What is Pony Club?
Pony club is the leading junior equestrian organization in the world and can be found in 27 countries. Pony club provides a structured curriculum of both mounted and unmounted skills and knowledge. "The purpose of Pony Club is to encourage young people to ride and to learn to enjoy all kinds of sports connected with horses and riding; to provide instruction in riding and horsemanship, and to instill into members the proper attention & care for their animals; to promote the highest ideals of sportsmanship, citizenship and loyalty, thereby cultivating strength of character and self discipline”. Lone Star offers both English and Western disciplines.
Do I have to own a pony?
No, you don't have to own a pony to join Pony Club. However, to take full advantage of Pony Club activities, it is recommended that you have access to one that you are able to bring to meetings and/or regional events.
What if I have a horse, not a pony?
It doesn’t matter, so long as the mount is suitable according to Pony Club policy. The word “pony” in United States Pony Clubs comes from the British Pony Club and was originally used to refer to the size of the rider, not to the size of the horse.
How old do I have to be?
There is no national minimum age for joining Pony Club. However, we recommend at least 7. Youth may remain in Pony Club through December 31st of the year in which they turn 25.
Is this for boys and girls?
Yes it is, however Lone Star Pony Club currently is mostly girls.
Do I have to know how to ride?
We recommend at least 1 year of riding before considering Pony Club. Each Pony Club designs its curriculum to best suit the needs of local riders. In our case, our members are all involved in a regular riding program (typically 2-6 days per week), and choose to join Pony Club for additional instruction, horse management skills, competitions and comraderie. Hence why our club meets only once a month.
When do you meet?
We meet once a month for a combined mounted/unmounted meeting, year-round. Traditionally our club meets on Sundays.
What happens at a meeting?
We have both a mounted and unmounted component to our meetings. Mounted consists of riding lessons given by local instructors in groups of 3-4 members. We have taken a clinic format approach to our lessons and focus usually revolves around upcoming rallies. Unmounted lessons are often taught by our upper-level members. They offer educational horse instruction on a wide range of horse management topics including riding safety, discipline rules and etiquette, nutrition, veterinary topics, farrier, tack, trailering, barn safety, and equine anatomy.
How much does it cost to join Pony Club?
When a child joins Pony Club, they are a member of the National Organization--USPC, a member of the Rio Grande Region (a geographic collection of clubs), and a member of Lone Star Pony Club. For 2015, members will pay: National Dues: $140 for a new membership/$120 for a renewing membership; Regional Dues: $15; Local Dues: $20. National Dues go toward curriculum and materials development, insurance and national events. Regional Dues defray costs of summer camp and other regional events, and Local Dues cover the cost of administering Lone Star.
Are there any additional costs?
Yes, typically there is an instructor fee for mounted lessons. We try to keep this in the $20-35 range. There are optional activities including rallies, certifications, teaching days and schooling opportunities all of which incur costs.
Do my parents have to "know” horses?
No, they don't need to "know" horses, but they must be be involved. Clubs are administered by the parents and other adult volunteers in the area. Therefore parents play an important role in the club. There are many areas in which parents are needed, not all of which require equine knowledge.
Whose in charge?
Lone Star Pony Club is governed by a group of volunteer officers, including a District Commissioner (DC) and Joint District Commissioner (JtDC), Secretary and Treasurer. In addition, parent "sponsors" of the club meet, along with officers, once a year to officially review activities and finances and prepare an annual report for National.
How does my child join Pony Club?
We recommend attending a meeting first. If you decide that Pony Club is right for your family, you will need to fill out a National application and submit it along with your payment to the DC or JtDC. In order to ensure safety during meetings, we will also need to approve the horse and rider combination before you attend a mounted meeting. The minimum age required for a mount to participate in Pony Club activities is 5 years old.
What kind of items do I have to buy?
USPC is committed to safety. It is a membership requirement that Pony Club members wear a riding helmet meeting the ASTM/SEI standard when attending mounted meetings. A medical armband is also required. Parents should be prepared to purchase the minimum basic riding equipment, such as jodhpurs, paddock boots, etc.
