News

Friday 28th June 2013 to Monday 1st July 2013

KZN INTERBRANCH 2013

 

 

Wednesday 26th June 2013

D & D+ Testing with Lindsay Morris

 

 

Monday 24th June 2013

Karen Minett Clinic

 

 

Saturday 15th June to Monday 17th June 2013​​

Camp Out Weekend

Steve Harrison camp master

tent sites, setting up the tent, fire safety & first aid

FroYo, Pizza, Chocolate brownies

Dressage Arena Badeg practised our Dressage Tests for IB2013

Map Reading Badge

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Saturday 25th April 2013​​

Voluteering at Kloof SPCA Horse Care Unit

WOW! What an awwesome turnout for the Perfect Paddock Badge

Tuesday 16th April 2013

Pony Club UK Launches NEW badges

Hot Off the PRESS!!!! ... PCUK have launched 3 new badges, and I just KNOW Shongweni is going to jump up & down with at least ONE of them ... What are they? ..... Introducing .....

​                             CAMPING AB                                    RIDER NUTRITION AB                                       PET SENSE AB

see 'Achievement Badges' for more information about these badges

 

Saturday 13th April 2013​​

Voluteering at Kloof SPCA Horse Care Unit

WOW! What an eye opener ... we didn't realise that the Kloof SPCA was such a buzz on a Saturday morning ... you can buy anything from plants from the nursery, to jewellary, bags, books, exercise equipment, furniture ... the list is endless!

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Back to the Rally ... Katelyn, Kyla, Tegan, Jaide Liv & I spent an awesome morning with Val, Wenton, Tuluela, Gimsby, Foxy, and friends. We groomed ALL the Horses, Ponies & even the resident Donkey. At first they were a bit wary, with big eyes looking at us, questioning what we were doing, but soon settled down and enjoyed the titivating. Val chuckled, she seemed to think they were wondering what had happened to their traditional 'quick groom the out to the paddock'.



Although that was a lot more work than what any of us are accustomed to, we had fun while we refreshed our knowledge & learned one or two new things ... After we had safely lead all our equine friends out to their paddocks, we realised we had all worked up such an appetite, which was rescued by Jaide's 'Death-by-chocolate Mud-cakes' ... Hmmm Yummy! Thanks Jaide for getting up extra early to bake for us. :)



Next we tackled the Shongweni traditional rally task ... yes! You guessed it! TYING QUICK RELEASE KNOTS, well done everyone ... don't forget:- Make a 'b' for bunny, flip the excess rope over your left hand, put your right hand deep down into the bunny rabbit hole, grab the bunny ears and gently pull them out the bunny hole ... tighten to the 'twine tie' ... and that's that!! (far easier when you have had a large dose of chocolate)



With rubber gloves on our hands, armed with pitch forks, spades, bags & rakes ... we tackled the stables, mucking out is even harder than what we thought! Just when you think you have it all, you find some more!! Well Done Girls ... you did a MARVELOUS job ... by the end of the year, we hope to have enough volunteers to help out so that Val can give the staff the day off, but it will take lots of training by us ... this is by no means an easy job!

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Congratulations to Katelyn Currie on passing her 'Handling & Grooming' AND her 'Mucking Out' Badges

         "Thanks a million, I had the time of my life! It was an amazing and fun experience! And thank u Jaide as well for the help and delicious

           cupcakes!" ~ Katelyn

Congratulations to Tegan Harrison on passing her 'Mucking Out' badge! Well Done!!

          This was the 2nd time Tegan has done her 'Handling & Grooming' Badge, so she doesn't get another one but will get another certificate!

Kyla Harrison & Jaide Dutton Caldwell have ALSO already passed their 'Handling & Grooming' (this is their 3rd time) & 'Mucking Out' badges (2nd time for Kyla; 4th time for Jaide) ... so they too will get certificates for their portfolio ... both these young ladies are on a mission to get to 21 badges & earn their GOLD Achievement Badge!



Okay so we didn't end out morning @ WakaBerry, we opted instead to support the lovely little garden restaurant at the SPCA, where you could order anything from toasted sandwiches, to bacon & egg rolls, curry for the very hungry, chips, cakes, milkshakes ... you name it! AND inside the original farmhouse ... are rooms full of wares to buy, from glassware to fresh fruit & veg! WOW!!! What an experience this day was for all of us!

