If your child is getting a pony, the Pony Club is very likely about to become part of family life — and deservedly so. Founded in 1929, it's taught generations of children to ride and, just as importantly, to look after a pony properly.
What the Pony Club actually offers
- Rallies: regular coaching sessions with qualified instructors, usually far cheaper than private lessons.
- Badges and efficiency tests: a structured ladder (E test through to A test) covering riding and horse care. Children love collecting them; parents love that their child now knows how to check a pony's feet.
- Camp: the highlight of many childhood summers — a week of riding, friends and very muddy laundry.
- Competitions: friendly teams in games, show jumping, eventing, dressage and more.
- The Centre Membership route: children without their own pony can join through a linked riding school — a brilliant way to test enthusiasm before buying.
How to join
- Find your local branch through pcuk.org — branches are organised by area, and most welcome visits before you commit.
- Join as a member (annual fee, typically modest) and pay per rally or event you attend.
- Turn up, be friendly, offer to help with poo-picking. Pony Club runs on volunteer parents, and mucking in is the fastest way to make friends.
What makes a good Pony Club pony?
The classic Pony Club all-rounder is worth its weight in gold and sellers know it — you'll see "PC pony" proudly in adverts. Look for:
- Temperament first: queues calmly at rallies, waits its turn, isn't fazed by fifty other ponies and a tannoy.
- Genuinely versatile: happy to do a dressage test in the morning and bending races in the afternoon.
- Traffic-proof and box-happy: Pony Club life involves a lot of travelling to things.
- Forgiving: your child will make mistakes in public. The right pony ignores them.
On Pony Search you can filter directly for Pony Club ponies — sellers tell us exactly what their pony has done.
A word on the social side
Ask any horsey adult where their best childhood friends came from, and the answer is usually Pony Club.
For children, it normalises the unglamorous parts of pony ownership (everyone else is also covered in mud) and builds real independence. For parents, it's an instant support network of people who've solved every pony problem you're about to have.
Want more detail? See how children progress through the Pony Club tests and levels, and get ready for the highlight of the year with our parent's guide to Pony Club camp.
New to all of this? Start with our guide to choosing your first pony — and mention Pony Club ambitions to sellers, who'll tell you honestly whether their pony would enjoy it.