Some
Thoughts on Pony Club
The
"three Rs of Pony Club" were established twenty-five years ago and
have been followed since: Reading, Riding, and Responsibility.
Reading
is essential to obtain the knowledge required to properly care for and teach our
horses and ponies. Much of the pain inflicted upon our four-footed friends is
inflicted through ignorance; it is our duty to attempt to remedy this situation
through our education program. I believe that we are succeeding.
Riding
safely and skillfully means that our members will have a Foundation of
confidence and ability so as to be able to pursue a healthful sport throughout
their lives. Pony Club offers a range of activities so that nearly every member,
regardless of his or her mount's skills, will be able to participate and make a
start at this foundation.
Responsibility
is a natural result of having the complete care of a living creature and
learning to care for it properly. Consequences of acts are faithfully reflected
by either a nicker of recognition or by the pinning back of ears. The
competitions offered develop sportsmanship and maturity. All of these
characteristics, once established, carry over into other areas of life.
James
K. Ligon, USPC President,
1978-80, 1987-1988
from USPC Annual Report 1979
Lest
we forget in the emotional excitement of competition or in the trauma of
"A" and "B" testing just what Pony Club is all about, let me
remind you that it is not to make Olympic riders, though we will take great
pride in any Pony Clubber who can reach that height; it is not to turn out
highly polished riders mounted on expensive horses, though we all admire the
picture when treated to it; it is not to turn every child into an "A"
rider or even a "B". it is to provide EVERY child with a backyard
horse or pony the opportunity to develop his or her skill in riding and horse
care to the point where he or she is a proficient "C". It is to
instill in them a love for horses and an ability to care for and enjoy horses
for the rest of their lives and through this contribute to their development as
well-rounded, self-disciplined, and responsible citizens. If we have done these
things, we will have done our job.
Rufus
Wesson, USPC President
1970-72
Our
ideal should be to produce a thoroughly happy, comfortable horseman, riding
across a natural country, with complete confidence and perfect balance on a pony
equally happy and confident and free from pain or bewilderment.
The
Pony Club Handbook, 1983
We
care about people. We want them to develop good sportsmanship, self-discipline,
a sense of responsibility, and a feeling of belonging. We want them to have an
opportunity to learn to cope with success and failure. Pony Club offers all of
this through equestrian involvement.
Marylou
Anderson, USPC President, 1983-85
I
think that USPC gives your whole family an opportunity to learn about horses and
learn not only the many lessons that you will always remember, but also
patience, understanding, and responsibility.
Lucia
Podlipny, Pony Clubber
Letter to USPC News, 1994
Introduction
Welcome
to The United States Pony Clubs! Pony Club, the leading junior equestrian
organization in the world, is in 31 countries. In the United States, more than
600 individual clubs are spread throughout the country, including Hawaii,
Alaska, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Membership totals some 13,000. The term
"pony" reflects the youthful membership rather than the mount size.
Many different horse and pony breeds are seen in Pony Club activities, and a
member does not have to own one in order to belong.
Each
individual Pony Club is run by a volunteer District Commissioner (DC) and other
elected officers. Membership is open to any individual up to the age of
twenty-one. Pony Club's objectives are the following:
Pony
Club is a volunteer organization. Local clubs are made up of and run by
volunteers. If it weren't for a dedicated network of volunteers, there would be
no Pony Club.
The
purpose of this booklet is to familiarize parents with membership requirements,
resources and personnel; with the various activities and opportunities for
instruction available to Pony Clubbers; and with ways in which parents can serve
their Pony Clubber's local club. Pony Club provides both the child and the
parent with the opportunity to learn together.
Warning:
Many Pony Clubber parents say that Pony Club can be habit-forming -- for
parents. An outstanding writer observed in a national- magazine article he wrote
about Pony Club in 1993 that "there is no other instructional system like
the Pony Club way." Parents like it, often passionately, and often becoming
lifelong active volunteers.
General
Information and History
The
Pony Club "idea" originated in Great Britain in 1928. The first
official meeting was held in January, 1930, with a recorded membership of 700.