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​Next SPCA date is Saturday 25th May 2013 ... 



Monday 25th March 2013
KZN Website
- I was invited to join Jenny on a trip up to Ashburton to have a look at updating the KZN website ... wow! This was just up my alley, I learnt so
  much and wish I had all the time in the world to constantly be adding, adjusting etc etc ... I’m sure between the two of us, there will be
  changes made and new & exciting stuff added in due course
- We piloted the on-line Electronic Registration and have nearly got it all covered to ‘go live’ ... such fun! Watch this space ... by next year we
  want to have IB registrations electronic too ;)



Sat 23rd March 2013

DC Workshop
- General
                              o I attended the DCs workshop, unfortunately we had no other volunteers from parents within the branch  ... the purpose
                                 of the day was not only to cover off what is expected of DCs but also for us to unanimously clarify rules & regulations;
                                 processes & procedures etc as well as collectively be in a position to make decisions as a group for the way forward.
- IB2013
                              o We covered off the program and exciting activities for IB2013, lots of exciting stuff happening there, with a visiting team
                                 from Ireland joining us this year as well as a possibility of a team from Gauteng & a team from the W Cape!! SA Inter-
                                 Provincial Games will also be held simultaneously, on the same grounds, so there is lots on the go.
                              o It has also been minuted that members who have not renewed their membership by 31st of March would not be able to
                                 ride at IB this year
- Annual Subs / renewal / registration
                             o Pony Club membership runs from the 1st of October to 30th September every year and renewal & subs are due in October,
                                but throughout KZN there is a constant battle to get numbers & subs in and as a result branches and in turn KZN are
                                having to guess who may or may not renew. In the event that membership is declared to SAPC and then the member does
                                NOT renew & pay their subs, the branch & KZN are still liable for paying those subs over. It really does make such a mess of
                                everything and then the fundraising monies end up subsidising non-compliant members.
                                                 > Just to clarify, of the R200 annual subs which members pay ... R100 is transferred to ZKN, of which R50 is then
                                                    transferred to SAPC. There are no salaries drawn, & very limited expenses ... there rest of the funds or fund-
                                                    raising is utilised for improving tack & equipment for the branch.
                             o Another change which will come into effect almost immediately is, member’s will be required to register / renew their
                               membership on-line, electronically and pay their annual subs into the KZN bank acc. At half-year the branches portion will
                               be transferred back to the branch and/or be withheld for IB fees. (this too is not always recovered from members, but the
                               branch is still liable for paying KZN, as they have to pay venue, organisers etc)

- Training & Testing
                            o Shirley Weatherhead, who is responsible for Efficiency Testing in KZN, shared some tips and pointers from Nikki Herbst’s
                               visit in 2009, which was very informative & great to hear how things are done in the UK. We hope to put a lot of the ideas &
                               suggestions to action at rallies going forward
                            o We do need more parents to volunteer their time, in small bites, in order for this branch to be more successful & as active as
                               we can ... while I understand that a lot of kids are busy with SANESA etc it is still great for kids to have an outlet where
                               competition is not the be-all and end-all of life on horseback ... for this we need parents to step up to the plate and assist. I
                               know there is often a feeling of ... ‘I can’t, I have too much on my plate’ but many hands in small bites go a long way to
                               making things exciting & better.
                            o KZN sponsored all KZN branches a Road Rider DVD & a PCUK Stable Management DVD for them to utilise at rallies ... with
                               Road Sign flash cards to follow
                            o I was asked by the KZN chairlady & committee to caretake the Achievement Badges at a regional level, as we (Shongweni
                               Branch) tend to come up with some creative ideas & tools to entertain the kids while they are learning & earning badges. (I
                               must confess, a lot of my ideas come from our kids, I just have the ability to dream big with them and then action the ideas)
                                I love our kids, they are all too precious, with their enthusiasm & fun sense of humour xox