What riding disciplines does Pony Club offer?
Dressage, eventing, show jumping, hunt seat equitation, western riding, mounted games, tetrathlon, foxhunting, polo and polocrosse. Pony Club also offers "Quiz" -- a horse management knowledge competition format where no horse is required. Within Lone Star we focus on the core English riding events (dressage, eventing and show jumping) and western riding. However, at least one meeting per year is dedicated to exploring other Pony Club disciplines.
Can I keep riding with my trainer?
Most members take riding lessons in addition to Pony Club. The Pony Club program was designed to be a supplement to any other formal individual training a member is receiving.
What are "certifications"?
Certifications provide a progression for the mastery of the structured curriculum of both mounted and unmounted skills and knowledge. Certifications are awarded after testing that is offered at least twice a year. The testing can be "traditional" which includes both riding and horse management or horse management alone, or riding alone.
The D certifications are an introduction to the fun and challenge of riding, establishing a foundation of safety habits and knowledge of the daily care of pony and tack. The D-1 through D-3 Pony Clubber learns to ride independently and with control, maintaining a reasonably secure position at the walk, trot and canter and over low fences.
The C-1 and C-2 is a Pony Clubber learning to become an active horseman, to care independently for his or her pony and tack, and to understand the reasons for what he or she is doing. The C shows development toward a secure, independent seat and increasing control, and confidence in all phases of riding.
The C-3, HB, HA, B and A are national certifications and require great depth of knowledge. Successful candidates are competent, all around horsemen who are active, contributing members of USPC. Members at the higher levels should be able to competently run a small barn.
What are "standards of proficiency" and "checklists"?
Standards of Proficiency detail the exact skills that a member of Pony Club is required to demonstrate in order to achieve a certain certification. To be certified, a member must show ALL skills on the list. "Checklists" track the mastery of the skills for each Pony Club certification level. Members need to have instructors initial and date when the member has mastered each required skill. Checklists must be completed before a member may participate in a testing to achieve the next certificate level.
What is a Rally?
A rally is a Pony Club competition (show) where Pony Clubbers in a region compete against each other. Rallies are mounted competitions (all but Quiz Rally) usually made up of teams of 4-5. Typically one member of the team does not ride in the competition, but rather is the "Stable Manager", helping with all the essential ground work that must be done to support the mounted competitors. During rallies, parents are not allowed to interact with their children, enter the barn, or help care for the horses – fostering teamwork and leadership. Teams are also judged on horse management skills.
What is Horse Management?
During rallies, each team is required to set up a complete and organized stable containing required equipment. Saddle racks, bridle racks, first aid, equipment, tack, etc. is all set up in the stable. Everything must be labeled, clean, and in good condition. Outside the context of rallies, horse management refers to the general care of horses. Pony Club’s emphasis on exceptional horse management enables members to care for their horses responsibly and safely.
What is Dressage?
Dressage is a discipline where the horse performs a series of movements in a flat arena in a prescribed sequence known as a “test.” Dressage has been explained as ballet on horseback.
What is Eventing?
Eventing (combined training) is a triathlon for the same horse and rider. The three phases of competition are dressage, cross country jumping and stadium jumping. The different levels of competition are Starter, Beginner Novice, Novice, Training, Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced. The lower levels of combined training competitions are called Horse Trials. Higher levels of competition are conducted over two or three days, with the ultimate being the three-day event.
What is Show Jumping?
Show jumping is a timed jumping event. The course is numbered in a sequence of fences (jumps) inside a ring with the goal: to jump cleanly without knocking rails down under the alloted time.
What are Mounted Games?
Mounted games are competitive games played on horseback in teams of either two or four.
What is Tetrathalon?
Similar to Pentathlon in the Olympics, Tetrathalon combines four events, only one of which is a mounted event: stadium jumping, running, swimming and target-shooting. These elements are considered the cornerstone of the traditional cavalry officer.
What is Polocrosse?
Polocrosse is a mixture of polo and lacrosse on horseback.
