Slices of Life
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Breaking the Mold
Thanks to the Director of Education and Development for the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, Sarah Coleman, USPC is reprinting with permission a great article about moldy tack care. Read along to learn some great tips and tricks for excellence in tack maintenance. It’s the dog days of summer in the Bluegrass, a time of year when it seems saddle pads and helmets never quite dry out between rides. In addition to being uncomfortable to ride in, wet, humid conditions can lead to a tack room full of moldy saddles, bridles and other leather goods. This furry invader isn’t just unsightly; because mold is a living organism, it can actually…
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Tales of a Pony Club Professional Groom-Headed Overseas
Pony Club member Alex Ambelang is back with more life lessons our members learn in Pony Club which help them in the real world. Alex is the head groom for Colleen Rutledge Eventing in Maryland. Follow along as she tells us how Pony Club has prepared her for this position as well as what she has learned since starting out. Alex is a regular guest blogger, so if you have questions feel free to send them to us for her at Mandy@ponyclub.org. When Things Fall Apart… The past seven weeks of so have been a complete blur to me. I last left you all at Baltimore International Airport, where I…
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Organizing A Horse Show: Is it Worth it?
This is the second part of the series on Organizing a Horse Show. Follow along as we share some information on the hard-working brave people take on to make your horse show experience a success. Leaning on Friends One thing many organizers learn is to utilize the help they already have. Many have facilities they are trying to grow and support, students and clients they teach and ride for, and friends who help them when called on. These people are the foundation for extra officials, volunteers, and competitors whom the organizer can turn to for help. In turn these people might reach out to other friends and family members, making…
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Organizing a Horse Show: Have you got what it takes?
Have you ever considered organizing a horse show? Do you know what all goes on behind the scenes in planning as well as implementation? Do you ask yourself, is it worth it? It’s a tough job and only the toughest continue to put on shows each year. This is a small primer on what it takes to put together a show. Hopefully this will help those who have a desire or have never stepped up to this daunting task understand all that goes into making horse shows a success. (Editor’s note- this doesn’t include costs) The Beginning First, you need to find a venue to host your show. Once that…
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So you think you want to be a professional groom? What next?
Pony Club member Alex Ambelang is back with more life lessons our members learn in Pony Club which help them in the real world. Alex is the head groom for Colleen Rutledge Eventing in Maryland. Follow along as she tells us how Pony Club has prepared her for this position as well as what she has learned since starting out. Alex will be a regular guest blogger, so if you have questions feel free to send them to us for her at Mandy@ponyclub.org. Once you have secured a job, there is a whole new set of unknowns. These are things no one tells you about until you’re in it. One…
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So you think you want to be a professional groom?
Pony Club member Alex Ambelang is back with more life lessons our members learn in Pony Club which help them in the real world. Alex is the head groom for Colleen Rutledge Eventing in Maryland. Follow along as she tells us how Pony Club has prepared her for this position as well as what she has learned since starting out. Alex will be a regular guest blogger, so if you have questions feel free to send them to us for her at Mandy@ponyclub.org. For those of you who have not yet been scared away from being a groom or working student because of this blog, I have more thoughts on…
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The Importance of Volunteers
Pony Club is an organization that is largely run by Volunteers. A volunteer by definition is someone who willingly gives their time to help with a task. These tasks can be for the betterment of an organization, to give back to the community, or even to help a friend. In Pony Club, most of the volunteers are parents and friends of the organization. In most horse show situations volunteers are made up of friends of the organizer, boarders and students of the host farm, and any person from the host organization willing to give back time. The time volunteers give to the organizers is gold. Most organizers are even so…
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Tales of a Pony Club Professional Groom- Work Work Work
Pony Club member Alex Ambelang is back with more life lessons our members learn in Pony Club which help them in the real world. Alex is the head groom for Colleen Rutledge Eventing in Maryland. Follow along as she tells us how Pony Club has prepared her for this position as well as what she has learned since starting out. Alex will be a regular guest blogger, so if you have questions feel free to send them to us for her at Mandy@ponyclub.org. The Typical Day I have have had two pretty different experiences having been based in Aiken, SC for my first three months working for Colleen and now…
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Understanding Pony Club Lingo
Being a new member in Pony Club can be really confusing, what with the onslaught of new information and ways of doing things around your horses and ponies. When you add all the new terms and acronyms on top, it can be a bit overwhelming. But have no fear, we’ve come up with this handy guide to help you demystify all that lingo! ACA = Assistant Center Administrator An ACA aids the CA in the management of the Center. Your Center can have more than one ACA. AHMJ = Assistant Horse Management Judge These people assist the CHMJ in judging at rallies. CA = Center Administrator Your CA is the…
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Tales of a Pony Club Professional Groom- Grooming at Shows
Pony Club member Alex Ambelang is back with more life lessons our members learn in Pony Club which help them in the real world. Alex is the head groom for Colleen Rutledge Eventing in Maryland. Follow along as she tells us how Pony Club has prepared her for this position as well as what she has learned since starting out. Alex will be a regular guest blogger, so if you have questions feel free to send them to us for her at Mandy@ponyclub.org. Tips, Tricks, and Hints from an Amateur Professional Groom At shows, I have a different set of tools to add that extra shine. I still bring along…