From the Aussie's Horse Handbook/Rulebook, here is what they have on the
use of the horse logbooks:
H.4. LOGBOOKS 4.1. Novice horses are issued with a blue Novice Horse
Logbook. Endurance horses are issued with a yellow Endurance Horse
Logbook. 4.2. If no logbook (Novice or Endurance) is presented the horse
cannot be entered in an affiliated event. 4.3. If a horse has been issued
with a logbook, that logbook must be used when that horse is entered in an
affiliated endurance or training ride.
4.4. Information may only be entered into the logbook of a horse competing
at an affiliated event by a veterinarian or designated ride official. No
alterations or whiteouts may be made to any logbook to alter entered
information. H.5. NOVICE HORSE AND THE NOVICE HORSE LOGBOOK 5.1. A horse
is a novice horse until all the following requirements have been complied
with: a) A Novice Horse Logbook must be registered for that horse, which must
be presented when the horse is entered as a novice horse at an affiliated event
-except in the case of the THIRTEEN MONTH (H.8) rule. b) A sufficient number
of affiliated events to complete 240 km in any riding division must be
successfully completed - excluding training rides. c) A minimum period of 90
days must elapse commencing from the date the horse successfully completes its
first affiliated event. 5.2. A novice horse must not be entered in an
affiliated event when the total distance of the ride is more than 120
km. 5.3. A novice horse may only enter a maximum of four affiliated events of
between 80 and 120 km inclusive in any 90 day period, retrospective from the
date of the ride to be entered. 5.4. All novice horses in each leg of an
affiliated event shall comply with one of the following: a) a minimum riding
time determined by the ride committee in consultation with the ride Head
Veterinarian, but in any case not less than a time calculated at an average
speed of 14 km per hour over the total distance of each riding leg; or
b) shall ride behind a pace rider as defined in the TRAINING RIDE RULES.
The pace rider shall not complete the distance of any riding leg in a time less
than that as determined in rule H.5.4a). H.6. ENDURANCE HORSE AND ENDURANCE
HORSE LOGBOOK 6.1. A horse that has complied with the NOVICE HORSE AND THE
NOVICE HORSE LOGBOOK (H.5) rule will be eligible to apply for an Endurance Horse
Logbook. The Novice Horse Logbook(s) must be presented to substantiate
compliance with rule H.5. 6.2. Every horse issued with an Endurance Horse
Logbook must be identified either by:
a) a microchip implant plus certified veterinary identification of same -
the details of which will be recorded in the Endurance Horse Logbook for that
horse. The microchip must be inserted more than 6 days prior to that horse
competing in an affiliated event; or b) a certified veterinary identification
which must include a registered brand, the details of which will be recorded in
the Endurance Horse Logbook for that horse. 6.3. A microchipped horse must
have the certified identification completed in case of microchip reader or
microchip failure.
H.8. THIRTEEN MONTH RULE 8.1. When a qualified Endurance Horse has not
successfully completed one affiliated event in the preceding 13 months, that
horse must be entered as a Novice Horse until it does so. Ride details and
results will be entered in that horse's Endurance Horse Logbook. Horses entered
under this rule must comply with all novice horse rules.
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As you can see, they have two different types. The Novice and the
Endurance. The requirements for a horse to progress from Novice to
Endurance require a completion of 240 KM (150 miles), with no ride exceeding 120
KM (75 miles), and no more than 4 rides entered in a 90 day time frame.
Another interesting control feature is, while riding as a Novice, the pace
traveled cannot exceed 14 KM/per hour, with equates to 8 3/4 miles per
hour. At some rides they use Pacers for the Novice riders.
Also, a horse that reaches the Endurance level must be identified with
either a microchip implant or a certified veterinary identification (registered
brand). This, obviously, would prevent a rider from riding a horse that
isn't the one for which the Endurance logbook was issued.
I added the 13th month rule in there to show that if a horse has not
completed a ride (notice that it is completed, not entered) within that
time frame the horse is automatically dropped back down to the Novice
category.
The rules that apply to the rider's status are similar. The
rider is treated as a Novice until they meet the same mileage requirements as
the horse. Once the rider has taken their first horse through the Novice
requirements the rider is issued a Membership card.
I'm running our of space here and want to try and keep this section in one
post (is anyone reading this?). Jim Holland has asked the AERA secretary
to contact me, via email, and I'm hoping to start a dialog with her. Like
you, I have some questions on this (what do you do with these books when it
rains, for one). Please, email me any questions, or problems you have
understanding their rules to me and I will try and answer them, via the AERA
secretary. I realize not all of this is for us and I certainly don't want
to change our dress code, especially what some of the wimmen wear down
South at hot rides, but, when it comes to the health of the horse, I do
believe these folks are on the right track.
