The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (USPC or Pony Club) is the largest equine educational organization in North America. Started in 1954 and originally based on Great Britain’s The Pony Club, the curriculum teaches riding skills and the care of horses through mounted and unmounted lessons. Through Pony Club, members have fun with horses and make lifelong friends while they develop skills, habits, and values that extend well beyond the barn and last a lifetime. Many members apply what they have learned in the USPC program successfully in their careers, educational and volunteer opportunities, and other life pursuits.
Pony Club membership is open to all ages and experience levels—whether you are a parent looking for an equine program that teaches the basics for a horse-crazy child, an adult looking to fulfill a childhood dream of learning to ride, or an equine professional wishing to expand your knowledge and continue your equine education. There is truly something for everyone! In addition, horses, ponies, and mounts of all sizes, breeds, and types are welcome in Pony Club activities.
With a range of membership benefits, we hope you will let Pony Club help you, or a child you love, along your journey with horses. The most active level—Participating Membership—offers educational standards to strive for as you/your child work to earn certifications, as well as the chance to participate in hands-on horse activities, such as lessons; clinics; rallies and other competitions; and our biggest event, the USPC Festival. As you or your child progress in the program, additional opportunities open up, such as international exchanges; scholarships; leadership experiences, such as the National Youth Board and National Youth Congress; and much more.
Join thousands of alumni who say that Pony Club has helped shape their character and set them up for success throughout their life.
Learn: Members will attend mounted and unmounted meetings run by your local club or center. Often held monthly, these meetings may be entirely mounted, where members of similar skill levels work on improving their riding abilities; or unmounted, allowing members to gain horse-care knowledge and skills in the areas of feeding, grooming, veterinary care, equine anatomy, and more. A meeting could also be a combination of both unmounted and mounted instruction. In addition to local meetings, many regions offer clinics, camps, and other opportunities. USPC also offers national learning opportunities during USPC Festival, USPC Convention, and other special events.
Grow: As you learn new riding skills and gain more horse management knowledge, members have the opportunity to progress through the Pony Club certification levels. Achieving new, higher-level certifications shows a member’s progress through the Pony Club program. Certifications begin at the D level, which lays a foundation of solid horsemanship skills, and progresses through the advanced A level. The A-level certification signifies that the member has become a highly competent equestrian who has truly dedicated themselves to the highest level of knowledge and skills that a rider can achieve.
Do: Throughout the year, Pony Club regions also host rallies, and members of a local Pony Club or Pony Club Riding Center are also members of a USPC region. Rallies are team competitions that allow members to showcase their horse management knowledge and their skills within a chosen equestrian sport (aka, discipline). Members of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to compete.
Team competition is a fun and important part of the Pony Club program, as it teaches teamwork, sportsmanship, leadership, and helps members bond during their shared experiences. This team aspect is what makes Pony Club unique within the horse community.
Regional rallies can involve a variety of experiences. Mounted rallies are offered in the competitive Pony Club disciplines of Dressage, Eventing, Gymkhana, Mounted Games, Polocrosse, Show Jumping, Tetrathlon, Trail, and Western Dressage. Another popular kind of Pony Club rally is the Quiz rally, where members use their horse management knowledge to compete in a knowledge-based competition. Rally types can also get as creative as the Everything But The Horse (EBTH) rallies, where members use model horses to learn the ropes of team competition without the added duties of caring for their equine partner.
In addition to these activities, the United States Pony Clubs has created a wide range of instructional and competitive opportunities in various disciplines and involving various breeds of horse, along with special opportunities and programs. There are so many options for members to continue learning about horses and to participate in hands-on learning.
As members LEARN, GROW, and DO within Pony Club, they will have the experience of a lifetime, have fun with horses while developing critical life skills that will transfer into all areas of life, and can become the type of equestrian they have always dreamed of becoming.
