Gidgegannup Equestrian Association

Adult Riding Club

Rally and General Information

If you have any suggestions for lesson formats/themes they are always welcome ☺.

The following information is to help you decide if the club is suitable for you and your horse and give you an insight as to how the club is run and what we offer. We are always open to suggestions and comments. If you require further information please don’t hesitate to contact us by return email or phone.

General Information

Gidgegannup Equestrian Association (GEA) caters to all levels of adult riders and disciplines. We offer a safe and supportive environment with like minded people to further your equine pursuits whether for pleasure or competition, holding regular rallies with qualified instructors.

Our rallies are held at the Gidgegannup Show Grounds. Entrance to the grounds is off Old Coach Road.

Membership structure and fees

Associate membership is for people who think they may not get to attend many rallies (eg 5 or less) during the year. Although the membership fee is less the rally fee and clinic fees are $10 more. If it ends up that the associate member can attend more than 5 rallies they can either continue as an associate member or choose at any time to upgrade to a full membership by paying the additional $50 fee.

Payment for membership can be done by several different methods, EFT is preferred, however cash, cheque and money orders are also acceptable.

Payment for rallies is card on Global Online.

Payment details are provided on the membership form and rally forms

Rallies are held on the 3rd Sunday of every month starting in February and finishing in November. We also hold a half day Friday rally . The Friday rallies will generally be held monthly. We will also be holding clinics and social days on the occasion throughout the year.

Training days and clinics may be offered depending on availability of the grounds. The format of clinics are tailored to what the committee feels is wanted by members. We are always open to suggestions. The clinics we normally hold include Show Jumping Training Day’s, Cross Country and Jump X Training Days & Dressage Training Days. We will also be offering other disciplines of riding such as Working Equitation throughout the year. You will receive notification of these events via email, newsletter and our members’ Facebook page. It is expected that members will assist at these events.

Competitions both in house and inter-club are run by GEA and other clubs affiliated with ARCA (Adult Riding Club Association). ARCA ‘challenges’ are a great way to introduce you and your horse to friendly competition while supporting and representing your club. There is a high point and handicap trophy for each challenge up for grabs.

Uniforms

Uniforms can be ordered via our uniforms officer (committee member) and also available to order on-line from our website.

Uniform Order

Our club colours are black and gold and we have shirts, jackets, caps, vest, riding tights and saddle blankets for sale. Uniforms do not have to be worn at rallies but are essential for inter-club challenges. For inter club challenges it is preferred that all riders would be wearing the black and gold club riding tights, or black Jodhpurs. Shirts are available to borrow for these events if you do not have your own club shirt). We hold a limited amount of stock,.

Publications / forums

Newsletters are emailed out to members monthly to keep everyone up to date with what’s happening in the club and other areas of interest. There is also the option for you to advertise any horse gear you have for sale.

We have a website (http://gidgearc.com/ ) which contains a calendar of upcoming events and photos from our rally and training days.

There is also a closed Facebook group for members (you can request to become a member/join the group https://www.facebook.com/groups/424365217621707/

Correspondence will be delivered on FB and we also send official club information via email such as upcoming rally and clinic information.

Committee meetings

Committee meetings are held monthly usually on the Wednesday, the week after each Sunday rally. All members are welcome to attend. Committee positions are elected during the AGM (Annual General Meeting). All committee members must be financial members of the club.

Rally Information

An email & FB message is sent out to all members about 3 weeks before a rally which has information such as instructors, lesson formats and closing date. Rally bookings will be viaGlobal Entries onLIne. Bookings are accepted on a first in best dressed basis and must be accompanied by full payment. You can book in for either one lesson (AM or PM) or two lessons (one AM & one PM).

Once you have booked into a rally we will email out lesson times, rally jobs, stable allocation (if requested) and any other relevant information on the Wednesday or Thursday prior the rally.

Cancellation Policy for Rallies:

If a member books into a rally and withdraws prior to closing date – a refund will be given. If a member books into a rally and withdraws after the closing date, a refund will be given only if a vet or doctor’s certificate can be presented. If withdrawing on the Friday/Saturday prior to rally or on the morning of the rally please contact the Rally Coordinator’s mobile as listed on the rally form (please refrain from emailing or posting on Facebook as it is unlikely to be read after hours leading up to rally).

Cancelled Bookings: Monies owing from cancelled events will be credited to the member’s account. Money will not be held over to transfer to another event.

Refunds will only be available for 7 days after the rally date so all paperwork and bank details need to be emailed to us to enable this to happen

Attending a Rally:

Sunday Lessons normally start at 9am, with the last lesson of the day finishing at 4pm. Lessons are 1hr in duration and there is a 1hr lunch break from 12pm to 1pm. Lunch can be purchased from the food van. Canteen will be open for coffee and drinks and any donated cakes or biscuits

Friday lessons will start at 9am and finish at noon. (This may be subject to change depending on numbers). Lessons are 1 hour in duration. Lunch is not provided. Canteen will be open for coffee and drinks and any donated cakes or biscuits.

Jobs to help set up and pack away the equipment as well as other duties are allocated to all riders attending the rally. An explanation of what each job entails will be included in the email sent out prior to the rally. Jobs will be allocated around your lesson times.

Helper Duties Rules:

All members who ride will be assigned a helper duty. If a member has booked into rally, has been assigned a job and withdraws from the rally by notifying the rally co-ordinator, it is expected that you still complete your helper duty unless you have a valid reason. Not having enough helpers on the day because riders decide not to show up can have an impact on how the day flows, resulting in delays with start time and also means other members are having to pick up extra duties, so if unable to ride, members are encouraged to come and assist with their assigned duty or make arrangements for another member to help in their absence.

