What is Pony Club?
Pony Club is a non-profit, volunteer run, educational organization that teaches English style horsemanship skills through lesson clinics, competitions, and skill assessments. (Think of scouting on horseback.) Pony Club does not offer trail rides to the general public. Members need access to their own pony or horse that is over 5 years old. No stallions please.
Unlike 4-H, Pony Club does not include Western style riding, instead our primary riding disciplines are:
- Dressage (flat work in a sand arena)
- Show Jumping (poles that fall down in a fenced, sand ring)
- Cross Country Jumping (logs, ditches, water jumps thru an open field course)
- Foxhunting (dress up fancy while riding fast in open fields over natural jumps)
- Tetrathlon (Show Jump, Swim, Run, Shoot)
- Polocrosse (similar to lacrosse on horseback with 3 member teams)
- Games (fun competitions - carry egg on spoon while riding, etc)
Unlike, the USEA Young Rider program or a commerical riding academy, Pony Club members are responsible for the care, grooming, feeding, vet assistance, farrier assistance of their own pony or horse at all activities. No grooms or parents in the barn, the members learn to become competent in the total care of their own mount. Parents have many opportunities to volunteer in a position that best matches their own skills and comfort level. Pony Club is not a "drop & drive" activity as we rely on parent volunteers to reduce the activity fees and improve the quality of the program.
The Middle Tennessee Pony Club was founded in 1953 and currently has 60 members in 2010 from Nashville and the adjacent counties. MTPC is part of the 28-club MidSouth region which has 700 members from Huntsville to Cincinnati. The National Pony Club has 10,600 members primary on the East and West Coast.
