ATTIRE FOR D-1, D-2 & D-3 STANDARDS OF PROFICIENCY Instructor____________________________________________ Club/Center__________________________________ Region_______________Year______________ Topic: Attire to meet D-1 to D-3 Standards of Level/Certificate: D-1 to D-3 candidates Proficiency Class Size: 1-8 Time: 20-40 minutes, depending on whether an additional activity (described below) is done during Arena Size needed: none needed, most easily the lesson time. Could be made even longer, taught indoors depending on the attention span and maturity of students (see Additional Ideas, below) Objective: D-1: Rider in safe and neat attire: long pants, jodhpurs, breeches, or riding tights with shirt tucked in; collared shirt with long or short sleeves; short or tall riding boots or shoes that cover the ankle and have a boot heel. Rider must also wear Pony Club pin, medical armband or bracelet, and a properly fitted equestrian helmet, securely fastened (see USPC Policy 0125A). Long hair neatly up or back. Half-chaps, gloves, show coat, and belt optional. D-2: Same as D-1, but pants must be made for riding (breeches, jodhpurs, or riding tights) D-3: Same as D-2, but now we specify that riding boots are required (short or tall), that belts must be worn when riding pants have belt loops, and that garters must be worn with jodhpurs. Collared shirt should be polo, turtleneck, dress shirt, or ratcatcher. Clean attire is stressed for the D-3. Handout provided: Chart showing the attire References: expectations from D-1 to D-3 Standards of Proficiency (included here) Standards of Proficiency for D-Level Certificates Equipment Needed: USPC D Manual (2nd Edition) pp 8, 25-26, Table and/or clothes rack with hangers for 298-306 clothing, below USPC Horse Management Handbook and Name tags and pens Rules for Rallies, 2017 Pony Club pin (optional: Pony Club USPC Policy 0125A discipline pin from Championships) Equestrian helmet in good condition with certification intact Medical armband (may not be necessary as members should be wearing them) and medical bracelet or picture of medical bracelet Polo shirt, turtle-necked shirt, dress shirt, rat-catcher shirt (all with short or long sleeves) Breeches, riding tights, riding jeans, jodhpurs [optional: pant clips, garters] Rubber riding boots, tall leather boots, jodhpur boots, paddock boots, or any available boots that meet the standard [For extra activity, a trunk full of appropriate/inappropriate attire, OR pictures of attire from equestrian catalogs. Be creative; there are many "trick” items that can be included, such as USPC t-shirt, non- certified riding helmet, sleeveless ratcatcher shirt, boots that cover the ankle, but don’t have enough heel, boots that have a heel, but don’t cover the ankle] Safety Concerns: None. This can be completed Safety Check: Medical armband or bracelet indoors or out, away from horses. Lesson Procedure 1. Introduction of Self/Students [name tags will be available; have the members write their names and put on their name tags as they join the group] “Good morning, my name is _______________and I am a __from ____________Pony Club/or Riding Center. I’d like to go around the room and have you each introduce yourself, and tell us what your certification level is, and how long you have been a member of Pony Club.” 2. Verbalize Objective of Lesson “Today we are going to discuss the expected attire for D-1s, D-2s, and D-3s for mounted lessons, clinics, rallies, and certifications. Who knows what we mean when we say ‘attire’?” (This question may be asked if the group is young and may not be familiar with the term. Call on somebody who raises their hand and let them define the word; help them if necessary). “Attire means the clothes you wear.” “In Pony Club, we refer to Everyday (or casual) attire as Informal attire, and show clothing as Formal attire. ‘Everyday’ attire is what members of all certificate levels would wear for casual riding and mounted lessons, but for D-certified members to meet standards at a Rally or a Certification, “Everyday” attire that is safe, clean, and neat is acceptable. So today, we are going to concentrate on the “Everyday” attire that you would be expected to wear to your D-1, D-2, or D-3 certification. Although this is rather straightforward, you all should be aware that It is also permissible for Ds to turn-out in Informal or Formal attire (as described in the Horse Management Handbook), but this turn-out will be covered in a separate lesson For rallies, always check the appropriate discipline rulebook to see if there are any additional expectations for competitors in general, or for competitors who are trying to qualify for Championships.” 