Adults In Pony Club

[beowulf]

Who else is an adult that has joined (or rejoined) Pony Club?

I am having an absolute blast. I aged out way back when, but always found myself volunteering at rallies or ratings or the local PC show. One thing lead to another and now I am a full fledged Pony Clubber again this spring - this time as an adult.

Things are a little different but it has been SO fun. I am relearning things I forgot, riding with a new group of fantastic instructors and riders, and having an absolute blast. If any of you are on the fence, I seriously suggest taking the plunge. Not only is it economically worth it when you think of how far your dollar goes per lesson, it’s a great way to sharpen your horsemanship knowledge and meet new people.

My long-term goals are to finish trying to get my B, maybe even get an A ( ) while my short term goals are to continue learning to be a better horseman and more effective rider. Who else has goals, what are we working towards?

[erinmeri]

Tell us more! I never did PC ad a kid, as I went straight from lessons into the A show pipeline. How do you “age out” as a kid but get to rejoin as an adult? I have always been interested in PC, so am eager to hear more about your recent experience!

[beowulf]

So back in the dark ages, Pony Club was only geared towards children. It was considered to be the foundation for young riders to become good horse(wo)men. There used to be an age limit - sometime in the early 2000s it was extended to 25, and sometime in the last decade or so the USPC decided that it should be offered to adults too, since there are many adults who come into horses later on in life that could benefit from the essential teachings of Pony Club, which is really fundamentally about safety and quality care.

The age limit was lifted, and adults could join a separate program called “Horsemasters”. The objective was still the same - learn, rate up, and promote safety - but most clubs didn’t have enough interest to subsidize a whole second segment of the club geared towards adults. So the separate Horsemaster’s program was done away for in most clubs (AFAIK) and now adult PCers ride with the kids and teens. They have to take an SS training and have a background check done to do so, but now rate, rally, and ride with their fellow club members regardless of age.

It is a lot of fun. If you are an A show rider you would be more than capable enough to join. As an adult I find the bang for your buck is invaluable. My club’s fees are incredibly afforadable - both it and the USPC membership fees came to about $275 a year. While that’s a lot up front, it’s less than a sports membership or a single show. My club meets for mounted lessons more than 20x in the year so… do the math - very worth it. My org subsidizes paying instructors by offering two shows a year — the profit made from the show goes directly into membership costs, instructor fees, etc.

Every club is different so you’d have to look at your own region, but generally most clubs are the same in what they teach because it comes right out of a specific manual. The knowledge portion of PC is incredible; for each rating level there is a book you need to read and memorize as you will be tested on this. It’s not just about being a good rider, you also need to know how to take care of a horse. If you’ve been riding your whole life, most of the D and C level knowledge will be basic to you like properly wrapping bandages or taking vitals. Some other portions may be new, like identifying poisonous plants and reasons you’d use specific equipment for specific tasks. Now I always did awfully in school when it came to tests, but always did well in PC. So if you are the type that doesn’t test well don’t panic - there’s lots of ways you can take the ratings/tests and all the national examiners are incredibly encouraging and kind.

Right now I am rereading the C level manual as I’m not quite at the B level; B is really where things get intense test wise.

Some people have a hard time with Pony Club if they’re coming from it as someone who has had horses their whole life. I just say, come at it with an open mind. There is a saying - “there is the normal way, and there is the Pony Club way”. Pony Club prioritizes safety above all else - some might find the measures onerous and micromanagey, but it’s all designed for the best interest and safety of horse and rider in mind, and you just have to remind yourself that if you get frustrated being told for the 100th time you’re tying a safety knot wrong or that your polos aren’t perfectly straight.

[beowulf]

Also there is a competitor aspect to Pony Club which is rallies. I absolutely loved them but they are not for everyone. There are mounted and unmounted versions. Typically the most popular are Dressage, SJ, and eventing rallies, but there are also Games, Tetrathalon, and Quiz (knowledge) rallies.

If you thrive with structure and are competitive, you will have a great time. I was usually the Horse Manager (non riding) since my pony always seemed to magically lose a shoe right before the rallies.

The gist is basically a team competition - you and select other members of your team go to a regional or national show to compete against other regional Pony Clubs.

Typically the teams are broken into level of rating - all D1s together, D2s together, C3s together, etc. Sometimes that is not possible, so they may all be BN riders together, or 2’6 jumpers, etc. it depends on region and area.

In rallies, you are scored based on your riding performance (defaults to however the discipline is scored, ie if it’s a dressage rally I t will be your dressage score) but you are also then scored on your team’s horse management and care. Things like whether your tack is clean, your horse is appropriately brushed down after a ride (no visible sweat marks etc), the aisle is neat and free of clutter, etc. Before you(g) get the whelmies reading this, none of the criteria is subjective and the PC manuals are very clear with what to expect — if you can follow instructions on a white board or piece of paper, you will thrive in this environment. It’s really all about being organized and safe - no pitchforks on the floor or loose horses, etc.

