Bairnsdale Pony Club

21/11/2025

Welfare Wednesday: What Does “Social Licence” Mean in Horse Sport?

You may have heard the term “social licence to operate” recently. It is not a new concept, but it is an important and topical one. This week we are taking a moment to explain it simply for our Pony Club community.

▪️ What is social licence?

At its core, social licence is about public trust. It refers to the confidence the wider community has that horses in sport are treated kindly, fairly and with respect. There is no official licence. It is a shared belief that equestrian activities are being carried out in a responsible and ethical way.

▪️ Why it matters now

Horse sport is more visible than ever. Photos and videos are widely shared online, and people who may not know much about horses still form opinions based on what they see.

This means that how we ride, how we care for our horses and what we choose to share online all contribute to the public’s perception of horse sport and whether they continue to support it.

For parents, this may also be a useful topic to discuss with teens who use social media.

▪️ A quick check-in before posting

When sharing content from a rally day, competition, lesson or just time at home with your horse, it can help to ask:

• Does the horse look comfortable and relaxed?
• Is the gear fitted correctly and safely?
• Does the moment reflect good horsemanship?
• Would someone who is not familiar with horses understand what is happening?

If something in the image or video does not sit quite right, it may be worth pausing. This is not about criticism. Sometimes a photo or video highlights something we missed at the time, and it provides an opportunity to reflect and improve.

▪️ Pony Club’s role

Pony Club focuses on developing strong foundations in horsemanship: understanding horse behaviour, safe and kind handling, correct and welfare-focused riding, and putting the horse’s wellbeing first. These everyday habits help build trust, both within our community and with the wider public.

▪️ In a nutshell

Social licence is about public confidence in horse sport.
Our everyday choices, including what we share online, shape how others see our community.

If something does not look quite right, it is an opportunity to learn.
Together, Pony Club members, families and coaches help show the wider community what responsible, kind horsemanship looks like.

19/11/2025

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

🔴Ronald McDonald House Charities Fundraiser

November 27th we are holding a pet Christmas photoshoot to raise money for Ronald McDonald house.
Unfortunately one our of staff members has had to use Ronald McDonalds facilities for an extensive period of time. So not only is this an extremely important charity that everyone should support, it hits an extra soft spot for us at the clinic.
Ronald McDonald House is a "home away from home" that provides accommodation for families with seriously ill or injured children who need to travel for medical treatment.

📸For $30 you can receive Christmas themed portraits of you and your pet through our Christmas photoshoot! The first 20 people to book will receive a free bandana!
All donations are welcomed and greatly appreciated during this time.

*This is an example of what portraits will look similar to**

17/11/2025

ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴀᴅᴅʟᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄʟᴜʙ’ꜱ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴏꜰ!

𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞.

Ride for yourself, your pony, and your Pony Club.

Which pony club will claim the high point sash, the prize, and those all-important bragging rights at our Imperial Floats Rosedale Pony Club Horse Trials ?

We can’t wait to find out.

16/11/2025

Racing Australia is currently surveying horse industry participants on their perceptions of Thoroughbreds and the pathways available for them after racing.

We’re aiming for 10,000 responses to build the most comprehensive picture ever of how Thoroughbreds live, work and thrive across Australia. Every response adds value to this important research – from all horse owners, even from those who don’t really like Thoroughbreds.

The National Thoroughbred Demand & Pathways Survey is live now, and you can contribute by clicking on the link. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete and closes on the 24 November 2025.
👉 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RacingAustraliaTBSurvey

All survey responses for the purpose of the research will be anonymous.

Any questions related to the survey can be addressed to tbsurvey@racingaustralia.horse

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

10/11/2025

💚💛💚💛 Thanks for all that you do Dallas!! 💚💛💚💛

If you were at the Ranvet 2025 Pony Club Australia Nationals, you may have been lucky enough to cross paths with showjumping judge extraordinaire, Dallas Golby.

Dallas is not only a world-class official — she’s a Pony Club legend through and through. She earned her A Certificate in 1981 and has been a proud member of Bairnsdale Pony Club for the past 18 years. Her dedication to Pony Club and the next generation of riders is nothing short of inspiring.