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Road Rider Achievement Badge Testing
- A big CONGRATULATIONS to KYLA HARRISON, on passing her Road Rider AB with FLYING COLOURS on Sat 23rd March, as well as a huge thank
  you to LIV & TEEGAN HARRISON for assisting with setting up the simulated route, as well as JAIDE CALDWELL for her assistance & mentorship
  to Kyla
- After laying out a simulated route on the big field at SUMMERVELD COUNTRY LODGE, Kyla & Remy decked out in their Hi-Viz clothing, went
  through the pre-checks for both rider & horse; various road signs 7 then the ridden section which comprised of road safety & hand signals,
  negotiating hazards, transitions between minor & major roads as well as an emergency dismount.
- In preparation for this badge, Kyla attended a couple of rallies covering all of this over & over again, inclusive of 3 modules of the RR DVD.
- NB: other members  Once you have done this badge, that does not mean you are now qualified to ride on the road, it takes constant
  reminders of what to do & what not to do ... every single one of us become lackadaisical with our safety & security out on the road ... so, my
  message to you, if there is a Road Rider rally ... attend! If not to refresh your memory but also to assist others who still have to do theirs 



Thurs 21st March 2013
It was great having kids over on Thursday 21st March ... although only a small turnout, there was no absence of enthusiasm. While members enjoyed popcorn, chocolate brownies & doughnuts we brainstormed some ideas around the newly formed Squadrons, rally ideas & venues as well as watched the PCUK Road Rider DVD, and finally had a bit of revision on road signs which we come across on a day-to-day basis while travelling with our moms & dads in the car.



Squadrons

- Members had a look at the list of members who have renewed their membership for the 2012/2013 year and are therefore eligible for IB2013.

  There is a nice mix of ex-Summerveld kids & Shongweni kids, but the kids felt like they needed an opportunity to bond and really get to know

  each other, this was also a way of helping the ex-Summerveld kids feel like they were ‘at home’ ... suggestion:- a Camp out, venues can be

  suggested but it was felt that the back garden at Edgbaston Drive would be great (please feel sorry for the DC)



- They also felt that the allocation of members to squadrons should not in any way cause division within the branch. Suggest that the DC make

  the final decision as they didn’t want anyone to feel like they weren’t selected by the ‘other’ Squadron Leader (SL), as well as avoiding making

  the kids choose one or the other. We all agreed that the DC would give the members a chance to request to be / or not to be in a squadron

  and/or with or not with so-and-so, this was to be considered confidentially before allocating members.

- Allocation should avoid the following splits amongst squadrons:-
                             o Summerveld vs Shongweni
                             o St Mary’s vs Westville
                             o Even families should be split wherever possible, so that siblings get a chance to ‘shine’ without the shadow of the other one

- Ideas for squadron names was also discussed, to be discussed in more detail with more members, perhaps this could take place after

  members have been allocated at the camp out.

Achievement Badges


- ‘Handling & Grooming’ and ‘Mucking Out’ would be done at the Kloof SPCA Horse Unit, on a Saturday morning, from 8am date to be

  confirmed with SPCA, ‘Worm control’ badge could possibly also be done simultaneously (DC to investigate)
                             o Venue is central; would enable members to help out; members would be asked to bring tack for horses dogs, cats etc to

                                donate to the SPCA; if a members has already done their H&G badge, they will still be able to attend for the other badges

- ‘Bird Watching’ Badge, suggest a trip to Umgeni Bird Park; request a parent to assist with enquiries re ‘school tours’, hours, costs, as well as

   learning’s in relation to the badge brief

- ‘Tack Cleaning’ could be done at sleepover or at Summerveld Country Lodge, could put up our gazebo and advertise it on the local FB pages,

  what about offering to clean other people’s tack for fundraising???
 

- ‘Public Speaking’ Badge, a number of members are keen to do this badge as it is an easy one to tackle and other members would benefit from

  talks about achievement badges which have been completed.
 

- ‘Fund Raising’ Badge, the DC has already spoken to SAARDA & SPCA re ‘street collection days’ ... but the members also have to fund raise for

  their own branch, ideas around plaiting horses at shows, selling our reflective t-shirts at shows, raising funds to enjoy an outing like movies
 

- Browband plaiting was another idea for the camp out
 

Road Rider
- Not only does the DVD cover important hand signals and road signs but also your safety checks before going on an outride. Kyla arrived at

  her test two days later decked out in the loveliest Hi-Vz Clothing both for her and for Rem  (see notes further down)