What did i miss out on by not going to "Pony Club"

You missed nothing in terms of learning that you can't pick up now through lessons and adult riding camp. Buy yourself the pony club manual - the manual of horsemanship - I still use mine as I find it great for reading about issues.

In terms of the social side the one thing that has stayed with me my whole childhood, university life and adult life to date is the gang from pony club. Even though we are all adults and married now we are all amazing friends, our families all know each other, and I'm so grateful for my pony club years for that.
 
I loved pony club. Camp was super fun nd some great friends. Junior and the fluffy one went to their first pony club games rally today. Undoubtedly the best fun a boy can have with his pony. When we arrived he needed a leg up and was a little reserved. 1 1/2 hrs later he was scrambling on board (knee in stirrup style, then just grabbing his ankle and shoving his foot in stirrup style). Cantering up the school, not bothering to put feet in stirrups just scrambling on board and kicking on. 18 kids and their ponies in an indoor with super, friendly, encouraging instructors and games equipment = super fun.
 
I have serious pony club envy, even at 30! I always wanted to go but my parents would never take me and because I had a half Arab who wouldn't really jump and ran around with her head in the air I didn't really push the issue! Stupid me, I bet we would have sorted things far sooner if I had have joined. I went to Young Farmers instead - now that was a social scene to remember...
 
I never went, although my mum tried to talk me into it. Unfortunately my 7 year old brain at. The time decided that PC would be ultra boring and terribly uncool, so I dug my heels in and refused point blank. I really regret it now!! :(
 
Maybe some of the best fun to be had on the back of a pony? Apart from the one-upmanship and all the other stories about precocious brats and their expensive ponies, ghastly mothers and RSM Dc's (which I'm sure exist but I have never come across) the friendship and team-spirit is brilliant.
 
I started pony club when I was 14 and am still in it 4 years later. Took a 6 year old novice and green pony to camp when I was 15 and had a fab time, great instruction and a really good horsey week :) then moved branches to the nearby branch as the branch I was in had a trend of people leaving when they were over 15 years old so joined the nearby branch and still have a fab time at rallies and area competitions. Met some lovely people and its really well priced, great venues and instruction for very little money. Even the DC and senior instructors had patience when my pony decided not to jump more than 3 fences at the area competition :/
 
I went my family is non horsey I learnt loads about horses and horse care learnt to develop backbone when faced by the bullies and that whole them and us thing I began to learn how to walk my own road , to shut up and put up then go round things quietly oh yes I learnt so many things at PC.
 
I paid 15 pounds a year and went to one rally per month (there was more but too far away). Lessons at the time were about ten pounds an hour for a group lesson at a riding school, so pony club was good value for money and we had some fantastic instructors. I did a few of the tests too. Pony club gave me my first chance to do a one day event which really inspired me.
 
OH and I both did Pony Club as kids (different branches and didn't know each other then). Despite both of us being from non-horsey backgrounds and me being on a cheap 'unsuitable' horse and OH riding borrowed horses/ponies, we both got an awful lot from the experience.

Daughter has been in our local branch since she was about 10 and absolutely loves it. Has made lots of horsey friends she would never have met otherwise, been to camp every year and absolutely loved it, lost her fear of jumping and gained a love of hunting, learnt how to do things the 'correct' way, had the chance to represent her branch at Area and National level etc., etc.

Personally, I think our lives would have been much poorer on so many levels if none of us had ever gone to Pony Club!
 
PC got me into eventing, my current 'career' .
They gave me lessons with the best trainers in the country, and enabled me to compete nationally. They helped find me a job as I got older, helping to organize WP placements etc, and even helped find a few young horses for me to sell on - essentially what I still do today!

It taught me how to deal with less than ideal ponies, my 1st pony knew how to walk-trot-buck when I got him - with their help he is now an ideal gentleman, teaching even the most nervous riders, still eventing in his 20s.

I now teach and do clinics with my local PC, trying to give a little back.
 
Wow! I'm seriously jealous now!

I went to air cadets when I was younger... Cus my dad went and is I didn't have a horse then!!

Even though lots of you say I could join, if I was 18 I would but 21 I don't know! Although it sounds the absolute perfect thing being from a non horse fam, luckily I've just picked it up as I've gone along.

I also have hairy muddy field kept horse so I'm sure ill be most unwelcome ;)

Little ones will definately be going when they come along though!
 
edgedem said:
Wow! I'm seriously jealous now!

I went to air cadets when I was younger... Cus my dad went and is I didn't have a horse then!!

Even though lots of you say I could join, if I was 18 I would but 21 I don't know! Although it sounds the absolute perfect thing being from a non horse fam, luckily I've just picked it up as I've gone along.

I also have hairy muddy field kept horse so I'm sure ill be most unwelcome ;)

Little ones will definately be going when they come along though!
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I'd go for it, I have a 14.2 native that when I joined wouldnt even entertain the idea of going near a filler, had never seen a xc jump and had never seen so many horses in one place. I still have him and we are aiming for teams this year and did dressage teams last year.

My parents are non horsey and to be honest I was more worried about mum feeling out of place at rallies as she is quite shy as well. She sat in the car for the first one and they asked where she was, I told them and they looked after her and explained loads of stuff to her.


Hey, where else would you dress up as an umpaloompa and cover the pony in chocolate wrappers and not be considered strange :p:D.
 
edgedem said:
Wow! I'm seriously jealous now!

I went to air cadets when I was younger... Cus my dad went and is I didn't have a horse then!!

Even though lots of you say I could join, if I was 18 I would but 21 I don't know! Although it sounds the absolute perfect thing being from a non horse fam, luckily I've just picked it up as I've gone along.

I also have hairy muddy field kept horse so I'm sure ill be most unwelcome ;)

Little ones will definately be going when they come along though!
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Our muddy, field kept ponies have always been most welcome. My lunatic was also welcomed with as open arms as my sister's amazing SJ pony (both field kept, and decidedly grubby/ hairy in the winter!). A highlight of my childhood was having to turn up to a rally with my horse (who, despite being dark bay insisted on going an alarming shade of ginger in the winter) half clipped, as halfway throguh he'd decided he didn't fancy it any more... No comment was made. I think everyone's been there ;)
 
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