Pony Club - ???????!!!!!?????

laceyfreckle

laceyfreckle

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2007
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Essex/Suffolk
Recently i looked into pony club for my children, previously i have looked but not joined but since moving house we are fairly close to one of the PC venues so thought i would look again.

Looked good on the web-site etc and i spoke to the DC and she put my mind at rest that my children wouldn't be too young or novice and it was for all ages.

So i sent off my membership - not cheap at all but they do do a thing where if you pay for three members then any other children are free to join so i did that.

Got a letter back saying my youngest couldn't join as he is too young (he is 3.5, starts school in sept) - that members have to be over 5 - i didn't know there was a minimum age for pony club??

Anyway read on and a lot of the activities are WAY too advanced for mine.

There are achievement badges they can do but the tests (D,D+ etc etc) are only for 8yrs + and only after they have attended three mounted rallies so my 5 and 6yr old's wouldn't be able to do them yet and my older children would have to do mounted rallies first and are very novice. (was hoping the test things would encourage them to learn management such as names of things as well as riding) ##

a lot of the clinics seem to be for kids that ride really well - sj for 12yrs and over and 3ft+, junior novice sj clinic (doesn't say height - mine are still on poles on the ground and lead-rein.), xc clinic, polocrosse,

there is some dressage clinics but not sure mine could go on lead rein? and it says there is mounted games practises throughout spring but again not so sure that is lead rein.

also says a bit on the booking form that the commitee can refuse applications if they don't think the child is sufficientl experienced for the chosen activity :help:

so not really anything they can do for jan or feb and it's just cost me over £150!

there is a dressage clinic (up to two children per half hour) but it's in the evening (tired children) and not sure they are even advanced enough for that.

I kind of thought with the PC they would get to be around other children their own age and get some instruction through rallies etc starting from lead rein upwards (so have someone different to mum teaching!).

Is it the paperwork that sound fierce but it is different when you get there?

oh and i bought the manual of horsemanship and i'm sure it is far more complicated looking and less pictures then the older ones when i was little were! Not so sure i could read all of it (the way it is worded is all a bit dull) let alone get small kids to. I was hoping there may be pics/clearer instructions for my 9yr old to learn the aids easier, rein position, rider posiiton etc

Suggestions anyone??
 
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Unfortunately not many Pony Clubs have an active Lead Rein program apart from in the summer holiday as little kids can't really cope with the cold!!

I tried PC with my daughter when she was little but she got very little out of it, rejoined when she was a competent teenager and she had a great time.

Could you contact the DC and see if you can either get a refund or transfer them to a Riding School Centre which will be much more geared at beginner activities and will do pre D test levels?
 
I would go to a centre that runs PC instead of doing it by branch, it's a lot cheaper and there are no restrictions like there are at a branch. Each child must passes all stages for the relevant award before moving onto the next.

Bronze, Silver and Gold

Levels 1, 2 and 3 in each in both riding and horsemanship. L does every saturday at her RS for 3 hours and then has test days every six weeks. They also accommodate her needs really well which is a blessing.

I think PC at the RS is from age 4 upwards because 'C' can do it if he wasn't so lazy.
 
Tbh I think all branches are different, our local PC hold a lead rein rally every fortnight at our local EC, about £7 if I remember correctly.

My daughter was a member for a year as a teenager, but I didn't carry on with it as I wasn't keen on a lot of the instruction.
Was a very good way of getting xc schooling in the summer though, so may rejoin again just to get that with Hattie.
 
My daughter went a couple of times didnt like it at all and to be honest i thought some of the people a wee bit pretentious but maybe we didnt give it long enough. We put her to a great local yard where they could stay all day once the owner was satisfied regarding their abilities and she loved it. It had a massive effect on her and she is now riding horses at various places all over the world [currently New Zealand] she will ride just about anything if its got 4 legs and covered in hair. Every youngster is different and as they say its horses for courses.
 
Hmm, I would like a refund, bit don't think i would get one.

Not sure i would prefer to move to a centre as the nearest one to me is quite expensive at £25 per child per week for the saturday pony club stuff and it is all non riding. Lessons there start at £16 each per half hour or £20 per 45 mins but i'd prefer to get a instructor out for their pony if i was to pay that.

Might see if they will refund or at best wait and see what else they offer through they year.