3. Ask Prior Knowledge of Topic [If there are D-1s or D-2s in the group, ask: “Can anyone who has attended a rally or a certification tell us what a turn-out inspection is?”] “Yes, all of you are correct. This is the time when the rider and mount are presented to the Examiner (at a certification) or the Horse Management Judge (at a rally), to make sure that the rider and the horse meet the standard for attire and tack. This means that the appropriate and safe attire and tack are in use, and that the rider and the mount are neat and clean.” [Depending on time, ask: “Can you name one thing which is checked on the rider” You can call on however many people you want, just get one answer from each, then continue with the discussion] 4. Demonstrate/Discussion: “There are certain requirements that must be followed, meaning that certain types of clothing are allowed, and others are not, but overall, it is important that your turn-out be safe, neat, and clean. Your clothing should also be comfortable, as this will affect how you look, feel, and ride. What is required? [For all levels], probably the most important part of your turnout is a properly fitted equestrian helmet, securely fastened. The helmet must be certified as specified in USPC Policies [pick up helmet and show SEI/ASTM tags], and it must be checked for fit. This is so important that we will have a separate lesson at a later time, dealing just with helmet fit. You must wear your Pony Club pin. In fact, this is a requirement for all Pony Club activities, both mounted and unmounted. Championship Discipline pins and Life Membership pins meet the requirement for ‘Pony Club pins’”. Show the group a regular Pony Club pin and a Championships Discipline Pony club pin, pointing out the difference, and a Life Member pin] “You must be wearing either a medical armband or a medical bracelet.”[Comment that you see some of them wearing armbands, and if any have the bracelets, point that out. Otherwise show them what a medical bracelet looks like, either an actual bracelet or a picture] “Your shirt must have a collar and sleeves, but there are many types allowed.” [Show the following shirts, and say what they are: polo shirt, dress shirt, ratcatcher shirt, turtleneck shirt.] “Remember the requirement for sleeves! They may be short or long, but the shirt may not be sleeveless. If you are a D-1 or a D-2 candidate, a shirt with sleeves that is a bit more casual than a “dress shirt” would be acceptable. Your shirt must be long enough to be neatly tucked into your pants.” “Pants must be long; breeches, jodhpurs, or riding tights are recommended for comfort and appearance. Other pants may be worn for the D-1 certification, it is best that they fit snugly in the lower leg and do not bunch up behind your knees. Pants clips (that hold your pants legs down) can be used to prevent bunching up, and are used with jodhpurs (as are garters).” [show examples of breeches, jodhpurs, riding tights, pant clips, garters] “Footwear is also important. It is critical that the boots, long or short, be made of substantial material (heavy), cover the ankles, are secured, and have a heel. The heel prevents your foot from sliding through the stirrup. Boots with deep treads on the soles are also dangerous, as they could get caught on the stirrup. For the D-3 candidate, short or tall boots specifically made for riding are expected.” “Long hair must be neatly up or back (hairnets are allowed but not required) Jewelry that dangles (such as dangling earrings, bracelets, rings, or necklaces), or that could get caught on something, is not allowed Half chaps, gloves, neckwear, show coats, and belts are optional for the D-1 and D-2 certification. Remember that neckwear can only be worn if you are wearing a show coat. A D-3 must be wearing a belt if their pants have belt loops, and they must be wearing garters if they choose to wear jodhpurs. Although everybody must show up safe, neat, and clean to a turn-out inspection, it is the D-3 level where we start to stress cleanliness even more.” 5. Application of the activity: Now that you have “taught” the lesson, plan an activity to prove students listened by creating a simple interactive section. (time allotment must be considered for choosing your activity) Ideas: Have either a trunk filled with clothing, boots, etc., and have the student’s one by one pick out an item and put it on the “acceptable” or “unacceptable” pile. If less time is available, just have them work in small groups and put together acceptable outfits. OR, do the same thing with pictures cut from an Equestrian catalog.