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"Frequently Asked Questions"
What is so special about Pony Club?There are several things that make pony club unique. They can be summarized as
follows: (1) riding in the open (2) horse management, (3) team competition and
(4) parent-free assistance at competitions. Pony club encourages kids to master
learning how to ride and how to take care of their pony. What's unique about the
riding part is that pony club kids learn to ride in the open from the earliest
age. We are not confined to the ring! How do the ratings work?Pony Club provides a structured curriculum of both mounted and unmounted skills and knowledge for our kids to follow. Ratings provide a progression for the mastery of these skills. At rallies, the ratings provide a framework by which our kids can compete against kids with similar abilities. The lowest rating is D-1, and the highest rating is A. The only rating level and test that can be skipped is D-1, the rest must be mastered in sequence. Ratings are achieved by performing specific tests against a prescribed standard of proficiency, both mounted and oral, before a recognized Pony Club examiner. Kids have the opportunity to go for their ratings twice a year at ratings clinics that are offered in fall and spring at the club level and national level. The standards of proficiency for all the ratings are outlined in the Pony Club manuals, as well as the national web site, http://www.ponyclub.org. The sequence of ratings is as follows: D-1, D-2, D-3, C-1, C-2, C-3, B, HA, A Back to TopWhat is a rally?A rally is a Pony Club competition where teams of Pony Clubbers compete against each other. For many Pony Clubbers, competing in a rally is one of the best things about Pony Club. Except for Quiz, rallies are mounted competitions usually made up of teams of 3-5. All of the team members ride in the competition except one, who acts as the stable manager, helping with all the essential ground work that must be done to support the mounted competitors. On the day of the rally, parents are not allowed to interact with their children at all. It is up to the team to pull together to take care of all the details and logistics. This is wonderfully liberating for parents and kids, and stimulates teamwork and leadership within the Pony Club teams. In addition to the riding performance of the team members, the rally teams are also judged on horse management. A great deal of preparation goes into getting ready for a rally, not the least of which is attending mounted practice sessions, often on weekdays after school. A non-qualifying rally is a one-time rally, with no progressive competition for winners. By contrast, winners at regional qualifying rallies have the opportunity to move on to advanced competitions at Pony Club Championships, which are held in Lexington, Virginia for the eastern half of the United States. Every three years is considered a festival year, in which national championships are held among pony clubbers from all over the country. National championships are hosted in Lexington, KY. Back to TopWhat is Horse Management?During the day of a Pony Club rally, each team is required to set up a complete and organized stable (usually using an empty horse trailer or a portable tent) containing all the necessary gear. Saddle racks, bridle racks, first aid, equipment, tack, etc. is all set up in the stable. Everything must be labeled and in proper cleanliness, repair, and condition. Points are taken off for things like dirty tack, and missing required items. Outside the context of rallies, horse management refers to the general care of horses. There is a lot to know, and the discipline of horse management is just as important, if not more important, as learning to ride. We must have healthy and happy ponies in order to ride! Just as it is with riding, mastering horse management is a lifelong goal - one can never know it all. Pony Club's emphasis on good horse management makes the Pony Club experience complete - it's not just about riding! We want our kids to know how to take care of their horses responsibly and safely Back to TopHow do I find a horse or pony?Unless you are a professional, you should enlist the help of a trusted horse professional. This should be someone either personally known to you, such as your instructor, or someone with an upstanding reputation and verifiable references. Your child's instructor will be the best judge of the suitability of a mount, and should work together with you and whomever you enlist to help you search for the horse. Even knowledgeable and experienced people work with a professional to find the right horse. It is worth every penny to pay a professional to help you. Having said that, purchasing a horse takes a lot of legwork, parental involvement and money. Professional advice should be balanced with the family doing their homework. The most significant cost of a horse is not the purchase price - it's the ongoing costs of stabling, feed, veterinary care, trailering, instructors fees, training fees, competition fees, tack, etc. Great care should be taken not to over mount your child. Your child should have the ability to satisfactorily ride the horse at their current ability. It's a bad idea to buy a horse for your child to grow in to. Similarly, a green horse with a green rider is a bad combination. Green horses are appropriate for only the most skilled and experienced riders, typically not pony clubbers. For children in general, there should be an inverse relationship between the skill and experience of the rider and the horse. An experienced and well-schooled horse is the best choice for D-level kids. An aggressive child rider does not equate to a skilled rider. A green horse with an aggressive child rider makes for disappointment. Back to TopWhat kind of saddle should I buy?As your child advances, you probably will wish to buy a saddle that is appropriate for the discipline that your child chooses to concentrate on. The saddle must fit the child AND the pony, so it is not wise to buy a saddle for a surprise gift. Back to TopIf we participate is Mounted Meetings and Rallies, do we still need our own instructor?Pony Club will hire and schedule instructors and coaches for mounted meetings and rally practices. But most of our members work with instructors individually (or in groups) in addition to these Pony Club sessions. In addition to the obvious requirements for a good instructor, it's important that your instructor understand and enthusiastically support your membership of Pony Club. Instructors specialize in specific riding disciplines, and it's important to use one that is consistent with your child's interests or goals. Back to TopHow is Pony Club organized?Brandywine Hounds Pony Club is led by a District Commissioner (DC), two Joint District Commissioners, a Treasurer, a Secretary, an executive board, and a board. We are part of the Eastern Pennsylvania region of the United States Pony Club. Pony Club is an international organization with over 10,000 members in the United States. The