For many children, Pony Club camp is the highlight of the whole year — days of riding, friends, and their pony all in one place. For parents, especially the first time, it can feel like a logistical mountain: what does my child need, is my pony ready, and how on earth do I pack it all? Take heart. With a little preparation, camp is a joy rather than a panic. Here is a practical, been-there guide to getting your family ready.
What is Pony Club camp?
Camp is usually a few days to a week where members bring their ponies together for daily ridden lessons and stable-management sessions, often staying over (with the ponies stabled or in temporary paddocks). It is where children improve enormously in a short burst, gain real independence looking after their own pony, and make the friendships that keep them in the Pony Club for years. For younger members, many branches run day camp — riding and activities by day, home each night — which is a gentler introduction.
The mix of riding and hands-on care is the whole point: children learn to muck out, feed, groom, tack up and keep an eye on their pony, building the horsemanship the Pony Club tests are based on.
Is your pony ready for camp?
Camp asks more of a pony than a quiet hack at home. Your pony should be:
- Safe and sensible in company — happy to ride in a group lesson with other ponies close by.
- Settled away from home — able to be tied up or stabled without its usual field-mates and not work itself into a state.
- Reliable to handle — easy to catch, lead, groom, tack up, load and have its feet done, often by a slightly nervous child.
- Fit enough for several days of work in a row — camp is more riding than a normal week.
- Up to date on vaccinations (branches require this) and recently shod or trimmed.
Your pony does not need to be fancy — a calm, honest allrounder has the best camp of all. If your pony is very green or gets genuinely upset in company or away from home, talk to your District Commissioner well beforehand; they would far rather help you prepare than see you struggle on the day.
The kit list
Your branch will send a full kit list — read it early, because assembling everything is the single biggest job. As a guide, expect to pack:
- For the pony: tack (clean and well-fitting), spare leadrope and headcollar, rugs, feed and buckets, hay and haynets, full mucking-out kit, grooming kit, a stocked first-aid kit, fly spray, and the pony's passport.
- For your child: correctly-fitted riding hat, body protector, riding clothes and spares, waterproofs, wellies and yard boots, gloves, sun cream, a filled water bottle and packed lunch (if day camp), and — if staying over — sleeping kit and wash things.
- Label everything. In a field full of children and ponies, unlabelled kit vanishes. Name every rug, brush, bucket and boot.
Much of the pony side overlaps with everyday ownership — our tack and kit guide covers the essentials, so camp mostly means gathering and labelling what you already have.
Preparing in the weeks before
- Build the pony's fitness gradually so several days of work is comfortable, not a shock. Start well before camp — see our guide to getting your pony fit and your everyday daily routine.
- Practise the away-from-home skills — tying up, being handled by others, standing quietly, loading calmly. If your pony rarely leaves home, a couple of outings first pay off.
- Check the paperwork and healthcare — vaccinations in date, feet done, passport to hand.
- Do the kit list early and label as you go, rather than in a midnight scramble the night before.
- Talk it through with your child — a little idea of the routine (mucking out, lessons, looking after their pony) turns nerves into excitement.
The families who enjoy camp are simply the ones who prepared. A fit, sensible pony, a labelled kit bag, and a child who knows roughly what to expect makes for a brilliant week. Leave it all to the last minute and even a lovely pony and keen child will have a stressful time.
The bottom line
Pony Club camp is one of the great experiences of a horsey childhood — daily riding, real responsibility, and friendships that last. The secret is preparation: a pony that is safe in company and settled away from home, an early start on the kit list with everything labelled, and healthcare and fitness sorted in good time. Get those right and you can relax and enjoy watching your child thrive. Read our guide to Pony Club tests and levels and parent's guide to Pony Club next, or browse Pony Club ponies for sale.