Parents
The Pony Club is a voluntary youth organisation for young people within an equestrian environment.
The Pony Club’s purpose is:
- To encourage young people to learn to enjoy all kinds of sport connected with ponies and riding
- To give instruction in riding and horsemanship and to educate Members to look after and take proper care of their animals
- To promote the highest levels of sportsmanship, citizenship and loyalty to create strength of character and self-discipline
Please click here for a presentation from a sports psychologist (again reproduced from The Pony Club website)
Pony Club Rules
The Rules and Administrative Notes of The Pony Club are printed each year in The Pony Club Year Book. You can download a copy below. We recommend that everyone should read these rules.
For additional information about specific Pony Club rules which are commonly asked about please see below:
Hat Rule
For more information about the 2016 Hat Rule – click here
Body Protector Rule
For more information about the 2016 Body Protector Rule – click here
Eligibility Rules 2016
Dressage, Eventing & Show Jumping –
Transfer Rule
Download a flow chart detailing the various stages of the Transfer Rule:
Branch Complaints & Appeals Procedure
Download a flow chart detailing the various stages of the Branch Complaints & Appeals Procedure:
All Rule Books are available for download below. It is strongly recommended that you print out or buy a copy of the appropriate discipline Rule Book(s) so that you always have it to hand for your competitions. If you wish to purchase a ‘hard-copy’ of any Rule Book then you can do so from our online shop at a cost of £3.00
Role of Parents
The Pony Club is a volunteer organisation and depends on parents and guardians to help. Fairness should take precedence over competitiveness. Teaching by example will foster caring and respect for all.
Parents / Guardians should therefore:
- Be a positive role model for my child and other Members by respecting coaches, officials, volunteers and leaders; their authority and decisions; the rules and regulations under which The Pony Club operates
- Agree to discuss disputes / appeals at a suitable, agreed time with the correct officials, within the appropriate level of The Pony Club organisation, without resorting to hostility or violence.
- Always remember that Pony Club activities are intended to be educational, safe and fun to benefit the Members rather than parents.
- Respect the horses and ponies and show humane care for them at all times.
- Respect the property and equipment used in any activities, considering safety uppermost in all situations
- Be knowledgeable about the rules of the discipline or competition their child is taking part in and encourage their child to know, be familiar with, and follow these rules.
- Promote the physical and emotional well-being of their child, other Members and horses ahead of any personal desire to win or succeed in any activity.
- Teach their child that taking part, learning and showing sportsmanship in all competitions, testing situations, clinics, etc are more important than winning.
- Praise all Members equally for trying hard and competing fairly.
- Inform officials as soon as possible if they or their child is unable to fulfil commitments or attendance at events.
- Help their child and others to understand the satisfaction of co-operation, group work and team spirit in achieving personal goals and growth, and good results.
- Volunteer their services and skills, whether equine-related or not, whenever possible.
- When using social networking sites always conduct yourself in an appropriate way as you would face to face. Be aware of what you say and how you say it – the use of sarcasm and innuendo are not appropriate.
Parents / Guardians should not:
- Force their child or other Members to take part in activities with which they are not comfortable.
- Disrespect the decisions of coaches / officials concerning the skills and abilities of their child or other Members.
- Undermine the authority of coaches / officials by interfering with, or coaching any Members from the sidelines.
- Dispute the decisions of coaches / officials and volunteers during an event or in front of their child, other Members or parents.
- Engage in or condone unsportsmanlike behaviours such as booing, taunting, using profane language, refusing to congratulate winners, etc.
- Criticise officials, instructors, volunteers or members on social networking sites or by the use of text messaging
Parents and Pressure
A light-hearted look at Parents and Pressure including how pressure can affect competition performance and the development of a coping rider.
This presentation is availalble in both PDF and Powerpoint format.
Members Insurance
Our insurance policy is provided by Howden Insurance Brokers Limited.
All Members of The Pony Club are covered by our insurance policy. It is strongly recommended that you review the information below regarding our policy.
First Aid Kit
There is no recommended list from the HSE, but the following would be a suggested list of contents suitable for use at Pony Club events :
- A guidance leaflet on first aid
- 20 individually wrapped sterile plasters (assorted sizes)
- 4 wrapped triangular bandages
- 6 safety pins
- 6 medium sterile wound dressings
- 2 large sterile wound dressings
- 1 crepe bandage 7.5cm x 4.5m
- 1 crepe bandage 10cm x 4.5m
- 6 individual sealed non alcohol antiseptic wipes
- Disposable gloves
- Resuscitation shield
As extras, sterile eye wash pods are very useful for washing out the eye, and finger dressings and eye pads could be included, though ordinary dressings are fine.
Micropore tape and gauze swabs are also very useful.
There should be NO tablets, creams, sprays or medication of any kind in the first aid box.
You should have water available, and access to a phone in case the ambulance needs to be called.
Fundraising
Whether you are planning to buy some new jumps for your Branch, equipment for camp or simply subsidising the cost of rallies for Members, here are some great fund-raising ideas for your Branch. Make sure that you have the full backing of your District Commissioner before you set any wheels in motion – and make sure that they know exactly what activities you will be organising, where and when!
Just Giving
If you are planning a fund raising event then JustGiving.com is a simple and effective way of collecting donations. JustGiving.com will allow you to easily setup a page for your event which will allow you to collect dontations online without any of the hastle of setting up a website. Visit their website for more information.
Match Funding
Some companies will match any fundraising activities carried out by employees for good causes with their own money. The Pony Club has benefited in the past from match funding from companies such as Barclays Bank. If you have some fundraising ideas, why not check what your employer is willing to do for you?
Local Supermarket Packing
Many supermarkets are willing to nominate a “Charity of the week.” The Pony Club is a registered charity and you may find that your local supermarket will allow you to collect money near the exit to the store.
