And labeled face sponge?
How do you even label a sponge? I’m fretting over how to do it and I’m not going!
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Sharpie.
You are allowed to use baby wipes in place of your face sponge and your dock sponge. So you only need one sponge labelled body/wash.
(At least where I am. Check with your leader if you can do that there.)
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I feel better with that info even though the likelihood of me going to a pony club rally is slim to none.
I’m guessing my shop and bar towels aren’t the done thing 
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And don’t do anything stupid! I think it was at a D rally the neighboring Pony Club team decided to clean tack after supper. By candlelight. Down in the the farm’s hay barn 
Needless to say they got caught and had so many penalties assessed that they could only come in last no matter how they did in the other phases.
Ah, but they are. You also need a rub rag in your grooming kit.
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Pony Club rallies are very labor intensive to host and to run. The important thing to remember is that most of the labor is done by volunteers. The overwhelming vast majority mean well and want to support Pony Club and the participants. Then, there are a few well intentioned people, but clueless about the rules and methods, and every once in a while; the evil stable management judge who just likes to exert their authority. Eventually they are weeded out and sidelined, but the legends live on. All those rules in some small part foster an attention to detail to the horse and stable management.
OP, kudos for you in being part of the team. I have the majority of fond memories of my pony club experiences ranging from rally participant, pony club mom, DC/ coach, and exhausted volunteer. I wouldn’t trade any of it, and would love the chance to rally again. Don’t forget to pack your sense of humor !!
Oh, and it probably is not a good idea to hide the post ride liniment designed to be taken internally, in the first aide kit or under the dirty saddle pads. Might just want to keep it in the hotel room. 
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The rules do talk about alcohol, and they do not say it is not allowed. I would have to pull out the manual but I think the wording talks about being responsible.
No, you should walk around with a beer in your hand, but it can be in your cooler.
No nylon leads? Is cotton ok? I’m intrigued now
About 5 years ago, our club had a group of horsemasters who did their activities mostly independently from the rest of the club. They decided to go to the regional dressage rally. As DC at the time, I stopped by to see how it was going, and found at least one of them smoking at their “stable” area (it was a one day rally so the tack room was in a pop-up tent). They were not too interested in doing things the Pony Club way. We provided them with two teenage stable managers, one of which was my own child, and I don’t think we knew what we were getting those kids into that day. I think they worked their asses off. Most of those horsemasters were affiliated with a single boarding/training barn, and the only one still in Pony Club is the one who moved away. We have new adult members, but so far they only seem to be in it for the discounted lessons.
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I haven’t been to a rally in two decades, so I don’t know what’s changed and what hasn’t.
When we were rallying (with the kids - I wasn’t in adult pony club), we had a complete grooming kit that was never touched or used except for rallies so everything stayed clean, and cotton lead ropes. If you could explain the reason for a departure from book (i.e., We had one horse that was a known puller, and he had an elastic tie) you could sometimes get away with it. I remember one B who had a long discussion with the horse management judges about “new ways to cool out after cross country” after the Atlanta games, and he won that toss as well. But mostly, it’s just easier to make the judge’s job easy by not deviating.
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Nylon lead ropes are allowed now.
This is the policy on alcohol (and other such related items)
This clarifies my answer to this question above, about using baby wipes instead of multiple sponges.
The required body sponge still has to be labelled as a body sponge.
In the horse management supplement it offers the suggestion of putting a string thru the sponge to hang a label from it (or to use a marker and write on it). So that is another idea.
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Isn’t it easier to have two different coloured sponges?
But then the members of your team would have to remember what sponge color does what. If you label them there is no risk of someone using the dock sponge on your pony’s face.
Plus, you have to label it as yours anyway.
Most everyone I have seen at a rally in the last few years simply packs baby wipes and a body sponge now.
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I am a retired rider and pony club longing wanna be.
All the details being talked about has my surgical suite set up side tingling.
I would have LOVED the rally barn management.
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@hoopoe, see if there is a club near you that has a senior team. You can join to be the team stable manager at rallies and other unmounted things.
Hoopoe, I think you’re in my area (western WA) but I’m not sure if we’re accepting more adult members at this time but doesn’t hurt to check. If you want the name of my chapter, let me know or I might know of one closer to where you are.
I like how it says “no weapons of any kind” but you must have a pocket knife that’s sharp enough to slice through a lead rope easily. A few years ago, at least in our region, they were checking the sharpness of the knives because CHMJs were finding a lot of very dull knives in rally kits.
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Well we survived the Rally. Had a really good time but my god am I tired! Horses for the most part were good but by yesterday (sunday) they were done and there was some naughtiness in the ring. A lot were reluctant to go in, lots of refusals, some bucking, a couple of rider falls, but no one was hurt and everyone lived to ride another day. Our team of seniors won eighth place out of 20 teams for top senior division and a third in Horse Management. I doubt I’ll do another rally, at least not a riding one, maybe dressage or I’d like to do a quiz rally. Thanks for all the tips, they came in handy.
Some after thoughts. There was one horse on our aisle that kicked the stall wall continuously. Granted the stalls are not large, however, the walls are metal. If that horse didn’t pop a couple of splints or worse, I would be surprised. IMO they should have padded the walls somehow to absorb the kicks.
During the opening meeting in the bleachers, our team was right next to the entrance and a lot of people were gathered there - parents, coaches, etc. They were talking and it made it extremely difficult to hear the speakers outlining the rules. I tried to shush them but, of course, no one did.
IMO after the horse has refused its allotted three times, they should have been allowed a schooling jump. Is that done at regular hunter/jumper shows?
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Ha! I still find horse stuff with labels from Pony Club rallies and championships from 30 plus years ago!
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