And how’s this for wholesome? Dallas even has a bespoke hobby horse (pictured) made to look exactly like her childhood pony Buttons (also pictured) — an 11.1hh superstar who could jump over 1 metre! She brought it to Nationals for Hobby Horse Night to share the story… but didn’t compete in case it got damaged. We love that level of Pony Club dedication!

Just in the past year, Dallas has judged at:
• Pony Club Victoria State Showjumping Titles
• Pony Club Victoria State Horse Trials
• Buchan Pony Club, Toongabbie Pony Club & Stratford Pony Club events
• Stonewall Winter Festival of Showjumping
• Agricultural shows across NSW including Candelo, Eurobodalla, Dalgety, Cooma, Bombala & more
• The Elms World Cup Show (for the 15th year running!)
• SMGS Interschool Gymkhana
…plus her own club’s shows every spring, judging everything from Grand Prix classes to Six Bars, Accumulators, Rescue Relays and jump-offs .

Dallas, thank you for everything you do for Pony Club and the sport of showjumping — from inspiring riders to setting the standard for fair, positive and passionate judging.

Once Pony Club, always Pony Club!

07/11/2025

Most recent calendar for this year and next. Updates ongoing

05/11/2025

05/11/2025

Hoping to see lots of our members as well as riders from other clubs coming to the show!

PONY CLUB COMPETITORS
CHAMPION RIDER
Nance Jennings memorial trophy rug
CHAMPION BEST PRESENTED
CHAMPION P.C. HANDLER
CHAMPION P.C. MOUNT
$50 Gift vouchers sponsored by
BAIRNSDALE HORSE CENTRE 🐎

02/11/2025

Don't forget that entries close for the horse section of the Bairnsdale Show tomorrow, Monday the 3rd. There's a pony club ring for all our members to compete in as well as jumping and open hack rings. Get on board everyone.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xQoKh_iyPPP5HDmFB1PiuOAIeIEdm0UI/view?fbclid=IwY2xjawNnuYVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHp5chvPKzkix2mzoacBOhfLaZof8wJDSXbiqVK8YTaCquFD5u2hx2NGj5wNc_aem_0hedZPEOR-HU--yZnSdOMQ

31/10/2025

Great day for our pony club members competing at the Sale Show yesterday. Lily winning the high points Interschool for Prep and Grade 1, Lexie reserve champion Interschool for years 8 and 9 and Mia had a great day in the Pony club ring gaining Champions and reserve champions in the handler, rider, hack and best presented. Well done to our riders.

31/10/2025

PCV State Events 2025/2026
Save the Dates
Entries are now open for the Tetrathlon State Championships. See JustGo for all details and entry: https://pca.justgo.com/workbench/public/events?ref=D4183D88027C0B43DC2F09F35EA017EE30C2BA98

29/10/2025

It’s important for all horse trainers and riders to learn how to identify the flight response.

For centuries, the world’s best trainers have emphasised the importance of rhythm and straightness — what we now call self-carriage. A horse that maintains his own rhythm and line shows confidence and relaxation. By contrast, a horse that accelerates suddenly or without being asked — whether under saddle or in hand — is likely showing a fear response.

A common example is the jumping horse that rushes towards a fence. This behaviour is often mistaken for enthusiasm or a “love of jumping”, but in reality, it’s a sign of anxiety. When early training is rushed or unclear, the horse learns to associate fences with fear. The obstacle becomes a trigger to run — both toward and away from it.

Physiologically, a horse showing a strong flight response on a cross-country course has a blood profile similar to one fleeing from predators. That’s why training for rhythm and self-maintenance of speed is essential for both welfare and rider safety. The jump should never cause acceleration; the horse must be trained to maintain a steady rhythm and tempo on his own.

In dressage — and across all disciplines — we should recognise tension as a sign of fear, not excitement or energy. The great classical masters understood this deeply:

▪️ Quickening legs signal the flight response.

▪️ A hollow back reflects tension and fear.

▪️ True impulsion comes only from calm, progressive training.

Understanding the difference between rhythm and rush protects both horse and rider — and ensures training remains fair, ethical, and safe.