Are You Ready to Rally?
The following is a
posting from the DCDigest, May 2005 , on questions to ask for rally readiness: There have
been a lot of questions about rally -- what it is, and when a child is ready to
rally. I've been trying to come up with a pat answer and haven't been able to do
that. What I have is a list of questions you can discuss with your child to
determine if rally would be a good experience for them at this time.
1)
Are
you ready to go to the barn on your own and take care of
your pony
all by yourself? This includes putting your pony's needs before your own and
to be willing and able to stay in the barn area at all times. You can't run to
your parents if you forgot something -- you've got to arrive prepared!
(Parents:
Are you willing to go without talking to your child all day -- to trust that
the barn personnel and the team Horse Manager will take care of the physical and
safety needs of your child and his/her pony? Talking to your child, even a
caring question, is grounds for elimination. You're not going to be very popular
at home if your child is penalized because you couldn't stand to see them
struggle to find an answer for herself.)
2) Are you
willing to be a horse manager at least once in your pony club career? If the
answer is no, then you have no business rallying. I've heard member's parents
express the opinion that their child will never be a HM at a rally because it's
a waste of their time to rally without riding. Imagine how any child who has
done their share by serving as an HM feels about that. They work very hard to
help the team have a successful rally. If members hear you say this, I'm pretty
sure they won't want to "waste their time" to help your child in the future. We
often send first-time rally goers as the HM for a team with some experienced
members. This way they can get a firsthand glimpse into how rally works, without
the additional stress of caring for their horse -- and with team members who can
mentor them. Be ready to help your child understand why this strategy is
important. Which leads directly to...
3) Are you
going to rally only to win?
You've just
set yourself up for disappointment. When you're at a rally, there are many
things that can happen that are beyond your control. Weather, teammates who are
ill, teammates who didn't ask themselves the tough questions listed here before
signing up to rally. Are you willing to make the commitment to prep with your
team so that all members are prepared to rally? We don't set up "A" teams and
"B" teams when sending kids to rally. You must be willing to work together with
other team-members, some of whom you will not know prior to rally. The Club
Rally Coordinator sets up the most balanced teams possible so that all
competitors have a chance to win -- if they can work together as a team.
4) Are you
and your pony a solid team? Do you perform safely in a stressful situation?
Don't kid
yourself, Rally involves 12 hour days. You're going to be TIRED. But you get to
come home with a great sense of independence and accomplishment. Weigh those
things and see where you really are with that.
5) Does
your pony do well if stalled for a few days -- or are you willing to take the
time to hand-walk him to graze if he's a pasture pony at home?
6) Do you
have the time to commit to this team? This includes attending group prep
sessions, riding your pony to get him fit for competition, cleaning and labeling
your equipment, studying for the written test, showing up on time for rally, and
staying until the barns close. Your team will do better if you recognize at the
start that an important part of your job as a team member is to help each and
every member of your team to do their best. The primary purpose of rally is to
practice team work and to showcase what you know and how well you can perform as
a team.
7) Are
your parents ready to provide two to four volunteer hours per day? Rallies
cannot happen without volunteer labor. The region subsidizes the cost of Rally
as it is, can you imagine what they would cost if we had to hire people to do
all those jobs? There are plenty of horse and non-horse related jobs to go
around. Don't be afraid of a little hard work -- in the long run, parents have
more fun if they jump in and get their hands dirty -- Not to mention the new
friends we get to enjoy for rallies to come.
Julie Herman
DC Tejas Pony
Club, Tomball/NW. Houston, TX