Pony club is the leading junior equestrian organization in the world and can be found in 27 countries. Pony club provides a structured curriculum of both mounted and unmounted skills and knowledge. "The purpose of Pony Club is to encourage young people to ride and to learn to enjoy all kinds of sports connected with horses and riding; to provide instruction in riding and horsemanship, and to instill into members the proper attention & care for their animals; to promote the highest ideals of sportsmanship, citizenship and loyalty, thereby cultivating strength of character and self discipline”. Lone Star offers both English and Western disciplines.
Do I have to own a pony?
No, you don't have to own a pony to join Pony Club. However, to take full advantage of Pony Club activities, it is recommended that you have access to one that you are able to bring to meetings and/or regional events.
What if I have a horse, not a pony?
It doesn’t matter, so long as the mount is suitable according to Pony Club policy. The word “pony” in United States Pony Clubs comes from the British Pony Club and was originally used to refer to the size of the rider, not to the size of the horse.
How old do I have to be?
There is no national minimum age for joining Pony Club. However, we recommend at least 7. Youth may remain in Pony Club through December 31st of the year in which they turn 25.
Is this for boys and girls?
Yes it is, however Lone Star Pony Club currently is mostly girls.
Do I have to know how to ride?
We recommend at least 1 year of riding before considering Pony Club. Each Pony Club designs its curriculum to best suit the needs of local riders. In our case, our members are all involved in a regular riding program (typically 2-6 days per week), and choose to join Pony Club for additional instruction, horse management skills, competitions and comraderie. Hence why our club meets only once a month.
When do you meet?
We meet once a month for a combined mounted/unmounted meeting, year-round. Traditionally our club meets on Sundays.
What happens at a meeting?
We have both a mounted and unmounted component to our meetings. Mounted consists of riding lessons given by local instructors in groups of 3-4 members. We have taken a clinic format approach to our lessons and focus usually revolves around upcoming rallies. Unmounted lessons are often taught by our upper-level members. They offer educational horse instruction on a wide range of horse management topics including riding safety, discipline rules and etiquette, nutrition, veterinary topics, farrier, tack, trailering, barn safety, and equine anatomy.
How much does it cost to join Pony Club?
When a child joins Pony Club, they are a member of the National Organization--USPC, a member of the Rio Grande Region (a geographic collection of clubs), and a member of Lone Star Pony Club. For 2015, members will pay: National Dues: $140 for a new membership/$120 for a renewing membership; Regional Dues: $15; Local Dues: $20. National Dues go toward curriculum and materials development, insurance and national events. Regional Dues defray costs of summer camp and other regional events, and Local Dues cover the cost of administering Lone Star.
Are there any additional costs?
Yes, typically there is an instructor fee for mounted lessons. We try to keep this in the $20-35 range. There are optional activities including rallies, certifications, teaching days and schooling opportunities all of which incur costs.
Do my parents have to "know” horses?
No, they don't need to "know" horses, but they must be be involved. Clubs are administered by the parents and other adult volunteers in the area. Therefore parents play an important role in the club. There are many areas in which parents are needed, not all of which require equine knowledge.
Whose in charge?
Lone Star Pony Club is governed by a group of volunteer officers, including a District Commissioner (DC) and Joint District Commissioner (JtDC), Secretary and Treasurer. In addition, parent "sponsors" of the club meet, along with officers, once a year to officially review activities and finances and prepare an annual report for National.
How does my child join Pony Club?
We recommend attending a meeting first. If you decide that Pony Club is right for your family, you will need to fill out a National application and submit it along with your payment to the DC or JtDC. In order to ensure safety during meetings, we will also need to approve the horse and rider combination before you attend a mounted meeting. The minimum age required for a mount to participate in Pony Club activities is 5 years old.
What kind of items do I have to buy?
USPC is committed to safety. It is a membership requirement that Pony Club members wear a riding helmet meeting the ASTM/SEI standard when attending mounted meetings. A medical armband is also required. Parents should be prepared to purchase the minimum basic riding equipment, such as jodhpurs, paddock boots, etc.
