Hey all,
I have been asked to judge a D-2 pony club rating, are there any resources I should look at other than the D Pony club book and the website?
I stopped doing pony club when I was 16 so it has been a while I need all the help I can get!
There’s an examiner’s handbook. It’s on the pony club website, but it’s probably one of the things you need to be logged into the website to access.
I am not very involved with pony club an more how would I log in?
Who ever has asked you to be an examiner should be able to provide you with guest log on access - you need to get the log on stuff from a current member (usually a DC or other club leader).
I teach PC occasionally (and haven’t been a member since the 90’s!), and the club I teach at provided me with all of the log on info.
Read the standard completely including the riding test expectations at the top which addresses where the rider should be in terms of position and balance and how the pony should be going.
Riders must compete all sections of the standard to these expectations. Some will just be there and others will be more advanced. They both should meet standard. Be sure to evaluate to the standard and not to each other.
It is a testing not a lesson so not too much instruction though phrases like ‘I need to see xyz’ and ‘can you show me how you would…’ Can be very helpful and point the rider in the correct direction. Most of the kids will be very nervous so lots of smiles and encouragement to calm their nerves.
Give them a chance to show you what they know and can do. If they just aren’t meeting the standard explain in a clear and kind way. They can continue to try and pass other sections of the test.
Good luck! Have fun 
My advice, don’t overtest. D2 is pretty easy. No one should fail unless they obviously did not prepare at all. Make it a positive experience. When in doubt, pass 'em.
Make sure you understand the riding test expectation. It will be the paragraph at the top of the test sheet and standard. You are applying that riding test expectation to each block of the riding section of the test.
The D2 basically calls for the kid to be on the correct diagonal while trotting and to be able to maintain a basic balanced position at the walk and trot (eyes up, heels down, shoulders hips and heels in line). They do not have to have a perfect position at the canter yet, nor do they have to fix their lead, they just have to be aware of whether or not it is correct. Like shea’s mom said, very basic stuff. If they do not pass a section of the D2 it better be for a pretty darn good reason. 
At the D2 level, some coaching is allowed during the test but try not to unless the kid is really struggling or if it is a safety concern.
Be sure to write decent comments on the test sheet. “Good job” is fairly meaningless, "good job maintaining balance in posting trot " is concrete and helps the kid understand what they did well. Always relate comments back to the riding test expectation, especially if that section was weak.
Dress professionally- khakis, a polo and paddock boots, PC appropriate jewelry, are the typical examiner “uniform”. If you are wearing sunglasses, try to remember to remove them when you talk to the kid- you can come across as intimidating otherwise. :).
Try to keep it positive and fun and allow the kid to showcase their hard work and preparation!
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Agree with the above, the two lowest levels are “no fail” unless there is just no way they can pass. I avoid that situation by always talking to the host/ organiser at least a month in advance and requiring the club to hold a mock test run by parents/instructors before the real one. The kids essentially get a “do-over” which at that level, means they have a chance to learn from their mistakes and aren’t so nervous for the real test.
It can also save the poor kids with the clueless or non horsey parents… They often need the do-over more than their kids!
Absolutely agree that the early tests should be positive. The instructors will not sign a candidate is ready to test if they really are not able to come close to
passing.
Create a positive environment and if something goes wrong, give the kid a chance to try again. Have a copy of the standards and the test sheet to review before the day so you know what is expected. It’s true, the D2 is a pretty easy test, but the kids still need to be prepared and pass every section. I have had some D2 candidates where you really had to work to draw the answers out of them for the knowledge portion of the test. For instance for the question: “Ask parents/older people about the differences in available riding spaces from when they were a kid until today (or something like that)” I had a kid shrug. I rephrased the question “what do you think has changed over the years?” still nothing. Then I asked “what do you think has happened around here that has taken away riding areas?” and the kid finally said “more houses have been built”. At a higher rating, I would not have given so much help, but in the end, the kid was the one who actually came up with the answer, she just needed someone to help her find it. I think “Land Conservation” is its own section on the test, so if she failed that question, she would have failed the whole rating. Hopefully your candidates will be fully prepared by their parents/instructors and you won’t have a case like this where it was obvious the kid hadn’t prepared for this question at all.
