Pony Club is stressing me out!

[AGapInTheMarket]

I’m a qualified riding instructor with lots of experience training and competing but have been out of the saddle myself for 10 years or so. I have a 6yo daughter who I have taught the basics to and we recently started attending the local Pony Club. On one hand, it’s been great for DD - she’s met some nice kids and realised that riding can be a social activity! I’m the opposite as the volunteer coaches and other parents are doing my head in. The teaching is woeful - first jumping lesson for 6 and 7yo beginners just off the lead was to attempt a course of 10 50cm jumps including planks and fill! It was carnage! The flat work lesson was just everyone attempting to have a canter one at a time with no attempt to correct position or technique except “shorten your reins!” - when every child was already swinging off their unfortunate pony’s mouth.
I am very unwilling to do any coaching myself as my daughter isn’t independent enough yet and I need to focus on her. I’m aware if I feed back my criticism it was come across as bitchy and nitpicky but it is really quite a dangerous and old fashioned, “grip and guts” mentality getting perpetuated. Do we keep going??

If you don't like the instruction, and equally don't want to say anything or do it yourself, how about looking elsewhere?

Our branch only uses qualified coaches (BHS, UKCC) and they also have to have done CPD, First Aid, Safeguarding and DBS/PVG.
Most of our instructors are at least UKCC2 or BHSII and are generally excellent.
If you have an issue with the way a rally was being taught then bring it up (tactfully) with the organiser. Put your points across and maybe offer to help out with organising?
Parents often forget that pony club branches are run by the parents for the kids, so if you want to make it better, get involved!

I feel your pain!! Are you in the Ne by any chance

Oops

My advice is to use pc as social and developmental for your dd

It's really fun and she will learn things - then use other instructors for private lessons to develop her riding technique

Riding club in my opinion of much better

The more you put in to Pony club, the more you will get out. Helping doesn't need to be instructing, but it can be suggesting good instructors, or good lesson plans, activities etc. All 3 of my children have been through PC and there are plenty of times that you will have to bite your tongue about the way things are done, but remember that the majority of it is done by unpaid volunteers. If you are experienced yourself, then helping out is fun (most of the time!) and tactfully suggesting different ways of doing things is generally seen as helpful, appreciated. With little ones I found that it was mostly a social thing, and just getting them doing it - sometimes too much concentrating on perfect position gets them very switched off. That said, the amount of times I've thought 'will you please tell her to put her heels down / lower her hands / sit up / shorten / lengthen her reins' about my own daughters I couldn't count.

Pony club did bring all of mine on a lot, to the point that one of mine has ridden for her area, region and even country - something she never would have had the chance of otherwise - and she's made a lot of friends, so stick with it, and muck in. Good luck!

The Pony Club can only use instructors that age PC accredited if they aren't qualified and on a register of some sort

Are u sure the instructors are volunteers??? They aren't being paid??