It is essential that you obtain written permission from the local Store Manager before you commence any activity and follow their instructions rigorously. You may be asked to provide a letter of authority from Pony Club Headquarters, or official collecting tins. If you require any assistance of this nature please contact the National Office.
Pony Treats
Buy a supply of pony treats such as polo mints or carrots for distribution at rallies and shows. By buying from a wholesaler, you should be able to obtain a substantial discount and sell the treats for a profit.
Check the sell-by date or storage recommendations of all your goods before buying – you do not want to be left with any that are not saleable at a later event. Keep a record of all expenses and sales for your Branch Treasurer, so that your fund raising activities are properly recorded in the Branch accounts.
Organise A Prize Quiz
Produce a list of questions, between 20 and 50 is a good number, although remember that someone will have to mark all of the answer sheets at a later date! It would be a good idea to get your senior instructor to check that you have the correct answers to each question.
Sell the sheets of questions to friends, family and Pony Club Members at shows, rallies or social events for a fixed price of £1 per sheet.
Prizes can be allocated to the person scoring the most correct answers. In the event of a tie, draw the winner from those that achieve the highest equal score. In order to save spending money on prizes, why not ask a selection of local companies to provide them free of charge. Ask politely and remember to thank all those people who answer, whether they provide a prize or not.
It is important to print some basic rules on your quiz sheet and these should include: the cost of entering, whether more than one entry can be accepted from an individual, limits on age groups for entry, that the judges decision is final, a contact name and number for the quiz “promoter,” how the winner will be decided, a list of prizes and details of the cause that you are raising funds for (Show Jumps for SDHW Branch of The Pony Club, etc).
Volunteers and Gifts
As one of the country’s largest youth charities, The Pony Club is dependent upon the generosity of our volunteers and benefactors for the smooth running of its activities.
In addition to the satisfaction of helping, numerous young people get the most out of their involvement with horses and ponies, many of The Pony Club’s helpers enjoy the social aspect of getting involved with the equestrian community. Several take maximum advantage of the opportunities available, to learn new skills such as fence building, website management and computer communications, risk assessment, first aid, basic principles of instruction and much much more.
If you have a spare day in the school holidays, a spare hour in your week or even a few minutes each day, there may be a way for you to support your Branch. Contact either your DC, Assistant DC or Secretary,
The Pony Club is funded predominately by Membership subscriptions, fundraising activities, such as shows and events, and commercial sponsorship. The cost of organising Pony Club activities increases every year, not least because of increases in the cost of insurance premiums. We would like to continue to play our valuable role within equestrianism without necessarily having to increase the cost of subscription annually. We would be delighted if you could help us to achieve this by donating whatever financial gifts you are able to set aside on our behalf. Contact The Pony Club Head Office for information about gift aid donations.
Your Childs Protection
The Pony Club actively seeks to:
- Shoulder its responsibilities in caring for children and young people and those who work with them
- Be committed to good practice in work with children and young people
- Recognise that safeguarding the young is the responsibility of everyone, not just those who work with children and young people
- Be prepared to review its ways of work to incorporate best practices
The above principles are set out in the Home Office Code of Practice “Safe From Harm” which is prepared to provide voluntary organisations with guidelines for safeguarding the welfare of the children and young people in their care. They apply to all adults and helpers within The Pony Club. Protecting children from physical, sexual and emotional harm is an integral part of the policy and practice of The Pony Club.
The Pony Club Code of Practice is distributed to the appropriate officials in every Branch. It sets out guidelines to safeguard the welfare of the young people with whom it works and aims to protect those who work with children from unfounded accusations or from behaving in ways that may be well intentioned but inadvisable.
The Code of Practice emphasises what The Pony Club has always done. It does not encourage the over-protection of children and adults. To do so would deny them the chance to learn and grow through reasonable and responsible risk taking.
If you suspect that a child is suffering from abuse of any kind whilst participating in Pony Club activities, you should bring your concerns to the notice of the appropriate official, your Branch DC perhaps, or your Area Representative. The role of these officials is not to establish whether abuse has taken place, but to put in place measures to try and prevent the potential for continued abuse of children and the wrongful accusation of adults / other children. Child abuse is a criminal offence and is therefore appropriately dealt with by the Police together with Social Services. The Pony Club recommends that all its volunteers and officials work closely with the appropriate authorities to prevent child abuse from occurring.
Membership details including name, address and date of birth are held for each Member. Where permission is required from a parent or guardian, their name and address details will also be recorded.
Each Branch will maintain a list of its own Members and may record additional relevant details such as the standard of efficiency test attained and the number of rallies attended. The Pony Club is currently in the process of compiling a central register of Members, which will be held electronically by computer. While designated personnel at Pony Club Headquarters will have access to all Membership records, Branch Officials will have access only to their own Branch Membership information.
Why does The Pony Club hold Membership data and what is it used for?
The Pony Club requires Membership data to assist with insurance, the effective running of Club activities and the regulation of The Pony Club Rules. We may contact Members from time to time in order to monitor Membership satisfaction and to seek improvements to the activities and services that are offered. Confirmation of Membership details may be required by our insurers in the event of potential claims arising from the actions of Pony Club Members, or from activities organised by The Pony Club.
The Pony Club may share Membership data with third parties in order to secure commercial sponsorship or grant funding. No third party will be permitted by The Pony Club to contact Members direct without prior permission being obtained from the Members concerned. No third party will be permitted to use Membership data for any purpose which may impact on the legal rights or welfare of the Members, without the express permission of the individuals concerned. The Pony Club may distribute appropriate promotional material on behalf of third parties, usually sponsors, to Members from time to time together other with Pony Club information.