Your Essential Guide To Pony Club

For any pony-mad child growing up in the United Kingdom, Pony Club is a fantastic way for young equestrians to learn and enjoy horsemanship with lots of events in your local area. In this essential guide, we share the benefits of joining your local branch.

What is the Pony Club?

The Pony Club has over 30,00 members in the UK and is the world's largest equestrian youth organisation. With over 300 volunteer-led branches across the UK and nearly 400 riding centres with associations, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. This also means that if you don't own a horse or pony, if you join one of their riding centres, you can still become a member!

A Brief History of Pony Club

The Club was founded in 1929 in the UK as part of the Institute of the Horse. Its mission was to promote young people's interest in riding and horse care. This unique concept soon spread globally, with countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand establishing their own organisations. Today, it is an international network with thousands of members and countless branches worldwide.

What are the core values of the Pony Club?

According to the Pony Club, their values are based on 'Togetherness, Empathy, Respect and Learning are at the core of our heritage'. This guide to horsemanship embraces sharing expert knowledge and community spirit and encourages a greater connection with horses within enjoyable activities.

What do you do at Pony Club?

You can enjoy lots of fun and educational activities with your pony and fellow riders to help develop your equestrian skills across a wide range of areas, including horse care and all aspects of riding. You can enjoy everything from improving your basic riding skills at beginner level to cross country riding at more advanced level.

You will have access to a range of experienced coaches in your training who will share their comprehensive horse care knowledge, making it the ideal avenue for first-time horse buyers. Alongside various equestrian activities, you can also test your skills by undertaking Pony Club tests. There are also competition opportunities for young riders.

What are Pony Club Tests?

As your riding and horse care knowledge develops, you can look to take Pony Club tests. There are ten, ranging from riding tests to equine welfare and lunging. Passing these tests demonstrates you understand the proper care for your pony and uphold respect for horses. It can also be a fantastic benchmark to show your improvement from basic riding skills to having the confidence and knowledge to compete in horse trials.

Community and Friendship: The Social Benefits of Joining Pony Club

Alongside club education opportunities, there's lots of fun with your pony. You will learn all aspects of horse care and have the chance to try different ridden activities such as cross-country events or dressage.

There are also plenty of Pony Club books you can use to polish up your knowledge, offering the perfect guide of expert information to support your learning, including their Manual of Horsemanship, the Pony Club's guide to all things horse related and covers everything you need to know about horses, riding, tack and care.

What to wear at a Pony Club Rally

For safety and comfort, you must wear the correct clothing at a Pony Club Rally, and the Club has rules about what you can and cannot wear.

Your riding helmet must be professionally fitted and safety-approved to meet the current Pony Club standard. You should wear plain riding jodhpurs or riding tights without branding. Our Junior Jodphur Range will keep you looking smart and comfortable. Your footwear should be sturdy, with a small heel to prevent your feet from slipping through the stirrup. Gloves are optional, but they will give you a better grip on the reins and protect your hands.

Other Items Of Clothing:

You can wear a Pony Club shirt or polo shirt, although some clubs will allow you to wear a plain polo shirt. Take a jacket or sweater and a waterproof riding jacket if the weather is cold or wet.

What to Wear at a Pony Club Competition

What you wear at a Pony Club Competition will depend on the discipline, so you should check the rule book. Many customers enjoy riding in our range of accessories, including Medical Armbands, Junior Ties, Junior Competition Jackets, and Junior Competition Shirts.