Use of Stables:

Use of stables is free to members. If you request a stable with your rally booking you will be allocated a specific stable. Please only use the stable you have been allocated and ensure it is left in a clean and tidy state.

All hay and manure must be picked up from the stable area and the car park and placed on the manure pile near stable block 2.

Canteen:

We have canteen facilities available and for our Sunday rallies you can buy your lunch from the food van. We are always open to donations of yummy food to sell for morning and afternoon tea during the rally. All proceeds go directly back into the club.

Lessons

NB: Not all lesson types will be offered at every rally, please refer to the relevant rally booking form.

For all lessons we endeavour to allocate you into groups of similar levels. This can be a tricky task at the best of times so please be patient for the first couple of rallies. Feedback will help us get it right next time!

Your instructor will usually have a chat to you at the beginning of the lesson to see where you are at with your riding and ask if you are having any issues and ‘maybe’ what you would like to work on.

If you do not understand anything in your lesson or are apprehensive with a task please ask for clarification or to sit out of that task, we have all been there!

If on the day you wish to change lesson groups and/or times please see a committee member as we must ensure rider numbers and abilities in each lesson are suitable.

Rally Etiquette
Rallies are the heart of our club and they should be an enjoyable day out with our horses, with the opportunity to have a lesson or two and to catch up with friends as well. We are very lucky to have the instructors that we have, and a big part of them loving our club and returning to teach for us again is their positive experience at rallies too. To help make rally days enjoyable for everyone there is some basic etiquette that is expected to go along with attending our rallies.

Be Considerate:

While we understand some things are out of your control, please try to arrive on time for your lessons and helper duties. Being on time is not only respectful to your instructor, it also shows respect to your fellow riders in your lesson. By being on time you can all start together and your instructor will be able to have the initial chat once with you all together and start the lesson on time. *If you are running late for your lesson it’s good manners to not only apologise to your instructor but to your fellow riders as well.

Be Respectful:

Do not argue with the instructors! If you do not understand anything in your lesson or are apprehensive with a task please ask for clarification or to sit out of that task, we have all been there! We've all had lessons that we enjoy more than others, lessons that we get more out of than others, instructors that we get along with better or prefer etc, and that’s ok. Sometimes all we learn is that we don’t gel with that instructor or that the methods used that day do not suit us and/or our horse, and that’s ok too. We’re all human. We also all have good and bad days and other things going on in our lives too. However none of this excuses poor manners. So even if you have a lesson like this, we expect all riders to appreciate the time and effort the instructors have put in for us.

Pay Attention:

It can be easy to get caught up in what’s going on with our own horse and forget to pay attention to what’s happening around us, but in a group lesson you should always be aware of the other horses in the arena as well as your instructor and what you are being asked to do, in order to keep yourself and others around you safe.

Be Grateful:

Always thank your instructors! "Please" and "Thank you" are two little phrases that don’t take long to use but do mean a lot. Remembering to thank your instructor at the end of your lesson is important. They’ve stood out in the elements and given you their time and expertise for an hour, thanking them at the end is just good manners.
We would also like to take this opportunity to remind members of our Rules & Regulations (http://gidgearc.webs.com/rules-regulations)

As they say, “it’s the little things that count” and while these may seem obvious, it is important that everyone makes the effort so that these little things don’t add up to a big thing! It essentially boils down to respect - for yourself, your horse, and others.

Lesson Formats

Groundwork Lesson:

Is basically a way of establishing communication with your horse before you start riding. You will be shown some handling/ground work exercises that you can then work on at home.

This is a great way to introduce young or inexperienced horses to the club and start to desensitise them to being ‘out & about’ without the pressure of riding. Or you may just want to brush up on your handling skills!

Please bring (if you have them): rope halter, long lead (preferably not a lunge line), dressage type whip, gloves and helmet.

Flatwork Lesson:

The level of flatwork will vary between groups. From walk, trot work to advanced dressage. It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with some of the basic school figure as ‘most’ instructors will use these when instructing. A great web site is: http://www.dressage.net.au/dnlinks3.html#movements60

Pole Lessons:

Riding over poles in various formations at different paces depending on the level of rider and horse.

Jumping Lesson:

The level of jumping will vary between groups from ‘Introduction to jumping’ for those of you who have been doing pole work and want to advance to the next level i.e. trot poles between jump wings and small cavalletti type jumps to more advanced jumping.

JumpCross:

Combines the art of riding over natural terrain with the accuracy of clearing knock-down fences. It combines the skill and accuracy required for show jumping with the thrill of riding cross-country.
JumpCross is an excellent way of training both horse & rider in the art of cross country riding, and is suitable for all ages and abilities. Body protectors are essential.

Desensitisation / Games/Working Equitation/Trail:

This can be done in-hand or mounted. No special gear is required for the desensitisation or games although the wearing of a helmet is compulsory. The level of experience with games will vary between groups and if horses are nervous your instructor may suggest that the games/obstacles be introduced in-hand (unmounted) at first.

Working Equitation

Comprised of 4 Phases

Working Equitation Dressage Phase

The dressage test highlights the skills and harmony horse & rider are required within working equitation. The dressage phase will give you the skills required to ride and navigate obstacles with style and elegance to suit all levels.

Managability Ease of Handling EOH (Obstacles) Phase

Ride obstacles with style & elegance. Can be ridden at walk, trot or canter depending on you and your horse’s level of skill.

Speed Phase

Riding obstacles at speed to test the speed, agility, athleticism, and submission of the horse and the balance, aids and seat of the rider.

Cattle Phase

Due to logistics this phase will not be offered.