international organization has its own executive board and we are required to follow the by-laws and rules mandated by this parent organization. Back to TopHow does all of this happen?With a BUNCH of volunteer parents and supporters who give their time, talent and money. Pony Club and competitive riding in general demands a lifestyle commitment, requiring a huge amount of overall family time and energy. It's not a drop-off organization Back to TopAre there any other organizations that I should join in addition to Pony Club?For the more advanced rider, competition in recognized United States Eventing Association (USEA) events is required in order to qualify for Eventing championships. Membership information is available at the USEA web site (http://www.eventingusa.org) Locally, the Delaware Valley Combined Training Association http://www.dvcta.org and the Oley Valley Combined Training Association http://www.ovcta.org offer clinics, speakers and competitions which may be of interest. Back to TopWhat does "The Pony Club Way" mean?Pony Club is steeped in tradition and has a long history. As such, over the years, a lot of very wise horse people have decided the best way to provide horse management -- everything from tying the knot on your pony's lead shank to the proper sequence to follow when grooming a horse. These "Pony Club ways" typically have to do with horse management subjects, and rarely are controversial. Pony Club always places huge emphasis on safety. Sometimes there are "other" ways to do something, and we add those techniques to our body of knowledge, recognizing that there is a RIGHT way, a WRONG way and a PONY CLUB way. These Pony Club ways are especially important when attending a rally, a rating clinic or answering Quiz questions. Back to TopWhat are mounted meetings?Mounted meetings are scheduled sessions where Pony Clubbers receive group riding instruction. Since we like to make sure that each members' skill level progresses , there may be several mounted meetings scheduled for different groups at different times. During the winter months we usually hold 2 mounted meetings a month at local indoor arenas. Starting in April of each year we move our meetings to our club home, Doe Run Valley Farm (owned my Cathy Hooper & Stuart Malone). Back to TopWhat are Unmounted Meetings?Unmounted meetings are educational meetings where Pony Clubbers receive group instruction on various horse management subjects. The goal is to help kids get the instructional support required to master the standards of proficiency outlined in the various ratings. We typically use these meetings to prep for Quiz rally throughout the winter and ratings the rest of the year. Back to TopWhat are the different disciplines of Pony Club?Official Pony Club programs (instruction and/or competition at rallies) are offered in the following: DRESSAGE - a discipline where the horse performs a series of movements and in a flat arena in a prescribed sequence known as a "test". We are blessed with living near one of the top dressage competitions in the country, Dressage at Devon, held at the Devon horse show grounds in the fall of each year. This is a great educational opportunity for kids and parents to see top-level dressage. EVENTING - Once known as combined training it is often referred to as the triathlon of equestrian sports because the horse and rider must complete three phases of competition: dressage, cross country and stadium jumping. The different levels of competition are Elementary, Beginner Novice, Novice, Training, Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced. The lower levels of eventing competitions are called Horse Trials. Higher levels of competition are conducted over two or three days, the ultimate being the three-day event. SHOW JUMPING - is jumping a course of fences inside a fenced ring or stadium where the rider's goal is to jump cleanly without knocking rails down, and often for speed. The Devon Horse Show, held each spring, and the Devon Gold Cup, held in the fall, are both venues for top level show jumping. Check the Devon Horse Show schedule before you go, because show jumping is not the only competition held there. MOUNTED GAMES - Mounted games are a series of competitive games played on horseback. TETRATHALON - Tetrathalon combines a mounted competition with unmounted competition and is comprised of stadium jumping, running, swimming and target-shooting. QUIZ - Once referred to as Know-down which was a play on the words "hoe-down". It is an unmounted rally where teams compete against each other on their horse knowledge. It is sort of like Jeopardy for horses. It's a great way to get started with Pony Club, and you don't even have to have a Pony to participate. Beginning in 2002, the name of this rally was changed to 'Quiz', to be consistent with terms used by pony clubs internationally. VAULTING - Vaulting is like gymnastics on horseback. POLOCROSSE - Polocrosse is like lacrosse on horseback. Back to TopWhat style of riding does Pony Club teach?Pony Club teaches English riding using the balanced seat. This kind of riding is based on a modified dressage seat and includes riding on the flat (ring riding), jumping, and riding in the open (trail riding and cross-country jumping). This differs from the forward seat (used in Hunter equitation) and the saddle seat (used with gaited horses). While riding on the flat, the balanced seat rider's position is upright, with shoulder, hip and heel forming a straight vertical line. Emphasis on the balanced seat combined with the activities and competitions develops skills in a broad range of riding disciplines - dressage, jumping and combined training (eventing). Not coincidentally, these three equestrian sports compete at the Olympic level. Back to TopDo we really need our own pony?Ownership of a horse or pony is not required for membership, but membership without one can be very difficult and frustrating for the child. Approximately 95% of our members have access to their own mounts. A few of our members have been fortunate enough to borrow mounts, but it would not be wise to count on such an arrangement. Back to TopDo we really need our own trailer?We strongly encourage it. It is sometimes possible to arrange to share a trailer with another family for a competition, but it is up to each individual family to secure its own transportation. Pony club does not provide this service. If you make arrangements with another family to trailer your pony, you should recognize the significant burden it places on the family with the trailer. They must set aside additional time (wake up earlier in the morning and get home later at night) in order to pick you up and drop you off. They also typically end up having to clean up the trailer themselves. Add to that the additional variable of possibly having loading problems with your pony. Not to mention the enormous responsibility and liability they are taking on by transporting your pony. Unfortunately, pony club family friendships have been strained over trailering, so proceed with caution! Back to Top |