 
THE PONY CLUB YEAR Amwell starts and ends its year with the annual dinner usually at the the end of December or beginning of January. All new members are encouraged to come and be welcomed to the club.  UNMOUNTED MEETINGS and RALLIES In January, new members will be placed in a den with other children at about their rating level or in a New Members Den. The den will meet eight times, usually at the den mother's house, to learn about safety, horsemanship and the care of horses. The first rally (competition) of the year is Quiz, and usually occurs in March. This is an unmounted team compitition of pony club knowledge. Practice for the Games Rally, begins in the winter and the rally is usually held in April. In April, regular mounted lessons begin. May brings the Dressage Rally. Show Jumping, and Combined Training, rallies are usually in June or July. A Tetrathalon Rallyand Polocross Rallyare also held. Mounted lessons continue into the fall. In November the Amwell Valley Hounds usually invites us to hunt with them one time. The program winds down at the end of the year and starts again with the Annual Dinner. RATINGS In addition to instruction and rallies, pony club offers a system of ratings, They are individual, oral and riding tests. Each level is increasingly hard, starting with D1, which requires a child to be able to walk and trot a pony. The levels progress through D2, D3,, C1, C2, C3,, B,, HA,,and A, The B, HA, and A ratings are at the national level and only a very few become As. Ratings are held once or twice a year depending on the level. Each rating takes more time and is a badge of greater proficiency. PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT Pony Club involves a lot of driving children to meetings and requires some volunteer, time from parents. Every family is required to help at our annual fund-raiser the second weekend of July. Parents do not need to know about horses. We need all kinds of help. As a parent, consider giving a helping hand where needed. For example: Painting and setting up stadium jumps, providing food and beverages at meetings or competitions,providing transportation for a field trip providing pony/horse transportation to a rally, helping with fund-raising projects, chaperoning a team, fence judging at a combined training competition, helping as grounds person at your local meeting place, building cross-country fences, getting involved with a rally as a coach, chaperone, organizing secretary or fence judge, Running unmounted meetings, or even mounted meetings; arranging for a speaker or instructor. Parents are urged to seek advice from the D.C.s when shopping for a suitable pony club pony for their child. Some families become very involved in pony club, others only do a few things. Some families try pony club and find it is not for them. and that's ok, too. DO WE NEED TO OWN A PONY? It helps to have a suitable pony, (it is better to have no pony than an unsafe pony), but we have had children go all the way through pony club without ever owning their own pony. Usually we are able to find a pony for a child to lease or borrow. ATTIRE FOR MOUNTED MEETINGS AND RALLIES USPC is very safety conscience. It is a member requirement that pony clubbers wear a riding helmet meeting the ASTM-SEI standard when attending mounted meetings. Hair should be kept neat and out of the way. Hairnets should be worn on long hair during dressage competitions. Shirts should not be loose fitting and shirt tails should always be tucked in. Sleeveless shirts are not acceptable. Polos or team sweaters are acceptable at mounted meetings and may be permissible at some rallies. Breeches and jodphurs are recommended with either garters or jodphur elastics . Belts must be worn if pants have beltloops. While riding, a conventional type of riding footwear with a heel, such as leather or rubber riding boots, jodphur boots, or the equivalent, are required. "Waffle" type soles are not allowed. When dismounted, acceptable footwear is a shoe that is securely fastened, entirely enclosed, covers the ankle and is thick-soled and in good condition. For safety reasons, sandals and totally canvas or cloth shoes of any kind are not allowed. If spurs are necessary, they should be fitted and worn properly. Spur straps should rest on the seam of the boot above the heel with the longer side to the outside and facing toward the back. Rowel spurs are NEVER to be used. Pony club pins should be worn at all pony club events. A plain gold pin should be worn on the stock or choker. Jackets should be a dark color, either plain or with a small stripe. Dangle Jewelry of any kind is not appropriate at pony club events. Makeup should be kept at a minimum and very light. The natural look is best. The rider should always give the appearance of being neat and clean, mounted or otherwise. Polished boots add the finishing touch. Dark gloves are optional but encouraged for both comfort and completing the total picture. DUES FOR 2007 Dues for new members pay a one time initiantion fee of $125.00. The majority of the money goes to the United States Pony Club (USPC) for insurance and programs, some goes to the New Jersey Region for dues. WHAT MORE DO I NEED TO KNOW? Riding is a dangerous sport, but pony club teaches safety first. If your child loves horses, this is a good organization to try. The pony club program emphasises sportsmanship, setting goals and working toward them, thinking of someone else first (their horse or teammate), knowledge as a positive tool, and teamwork. Children make life-long friends in pony club, develop a life sport, and develop positive life skills, weather they continue riding or not. For a membership packet email: Donna Patullo 
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