Pony Club Love
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IMGE Recap Part 1
Early in the fall the International Mounted Games team went to Australia to visit and compete representing the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. The following blog posts are recaps from some of the members of the team. Enjoy! For more information on this or any of the International Exchanges offered in Pony Club, click HERE The Land Down Under by Jaycee Blythe I don’t know how I got so lucky to have had the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to and compete in Australia. From our training camp to fundraising, the build up for this trip was worth the wait. Once landing in Australia, we met the three other…
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Blue Bridle Presents: Highlights of Horse Insurance Part 1
Thanks to new Pony Club Pizza blog sponsor, Blue Bridle Insurance we now have a series explaining Horse Insurance. The Horse Insurance Mortality Policy So many of us are guilty of not reading our insurance policies perhaps in the hope that we may never need to! Our horse insurance, farmowners insurance, auto policy, whatever – just put them all in a drawer and hope for the best. Let’s take a moment now to review the equine mortality policy. First of all, it is a legal contract. The company agrees to provide coverage and in return, you agree to pay a premium and comply with the terms and provisions of the…
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The Truth About Vaulting: How to Fit a Vaulting into a Riding Program
Thanks to Sheri Benjamin and Beth Whillock, DC of Kimberwicke Pony Club and Vice RS of the Northern Lakes Region we have this handy primer to vaulting in Pony Club When I first saw vaulting, I remember the “no way is my daughter doing THAT” moment I had as I watched two teen boys standing on the back of a huge cantering Draft horse while lifting a six-year-old girl high above their heads. Thirteen years later I try to bear in mind that moment as I patiently explain vaulting to those unfamiliar with our sport. As we continue to bring vaulting into Pony Club, explaining vaulting, and debunking the common…
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Workshops. Need We Say More?
Its getting cold in Kentucky at the USPC National Office. Most people are thinking of Thanksgiving in a couple weeks and then Christmas. Pony Club is thinking about the 2017 Equine Symposium and Convention in SUNNY California! The workshops list has been released and it looks more exciting than ever before! Here is just a sampling of the fun seminars that YOU can attend! Create a Winning, Effective Certification Prep Plan with Deb Sobottka-Smith This session will provide a set of easy tools that members can use to assess their specific readiness for a certification Demystifying the Mounted Lesson Plan with Erin Boddaert, Nancy Grout, and Kim Lowman-Vollmer Come find…
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Pony Club Alumni contest Rio Round 2!
As we all know the 2016 Rio Olympics are in full swing. Thanks to USPC staff member, Jenny Van Wieren-Page, we can share a few awesome Q & A articles with some of the US Dressage Team members who are Pony Club Graduates! Traditionally when you think of Pony Club Alumni who go on to become Olympians you think of the sport of Eventing. While, that may still be true, many Dressage Olympians also have a history of beginning with Pony Club. The 2016 US Dressage Olympic Team has two athletes (Kasey Perry-Glass and Allison Brock), Chef d’Equipe (Robert Dover), a groom (Holly Gorman- sister of Kasey Perry-Glass) and Team…
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Pony Club Alumni contest Rio!
As we all know the 2016 Rio Olympics are in full swing. Thanks to USPC staff member, Jenny Van Wieren-Page, we can share a few awesome Q & A articles with some of the US Dressage Team members who are Pony Club Graduates! Traditionally when you think of Pony Club Alumni who go on to become Olympians you think of the sport of Eventing. While, that may still be true, many Dressage Olympians also have a history of beginning with Pony Club. The 2016 US Dressage Olympic Team has two athletes (Kasey Perry-Glass and Allison Brock), Chef d’Equipe (Robert Dover), a groom (Holly Gorman- sister of Kasey Perry-Glass) and Team…
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Taking T,P,R
After teaching camp for a local Pony Club and recently working on creating better lesson plans for the Pony Club website, we found out how many of our lower level members have trouble understanding the term, “taking the T,P,R” for a horse, or knowing their horses’ resting T,P,R. What is TPR? Short for Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration, taking your horses TPR should be routine for general horse care. Knowing your horses resting TPR can be helpful to your vet if there is ever an issue with your horse. An issue can be illness, fatigue, poor performance, and general wellness. Every horse has “ranges” their resting temperature, pulse, and respiration are…
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Spring Has Sprung, So Have Hoof Problems
Have you ever heard the statement, “no hoof, no horse”? What about, “If you think a good farrier is expensive, try using a bad farrier”. Both of those statements are truer than some people know. We thought sharing some ideas for what to do when your barefoot horse has been trimmed “too short” or if your horse pulls a shoe and tears off hoof in the process would be helpful. To begin, there is an ideal that most farriers are trained to trim/shoe. The hoof should have the correct angle and depth and is trimmed and rasped according to shoes or barefoot. When going barefoot, most farriers will do what…
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2015 Flash Award Winner- The Butte Fires
Every year since 2004 The United States Pony Clubs, Inc recognizes an outstanding Club, Center, Region, or Member with the Flash Award. The award was created by Kathy Aranosian, owner of Flash, the horse chosen as the USPC 50th Anniversary Breyer Model. She wanted to sponsor a yearly award to encourage the kind of teamwork generated by her club when they were writing about Flash. Entries are taken by essay and are due November 1st each year. The award is given at the USPC Annual Meeting and Equine Symposium. This year’s winner was sent in by Erica Kirchgatter a C-1 Traditional member of Claim Jumper Pony Club in the Middle…
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Silver Bullet: A Very Special Pony
The last of our finalists for the Flash Teamwork Award, Breanna Kaho, a H-B HM member of Run O’The Mill Pony Club in the Lake Shore Region chose to share the story of a special Pony from her area. Those who knew Silver Bullet think he is pretty special. Read more about his story below! What spans one region, two clubs, and over a decade? One very special pony. Silver Bullet is a wonderful 29 year old grey pony who has taught so many Pony Club members to ride. He is owned by Mrs. Pat Hamilton, one of the founders of Run O’ the Mill Pony Club, in Southeastern Wisconsin.…
