| 1. How do the ratings work? |
| | Pony Club provides a structured curriculum of both mounted and unmounted skills and knowledge for our kids to follow. Ratings provide a progression for the mastery of these skills. At rallies, the ratings provide a framework by which our kids can compete against kids with similar abilities. The lowest rating is D-1, and the highest rating is A. The only rating level and test that can be skipped is D-1, the rest must be mastered in sequence. Ratings are achieved by performing specific tests against a prescribed standard of proficiency, both mounted and oral, before a recognized Pony Club examiner. Kids have the opportunity to go for their ratings twice a year at ratings clinics that are offered in fall and spring.
The standards of proficiency for all the ratings are outlined in the Pony Club manuals, as well as the national website. |
| 2. What is a rally? |
| | A rally is a Pony Club competition where teams of Pony Clubbers compete against each other. For many Pony Clubbers, competing in a rally is one of the best things about Pony Club. Except for Quiz, rallies are mounted competitions usually made up of teams of 3-5. All of the team members ride in the competition except one, who acts as the stable manager, helping with all the essential ground work that must be done to support the mounted competitors.
On the day of the rally, parents are not allowed to interact with their children at all. It is up to the team to pull together to take care of all the details and logistics. This is wonderfully liberating for parents and kids, and stimulates teamwork and leadership within the Pony Club teams. In addition to the riding performance of the team members, the rally teams are also judged on horse management.
A great deal of preparation goes into getting ready for a rally, not the least of which is attending mounted practice sessions, often on weekdays after school. A non-qualifying rally is a one-time rally, with no progressive competition for winners. By
contrast, winners at regional qualifying rallies have the opportunity to move on to advanced competitions at Pony Club Championships, which are held in Lexington, Virginia for the eastern half of the United States. Every three years is considered a festival year, in which national championships are held among Pony Clubbers from all over the country. National championships are hosted in Lexington, KY. |
| 3. What is horse management? |
| | During the day of a Pony Club rally, each team is required to set up a complete and organized stable (usually using an empty horse trailer) containing all the necessary gear. Saddle racks, bridle racks, first aid, equipment, tack, etc. is all set up in the stable. Everything must be labeled and in proper cleanliness, repair, and condition. Points are taken off for things like dirty tack, and missing required items.
Outside the context of rallies, horse management refers to the general care of horses. There is a lot to know, and the discipline of horse management is just as important, if not more important, as learning to ride. We must have healthy and happy ponies in order to ride! Just as it is with riding, mastering horse management is a lifelong goal—one can never know it all.
Pony Club’s emphasis on good horse management makes the Pony Club experience complete—it's not just about riding! We want our kids to know how to take care of their horses responsibly and safely. |
| 4. How do I find a horse or pony? |
| | Unless you are a professional you should enlist the help of a trusted horse professional. This should be someone either personally known to you, such as your instructor, or someone with an upstanding reputation and verifiable references. Your child's instructor will be the best judge of the suitability of a mount, and should work together with you and whomever you enlist to help you search for the horse. Even knowledgeable and experienced people work with a professional to find the right horse. It is worth every penny to pay a professional to help you. |
| 5. What kind of saddle should I buy? |
| | As your child advances, you probably will wish to buy a saddle that is appropriate for the discipline that your child chooses to concentrate on. the saddle must fit the child AND the pony, so it is not wise to buy a saddle for a surprise gift. |
6. If we participate in the mounted meetings and rallies, do I still need
my own instructor? |
| | Pony Club will hire and schedule instructors and coaches for mounted meetingsand rally practices. But most of our members work with instructors individually (or in groups) in addition to these Pony Club sessions.
In addition to the obvious requirements for a good instructor, it's important that your instructor understand and enthusiastically support your membership of Pony Club. Instructors specialize in specific riding disciplines, and it's important to use one that is consistent with your child's interests or goals. |
| 7. How is Pony Club organized? |
| | Fox and Hounds Pony Club is led by a District Commissioner (DC), two Joint District Commissioners, and an executive board, and a board. We are part of the Delmarva Region of the United States Pony Club is an international organization with over 12,000 members in the United States. The international organization has its own executive board and we are required to follow the by-laws and rules mandated by this parent organization. |
| 8. How does all of this happen? |
| | With a BUNCH of volunteer parents and supporters who give their time, talent and money. Pony Club and competitive riding in general demands a lifestyle commitment, requiring a huge amount of overall family time and energy. It's not a drop-off organization. |
9. Are there any other organizations I should join to complement my
Fox & Hounds membership? |
| | For the more advanced rider, competition in recognized United States Combined Training Association (now called The United States Eventing Association) events is required in order to qualify for some of the championships. Membership information is available at their website. Locally, the Delaware Valley Combined Training Association and the Oley Valley Combined Training Association offer clinics, speakers and competitions which may be of interest. The DVCTA offers free participation for pony club members in its schooling shows. |
| 10. What's the deal with "The Pony Club Way"? |
| | Pony Club is steeped in tradition and has a long history. As such, over the years, a lot of very wise horse people have decided the best way to provide horse management—everything from tying the knot on your pony's lead shank to the proper sequence to follow when grooming a horse. These "Pony Club Ways" typically have to do with horse management subjects, and rarely are controversial. Pony Club always places hugesafety. Sometimes there are "Other" ways to do something, and we add those techniques to our body of knowledge, recognizing that there is RIGHT way, a WRONG way and a PONY CLUB WAY. These Pony Club ways are especially important when attending a rally, a rating clinic or answering quiz questions. |
| 11. What are mounted meetings? |
| | Mounted meetings are scheduled sessions where Pony Clubbers receive group riding instruction. Because our club is growing large, there may be several mounted meetings scheduled for different groups at different times. |
| 12. What are educational meetings? |
| | Educational meetings are unmounted meetings where Pony Clubbers receive group instruction on various horse management subjects. The goad is to help kids get the instructional support required to master the standards of proficiency outlined in the various ratings. |
| 13. What is Know-down (QUIZ)? |
| | Quiz, formally known as Know-down is a play on the words "hoe-down". It is an unmounted rally where teams compete against each other on their horse knowledge. It is sort of like Jeopardy for horses. It's a great way to get started with Pony Club, and you don't even have to have a Pony to participate. |
| 14. What are the different Pony Club programs? |
| | Official Pony Club programs (instruction and/or competition at rallies) are offered in dressage, combined training, show jumping, mounted games, tetrathlon, Quiz, vaulting, foxhunting, and polocrosse. Fox and Hounds Club currently does not offer vaulting and polocrosse. |
| 15.
