Frequently Asked Questions
1) What equipment is a member required to have?
· Helmet- SEI ASTM certification & medical armband/bracelet
· Hard soled shoes- paddock boots or tall riding boots.
· A great smile and a willingness to learn!
2) Do I have to have a horse to join Pony Club?
You are not required to have your own horse but Pony Club suggests you have consistent access
to use the same pony or horse and use of a trailer to get to meetings. According to United
States Pony Club policies, all mounts must be at least five (5) years old and may NOT be
stallions. Please contact our DC and we try to help you find a suitable mount.
3) What are mounted meetings?
Mounted meetings are scheduled sessions where Pony Clubbers receive group riding
instruction. Lincoln Creek Pony Club holds mounted meetings usually twice a month through out
the year in the Centralia/Rochester area, but locations do change as instruction warrants.
4) What are unmounted meetings?
Unmounted meetings are educational meetings where members receive group instruction
on various horse management subjects. The goal is to help kids get the instructional support
required to master the standards of proficiency outlined in the various ratings.
5) How do the ratings work?
Pony Club provides a structured curriculum of both mounted and unmounted skills and
knowledge for our kids to follow. Ratings provide a progression for the mastery of these skills.
The USPC ratings system measures each member's progress through the instructional
program. At rallies, the ratings provide a framework by which our members can compete against members
with similar abilities. Ratings are achieved by performing specific tests against a prescribed
standard of proficiency, both mounted and oral, before a recognized Pony Club
examiner. Members have the opportunity to go for their ratings twice a year at ratings clinics
that are offered in fall and spring.
The D ratings are an introduction to the fun and challenge of riding, establishing a foundation of
safety habits and knowledge of the daily care of pony and tack. The D-1 through D-3 Pony
Clubber learns to ride independently and with control, maintaining a reasonably secure position
at the walk, trot and canter and over low fences. All D ratings are awarded at the club level.
The C is a Pony Clubber learning to become an active horseman, to care independently for his or
her pony and tack, and to understand the reasons for what he or she is doing. The C shows
development toward a secure, independent seat and increasing control, and confidence in all
phases of riding. The C-1 and C-2 ratings are awarded at the club level.
The C-3 is a national rating and reflects a basis of competence of riding and horse care that will
make possible a lifetime of pleasure with horses.
The H-B, B, H-A, and A ratings are national ratings and require great depth of knowledge.
Successful candidates are competent, all around horsemen, and are active, contributing members
of USPC who participate in a variety of Pony Club activities. They are also thoughtful leaders
who set a good example for all levels.
The standards of proficiency for all the ratings are outlined in the Pony Club manuals, as well as
the national website, www.ponyclub.org.
6) What is a rally?
A rally is a Pony Club competition where teams of members compete against each other.
For many Pony Clubbers, competing in a rally is one of the best things about Pony Club. Except
for Quiz, rallies are mounted competitions usually made up of teams of 3-5. All of the team
members ride in the competition except one, who acts as the stable manager, helping with all the
essential ground work that must be done to support the mounted competitors.
During rallies, parents are not allowed to interact with their children at all. It is up to the team to
pull together to take care of all the details and logistics, fostering teamwork and leadership
within the Pony Club teams. In addition to the riding performance of the team members, the rally
teams are also judged on horse management which is the care of their horses and equipment
throughout the rally including in the barn.
7) What is horse management?
During rallies, each team is required to set up a complete and organized stable containing all the
necessary gear. Saddle racks, bridle racks, first aid, equipment, tack, etc. is all set up in the
stable. Everything must be labeled and in proper cleanliness, repair, and condition. Points are
taken off for things like dirty tack, and missing required items. Lincoln Creek Pony Club has
rally box for rallies which member's inventory and mark before each rally.
Outside the context of rallies, horse management refers to the general care of horses. Pony Club's
emphasis on exceptional horse management makes the Pony Club experience complete it's not
just about riding! We want our members to know how to take care of their horses responsibly
and safely.
8) If we participate in the mounted meetings and rallies, do I still need other instruction?
