does DD need to do lessons at a pony club centre to be involved in pony club?

[Idonthaveenoughtime]

Hello,
My nearly 8 year old dd is a very novice horse rider, still learning the basics, however we've just moved and are thinking of where to send her to continue her lessons. Her old riding centre offered a pony club for when she was ready for it, but now we've moved we have a choice of two centres. One is near her school and some of her classmates go there and I don't want to dismiss it when it's convenient and it's obviously considered a decent place to learn by the other parents at the school. The other is thirty minutes away but is slightly higher rated by the BHS and is also a pony club centre, which is the only reason I'd choose this one over the other. As she doesn't own her horse (and won't for some years until we are absolutely sure she's going to stick at it!) I think this would be the only way she could do pony club events, which her friends who have their own horses are involved in, and she is very keen to do. In particular I think she is keen to work towards learning dressage techniques. Does she need to do her weekly lessons at this centre to be involved in the pony club in holidays etc? Would it be a lot simpler if she was? I don't even know how to ride a horse so advice from people who know how this all works would be helpful!

Thanks for your advice

Ring the Pony club centre and ask them. Pony club is great, if it's a good thriving centre she'll be able to do her D test etc which I am sure she'll enjoy.

Dressage and stable management she's just corrected me. Also a nice way to keep her busy in the holidays!

Most pony club centres wouldn't enable her to go and do things her friends a are doing at pony club branches, they are different things.

But they are excellent, it's great to meet other children, and learn a lot about management of horses, which is something people are terrifyingly shit at.

I would maybe try both of them and see what they're like, how good the instruction is, and if either of them is more likely to be able to teach dressage.

Fwiw, most of the pony club stuff around these parts doesn't involve dressage, mostly showjumping or cross country type stuff.

Find out what they actually offer - dd was a member of a local pony club centre for a while at the place where she had lessons but all it involved was stable management sessions and they once took part in a quiz. She'd been hoping to do competitions and tests but nothing else was on offer. She's now moved to another riding school which has a much more active pony club where some of the children get taken out to competitions etc

The pony club run by riding centres and the pony club for children with their own ponies are different - they are run by the same organisation but children don't attend the same rallies etc, so she probably wouldn't be with her friends who have their own horses.
Pony club is great but from my experience it's a lot more worthwhile if you have your own pony, although some centres run it really well and children can be really involved and do shows etc, a lot just seem to be trying to get too much money from parents without the children really getting any feel of having their own horse!
I would just get her a few lessons in each centre and see what she prefers. Sometimes smaller centres are nicer as they're more personal and children can be more involved rather than just turning up for a weekly lesson and leaving again, which is what happens at some BHS centres because of insurance etc.

As other's have said there are different pony clubs depending on whether you own your own or not.

At my son's stable they meet once a month and earn badges. There has never been anything like competitions or trips out.