The first overseas branch was started in Gibralter the same year. Today, Pony
Clubs are alive, well, and flourishing in 31 countries, with an estimated
membership of more than 130,000. it is the leading junior equestrian
organization in the world.
The
United States Pony Clubs was founded as a nonprofit national youth horsemanship
organization in February, 1954, with 18 formerly unaffiliated clubs and an
estimated 800 members. The founders were enthusiastic foxhunters who recognized
the need for an organization to provide sound instruction for interested
youngsters, especially those who could not afford expensive lessons. The U.S.
Pony Club was patterned after that in Great Britain but was and is independent
from Pony Club there.
By
the end of 1954 there were 22 clubs. The first annual directory, published in
1956, listed 38 clubs with 1,953 members. Membership was 5,000 in 1962. By 1966
membership was 6,800 in 150 clubs. The number of Pony Clubs exceeded 330 in
1977; it was more than 400 in 1985. At the end of 1991 there were 495 clubs with
10,700 members. By contrast, the 1995 Annual Directory gave the final 1994
figures as 589 clubs throughout 49 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands with a
combined membership of 12,683. (In early 1995 the figures grew to 600 clubs and
some 13,000 members.) Such growth is testimony to the increasing popularity of
Pony Club and its unique system of teaching its members to ride and care for
their mounts well and to become good, responsible people -- and have fun at the
same time.
Each
local Pony Club is run by a volunteer District Commissioner and other elected
officers. Clubs involve entire families -- members and mothers and fathers and
more. Pony Club is a monument to volunteerism, with some 3,000 dedicated and
often passionate volunteers nationally.
Generally,
Pony Club members are ages about 7 or 8 to age 21. There is no absolute minimum
age, although a child must be old and mature enough to safely ride and
participate in activities and competitions, and some clubs do set minimum
membership ages. The maximum age is absolute: On December 31 following a Pony
Clubber's 21st birthday, he or she becomes a graduate. Often those graduates
become volunteers whose knowledge enables them to provide sound instruction for
the next generation of Pony Clubbers, who in turn will become happy riders on
happy horses and ponies.
Personnel
and Resources
The
USPC is a non-profit, IRS tax-exempt organization. Each club is autonomous,
working under the bylaws of the organization.
The
sponsors of each club propose for election by the USPC Board of Governors one
person to serve as District Commissioner (DC) or two or more persons to serve as
DC and joint-District Commissioner(s). This is generally done at the Annual
Sponsors' Meeting but may be done at any properly called Meeting of Sponsors.
Notice of any Sponsors' meeting must be mailed to all Sponsors of record at
least seven days prior to the meeting. Parents should also be notified of all
Sponsors' meetings. Other elected club officers are a Secretary and Treasurer.
One or more instructors are also essential to the club's educational program.
Club Sponsors act as a club's board of directors.
Parents
often volunteer their time to fill in gaps, such as helping to build and set up
jumps at a rally, operating a food concession, etc. In most cases, questions or
problems should be taken to the local-club DC.
Local
Pony Clubs fall under the jurisdiction of a region, which is run by a Regional
Supervisor (RS), often with the assistance of a Vice RS. They act as liaison
between local clubs and the national organization.
The
national organization sets the directives for Pony Club. It consists of an
Executive Committee, a Board of Governors, an Advisory Committee, and members of
the USPC Activities and Instruction committees, all of whom are volunteers.
The
National Office in Lexington, Ky., operated by a small paid staff, provides the
administrative support necessary to carry on Pony Club business. Staffers
generate mailings, process requests for publication purchases, handle membership
and insurance requests, maintain mailing lists, provide support for the national
testing program, which is explained in the section on Ratings, edit and produce
USPC publications, and much more. The office, 4071 Iron Works Pike, Lexington,
KY 40511-8462, phone (606) 254-7669, fax (606) 233-4652, should be contacted
when the local-club DC or the RS cannot answer a question or supply needs.
Available
through the Bookstore at the National Office are various resource materials
parents and Pony Clubbers will find useful and interesting. The Bookstore
catalog contains scores of titles, which include rulebooks for different
competitions and manuals on instruction, horse care, and safety.
