in anyway shape or form, leave the instruction to the Instructors! Please contact the Chief Instructor directly and promptly if there is a query or problem ASAP. Problem or interfering parents may be asked to leave.
At the end of the day make sure you wash your horse at the wash bay area only!
ONE HORSE, ONE RIDER. However, any change to this rule MUST be approved by the Chief Instructor on the day.
You must attend 1/4 of the musters in your yearly membership to be eligible for the end of year membership trophies. If you attend a competition on a muster day it can be counted as attending a muster. However if you wish to participate in the MGDH&PC Ribbon Day competitions then make sure you have been actually attending the club musters or you may not be able to compete, this is to make the competition fun for all members and not just those that compete at much higher levels all the time!
Dogs are banned from the grounds. This includes musters, competitions, weekends, camp-outs etc. Please keep your furry friends at home.
New potential members are entitled to a free trial muster but old members are not, you must sign up every year and pay memberships fees as per usual!
Stay up to date by either talking with fellow members, asking the committee, emails, reading the newsletter or watching the club website! Nearly all the information you need is on the website so use that as your first point of reference found at http://www.mtgravattponyclub.freehomepage.com

Colour Groups at Musters

Click on each colour to find out the guidelines!

Pre-White White

Green Yellow Red

Blue Purple Senior

Please note: Every rider must satisfy certain criteria in order to move up into a different colour group. This decision is at the sole discretion of the Chief Instructor only! Unless the rider has been formally invited to join a higher group by the Chief Instructor the rider must remain at all times in their designated group only. All riders are individuals and are therefore at different levels. The Chief Instructor assesses according to each riders current abilities and the horse they are riding at that muster. Eg. An experienced rider with a new horse will be asked to go to a lower ability group for safety or a child that has improved may be asked to join a higher group and work towards that colour groups requirements.

Any queries? Don't hesitate to contact the Chief Instructor Kym Luis on (0412) 974 429 or email klumpy@austcoms.net

DON'T FORGET TO GET A GEAR CHECK FROM THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR BEFORE YOU START TO RIDE AT THE MUSTER, AFTER LUNCH OR A BREAK AND AFTERWARDS MAKE SURE YOU DISMOUNT AND ARE OFFICIALLY DISMISSED BY THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR AT THE END OF THE MUSTER!

ONE HORSE, ONE RIDER!

In a muster you are not allowed to share or swap your horse with anyone else!

REMEMBER... YOU MUST ATTEND 1/4 OF THE MUSTERS IN YOUR YEARLY MEMBERSHIP TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE END OF YEAR MEMBERSHIP TROPHIES. IF YOU ATTEND A COMPETITION ON A MUSTER DAY IT CAN BE COUNTED AS ATTENDING A MUSTER. HOWEVER IF YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MGH&PC RIBBON DAY COMPETITIONS THEN MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY ATTENDING THE CLUB MUSTERS OR YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO COMPETE, THIS IS TO MAKE THE COMPETITION FUN FOR ALL MEMBERS AND NOT JUST THOSE THAT COMPETE AT MUCH HIGHER LEVELS ALL THE TIME!

The minimum safety attire required to ride on MGH&PC grounds are a PCAQ approved helmet. AS/NZ 3838, EN 1384, ASTM F1163 or better with an effective chin strap. Helmets tested to AS2063 may no longer be worn. Boots with smooth soles and elastic sides unless you are an adult rider.

Remember... Always wear a hat and sunscreen (available in the canteen).... try to stay out of the sun between the hours of 10am and 3pm as much as possible!

The Chief Instructor is in charge of all musters and designates to the other Instructors what to do, so any queries must go to the Chief Instructor only!

New potential members are entitled to a free trial muster but old members are not, you must sign up every year and pay memberships fees as per usual!

Come to every muster with a positive attitude and remember to be respectful to your horse, fellow riders and the Instructors or you may be asked to leave!
We highly recommend every competitor purchases the PCAQ Rule Book for each discipline, not only will you understand what you are meant to be doing but it will eliminate any unnecessary and unfortunate mistakes in competition! The costs of these books is $5.50 each and can be ordered directly from PCAQ. Click here for the Booklist and here for the Order Form.

Pony Club Competitions, Gymkhanas, Events etc usually start in March of every year whilst individual Pony Clubs start their first Musters in February. All Events end usually in November of every year.