Pony Club …Not for Everyone
by Barbara Ellin Fox
I love Pony Club. I’ve been involved on all sorts of levels for many years. My children both grew up through Pony Club and I can’t wait for my granddaughter to be old enough to join, but Pony Club isn’t for everyone. This is a tough statement for those of us who love Pony Club, but if you stick with it long enough, sooner or later you’ll agree.
Pony Club is a big commitment. The bigger a member’s commitment to Pony Club the more he or she will gain from the Pony Club experience. Pony Club members don’t sign up for membership alone. For every child that joins there is a mom or dad, or both, who has to be willing to give up regular weekend days for Pony Club meetings. Most clubs meet at least twice a month.
A couple of Saturdays a month might not sound like much, after all soccer is every week. For soccer, you load your child into the van in his freshly washed uniform, maybe taking your turn to bring snacks, and take him or her to the soccer field. Maybe you car pool with a few other parent. Taking turns is great.
Pony Club is not a drop off sport. Parents are required to attend meetings with their horse loving kids. I’ll save my huge list of why I think this is actually one of the great benefits of joining Pony Club for another time, but for certain, if it’s not great for you, it soon becomes a burden.
There is a little more required for a Pony Club meeting than a clean uniform. Not only must Susie have her clean breeches, correct club shirt and Pony Club pin on, her boots need to be polished, her pony’s saddle pad needs to be clean, and so does her saddle and bridle. And then there’s the pony to clean. Now there’s a slippery slope or a never ending cycle if I’ve ever seen one! But a nice thing about Pony Club is, if you hang in there, you’re child will learn to do all of the cleaning herself. Pony Club teaches kids how to become responsible and self sufficient.
It would be great if hauling a pony to Pony Club meetings was as easy as picking up a team member during your car pool week, but guess what…it’s not. If you don’t have a horse trailer, you’ll have to find someone who is willing to pick up your child’s horse. Chances are that after a period of borrowing/sharing, loading buckets, hay bags, extra equipment and vet supplies into someone else’s trailer, you’ll start thinking this would be much easier if you did it yourself. You’ll pick out a nice trailer, put a hitch on the van, practice hauling the trailer, and you’ll learn all about loading horses. Eventually Susie will know how to do the unloading and loading of everything herself. In fact, Susie will become so good at knowing what to take, how to pack it, and the correct way to load it, that one day her move to college will be a breeze.
There are those of us who think all of this activity with our kids is worth every precious minute we spend cleaning, loading, hauling driving and sitting through Pony Club meetings. Pony Club is for us. But what about the Moms and Dads who have weekend commitments, or hobbies of their own? Or what about the Mom or Dad who needs Saturday to refuel and rest? Pony Club just doesn’t work for everyone.
If a family has more than one child and only one is interested in horses, the other child can become the forgotten sibling. A younger brother may be content to bring his trucks and play in the dirt at Pony Club meetings for awhile, but eventually he’s going to have his own interests. And he’s going to need an equal share of Mom’s and Dad’s time. It’s not unusual to have a parent decide to cut back on Pony Club in order to spend time with the other child. It’s a hard balancing act.
Pony Club is not for everyone and sometimes families have to be involved in a club for awhile before they make an informed decision. But for the families that Pony Club is right for, it’s a terrific way of life.
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