A
listing of required and enrichment reading is included with the Bookstore
catalog. Unless a local club has its own library for members to use, parents
should contact the National Office for a Bookstore catalog and order form.
Publications recommended for parents who are new to Pony Club include the
following:
AN
INTRODUCTION TO PONY CLUB
Quick
overview of Pony Club: what it is, what it does.
STANDARDS
OF PROFICIENCY AND RECORD BOOK
Outlines
the expectations in riding, horse management, and teaching. Because the
Standards are the basis of the Pony Club system of instruction and testing, it
is important to understand their progression.
USPC
MANUAL OF HORSEMANSHIP, VOL. 1, BASICS FOR BEGINNERS
Provides
the basics of knowledge required for meeting the D standards.
Parents
should ask the local-club District Commissioner (club leader) which books would
be most suitable for their child or contact the National Office. Two useful
resources that DCs have are THE GUIDE FOR DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS and THE
USPC HANDBOOK. Other resources that the National Office provides to clubs
are insurance and membership forms, national testing applications, and public
relations materials.
Club
Membership
It
is the policy of USPC to admit as local club members all interested young
persons who comply with the requirements for membership regardless of race,
color, gender, religion, or national origin. In order to become a member of a
club or to maintain membership status, each individual must pay annual club,
regional and national dues, as well as the annual insurance premium. Each club
may set a minimum age for joining if it so desires, but no person may remain a
member of a club after December 31 of the year of his or her 21st birthday.
Mounts
Ownership
of a horse or pony is not a prerequisite for membership in many Pony Clubs.
Arrangements for obtaining a suitable mount must be made on an individual basis.
Stallions are unsuitable mounts for Pony Club activities. Horses and ponies must
be at least five years of age for USPC activities. The first year is considered
to be Jan. 1 following date of foaling.
Ratings
A
child joins Pony Club as an unrated member and progresses through the
lower-level ratings (D-1 through C-2) within the local club. The C-3 is a
regional rating, and the B, H-A, and A are national ratings, administered by the
National Testing Committee. Following is a brief overview of each level:
D
Rating
The
"D" Rating is an introduction to the fun and challenge of riding,
establishing a foundation of safety habits and knowledge of the daily care of a
pony and tack. The D-1 through D-3 Pony Clubber learns to ride independently,
with control, maintaining a secure position at the walk, trot, canter and over
low fences. All D ratings are awarded at the club level.
C
Rating
The
"C" Pony Clubber is learning to become an active horseman, to care
independently for pony and tack and to understand the reasons for what he or she
is doing. The C shows development towards a secure, independent seat, and
increasing control and confidence in all phases of riding. The C-1 and C-2
ratings are awarded at the club level. The C-3 is a regional rating and reflects
a basis of competence in riding and horse care that will make possible a
lifetime of pleasure with horses.
B
Rating
The
"B" rating is for the active horseman and Pony Club member who is
interested in acquiring further knowledge and proficiency in all phases of
riding and horse care. The "B" is able to ride experienced horses with
confidence and control on the flat, over fences and in the open and should be
able to ride and care for another person's experienced horse, maintaining proper
mental and physical condition without undoing any of the horse's education. The
"B" understands and is able to explain the reasons for what he or she
is doing and contributes to the education of younger members.
H-A
Rating
The
"H-A" covers horse management, teaching and training. The
"H-A" has the knowledge, experience, and maturity to evaluate and care
for a horse's needs efficiently and in a variety of circumstances, and to teach
riding and horse care to others.
A
Rating
The
"A" is able to ride horses of various schooling levels with judgment,
tact and effectiveness, to train young horses and retrain spoiled horses.
Please
refer to the Standards of Proficiency for specific participation requirements
and recommended study guides.
Activities
Besides
the regular instruction program provided by the local club, there are many other
activities a Pony Clubber can enjoy. These are part practice, part
instructional, and all fun! Each club is different, and some may have personnel
and facilities for just a few activities.