What style of riding does Pony Club teach? |
| | Pony Club teaches English riding using the balanced seat. This kind of riding is
based on a modified dressage seat and includes riding on the flat (ring riding)
jumping, and riding in the open (trail riding and cross-country jumping). This differs
from the forward seat (used in Hunter equitation) and the saddle seat (used with
gaited horses). While riding on the flat, the balanced seat rider's position is upright,
with shoulder, hip and heel forming a straight vertical line.
Emphasis on the balanced seat combined with the activities and competitions
develops skills in a broad range of riding disciplines—dressage, jumping and
combined training (eventing). Not coincidentally, these three equestrian sports
compete at the Olympic level. |
| 16. What is dressage? |
| | Dressage is a discipline where the horse performs a series of movements and in a
flat arena in a prescribed sequence known as a “test.” We are blessed with living
near one of the top dressage competitions in the country, Dressage at Devon, held
at the Devon horse show grounds in the fall of each year. This is a great educational
opportunity for kids and parents to see top-level dressage. |
| 17. What is combined training or eventing? |
| |
Combined training (also known as
eventing) is sometimes referred to as the tetrathalon of equestrian
sports because the horse and rider must complete three
phases of competition: dressage, cross country and stadium jumping.
The different levels of competition are Elementary, 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, the ultimate being the three-day event. We
are extremely fortunate to have an International level combined
training competition. This competition is a wonderful educational
opportunity for both parents and kids to see some of the top
event riders and horses in the world. |
| 18.
What is show jumping? |
| |
Show jumping is jumping a course
of fences inside a fenced ring or stadium where
the rider's goal is to jump cleanly without knocking rails down,
and often for speed.
The Devon Horse Show, held each spring, and the Devon Gold Cup,
held in the fall,
are both venues for top level show jumping. Check the Devon
Horse Show schedule
before you go, because show jumping is not the only competition
held there. |
| 19.
What are mounted games? |
| |
Mounted games are a series of competitive
games played on horseback. |
| 20.
What is tetrathalon? |
| |
Tetrathalon combines a mounted competition
with unmounted competition and is
comprised of stadium jumping, running, swimming and target-shooting. |
| 21.
What is vaulting? |
| |
Vaulting is like gymnastics on horseback,
and is not offered by Fox & Hounds Pony
Club. |
| 22.
What is polocrosse? |
| |
Polocrosse is like lacrosse on horseback,
and is not offered by Fox & Hounds Pony
Club. |
23.
So what's missing from Pony Club? What other English riding
disciplines exist? |
| |
There are several english riding
disciplines that are not offered by Pony Club. In our area,
the most significant discipline that is not represented in Pony
Club activities is
Hunter equitation and competition. The hunter style of riding
exists only in the United States, and is not competed at the
Olympics or in any other international
competition.
Some of our Pony members participate in Hunter shows, and it
is possible to do both. But at the more advanced levels of riding,
there usually comes a time when one must choose a specialty.
Not many of us have the skills and resources to do it all. The
Devon Horse Show, held each spring, is a venue for top level
Hunter competition. Check the schedule before you go, because
many other riding competitions are held at the show. |
| 24.
Do we really need our own pony? |
| |
Ownership of a horse or pony is not
required for membership, but membership without one can be very
difficult and frustrating for the child. Approximately 95% of
our members have access to their own mounts. A few of our members
have been fortunate enough to borrow mounts, but it would not
be wise to count on such an
arrangement. |
| 25.
Do we really need our own trailer? |
| |
In a word, yes! It is sometimes possible
to arrange to share a trailer with another
family for a competition, but it is up to each individual family
to secure its own
transportation. Pony club does not provide this service.
If you make arrangements with another family to trailer your
pony, you should recognize the significant burden it places
on the family with the trailer. They must set aside additional
time (wake up earlier in the morning and get home later at night)
in order to pick you up and drop you off. They also typically
end up having to clean up the trailer themselves. Add to that
the additional variable of possibly having loading problems
with your pony. Not to mention the enormous responsibility and
liability they are taking on by transporting your pony. Unfortunately,
pony club family friendships have been strained over trailering,
so proceed with caution! |
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