The Pony Club

misst said:
I was a PC mum and committee member for years. I ran shows, catering, helped with groundwork, OH sponsored stuff. Had a great time for many many years.

I made a complaint that to this day I believe was valid. Nothing petty or small. I had backing from several witnesses. The DC was friends with the person I complained about and area manager was good friends with both. My daughter was treated horribly by the assistant DC and her clique and we had to move clubs which was sad as long standing friendships and ties were disrupted. It was genuinely distressing and I still feel upset when I think of it.
Not only was it all brushed away no one actually was remotely interested.
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Are you me?! Same thing happened to me and we'd been a really helpful family prior to this incident. Put all of us off the organisation as a whole.
 
misst said:
I was a PC mum and committee member for years. I ran shows, catering, helped with groundwork, OH sponsored stuff. Had a great time for many many years.

I made a complaint that to this day I believe was valid. Nothing petty or small. I had backing from several witnesses. The DC was friends with the person I complained about and area manager was good friends with both. My daughter was treated horribly by the assistant DC and her clique and we had to move clubs which was sad as long standing friendships and ties were disrupted. It was genuinely distressing and I still feel upset when I think of it.
Not only was it all brushed away no one actually was remotely interested.
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This sounds very much like our experience. Was it long ago or under the current regime?
 
misst said:
I was a PC mum and committee member for years. I ran shows, catering, helped with groundwork, OH sponsored stuff. Had a great time for many many years.

I made a complaint that to this day I believe was valid. Nothing petty or small. I had backing from several witnesses. The DC was friends with the person I complained about and area manager was good friends with both. My daughter was treated horribly by the assistant DC and her clique and we had to move clubs which was sad as long standing friendships and ties were disrupted. It was genuinely distressing and I still feel upset when I think of it.
Not only was it all brushed away no one actually was remotely interested.
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billylula said:
When I complained, they just closed ranks. In fact, the head of performance or whatever he was sent an email to everyone saying 'just ignore this, hopefully she'll shut up and go away'

Stupidly he copied me in.
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Bloody hell, who was it? Can you msg?
 
Ponyclubtales said:
This sounds very much like our experience. Was it long ago or under the current regime?
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Over 20 years ago now but a friend at work has had a similar experience last year with the same PC - different DC and Area people but nothing seems to change. She is not a petty person and again, was a "valued" member with her son.
 
I'd rather not at least one of the people has since died and I feel it would be vindictive. I live in Surrey for a general idea of area.
 
Rowreach said:
Obviously I’ve no idea what has happened with the OP but I can say from personal (and extremely stressful and expensive) experience that the word “integrity” made me 🙄🙄🙄 big time.

If a person who uncovers and reports criminal activity at branch level is the one who ends up with a written reprimand (not even actually saying what it’s for) from PCHQ, while the actual crime is swept under the carpet, then I don’t think the system is particularly robust or transparent.

It turned out similar had happened in other branches, H&H even did an article about it, but after decades as a member, PC instructor, parent and committee member, that was the end of my association with the organisation.
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Criminal? Cripes, what on earth happened?? I think we've all come across, cliques, favoritism, unfairness, bullying, snobbishness, etc. but I can't say I ever came across anything criminal!
 
My daughter had awful problems with the pony club, not picked for teams as she had to let ‘other people’ ie the dc’s friends children have a go. The instructor actually told my daughter ( who was 12 at the time) he had been instructed to leave her out. Being put in the second teams wasn’t a problem as we were in it for the fun, my mother and grandmother and I were in the pony club, I love the ethos of the PC, but when the ‘n’ word was banded about by a dreadful public school boy and they did nothing it was time to go. Absolutely disgusting behaviour. Then the DC said she wanted to move camp week to when the state schools were still at school. I tried to complain but as above, ranks were pulled and my daughter was ostracised for it. Tried to leave but told unless we moved house we couldn’t without being dropped from team events, which my daughter loved. And no reply at all from HQ.
I am sure like all things some PC’s are better than others but pick carefully.
Pony club saved me as a girl, but it really let my daughter down badly.
 
I do think it depends on clubs etc, DCs also come and go and we’ve got a new one at ours who is a lot better and fairer than the previous one…also less tied to specific families that the previous one was! At the end of the day the ones at branch level are really all volunteers so it is hard to police it all. HQ is another thing I’ve not had any dealings with them really. I’ve not had any issues with my daughters club but I know some who have…it’s very difficult but in that situation the families have moved to other clubs in the area
 
Sanversera said:
Regarding the criminal activity, did you go to the police?
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Not sure what this situation was but nowadays all committee and most volunteers need to have a DBS check so if there was anything serious going on it should be reported definitely!!

Even the lady who makes our cakes for events has had to have a DBS check! They take safeguarding very seriously now x
 
Time for Tea said:
Then go over their heads to the Chief Executive and the Head Office, if you feel that strongly about it. Bearing in mind we don’t know what it’s all about. Is it a safety issue?
Also bear in mind your child. Are they happy in pony club, do you want them to carry on, do they want to continue with their membership? In spite of these issues, whatever they are. Because if you pursue the matter, they may get treated a little warily. That should not happen of course, but it may do.
The other thing to remember is that every single committee member, rally organiser, Dc or whoever, is a volunteer. People do their best, and those that give up their time very often do so against a background of juggling a full time job, family, care of ponies and other animals and often an elderly parent as well. Modern day pony club volunteering is not easy, involving grappling with mountains of red tape, rulebooks, and risk assessments. Not to mention stroppy parents. Why don’t you join the committee? Maybe you can influence things that way.
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Joining the Committe is a very good idea - if you cant beat them join them!!
 
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