To
supplement local instruction, clubs and/or regions often sponsor special clinics
with well-known instructors. These clinics are offered at a nominal cost, or the
fees are covered by the club through a fund-raiser.
Throughout
the year, clubs have the opportunity to participate in local, regional, and
national rallies in combined training, dressage, show jumping, Know-Down, games,
and Tetrathalon. Demonstrations and scheduled activities in foxhunting, polo,
Polocrosse, vaulting, distance riding, and driving are available in many
regions. Know-Down is verbal quiz bowl that gives Pony Clubbers the opportunity
to show their knowledge of things equine. Championship rallies attract club
teams from all over the country.
The
week-long USPC Festival is held every three years at the Kentucky Horse Park in
Lexington. Championships are held the first three days, followed by four days of
clinics and workshops. Festival is open to all members of Pony Club families.
Activities are planned for everyone, with parents encouraged to participate.
Festival is great for a family vacation.
Camps
are another popular activity that the members enjoy. These invariably combine
instruction along with the fun activities.
The
USPC also promotes both competitive and noncompetitive exchanges with Pony Clubs
in the United States and other countries.
Attire:
For mounted instruction meetings, USPC safety practices must be followed. The
Pony Clubber is required to wear an ASTM/SEI certified riding
helmet with harness chin strap securely in place. While riding, a conventional
type of riding footwear with a heel, such as leather or rubber riding boots,
jodhpur boots, or the equivalent, is required "Waffle"
type soles are not allowed. When dismounted, acceptable footwear is a shoe that
is securely fastened, entirely closed, covers the ankle and is thick-soled and
in good condition. Canvas or cloth shoes of any kind are not allowed.
Specific
activity rulebooks have dress requirements for USPC competitions.
As
a Parent, Consider...
Becoming a local
club "sponsor". Sponsors are parents and other adults who have
expressed an interest in the welfare of the club. They are active in the club,
attend all sponsors' meetings, cast their votes for club officers, and aid the
DC in planning, organizing, and running club activities.
Giving
a helping hand where needed. For example:
Any
volunteer position should really be viewed as the middle of three levels - the
person in the job, the one who has retired from it feeling good about what was
accomplished, and one or more candidates in training. With this system in place,
the position is always covered if the volunteer occupying it cannot continue.
Either a candidate in training can be moved up or, if not quite ready, the
former volunteer - not having "burned out" - can return for an interim
period.
Volunteering
should be fun - certainly not burdensome.
George
Helwig
USPC Executive Director, 1974-1985
Some
Pony Club Terms Explained
Championship
-
competition for riders/teams qualifying at regional/inter-regional rally in any
discipline
Combined
Test
-
activity or competition comprising dressage and stadium jumping
Combined
Training
(CT)
- activity or competition comprising dressage, cross-country, and stadium
jumping
Cross-Country
Course
-
prescribed course over fixed obstacles and natural terrain
Dressage
-
means "training." Education of the horse through prescribed movements
and tests from level to level
Formal
Inspection
-
check of rider and mount for cleanliness and safety
Horse
Management
-
care of horse in accordance with USPC Standards
Horse
Manager (HM)
-
non-riding member of a team
Know-Down
-
Pony Club oral quiz-bowl competition to test horse knowledge
Mounted
Meeting
-
scheduled club riding activity
National
Examiner (NE)
-
examiner at B, H-A, and A level
Rally
-
mounted - or unmounted - activity competition among Pony Clubbers at the club,
interclub, region, inter-region, semi-national, or national levels
Rating
-
level of proficiency, level of achievement in riding and horse care OR
test conducted by a club (D-1 through C-2), region (C-3), or national examiner
(B through A)
Regional/Inter-Regional
Rally
-
team competition for members of local clubs in combined training, dressage,
games, show jumping, or tetrathlon
Standards
of Proficiency
-
Levels of achievement in riding and horse care
Tack
-
term includes saddle, bridle and other horse equipment
Tetrathlon
-
activity or competition comprising running, riding, swimming, and pistol
target-shooting
Unmounted
Meeting
-
scheduled club non-riding activity