Pony Club will hire and schedule instructors and coaches for mounted meetings and rally
practices. But most of our members work with instructors individually (or in groups) in addition
to mounted meetings. It is very difficult to progress
9) What style of riding does Pony Club teach?
Pony Club teaches riding using the balanced seat. This kind of riding is based on a modified dressage seat and includes riding on the flat (ring riding) jumping, and riding in the open (trail riding and cross-country jumping). This differs from the forward seat (used in Hunter equitation) and the saddle seat (used with gaited horses).
While riding on the flat, the balanced seat rider's position is upright, with shoulder, hip and heel
forming a straight vertical line. Emphasis on the balanced seat combined with the activities and competitions develops skills in a broad range of riding discipline---dressage, jumping and eventing. Not coincidentally, these three equestrian sports compete at the Olympic level.
10) What are the different Pony Club programs?
Official Pony Club programs (instruction and/or competition at rallies) are offered in dressage, eventing, show jumping, mounted games, Tetrathalon, Quiz, vaulting, foxhunting, and polocrosse.
11) What is Quiz Rally?
Quiz Rally is an unmounted rally where teams compete against each other on their horse knowledge. Teams are made up of four members.
12) What is dressage?
Dressage is a discipline where the horse performs a series of movements in a flat arena in a prescribed sequence known as a "test." Sometimes done to music :-) There are many different levels of tests. The one for your rally will reflect your rating.
13) What is eventing?
Eventing embodies the core activity of Pony Club -- that of three riding disciplines: dressage, cross-country and show jumping and horse management, providing members with a broad equestrian base needed to enjoy any horse activity throughout their lives in a safe and competent manner. The different levels of competition are Beginner Novice, Novice, Training, Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced. There are unrecognized lower levels of eventing competitions for those riders not yet ready to ride at the Beginner Novice level.
14) What is show jumping?
Show jumping is a jumping event in which the horse must jump a course of fences inside a fenced ring or stadium where the rider's goal is to jump cleanly without knocking rails down, and often for speed.
15) What are mounted games?
Mounted games are a series of competitive games played on horseback in teams of four as a relay race.
16) What is Tetrathalon?
Tetrathalon combines four events, only one of which is a mounted event: stadium jumping, running, swimming and target-shooting.
17) What is vaulting?
Vaulting is like gymnastics on horseback.
18) What is polocrosse?
Polocrosse is a mixture of polo and lacrosse on horseback.
19) How is Pony Club Structured?
Pony Club is a National organization that is broken into regions and each region is comprised of clubs. Lincoln Creek Pony Club is a club in the Northwest Region of the United States Pony Club, a member of the United States Pony Clubs. All rules and policies of the United States Pony Club, the Northwest Region, and Lincoln Creek Pony Club are followed. Pony club provides a structured curriculum of both mounted and unmounted skills and knowledge for our members to follow.
All policies, manuals, and complete information for the United States Pony Club and links to regions and clubs can be found on the national website, www.ponyclub.org.
20) What parent involvement is required?
Parents and sponsors are encouraged to attend as many meetings as possible. Their attendance makes the Pony Club run much more smoothly. There is a job for everyone!! Throughout the year parents are asked to help out as committee members and attend "work days" to help maintain the Pony Club jumps and set up for events. We also have several fundraising activities throughout the year that all families are expected to participate in. You are welcome at any time to make donations of your time or materials-everything you do will make our Club better! Questions, idea should be directed to your DC.
21) Who are the officers and what do they do?
DC - All duties, responsibilities, actions and decisions of Club Officers shall be subject to the direction, supervision,control or approval of the District Commissioner
Secretary - shall be responsible for giving notice of all Sponsors’ Meetings in accordance, recording and filing the minutes of Sponsors’ Meetings, maintaining a list of the Club’s
Sponsors, determining the presence of a quorum at Sponsors’ Meetings, maintaining Club policies, maintaining attendance records at all meetings.
Treasurer - shall be responsible for collecting dues and fees that constitute the Club’s income, making disbursements to pay the Club’s expenses, examining the validity of expenses incurred, keeping accurate records of the Club’s funds, preparing financial statements in accordance with these By-Laws, filing any necessary tax forms
1) What equipment is a member required to have?
