So, since I last posted 2 1/2 years ago, horsemasters were integrated into our club. I still have mixed feelings about it. Ironically, I think that it would be much better if there were MORE horsemasters than there are now. Right now, our club has about 5 horsemasters, with 3 of those wanting to attend a rally here or there. Most clubs in our region do not have horsemasters, so there isn’t usually enough of them to have them in their own division at rallies, or if they are, there’s not much competition. This year, we had one HMX ride and one as stable manager at the show jumping rally, on youth teams. We had one ride in the dressage rally, and there were two other HMX’s from a neighboring region, so they put them in their own division and scored them as individuals. They functioned as a team had a 13 year old stable manager. One went to championships, where there were only two horsemasters teams. As far as fairness, that has not been an issue, since many of the kids are more competent than the horsemasters. The horsemasters probably have way better time management skills, though.
Going into 2018, it looks like we’ll have 15 youth members and 4 horsemasters. One “youth” is 22 and one horsemaster is 25, but generally our horsemasters have been in the 45-60 range, and ride at the D-3 level. If other clubs in our region had about 4 horsemasters, rallies with their own divisions would work well. As it is, I know of only one other individual horsemaster in the region who wants to compete (and only a few others in it for the lessons).
Lessons have been a non-issue. Our instructors like the idea, the kids don’t care at all, and if the horsemasters feel weird about riding with kids, then that’s their problem (it does NOT seem like any of them have a problem with it). We group by ability, so depending on who shows up, everyone should be with comparable peers, or if there is low attendance, our two instructors are pretty good about having multiple levels in each lesson.
Volunteering is a mixed bag. For instance, both the rider at the SJ rally and her kid were riding (on different teams), so we were not able to use the mom as a rally volunteer. We sent two teams, so 8 riders, and the organizers wanted one HM and two general volunteers per team and we were not able to give that due to using two parents as coaches, and one riding on a team. I was disappointed in the response when I asked horsemasters to pick topics and teach them for Quiz practices. I think I would have had more luck if I had assigned them topics and dates and not left it open for them to volunteer. Of the 5 we had, they all said they’d do it, but only two actually did. On the other hand, we gained some trailer drivers and one has been quite generous about sharing her pony with kids that needed one. The one with no kids and no PC background has been great - very enthusiastic and willing to learn, and also willing to help out where she can.
Horsemasters might be an opportunity to grow your club’s youth numbers as well. Get in some adults with kids, nieces/nephews, grandchildren, neighbors, etc., and you might snag the kids, too. In our case, our HMXs have been parents of current or past members, graduates, or the one non-affiliated member, so it has not increased our youth numbers yet.
I guess my overall feeling at this point is that we will accept any adults who want to join us, but will not be actively recruiting them. At 1/4 of our membership, I think the focus is still squarely on the kids, but the adults benefit too.
(Disclaimer: Of course I am talking about legitimate things that would call for points to be taken away, although that’s a good life skill to have too- to know how to go through the correct inquiry/protest procedure and/or to be able accept feedback you feel is silly or arbitrary and “argue” your point tactfully and with a smile on your face.)