The Pony Club

[slipperandpjsmum]

My daughter wanted to take part in a pony handling course at her new riding school. We needed to join the pony club to do it. I have read the literature etc but wondered what Mums thought of the pony club and your experiences good and bad. Thanks

A lot of kids around here are members of the pony club and they organise lots of events for riders of all levels. There are hunting links that put some people off, but it wouldn't me.

My dd would love to join.

DD (7) has been a member since she was 5. She loves it - particularly as our PC runs indoor jumping/flat lessons through the Winter. This is great for keeping the ponies (and DD) ticking over when it is cold.

She doesn't do many of the summer rallies - due to showing committments and our work schedules. However she will be going to Mini-Camp (which is for 5-8 year olds) which is spread over 2 days without sleeping over.

Great fun and we can't see any drawbacks. Some of her school friends who don't own ponies have joined a local official Pony Club branch which is especially for kids who don't own ponies.

Our branch organises tuition in X country, polo, triathlon, show jumping and dressage. It has just started up a games team as well. They have teams in lots of disciplines and a well organised system for getting badges, tests etc.

At the pony club I went to I'd say about 10% of us didn't have our own ponies. There was always one to be begged or borrowed for camp. In my case a 16.3hh racehorse one year... Great community spirit!

I didn't realise you could join without a pony, dd is always begging to join but she has no pony.

The pony club has centres for non horse owners, usually a riding school. We are members of the Pony Club at the centre based at Silverstone Riding School. It is run by a friend, so when we visit I help out, and DD joins in. She has her own pony, but the centre is 130 miles away so really, when we are there, she is ponyless. It is a fabulous place, many many horses, from youngsters to school veterans, who live out in single sex herds. The Pony Club there is really friendly, and they run regular activities, shows, lessons, camps, and trips out. The biggest coup, is that my friend Jane, who runs the club, is a showjumping junkie, and knows loads of jumpers personally. She has invited some of them to come run clinics at the school, and they have been lucky to have had lessons from Jeff Luckett, Michael Fearson and most recently, JO WHITTAKER!!!! The members of the club range from toddler to mature adult and the horses from a miniature shetland to a huge irish draft! Anyone is welcome. The site is also a riding school and an RDA centre.
I have to say, that we havent joined our local pc, but that is down to my DD, and I am working on that!
definitely join!

Sorry, MASSIVE plug for the school, but we LOVE it!!

I was worried about joining after a friend had such a hard time at one she was in. Really looked down on, snide remarks etc etc... but the one I have joined is great.

The teaching for kids is excellent, the variety is great, very positive encouragement and lots of rewards.

Speak to the DC of your local ones and choose 1 that fits you best.

..just back from PC Polo lesson this morning, was x country rally last Weds and show jumping last weekend. Add in games training and tet...my kids love it

Hi Eve - Can I ask was she 'looked down on' because she did not have her own pony? Or was it just generally made up of not very nice people?

..she was a single mum with very little money.. ponies were kept well, but her car and trailer were old etc.

This was a pony club in a wealthy south coast town where parents would go and buy kids a new pony for camp and had the biggest poshest lorries to transport 1 pony in.

I'm in a different pony club and have a completely different experience. Can't speak of mine highly enough.