I had to fail one for the D2 once. Every time the pony cantered she fell off. It was brutal and I felt terrible. Her mom was the DC, which was probably part of the problem, but I have never seen anyone with less natural talent than this kid had.
Usually the riding exceeds he standard, and the stable management and knowledge are the areas that are more likely to cause problems. For D-2, I view it as the examiner’s job to draw the info out of the kids if it’s in there. These are typically pretty young kids, often in their first year or two of pony club, and pretty terrified. Can’t emphasize enough reading the standard, coming from hunter land, I was about to ding a kid for a not terribly clean pony, but the standard said “neatly brushed.” Met that standard, just not my hunter world standard for clean.
I only ever failed one kid for a rating, a C-3 or C-2 who obviously had not prepared, and who, on the lunging portion, wrapped the lunge line around her hand. Just
couldn’t let that go by, just couldn’t.
Have fun, be encouraging, try to get the kids to relax and participate, keep it informal.
Also, a kid can retest a section or two if not up to snuff, so you don’t have to fail them.
This may be helpful, and I suspect by calling whoever is listed as charge of instruction and ratings can give you more up to date info. I find that one of the most annoying things all these organizations do is insist on Membership to allow access to the site. So if you are looking for info that will tell you if you want to join, or as in dressage a certified instructor you can’t get to it .
http://www.ponyclub.org/?page=LocalLevelTesting
Thank you for all the tips! I will talk to the lady who asked me and see if I can get the sign in code!
So basically have them pass unless they fall off multiple times for no good reason.
Would black pants work? I don’t own any kahki’s. I do have polo’s so that is not a problem! thanks again every one!
One thing about asking questions on the horsemanship sections (or really, any of it). The standard usually says something like “name 10 parts of the horse.” For some kids, they’ll get into pointing out the stifle and the gaskin and all the weird names - piece of cake (but remember, it can be any 10 parts, so they can say eye or ear or nose and it’s ok). For others, you might have to say, “what’s this?” as you point to the withers. For others, you might have to say “where are the withers?” and let them point. There are lots of different ways to ask a question and they all call for different kinds of processing and retrieval.
If you haven’t brushed up on the pony club way of doing things, you probably should. I did a rater’s workshop - twice, I think - and have observed at several ratings over the years and I’m still not sure I’d catch some of the subtle things that the kids are expected to do The Pony Club Way. It’s not like you’re going to fail them for leaving the lead rope attached while the pony is in the crossties (see, I’m not even sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing in pony club!) but it’s good to point out the right way, or praise it if you notice the kids are doing it right.
[QUOTE=Kimchi;8166874]
Thank you for all the tips! I will talk to the lady who asked me and see if I can get the sign in code!
So basically have them pass unless they fall off multiple times for no good reason.
Would black pants work? I don’t own any kahki’s. I do have polo’s so that is not a problem! thanks again every one![/QUOTE]
At the D level they are beginners, and are probably very nervous. The ponies/ horses may be older or school horse types. Some of the kids may be pretty young. The standard they have to meet is pretty basic, and yes, pretty much all of them should pass. It’s meant to be an encouraging experience in which you help them to show off what they know, not a test in the sense of the driver’s license exam.
And black pants are fine! The key is neat and tidy and workmanlike.
Very good points!
reading through the examiner list, I was realizing it has been a while! While I consider my self to be very safe around horses I wear those forbidden sneakers before I change into my tall boots to ride. and gasp the dressage diva in me wraps my horse in matchy polo’s for every ride O: I suppose that I should get with the times (: And pretend to be pony club for the rating!
Also, be sure you ask what discipline the d2 is for. Now pony club has standards for hunt seat, dressage, and western as well as traditional. Requirements will vary. Also, you are responsible for checking the facility for safeness, setting gymnastics, etc. good luck,
[QUOTE=Kimchi;8166874]
Would black pants work? I don’t own any kahki’s. I do have polo’s so that is not a problem! thanks again every one![/QUOTE]
Don’t forget your belt!
Slightly off topic, I clicked on the link for the D-1 to C-2 examiner’s handbook and can I just say I’m a little horrified that the examiner in the picture on the front cover is wearing a shirt without a collar and it’s not tucked in!!? Honestly…USPC where are you’re standards…