What riding disciplines does Pony Club offer?
Dressage, eventing, show jumping, hunt seat equitation, western riding, mounted games, tetrathlon, foxhunting, polo and polocrosse. Pony Club also offers "Quiz" -- a horse management knowledge competition format where no horse is required. Within Lone Star we focus on the core English riding events (dressage, eventing and show jumping) and western riding. However, at least one meeting per year is dedicated to exploring other Pony Club disciplines.
Can I keep riding with my trainer?
Most members take riding lessons in addition to Pony Club. The Pony Club program was designed to be a supplement to any other formal individual training a member is receiving.
What are "certifications"?
Certifications provide a progression for the mastery of the structured curriculum of both mounted and unmounted skills and knowledge. Certifications are awarded after testing that is offered at least twice a year. The testing can be "traditional" which includes both riding and horse management or horse management alone, or riding alone.
The D certifications are an introduction to the fun and challenge of riding, establishing a foundation of safety habits and knowledge of the daily care of pony and tack. The D-1 through D-3 Pony Clubber learns to ride independently and with control, maintaining a reasonably secure position at the walk, trot and canter and over low fences.
The C-1 and C-2 is a Pony Clubber learning to become an active horseman, to care independently for his or her pony and tack, and to understand the reasons for what he or she is doing. The C shows development toward a secure, independent seat and increasing control, and confidence in all phases of riding.
The C-3, HB, HA, B and A are national certifications and require great depth of knowledge. Successful candidates are competent, all around horsemen who are active, contributing members of USPC. Members at the higher levels should be able to competently run a small barn.
What are "standards of proficiency" and "checklists"?
Standards of Proficiency detail the exact skills that a member of Pony Club is required to demonstrate in order to achieve a certain certification. To be certified, a member must show ALL skills on the list. "Checklists" track the mastery of the skills for each Pony Club certification level. Members need to have instructors initial and date when the member has mastered each required skill. Checklists must be completed before a member may participate in a testing to achieve the next certificate level.
What is a Rally?
A rally is a Pony Club competition (show) where Pony Clubbers in a region compete against each other. Rallies are mounted competitions (all but Quiz Rally) usually made up of teams of 4-5. Typically one member of the team does not ride in the competition, but rather is the "Stable Manager", helping with all the essential ground work that must be done to support the mounted competitors. During rallies, parents are not allowed to interact with their children, enter the barn, or help care for the horses – fostering teamwork and leadership. Teams are also judged on horse management skills.
What is Horse Management?
During rallies, each team is required to set up a complete and organized stable containing required equipment. Saddle racks, bridle racks, first aid, equipment, tack, etc. is all set up in the stable. Everything must be labeled, clean, and in good condition. Outside the context of rallies, horse management refers to the general care of horses. Pony Club’s emphasis on exceptional horse management enables members to care for their horses responsibly and safely.
What is Dressage?
Dressage is a discipline where the horse performs a series of movements in a flat arena in a prescribed sequence known as a “test.” Dressage has been explained as ballet on horseback.
What is Eventing?
Eventing (combined training) is a triathlon for the same horse and rider. The three phases of competition are dressage, cross country jumping and stadium jumping. The different levels of competition are Starter, Beginner Novice, Novice, Training, Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced. The lower levels of combined training competitions are called Horse Trials. Higher levels of competition are conducted over two or three days, with the ultimate being the three-day event.
What is Show Jumping?
Show jumping is a timed jumping event. The course is numbered in a sequence of fences (jumps) inside a ring with the goal: to jump cleanly without knocking rails down under the alloted time.
What are Mounted Games?
Mounted games are competitive games played on horseback in teams of either two or four.
What is Tetrathalon?
Similar to Pentathlon in the Olympics, Tetrathalon combines four events, only one of which is a mounted event: stadium jumping, running, swimming and target-shooting. These elements are considered the cornerstone of the traditional cavalry officer.
What is Polocrosse?
Polocrosse is a mixture of polo and lacrosse on horseback.