Throughout the year, Springbank Pony Club members have the opportunity to earn Pony Club badges.
Thank you to Greenhawk Cochrane for donating saddlepads for the badge program this year!
Here is the newest badge SPC members can earn:
APRIL BADGES:
REGIONAL QUIZ & HANDYMAN HORSE
Members who attend quiz can earn their regional quiz badge in April. Also, members can come build cross country jumps on April 13 from 12-2pm to earn their handyman horse badge this month.
We hope to see you there:)
MARCH BADGE PROJECT:
VETERINARY BADGE
Since Dr. Fowlie spoke at the meeting on March 16, it was great time for members to complete the Aspiring Vet Badge.
Members attended the clinic with Dr. Fowlie to learn how to check for lameness or unsoundness, possible treatments and the limitations of horses with unsoundness problems and then choose one or more of the following projects:
- Explain what goes into a first aid kit for their horse, how to treat a minor wound, and when to call a vet.
- Write a report or give a presentation on your own horse or one in their barn, discuss its conformation and how this might lead to problems or suit it for a specific type of work. Strengths as well as weaknesses should be pointed out (could explain conformation and what conformational faults can cause lameness problems and/or explain the differences between lameness, unsoundness and blemishes).
- Write a case study around an emergency visit to the vet. Why did they have to call the vet? What was the diagnosis and what treatment did the horse receive?
- Explain how a vet check or pre-purchase exam is performed. Discuss who can perform such a test. What are standard checks and what extra checks can be performed. If possible, attend a pre-purchase exam and share the results. Discuss which results you feel would prevent you from buying a horse and what results would still be acceptable.
Anything goes—a presentation, a document, an infographic, a poster, etc. Please submit your work to Nicole at niclniel@gmail.com or bring your work to a pony club meeting to share with everyone (and then let me know what you did).
FEBRUARY BADGE PROJECT:
SHOE & FARRIER
Objectives:
- Learn about farriers’ tools and what they are used for.
- Identify the basic styles of shoes and their uses.
- Understand winter shoeing, traction devices and how to use them.
Resources:
- Lois has created many useful resources to help study for pony club testing, including a whole section on Foot & Shoeing at https://canadianponyclub.org/AlbertaSouth/SpringBank/resources/ (ask Nicole for the password)
- Chapters on Foot and shoeing from the USPC D manual pages 199 to 207 the USPC C manual pages 251 to 259 and the MH (12th Ed.) pages 221 to 231 (it sounds like a lot but there are LOTS of pictures)
- There are also several YouTube videos you can watch where Farriers explain what they do and their tools
Projects:
Choose from one of the following topics and create a poster, video or slide presentation that the pony club can share with other members:
- Shoes: explain the different types of shoes
- Hot and cold shoeing: explain the differences along with the pros and cons of both methods
- Farrier tools: include images and explain what they are used for
- Parts of the hoof/foot: create and label the parts of the horse’s foot
- Shoeing Issues: indications a horse needs shoeing, features to look for in a newly shod foot, and issues/problems to watch out for
- An interview with a Farrier (Kirk is coming again soon:)
- Another interesting tidbit about shoes, farriers, or hooves you’d like to share with members
Please submit your work to Nicole at niclniel@gmail.com or bring your work to a pony club meeting to share with everyone (and then let me know what you did).
JANUARY BADGE PROJECT:
ATTIRE BADGE
The Canadian Pony Club has added a couple of new badges. To kick off our new year, members can complete the new Rider Attire badge. To complete this badge, members are encouraged to review the Alberta South Region Dress Code Guidelines and then complete the quiz to test your knowledge.