Historically my teams always did superbly at the horse management side but we tended to get letters next to our names in the riding portion. Maybe this will be my year.

[anon40672407]

@beowulf

There is a saying - “there is the normal way, and there is the Pony Club way”.

I learned it as “There is a right way, a wrong way, and the Pony Club way.” The reason for this saying is that all kinds of things are judged at rallies–turnout, written test, horsemanship–and a lot of this additional judging is done by volunteers, so, the “way” something is going to be judged is narrowed down to a single answer unless the clubbers can effectively express why a deviation should be accepted.

So, while there are several acceptable ways to, say, feed a horse, doing it in a way contrary to the PC practice (for example, feeding on the ground vs. In a hay net) requires an explanation and if you don’t have one, points off.

[Groom_amp_Taxi]

I did adult PC for a few years. PC as a kid would have been one of my ultimate horse dreams (inspired by the Cammie books), but no way it was happening way back when for a horseless youth of limited means. It might happen now for a kid like I was back then, and that is a good thing about some of the ways PC has changed.

My experience as an adult was mixed but probably largely colored by being part of a small club that struggled for most of its existence to have enough active members to be viable. Because we were a small club, it was not as much of a bargain financially - we used more of a “pay as you go” model. Why that club was formed (when it never should have been) is a subject for a whole 'nother post - if I had joined the other club local to me, I think my experience would have been quite different.

I enjoyed the group lessons and exposure to instructors I would not have otherwise ridden with. I went to camp a couple of years (it was hot, hot, hot). In order to keep the club going, I took on the role of DC. In my second year, we were actually going to have a club team (that included me!) for the regional dressage rally - and then the pandemic hit. Over the course of the pandemic, we lost a couple of members, and potential members kept choosing the other local club over us. Eventually we ended up transitioning our name, banner, and bank account to a new club in a different part of the region.

Even though I was looking forward to the dressage rally back in 2020, I did NOT find the rally format as a competitive outlet for an adult very appealing. For one thing, I would have paid about the same cost for the rally as for going to a local dressage schooling show - and then add all the overhead of inspections and HM… um, no thanks (though I can certainly see how as a youth being on a team in the barns without adults telling you what to do would be great).

I really like that PC sees itself as an educational organization with a primary mission of teaching horsemanship and correct fundamentals. I really like that progression through the ratings is standards based. However, as with many organizations that are volunteer based, the experience can be quite variable depending on where you are and the quality of the programs in your area. As with many organizations, there are usually a few dedicated volunteers who do the bulk of the heavy lifting - whether that is at club or region level.

I personally don’t like the addition of all the disciplines that aren’t traditional to Pony Club - I think in trying to include “all the things” you water down your core. There is a lot of competition in our area for the riders/equestrians who are part of the PC target demographic (PC, 4-H, IEA/IDA, high school equestrian) and although a few people try, you really can’t do them all.

[beowulf]

Thank you for taking on the lion’s share and becoming the DC and trying to keep the club going. That is one of the many challenges that local chapters of PC face and I hope everyone in your area seriously thanked you for taking on that burden.

[LCDR]

That is really neat that adults can be included., though very sad that in this requires a background check. I understand why, given the times.

I picked up a lot of horsemanship knowledge just being an active parent. One lesson I particularly recall was the girls frequently being gigged for “lounging on horses” at rallies, and how much sense the rule made though the girls thought it was unfair. Later I’d always dismount at breaks while fox hunting. Often I’d be the only one, everyone else was “lounging” and I’d have to respond to “are you and/or your horse OK?” with “just giving both of our backs a break.”

[anon40672407]

@beowulf

Thank you for taking on the lion’s share and becoming the DC and trying to keep the club going. That is one of the many challenges that local chapters of PC face and I hope everyone in your area seriously thanked you for taking on that burden.

Absolutely, and Kudos to you, Groom!

In our (child) club (this was before adult PC), we had another saying: “Congratulate, or volunteer.” Those were the only two options. We did not do complaints.

(People came to me all the time with really great ideas. I would say, “What a wonderful idea. I hope you have time to start that program and see it through,” because being DC is enough!)

[ShenanAnna]

@anon40672407

“What a wonderful idea. I hope you have time to start that program and see it through,”

What a great response!

[Mango20]

I’m glad you’re having a great time and your explanation was great (although a few things seem to be specific to your club or region). It sounds like you are making the most of your membership.

I’m on the fence about adults in Pony Club. I graduated at 21, and have been involved in our local club with my son for 14 years. I was a joint DC, then DC for many years, then joint DC again and now treasurer. I also organize and coach for a rally our club hosts. I’ve worked my ass off to make things good for the kids for no reward other than knowing I’ve made things better for the members.
Our club has eight adult members over 21. In most cases, they add nothing to our club. They’re in it for the deals on lessons but they don’t volunteer for anything, and don’t go to rallies, sponsor meetings or unmounted meetings. The only one that is an asset to our club is the parent with children in the club as well. Our club hosts two regional rallies. We always put out the call for volunteers, even making it sound semi-mandatory, and none of them help except the parent to other members. They also don’t care about ratings, and have to be strong-armed into going at least for their D1 because our region doesn’t want so many unrated members. On the other hand, I believe in the Pony Club system and think it’s great that people who missed out when they’re young get a second chance at it. Several of our adult members are in their 60s.

