The 1st of March is an important date in the Letterkenny riding club calendar as it is the first day of the new season’s WhatsApp group. Our club communicates primarily by WhatsApp, and the previous season’s chat group is kept active until the end of February as we all know it can take a while to get around to renewing memberships in the aftermath of Christmas and new year festivities. Fortunately almost all of our 2023 members are back on board and we’ve also greeted new blood for the 2024 season. With the days stretching nicely, and the horses winter coats starting to fall away, there is definitely a sense of anticipation for the activities ahead. Now is the time to run through the checklist of things to do before hitting the road south for any regional or national events.
Make sure you have your membership card downloaded. You will need to share this with the organising club of any inter-club, regional or national event. For information on downloading your card check out the following page on the main AIRC site https://airc.ie/card/
Get your horse, or horses, registered with the AIRC. You need to have a passport for your horse (this is a legal obligation, not just an AIRC one!). A fee of €25 will be applicable for any Horse Registration application received from the 1st April until the 30th June each year. The service will continue to be free outside of this period. Find out how to go about registering your horse with the AIRC at the following link https://airc.ie/horses/
Is your gear up to standard? There are tack and turnout guidelines for each discipline you choose to compete in, but the absolute bare minimum when it comes to equipment is a riding hat that is up to current standards.
A number of older riding hat standards were withdrawn from 1st January 2023. The riding hat standards affected include the following:
PAS 015 (1998)
Snell E2001
From the 1st January 2023, only PAS 015 (2011) onwards, and Snell E2016 onwards, along with the ASTM F1163 2004a onwards with SEI mark, AS/NZS 3838: 2003, VG1 01.040 2014-12 with BSI Kitemark or Inspec IC Mark will be permitted to be used in any AIRC activity.
If you’re unsure about your hat standard just ask your club safety officer (Jenny Coe) to take a look at it next time we get together.
Body protectors are only compulsory for cross country training and competition. If you wish to take part in these events you need to make sure you have a correctly fitting body protector. From 1st January 2024, the BETA 2009 Level 3 body protector (Purple Label) will no longer be accepted for any AIRC activity. The BETA 2018 Level 3 body protector (see below) will be the only accepted standard for AIRC activities. For more information on body protectors and standards, visit the BETA website.
To check out the current tack list for any discipline you wish to compete in, go to the Downloads section of the main AIRC website at https://airc.ie/downloads/ and type Tack Sheet into the search box.
Take the time to download and READ the current AIRC rulebook. This aint pony club. We’re all big enough to wipe our own behinds and take responsibility for educating ourselves about the sport we choose to take part in. There are lots of very friendly people in every club, who will be more than happy to answer any questions you have, but you do have a responsibility to read the rules and make a genuine effort to follow them. Ignorance is no defense. Find the current AIRC Rulebook at the following link
https://airc.ie/app/uploads/D04_12-Rules-Regulations-Rule-Book-2023.pdf
Finally, and very importantly, check your trailer/lorry/ towing vehicle. Is the floor sound? Are the tyres in good knick? Are the wheels correctly inflated? Is the tow-bar/hitch in working order? Do all the lights work? Are the trailer/lorry sides sound, or can your horse step through them? Are the axles sound and secure? These things need regular checking…not just once a year. You will find it very hard to live with yourself if a horse (or, God forbid, a person) loses a life because you didn’t maintain and drive your vehicle correctly. Bite the bullet and get the yoke over-hauled!!
Letterkenny Riding Club 