· Helmet- SEI ASTM certification & medical armband/bracelet
· Hard soled shoes- paddock boots or tall riding boots.
· A great smile and a willingness to learn!
2) Do I have to have a horse to join Pony Club?
You are not required to have your own horse but Pony Club suggests you have consistent access
to use the same pony or horse and use of a trailer to get to meetings. According to United
States Pony Club policies, all mounts must be at least five (5) years old and may NOT be
stallions. Please contact our DC and we try to help you find a suitable mount.
3) What are mounted meetings?
Mounted meetings are scheduled sessions where Pony Clubbers receive group riding
instruction. Lincoln Creek Pony Club holds mounted meetings usually twice a month through out
the year in the Centralia/Rochester area, but locations do change as instruction warrants.
4) What are unmounted meetings?
Unmounted meetings are educational meetings where members receive group instruction
on various horse management subjects. The goal is to help kids get the instructional support
required to master the standards of proficiency outlined in the various ratings.
5) How do the ratings work?
Pony Club provides a structured curriculum of both mounted and unmounted skills and
knowledge for our kids to follow. Ratings provide a progression for the mastery of these skills.
The USPC ratings system measures each member's progress through the instructional
program. At rallies, the ratings provide a framework by which our members can compete against members
with similar abilities. Ratings are achieved by performing specific tests against a prescribed
standard of proficiency, both mounted and oral, before a recognized Pony Club
examiner. Members have the opportunity to go for their ratings twice a year at ratings clinics
that are offered in fall and spring.
The D ratings are an introduction to the fun and challenge of riding, establishing a foundation of
safety habits and knowledge of the daily care of pony and tack. The D-1 through D-3 Pony
Clubber learns to ride independently and with control, maintaining a reasonably secure position
at the walk, trot and canter and over low fences. All D ratings are awarded at the club level.
The C is a Pony Clubber learning to become an active horseman, to care independently for his or
her pony and tack, and to understand the reasons for what he or she is doing. The C shows
development toward a secure, independent seat and increasing control, and confidence in all
phases of riding. The C-1 and C-2 ratings are awarded at the club level.
The C-3 is a national rating and reflects a basis of competence of riding and horse care that will
make possible a lifetime of pleasure with horses.
The H-B, B, H-A, and A ratings are national ratings and require great depth of knowledge.
Successful candidates are competent, all around horsemen, and are active, contributing members
of USPC who participate in a variety of Pony Club activities. They are also thoughtful leaders
who set a good example for all levels.
The standards of proficiency for all the ratings are outlined in the Pony Club manuals, as well as
the national website, www.ponyclub.org.
6) What is a rally?
A rally is a Pony Club competition where teams of members compete against each other.
For many Pony Clubbers, competing in a rally is one of the best things about Pony Club. Except
for Quiz, rallies are mounted competitions usually made up of teams of 3-5. All of the team
members ride in the competition except one, who acts as the stable manager, helping with all the
essential ground work that must be done to support the mounted competitors.
During rallies, parents are not allowed to interact with their children at all. It is up to the team to
pull together to take care of all the details and logistics, fostering teamwork and leadership
within the Pony Club teams. In addition to the riding performance of the team members, the rally
teams are also judged on horse management which is the care of their horses and equipment
throughout the rally including in the barn.
7) What is horse management?
During rallies, each team is required to set up a complete and organized stable containing all the
necessary gear. Saddle racks, bridle racks, first aid, equipment, tack, etc. is all set up in the
stable. Everything must be labeled and in proper cleanliness, repair, and condition. Points are
taken off for things like dirty tack, and missing required items. Lincoln Creek Pony Club has
rally box for rallies which member's inventory and mark before each rally.
Outside the context of rallies, horse management refers to the general care of horses. Pony Club's
emphasis on exceptional horse management makes the Pony Club experience complete it's not
just about riding! We want our members to know how to take care of their horses responsibly
and safely.
8) If we participate in the mounted meetings and rallies, do I still need other instruction?
