Pony Club is about so much more than ribbons, results and competition. It is about young people learning to ride, developing confidence, caring for their horses, making friendships and, most importantly, having fun.
That is why the message “Let Kids Be Kids” is so important in Pony Club.
Play by the Rules’ national Let Kids Be Kids campaign highlights the impact that adult behaviour can have on children’s enjoyment and participation in sport. When children are yelled at, pressured to win, criticised for mistakes or exposed to arguments from the sidelines, the fun can quickly disappear.
Pony Club is no different.
Let them learn
Every young rider is learning. They will have good days and difficult days. They will miss a distance, forget a rule, have a refusal, make a mistake or finish lower than they hoped.
That is part of learning.
Our role as parents, coaches, officials and supporters is to help children learn from those experiences rather than making them feel that every competition is a test they must pass.
A child who makes a mistake needs encouragement, not criticism. A child who doesn’t win still deserves to go home feeling proud of having had a go.
Play by the rules
Playing by the rules means more than knowing the competition rules. It means showing respect.
Pony Club Australia’s Code of Conduct asks riders to respect officials, opponents, coaches and fellow participants, control their temper, applaud good performances and participate for their own enjoyment rather than simply to please parents or coaches.
The same expectations apply to the adults around them.
Officials and volunteers give their time so our children can ride. They may occasionally make a decision we disagree with, but challenging, criticising or arguing with them in front of children teaches the wrong lesson.
If we want young riders to respect officials, we need to demonstrate that respect ourselves.
Remember whose sport it is
It can be easy for adults to become emotionally invested. We want our children to do well. We want them to achieve their goals. We may see their potential and want to help them reach it. But sometimes helping means stepping back.
It is their ride. It is their experience. It is their childhood.
Our job is to provide the horse, the transport, the encouragement and the support. Not to turn every Pony Club day into a high-pressure competition.
Ask your child what they enjoyed. Ask what they learned. Ask how their horse went. Celebrate the effort, the improvement and the little victories that might never appear on a scoreboard.
Horses should be part of the fun
Pony Club also teaches children something that makes it different from many other sports: responsibility for another living being.
Young riders learn to care for their horses, recognise their needs and appreciate their efforts. Pony Club Australia’s objectives specifically include developing a love of horses, responsibility for their care and good sportsmanship.
A successful Pony Club experience isn’t simply about the result. It might be a nervous rider finding confidence, a young person successfully completing something they have been practising for weeks, or a horse and rider working together beautifully.
Those moments matter.
What can adults do?
We can all help create a positive Pony Club environment by:
- Cheering encouragement rather than shouting instructions.
- Praising effort, improvement and good sportsmanship.
- Accepting officials’ decisions respectfully.
- Never ridiculing a child for making a mistake.
- Remembering that children participate for enjoyment, friendship and learning.
- Supporting every young rider, not just our own.
- Pitching in and helping club officials to run great Pony Club events.
- Thanking coaches, officials, volunteers and organisers.
- Putting the welfare and enjoyment of the horse and rider first.
Pony Club should be a place where children feel safe to try, make mistakes, learn and grow.
So next time we are standing beside the arena, watching a cross-country round or waiting for results, let’s remember the bigger picture.
Let kids be kids. Let them ride. Let them learn. Let them make mistakes. Let them have fun.
And above all, let’s show them what it really means to play by the rules — with respect, kindness, good sportsmanship and a love of horses.
After all, the memories our children take home from Pony Club will be worth far more than any ribbon.
- Let Kids Be Kids – Play by the Rules – Let Kids be Kids | pbtr
- Let Kids Be Kids Mini Course – Let Kids be Kids Mini Course | pbtr
- Code of Conduct – PCA_CodeOfConduct_V1.0_JUL2022.pdf
- Member Protection – Member Protection Policy
- Safeguarding Children and Young People – Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy Template 2023
