Three Brothers Pony Club
Our Weekly meetings will start on September 2nd! If you would like to join us, please email us with any questions.
Three Brothers Pony Club Riding Center’s Member Page.
Parents, please visit the Parents Resource Page for helpful information to help you with the Horse and Pony Club world.
Three Brothers Stable has recently been approved as a US Pony Club Riding Center. This will allow our students to become members of the US Pony Club and participate in Pony Club activities/competitions/ratings. Pony Club is a national organization similar to Scouts, 4H, and FFA. The mission of Pony Club is to “develop character, leadership, confidence and a sense of community in youth through a program that teaches the care of horses and ponies, riding and mounted sports.” Pony Club members experience various activities, including riding lessons, show competitions, quizzes to test knowledge, and other horse-related activities.
About Our Pony Club
Members of USPC have joined an organization dedicated to producing well-rounded horsemen and women, producing many of the past and current Olympic and International riders. The Regular Pony Club program is for ages seven and up. Those in 5th-12th grade can earn their Varsity letter with the USEF Athlete Lettering Program and PE Credit through the school’s Off-Campus PE programs. There are also scholarships for Pony Clubbers based on their ability to ride, sportsmanship, and knowledge. If your kid doesn’t care for traditional sports in school, here is an opportunity to put a sport on their college applications that speaks to their courage and self-reliance. Pony Club is a respected item on any horseman’s resume. It is also a membership that vet schools take notice of. So if your kid has ever said I want to be a Vet, Horse Trainer, or I love horses, this is an organization you want them to be a part of.
Helps Kids Develop Work Ethic
Pony Club helps kids develop responsibility, a work ethic, and a sense of purpose. These are lifelong skills not only for riding but also for everyday living.USPC is unique because its educational programs emphasize riding skills, horse-care fundamentals, and team participation with sportsmanship. From the moment youth join USPC until they graduate, they are part of a broad network of activities and educational programs promoting horse and rider health and safety. USPC is dedicated to developing knowledgeable, competent, responsible, and caring equestrians. My Sons all were members of Boy Scouts, where I was an assistant scoutmaster. Pony Club gives a similar education in leadership by teaching and mentoring younger members through the world of horses instead of Camping.
Pony Club Events
Rallies are Pony Club events that allow members to test their knowledge and skills in horse care and riding in a competitive atmosphere. Members compete as part of a team. Teams may be of mixed ages and skill levels. Members are judged based on their certification and competition level to ensure fair competition. Teams have 4-5 members with a Team Captain and a Stable Manager. As a team, members work together to ensure that each horse and rider is properly turned out and prepared to compete to the best of their abilities. Rallies are held at local, regional, and national levels in multiple sports such as Dressage, Western Dressage, Show Jumping, Eventing, Games, and Tetrathlon. Rallies are held about four times a year in this region, and members are not required to compete.
Members advance through pony club levels per “ratings,” which test the knowledge and ability of pony clubbers. The organization emphasizes the importance of learning about horse management and riding. We will have weekly mounted lessons, weekly practice rides, and once-a-month unmounted meetings. Students will also be able to earn credits for volunteering at chore time.
Everyone joins Pony Club as an unrated member and progresses through the lower-level ratings (D-1 through C-3) at their own pace. The D rating introduces riding, establishing a foundation of safety habits and knowledge of pony and tack daily care. Pony Clubbers can choose to only rate past the D ratings through the unmounted requirements if the high riding levels make them uncomfortable while still receiving the benefits of the horse care knowledge (Vet care, anatomy, conformation, etc.). The C Pony Club member is learning to become an active horse person, understand the reasons for what they are doing, and care for a pony and equipment. B, Ha, and A are national ratings administered by the National Testing Committee, and are considered true professionals. The requirements for each rating are called the Standards of Proficiency. We will hold quarterly ratings to keep your Pony Clubber moving forward.
Pony Club has a Badge program for its younger members. We hold a couple of badge camps a year.
Memberships
USPC Nationals Yearly Membership: $200 Prorated New Member joining between 09/01/24 and 12/31/24 for the remainder of 2024 & all of 2025. To request an online registration form click here.
Rio Grande Region Yearly Membership: $20 Prorated New Member joining between 09/01/24 and 12/31/24 for the remainder of 2024 & all of 2025. Three Brothers apparel can be purchased at Its A Haggerty’s.
There will be additional costs for activities that our center will participate in, like ratings, rallies, clinics, field trips, foxhunts, camps, etc. Members can be involved as much as they have time and budget.