PC or RC?

EventingMad

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I have asked my Mum about joining my local PC with my new boy Dylan and she has said yes but what about joining a RC? So now im not sure, plus im worried if i did joined the PC i would behind the people of my age, as i know some of them are doing the PC Championships and doing quite high level stuff!
Sorry if i'm going on!
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joining pc can be tough if you join late, eg not when your a toddler like i was! You can find that it is very "cliquey", and if your not in the clique then you wont have a look in on any team competitions. or maybe thats just my pony club!
you would proberbly have more fun in a RC to be honest!
 
Riding Club is FAR less cliquey - I hated every moment of PC - it was bitchy, cliquey and I was made to feel thoroughly unwelcome. However, I joined RC and was immediately welcome, everyone was lovely, mature and I made friends v quickly.
 
thanks!
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I used to be in the PC up until the age of about 10 and then when my first pony was PTS i left, as i didn't have a pony.I then rode for a local yard breaking in ponies and bringing them on i then had a couple of nutty ponies and horses! Paddy has got Ringbone so i think PC would be to much for him and so Dylan is the only horse really that i have really thought about joining again!
 
Depends what you want it for.Alot of riding clubs only do shows and very little teaching and some aff. ones don't have juniors.
Pony club do alot more teaching and camps and teams in alot more things.
Also pc tests are well regarded if you want to work with horses and rallies can be great no matter what your ability or age.
 
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joining pc can be tough if you join late, eg not when your a toddler like i was! You can find that it is very "cliquey", and if your not in the clique then you wont have a look in on any team competitions. or maybe thats just my pony club!
you would proberbly have more fun in a RC to be honest!

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i agree wholeheartedly...i am 15 and in both but riding club is great...way nicer than P.C.
 
Found pony club a horrible horrible experience but riding club would not let my son join as he was not sixteen. So he joined BSJA and i have never met a nicer bunch of people. Always up for a laugh and willing to help each other out.
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have to say never bothered with riding club as ive always been in pc since i can remember!!

We had some new people come to camp for the 1st time this year one was 17 and didnt no anyone - i offered her a space in the lorry as i thought it would be nice for her to get to no someone!!

If theres someone like that in the PC ou want to joing you will be fine! and dont worry about what level you are at i was in a group with a hunting mad boy who hated dressage, a girl on a novice eventer but she has never evented a girl on a horse that didnt jump and me on goggles!! we all had a whale of a time and just did which bits we wanted!!

Where about are you based??
 
It really depends on the branch/area but they can be cliquey and often quite competitive. My branch is relatively small and everyone seems to get on well though there are the couple of obnoxious (sp?) children and the odd annoying parent
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And we seem to have built up a reputation within the area as we are quite a *ahem* diverse group of people
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Im pretty certain im going to leave PC now as I feel way too old for my branch anyway and I dont get much out of it at all, also have had very bad luck with them though we always win the tack and turnout!
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When I was younger I did really enjoy it and got alot out of it. It all depends on what you want from it.
 
Some riding clubs are good some are really crap I think you need to look at what you want to do/gain out of PC or RC and go from there.

PC will have more training and tests and if you want to go in to horses in later life is a very good base and grounding and there are lots of competitions, you get good insurance that will save on your own insurance (can get the section the PC insures for taken off yours) where don't think RC do the same, most branches do great Camps which are really cool and I would not worry about going on a young horse cus lots of older members often have young horses

RC are mostly competitions and shows, some teams but not much training, is you go for a Aff RC then there better that the unaff clubs.

Which RC/PC club are you looking at?
 
We have had a similar dilema with my daughter who is 12. She is a member of a RC but we have thought about Pc but have been put off, we have found the Rc to be so friendly and ours holds quite alot of clinics with great instructors and the Rc gives everybody who wants to compete ago in all disiciplines, shes always on some jumping team or another and we have been told first hand that in PC alot of the time its who you know and not down to your ability, so we finally decided to leave out PC and do RC until she affiliates which will be this winter hopefully.
 
To be honest in our branch we welcome everyone into teams and just keep entering more teams where needed but we are not a rich upper class branch where everyone is called fox-smith or smith-jones so I think you need to look at your local branches and maybe go to a rally and meet some people before you join you can go for up to 3 working rally before you become a member as a guest.
 
Our p.c has loads to do and there's quite a few older newer members ,but alot of it is team related and there's a lot of pushy parents .I'm not sure what the others in the area are like though. The only problem with r.c. (well the ones near me) is that they don't have many group lessons but more clinics which are about £20 for a hour whereas p.c is about £10
 
My pony club is good as we have good instructors but it is very cliquey it is like Boarding school kids V normal school kids!!

It can be very bitchy but it can be a very good experience!
 
Interesting post! Had the same dilemma with my daughter - both of us asked various people (and tried to choose a diverse range!) what she should join; either PC or RC and the unaminous verdict was RC as horse was more suited to RC. PC apparently would have preferred not to have a 'hairy cob' in their midst - he's a genuine all rounder BTW. Also cliqueyness was mentioned. Cut a long story short
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she joine local RC as nearer. However, RC as mentioned by other bods does not seem to offer the same level of training - therefore options may still be open. Think it depends on your local PC or RC.
 
Our pC is very mixed, hairy cobs are in teams if they can do the job and my daughters NewfiexSec D was in the Open team for SJ eventing and tetrathlon. Like many things you get out what you put in. If you try to get along, offer to help and mix with the others you will be welcomed. However our neighbouring branch had a reputation for being very snobby and you need a multi thousand horse to get onto teams. (We have beaten them many times this summer!)

RC here is a waste of time with no one jumping more than 2'62
 
It depends where you are, I@d join PC as aimed at your age and your not too old to join in, and IME they tend to have good instruction, teams for your age, against people your age?
 
I've been a member of both riding club and pony club. I was a member of pony lcub from about the age of 10 till 13 then joined again this year but to be honest i haven't done anything!!! I'm a member of this lovely little riding club which is great fun. They have lots of fun evenings, competitions etc and you definately get your membership moneys worth!! But it really does depend on what the clubs in your area are like, maybe try asking around there aswell?
 
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