Do I join pony club?

[NJM]

I’ve been properly riding horses for around 8 months now, to the point that I now have my own pony on loan who is totally great. I’m 15 now so I started later than a lot of the pony club kids my age and will likely be pretty behind in my ability (can walk/trot/canter and do small jumps)

 

[Dasher66]

Yes it’s great.

 

[rextherobber]

Why not? You can do the tests, will meet a lot of new friends and have a lot of fun!

 

[babymare]

Go! Of course there may seem people of better ability ( please note I say seem.) but go. Laugh, make friends, watch and learn. Be proud of what you have achieved ??

 

[Winters100]

The thing with riding is that wherever you go you will find plenty of people more experienced than you are, and also plenty of people less experienced. Go and have fun!

 

[asmp]

My daughter joined PC when she in her teens and thoroughly enjoyed it. She made some good friends and her riding came on in huge leaps due to the training and her competitiveness when with her friends!

 

[Quigleyandme]

Yes. You will have access to very good instructors and have fun too. There will be kids born in the saddle but don’t let that put you off.

 

[brighteyes]

Definitely - if you can get to the rallies and events. You'll have brilliant fun and make tons of friends! And learn in a fun environment.

 

[Red-1]

Yes! If they can run camp this year, see if you can get on that too. Camp is ace. Wish I was young enough.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I came from a non-horsey background and knew that I wasn't as experienced - or confident - a rider as my contemporaries in Pony Club. I had my own pony, and he was a lovely sweet little man, but he wasn't ever going to go out and win win win!!

I have to confess that I DID feel a bit bowled-over by some of the Bigger Noises during my Pony Club years and did feel quite inadequate on occasions. I am being perfectly honest here!! My parents didn't have lots of money to throw at me and my riding and I had to make do and mend - and just have a grass-kept pony, whereas other kids were obviously from more privileged backgrounds and would rock up at rallies with posh ponies in nice shiny horseboxes with mummies who were there to support them! Whereas I turned up with my hacking-jacket which we'd got at a jumble sale and had to hack 8 miles if we wanted to go to a show! That was the way things were!

However, we DID manage to have some fun; we did Pony Club camp in the stiflingly hot summer of 1976 and boy that was a hot one!! and I did learn a lot which I wouldn't have learnt otherwise and made some friends who I'm still in touch with to this day!

Also encountered a certain "Mary Thompson" (now King!!) from a neighbouring Pony Club who we had to compete against at the little local shows in those days.................