Heart Of Illinois

Mounted Clinic Guidelines

Mounted clinics take a great deal of planning, scheduling and organizing in order to ensure the kids participating get the greatest benefit from their lesson. As a parent, your responsibilities during a mounted clinic don’t end with getting them and their horse to the clinic, and then watching. In order to ensure a successful clinic, every parent/guardian of a child registered for the clinic needs to assume certain responsibilities, as listed below. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in making our clinics successful.

Prior to the Clinic

  1. Submit payment for the clinic by the date listed in the signup. If a rider cancels prior to the closing date, they will receive a full refund. If a rider cancels after the closing date, a refund will not be available. In the event a rider has signed up for the clinic, not paid their fee up front, and cancels, the member will be considered not in good standing until the fee is paid.
  2. Submit a current negative Coggins report for the horse you or your child will be riding in the clinic. If you are leasing or borrowing a horse, it is your responsibility to obtain a copy of that horse’s Coggins from the owner. No one may participate without this.
  3. You are responsible for getting yourself and/or your child and mount(s) to the clinic in sufficient time for the horse to be properly groomed and tacked up prior to your ride time. Riders who are not ready at their scheduled ride time will have a shorter lesson to ensure all subsequent rides remain on schedule.
  4. Make sure you have all necessary tack and grooming equipment and that the tack is in safe working condition.
  5. Due to the unpredictable nature of our sport and chance of injury, riders under age 16 may not be dropped off at a clinic and left unattended unless the parent has delegated responsibility to another PC parent/adult who will be there for the entire time the rider is there.

During the Clinic

  1. To avoid the need for a Mounted Clinic Committee (MCC) member to be onsite during the entire clinic, all riders (and where applicable, parents) are expected to take responsibility for ensuring the following tasks are attended to:
  • Pick up manure in driveways, arenas, aisle ways, etc.
  • Pick out borrowed stalls during and after usage (if applicable).
  • Sweep aisle after use or whenever needed. This is especially important after the kids have groomed and tacked up in the aisle.
  • Assist with setting up and taking down jumps. If your child is riding, YOU are the jump crew. This is especially important at the beginning and end of the clinic.
  • Turn off lights when not in use.
  • Clean up tack room or lounge.
  • Dispose of all garbage (drink cups, food wrappers, etc…
  • Make sure all gate are closed and latched.
  • Empty any muck buckets used throughout the day.
  • Make sure your child thanks the clinician.

Also, be sure to be considerate of the property that we are using by staying in areas designated for HIPC use, staying off the grass when requested, and park only in designated areas. HIPC should leave the place tidier than what we find it.

No schooling of horses is permitted outside of the scheduled lesson period.

  1. For each clinic, the MCC will assign a parent the task of picking up lunch for the clinician. This request will be made in advance, once the ride schedule is finished. Please submit your receipt to the HIPC Treasurer for reimbursement.

Clinic Entry Dates

  • Open to HIPC Members 4 weeks prior to start of clinic.
  • Open to all other entries 3 weeks prior to start of clinic.
  • Close 1 week prior to start of clinic.

Eligibility of Mount

Unless a Private Lesson is selected, to participate in a Mounted Clinic "mounts must meet the criteria as stated within the USPC Equine Safety Policy" and reiterated in the USPC Horse Management Handbook (2017).

  • Stallions are not considered suitable mounts.
  • Mounts must be serviceably sound, in good overall health and in condition for the activity in question.
  • Mounts must be appropriate for the certification level and be able to perform at a level of training and fitness to allow members safe participation in the activity.
  • Except as noted below, mounts must be at least five (5) years of age in order to participate in USPC competitive, instructional, and recreational programs and activities. In establishing the age of mounts, the first year is considered to be January 1 following the date of foaling.
  • Members holding a riding certification of C-1 and above may participate in all USPC activities on an appropriate mount at least four (4) years of age.
  • A mount may be excused from any activity if in the opinion of the instructor, examiner, or appropriate authority, it is unsafe either to its rider or to other riders or mounts.

Non-member Participation

Nonmembers are welcome to participate with priority given to HIPC members. A Release, Assumption of Risk, Waiver of Liability and Indemnity Agreement for USPC Non-members must accompany all entries.

Heart of Illinois Pony Club operates as a tax-exempt nonprofit 501(c)(3) with Employer Identification Number (EIN) 37-1076031. It is a subordinate organization of USPC Newco, Inc., EIN 61-1352306. All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the U.S. tax code.