Was kind of hoping for a bit more 'off horse' tuition (warm for winter) for the younger ones and more 'fun' competitive rather then serious competitive stuff. Always thought the PC was more about learning then about winning?

We have joined a riding club too and that has 4 children's rally day's throughout the year for all ages.
 
I agree with looking at a Pony Club Centre membership. Have a look and see if there's one near you. A thriving Centre offers just as many - if not MORE - opportunities than a PC Branch and they are particularly suited to busy parents as it often means being able to leave the kids at the Centre and not have to worry about them all day :happy:

http://www.pcuk.org/index.php/centres

I should think the minimum age of 5yrs is mostly for insurance. Many riding schools have a lower age limit for the same reason. TBH I'm not sure your 3.5-year-old would get much out of the Pony Club anyway as there really isn't much they can do.

ETA - crossposted with you above.
 
Our centre does 3 hrs for £25 every saturday (don't have to attend every saturday) and they get 1hr lesson, an hour pony care and an hour hack or games.
 
Innocence said:
Our centre does 3 hrs for £25 every saturday (don't have to attend every saturday) and they get 1hr lesson, an hour pony care and an hour hack or games.
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the one here is 2hrs, they prefer you to go every week and to also have a weekly lesson but the pony club itself is £25 for the two hours, with no riding. so that would be £75 a week for me (have three that are the most interested) which is just far too much and probably couldn't commit to every saturday and for them to have their own pony.. I didn't mind paying extra for rally tuition as it is around £10 per child and not every week.
 
joosie said:
I agree with looking at a Pony Club Centre membership. Have a look and see if there's one near you. A thriving Centre offers just as many - if not MORE - opportunities than a PC Branch and they are particularly suited to busy parents as it often means being able to leave the kids at the Centre and not have to worry about them all day :happy:

http://www.pcuk.org/index.php/centres

I should think the minimum age of 5yrs is mostly for insurance. Many riding schools have a lower age limit for the same reason. TBH I'm not sure your 3.5-year-old would get much out of the Pony Club anyway as there really isn't much they can do.

ETA - crossposted with you above.
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hi, yes would probably have had to stay with one anyway as he has additional needs. Did have a look at centres briefly as mentioned above.

With my youngest it was more the learning stuff as he is very very bright for his age (can already count to 100, do simple sums, read a little and count to 10 and speak some words in spanish!) It is true the physical activities would probably be too much for him anyway though. oh well - will just carry on teaching him as i do now and try and get something sorted for the others.
 
What a shame on the cost front... I think it must vary quite drastically from one Centre to another. The one I worked at cost them an ANNUAL membership of £25, and then they just turned up on a Saturday or Sunday and spent the whole day there for just a £2 contribution to the kitty. They got a 1hr lesson or hack each week and two stable management sessions with me, and worked towards their badges. The kitty was used to pay for additional activities during the school holidays.
 
joosie said:
What a shame on the cost front... I think it must vary quite drastically from one Centre to another. The one I worked at cost them an ANNUAL membership of £25, and then they just turned up on a Saturday or Sunday and spent the whole day there for just a £2 contribution to the kitty. They got a 1hr lesson or hack each week and two stable management sessions with me, and worked towards their badges. The kitty was used to pay for additional activities during the school holidays.
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yes, i think the cost probably does change a lot depending on centre and area etc, and whether the centre is a riding school as well or not (as they probably don't want it taking away from their lesson cost) I know a lot of places will only let you do the pony club if you also have regular lessons seperately with them. Same as round here a lot of schools won;t let teens help but will let them do stable management lessons for a cost.

It is a shame, I don't like confrontation much although do feel slightly duped as to what they could offer (surely the DC should have said more suited to off lead rein?) so will probably just put it down to experience and see how the year pans out but probably not re-join next year.
 
Might be worth a call to see if they have a separate coordinator for new riders/youngsters on leadrein..often these things go on demand, you might just find other people in the same position and then rallies could be organised, all they normally have to do is cover the cost of the instructor/facility hire
 
eml said:
Might be worth a call to see if they have a separate coordinator for new riders/youngsters on leadrein..often these things go on demand, you might just find other people in the same position and then rallies could be organised, all they normally have to do is cover the cost of the instructor/facility hire
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That's a very good idea eml - I suppose they don't have a need for lead rein rallies if they don't have many lead reiners! (I don't know how many they have). Would much prefer to go to them with something positive rather then go to them to moan.
 
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