Slices of Life
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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…
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Tales of a Pony Club Professional Groom- Grooming at Home
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 Since I have only been at this whole being a groom things for (almost) 5 months, I hesitate…
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Tales of a Pony Club Professional Groom-Rolex Part 2
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. Life after Pony Club: Rolex Competition Thursday is an early morning; Luke (Shiraz) is the first down centerline at 9:30am. Pre-ride gallop at 6:30am, sharp. It’s cold…
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Tales of a Pony Club Professional Groom- Rolex Part 1
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. Life after Pony Club: Don’t we all wish every road led to Rolex??? I write this two weeks after the fact- after the event, after the Rolex…