Joining The Pony Club

Do you have a child that's mad about ponies? Do they have friends that are members of the Pony Club? Do you want to know about how to join the the Pony Club and what's involved?   Read on to find out more…

What is the Pony Club?

The Pony Club is a charitable organisation that was founded in England in 1929. It was formed to encourage children to start riding, while providing them with opportunities in the field that they wouldn't be able to reach on their own.  It's actually a voluntary organisation that encourages young people to ride and to care for horses and ponies. It currently has over 100, 000 members around the world.

What does the Pony Club get up to?

Throughout the year each Branch or Centre hold a variety of events including competitions, fund raising events, fun rides, stable management lessons etc.,

However the two main highlights of The Pony Club calendar are:

-          The annual Pony Club Camp. This is organised by each branch or centre. This allows members to actually stay away with their rides, often in a new setting doing a variety of activities, including cross country as well as the typical mounted games

-          Pony Club Rallies. A rally is one at which instruction is usually given. It may be either mounted or unmounted, the latter usually being for horse/pony care instruction.     Rallies may be for show jumping, cross country, flatwork/dressage or a combination. There are also stable management rallies and games rallies.

Who can join?

Anyone under the age of 25 can join as long as you wish to learn more about riding and horse care. You’ll also need a lot of enthusiasm and a great love for horses! You don’t even need to own your own pony to be part of The Pony Club. There are two types of membership, Branch membership and Centre membership: Branch members must have their own pony or be able to borrow one to participate in activities. However Centre membership is run by Riding Schools and the members use the ponies belonging to the Riding School.

How do I find my local Pony Club?

The Pony Club is divided into nineteen areas each of which is subdivided into branches. Each branch is administered by a District Commissioner (DC) and a voluntary committee. They are in charge of organising activities for the branch. To find your local branch, go to http://www.pcuk.org and click on the button ‘Find a Branch or Centre’.

Sadly I never had the chance to do Pony Club when I was younger but even after all these years, I still keep looking for the adult equivalent! So if you find anything remotely similar, do let me know!

Did you find this article interesting?

If so, why not read our article about the benefits of horse riding for children?