Saturday 11th June 2011

Firstly I must apologise for the complete lack of photos this week. Paul was simply too busy to take any and the rest of us were too busy teaching or helping to be able to take any.

Today our 2 sessions of Pony Club were met with great enthusiasm and gusto from all the members who came, June did Fire Safety & Awareness with the members. We discussed how fires can start on the stable yard and how to prevent them. The members all had a dig in the muck heap and felt just how hot it becomes on a relatively mild day. They all had the opportunity to play act finding a fire and calling for help, and with the use of a dummy phone were able to call the fire brigade using 999! The loud calls of ‘FIRE! FIRE!’ rang out loudly all around the yard,( it’s a miracle that the neighbours didn’t actually call the fire brigade out on our behalf!) The ringing of the fire alarm however seemed to be the flavour of the day, and without exception, all the members were keen to do this task. A few of them even pretended to be on fire so that a demonstration of how to use a fire blanket could be done.
They each received a handout leaflet, showing the different types of fire extinguisher with information on which types of fire to use them on and which types NOT to use them on. A few members however have left their handouts behind. If any of them are missing them please ask for them next week!

Jenna concentrated on helping the members prepare for show, by working on their turning ability, steering & overall control as well as accuracy in the school. The members also developed a chant that could be heard all over the stables & probably well into Knockholt village centre as well!

‘Everywhere we go
People always ask us
Who we are and where we come from
So we tell them
We’re from Pine Ridge
And if they can’t hear us
We shout a little louder
WE’RE FROM PINE RIDGE!!’
This was heard up in the yard from down at the bottom of the fields. Everyone was in top form & high spirits, and hopefully all had a great day.
Jenna’s most improved riders this week are Lorcan & Bailey – Well done!

Jenny did yard duties and horse handling with the members. In keeping with the forthcoming show, they concentrated on grooming & tacking up this week. Jack once again came into his own, as he is small enough so that everyone can practice on him. He was groomed to quite a high standard, his tack was put on & taken off many times and the members were also able to ride him on the lead rein with Jenny. Jenny was most impressed with their horses handling skills this week are Jemima, Tam & Cormac.

The ponies had a lot to contend with this week, there was the imagined fire with members screaming out FIRE! FIRE! - Ringing the Fire Alarm – running all over the yard pretending to turn ponies out into the paddocks & the riders shouting out their chant, they behaved perfectly, they just looked round at it all, sighed & then stood there & let the members just get on with it where most other horses & ponies would have been fidgety at best & downright panicked at worse.