[beowulf]

Oh no. I am really sorry to hear that. I definitely think membership plays a crucial role and yes, they have to be willing to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work like you’re doing.

One of the things that was stressed to me when I joined was that it was volunteer run and that in order to join you have to agree to help with four key dates (two are clean up oriented, two are show related - both fund the club). This is my first year with this org but I was blown away by the attendance for the clean up. I unfortunately missed the show date, I had a family emergency (close family member was struck by a drunk driver and I flew down to drive them home) and luckily my org was very understanding.

I was surprised to learn that rallies and ratings are not keenly anticipated in my club, either. It does sound like some use this for the lessons only versus the learning/rating opportunity. I am going to do my best to incentivize my peers to attend rallies and ratings - we have several planned for this summer I am very excited for.

[trubandloki]

Adult pony clubber here. I never did anything of this nature as a kid. Riding did not start until my teens and I did once per week lessons at a hunter barn.

I think pony club does offer all kinds of education. I also find that the adults (generally speaking) fall into one of two categories - they want to learn and try to absorb stuff, enjoying the unmounted and mounted parts of pony club or they want to ride and do fun stuff and nothing else.

As was pointed out up thread, what you get out of pony club greatly depends on your club, the leaders and the area.
I would not call being a member to be anywhere near as financially beneficial as it is described above.
In the club I belong to we pay for our mounted meetings.

As someone who does volunteer a lot, I find those who just refuse to ever volunteer at anything very frustrating. There is always an excuse why they can’t be there for any of the community service work or rally prep labor days or stuff.
But, I suppose that is true for all organizations.

I think anyone who thinks they are even slightly interested in trying out pony club look into the clubs that are available in their area and check some of them out. If nothing else you might find some new riding friends.

@anon40672407

So, while there are several acceptable ways to, say, feed a horse, doing it in a way contrary to the PC practice (for example, feeding on the ground vs. In a hay net) requires an explanation and if you don’t have one, points off.

But… Pony club allows hay nets if they are hung at the right height.

[beowulf]

Out of curiosity, how does your club charge mounted meets? Is it the same flat rate each meeting, or do you pay a club fee that covers it?

What surprised me the most returning to PC as an adult is that the fee structure has not changed even though the club is different. Part of the membership fee goes towards maintaining the grounds and the other part goes towards instruction. In my region this seems relatively normal. Always interesting to see how other regions do it, I’m sure it’s different from place to place.

[trubandloki]

It sounds like your club owns some place it has its meetings.

The club I belong to does not.
We pay a flat fee per mounted meeting that we attend for the instruction and the facility use fee.

It is less than just paying for a lesson.

We also pay annual dues.

I don’t think this is a regional thing as much as a club specific thing.
Some clubs the region I am in have a meeting place that they basically own (have free use of forever, someone else pays the taxes). Some clubs in my area meet at a lesson barn, etc.

I have never asked the other clubs in my region how the structure their fees for various things.

[beowulf]

Gotcha. That does sound a little different. My PC is hosted at a public town ring. The PC I was in as a teen was hosted at a private farm. AFAIK in my region all PCs had instruction built into the membership fee, so that is a new thing I’ve learned thanks to COTH.

[Mango20]

Yes, it’s definitely different club to club, and depends on the income of the club. In my club, we only charge $15 annual club dues and everything else is pay as you go but subsidized by the club with the money we make hosting rallies. We don’t have enough income to pay for everything. Lessons are $25 each with the club subsidizing instructor pay beyond the income, the club pays $50 towards all rally entries (or members go at no charge to the ones we host), half of ratings fees, and there is a budgeted amount for championships entry fees, to be divided by the number of members going (last year was only two, so their entire entry fee was paid by the club). So the more you participate, the better deal it is.

Another nearby club hosts a couple of very popular USEA events and I believe the club pays for everything. Others have less income than we do, and the members pay all the costs. Others have much higher club dues to cover expenses. In many cases, instructors will work for a lower hourly fee for Pony Club than they do normally, so that helps a lot.

[trubandloki]

You are allowed to make a profit doing pony club rallies?

We are not, and if we do make too much money it gets handed over to < I am not sure which governing body, I thought it was national > .

[Mango20]

It’s probably your region. In our region, all of the rallies are arranged by clubs. We don’t make much on entry fees but of course price it so that we are sure there is enough to cover all the costs to run it, not knowing exactly how many entries we’ll get. We also sell t-shirts, raffle tickets, and food at rallies, which is where most of the income comes from. Since those are optional purchases, no one regulates them.

[trubandloki]

Oh, that makes more sense.

We are allowed to make money on food and selling extras. Just not on the rally. We for sure are allowed to cover all of our costs of the rally, just not make them a profitable things.

In our region all rallies are arranged by clubs.