Certification Preparation Resources
Certifications are a big part of the Pony Club program from the beginning D-1 all the way up the most advanced A level. Through every level, Pony Club has plenty of resources to help you learn, achieve and get where you want to go. Standards of Proficiency, checklists, rubrics, videos, test sheets, The USPC Manuals of Horsemanship, as well as your instructor, can all help you prepare for your next certification.
Start with the Standards
If you are planning to take a certification, begin by logging on to the Pony Club website and looking over the Standards of Proficiency. These standards list in detail all of the knowledge and skills you need to learn.
Find the Resources
Next, look at the USPC website at your specific level and you will find many different resources to help you learn. There are study guides and resources, such as the reading list.
Here is what the D Certification page looks like:
Don’t forget about Pony Club IQ! Articles from TheHorse.com are organized by certification level and placed into categories from the Standards of Proficiency to help you study and prepare. Sign in using your Pony Club website user name and password.
Scroll down a bit and you will see Educational Materials, with photo icons representing different Standards of Proficiency topics. Click the photo to find quizzes, videos, articles, checklists, and more for each topic.
Here is what the D-Level Educational Materials section looks like:
The C Certification page is set up the same way and has the needed topics at this level to help you study and learn the material for the C-1 and C-2 certifications.
The Pony Club YouTube Channel is another place to find helpful videos. More are being added! Go to the Playlists and search by area such as “local level certifications” or “unmounted education.”
https://www.youtube.com/c/UnitedStatesPonyClubs/playlists
H-B and H-HM/H/H-A Resources
The H-B and H-HM/H/H-A Certification pages have similar resources but are organized a little differently. Be sure to check out the Standards of Proficiency page first, as there are lots of checklists, supplemental documents and rubrics to guide you in studying for these two certification levels. Then visit the specific H-B Certification page or the H-HM/H/H-A Certification page. Under each topic or heading there are lots of current and very useful documents, videos and more for you to reference.
Learning to Teach
For those of you learning to teach mounted or unmounted, there are lesson plan templates, webinars to watch and references in the Intermediate C Level and Advanced USPC Manual of Horsemanship to help you learn about writing a lesson plan and how to increase your teaching knowledge and skills.
Like anything, it all takes time, practice, and a desire to learn. Best of luck with your certifications!
Read more on the blog:
How to Prepare for a Local Level Certification
Standards of Proficiency in Pony Club
Tips and Tricks for Certification Preparation from the National Youth Board