Pony Club will hire and schedule instructors and coaches for mounted meetings and rally
practices. But most of our members work with instructors individually (or in groups) in addition
to mounted meetings. It is very difficult to progress
9) What style of riding does Pony Club teach?
Pony Club teaches riding using the balanced seat. This kind of riding is based on a modified dressage seat and includes riding on the flat (ring riding) jumping, and riding in the open (trail riding and cross-country jumping). This differs from the forward seat (used in Hunter equitation) and the saddle seat (used with gaited horses).
While riding on the flat, the balanced seat rider's position is upright, with shoulder, hip and heel
forming a straight vertical line. Emphasis on the balanced seat combined with the activities and competitions develops skills in a broad range of riding discipline---dressage, jumping and eventing. Not coincidentally, these three equestrian sports compete at the Olympic level.
10) What are the different Pony Club programs?
Official Pony Club programs (instruction and/or competition at rallies) are offered in dressage, eventing, show jumping, mounted games, Tetrathalon, Quiz, vaulting, foxhunting, and polocrosse.
11) What is Quiz Rally?
Quiz Rally is an unmounted rally where teams compete against each other on their horse knowledge. Teams are made up of four members.
12) What is dressage?
Dressage is a discipline where the horse performs a series of movements in a flat arena in a prescribed sequence known as a "test." Sometimes done to music :-) There are many different levels of tests. The one for your rally will reflect your rating.
13) What is eventing?
Eventing embodies the core activity of Pony Club -- that of three riding disciplines: dressage, cross-country and show jumping and horse management, providing members with a broad equestrian base needed to enjoy any horse activity throughout their lives in a safe and competent manner. The different levels of competition are Beginner Novice, Novice, Training, Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced. There are unrecognized lower levels of eventing competitions for those riders not yet ready to ride at the Beginner Novice level.
14) What is show jumping?
Show jumping is a jumping event in which the horse must jump a course of fences inside a fenced ring or stadium where the rider's goal is to jump cleanly without knocking rails down, and often for speed.
15) What are mounted games?
Mounted games are a series of competitive games played on horseback in teams of four as a relay race.
16) What is Tetrathalon?
Tetrathalon combines four events, only one of which is a mounted event: stadium jumping, running, swimming and target-shooting.
17) What is vaulting?
Vaulting is like gymnastics on horseback.
18) What is polocrosse?
Polocrosse is a mixture of polo and lacrosse on horseback.
19) How is Pony Club Structured?
Pony Club is a National organization that is broken into regions and each region is comprised of clubs. Lincoln Creek Pony Club is a club in the Northwest Region of the United States Pony Club, a member of the United States Pony Clubs. All rules and policies of the United States Pony Club, the Northwest Region, and Lincoln Creek Pony Club are followed. Pony club provides a structured curriculum of both mounted and unmounted skills and knowledge for our members to follow.
All policies, manuals, and complete information for the United States Pony Club and links to regions and clubs can be found on the national website, www.ponyclub.org.
20) What parent involvement is required?
Parents and sponsors are encouraged to attend as many meetings as possible. Their attendance makes the Pony Club run much more smoothly. There is a job for everyone!! Throughout the year parents are asked to help out as committee members and attend "work days" to help maintain the Pony Club jumps and set up for events. We also have several fundraising activities throughout the year that all families are expected to participate in. You are welcome at any time to make donations of your time or materials-everything you do will make our Club better! Questions, idea should be directed to your DC.
21) Who are the officers and what do they do?
DC - All duties, responsibilities, actions and decisions of Club Officers shall be subject to the direction, supervision,control or approval of the District Commissioner
Secretary - shall be responsible for giving notice of all Sponsors’ Meetings in accordance, recording and filing the minutes of Sponsors’ Meetings, maintaining a list of the Club’s
Sponsors, determining the presence of a quorum at Sponsors’ Meetings, maintaining Club policies, maintaining attendance records at all meetings.
Treasurer - shall be responsible for collecting dues and fees that constitute the Club’s income, making disbursements to pay the Club’s expenses, examining the validity of expenses incurred, keeping accurate records of the Club’s funds, preparing financial statements in accordance with these By-Laws, filing any necessary tax forms
