We have changed the ‘levels’ of the youth program classes. Instead of being organized by age only, they will be organized by age AND experience level. The idea is that once a student is age 6 they can progress, and be rewarded, as they become competent with the skills of that level. This will also help me compromise between keeping kids in a group only by age or only by skill level.

The “Parent, Pony & Me” class will now be re-named to “Intro To Ponies” and is our Level One class, Pony School will be Level Two and Riders’ Academy will be Level Three (both keep their names).

We’ve also started to really organize a badge system, and the badges will play part in the Level One – Level Three progression. I have the outline to the badges completed and hope to get to work on actually creating and getting badges suitable to Velcro to backpacks (etc) by this fall. The skills to earn the badges will be learned by coming to classes, and at this time we plan to offer 4 – 6 opportunities to be tested through out the year. We hope to hire someone from ‘outside’ our organization to do the testing, especially for Level Two & Level Three, and we hope that testing days will be a ‘community event’ (BBQ, barn party, etc).

Minimum Class Size

Because of the changes to the youth classes (the ‘levels’) and because of the RSVP software change I’m making some changes to minimum class sizes.

Currently if only two students signed up for the “Intro To Ponies” (formerly the Parent, Pony & Me class) or one student for the Pony School classes, the classes were cancelled with a notification showing on the website on the RSVP closing date (usually 2 days before class). This is going to change to the following;

1. Intro To Ponies (formerly “Parent, Pony & Me” class) – if two sign up there will still be class as normal. If only one signs up class WILL BE CANCELLED. The RSVP system should send an automated reminder email the day before class, please check the website to see if your child is the only one signed up for the class, and if so know that class will be cancelled. I will do my best to get this programmed into the RSVP software, but I can not make any promises for the near future.

2. Pony School – if only one signs up for class we will treat it as a private riding lesson, and the fee is $20.00 (not the normal pony school fee of $15.00). Again, you can check the website when you get your reminder email so you’ll know what fee you’ll be paying.

Weather Changes

All private lessons (including Riders’ Academy private sessions) will be subject to weather cancellations. In the warmer months we can ride in a ‘chance of light rain’, in the colder months private lessons can be cancelled due to rain, cold (under 40 degrees) with high winds (20mph).

Intro to Ponies (formerly Parent, Pony & Me) used to be cancelled if the weather looked ‘iffy’. This is going to change to go along with the badge program. Like Pony School and Rider’s Academy group sessions, we will hold Intro to Ponies classes as long as the weather is not dangerous (tornado warnings, ice, lightening storms etc), and we will do ‘inside’ activities to start working towards the first badges.

Cancellation Fee

The policy is, if you RSVP for a class using the website and do not attend class, you are responsible for a cancellation or no-show fee. The fee for the “Intro To Ponies (Parent Pony & Me)” and “Pony School” and the ground handling / halter team class is $5.00. The fee for Riders’ Academy lessons, private lessons, or other calendar events like ‘clinics’ etc is now $10.00. Cancellation fee for off property events like shows will be posted with each event.

Practicing showmanship

Practicing for showmanship

Practicing for showmanship

Practicing for showmanship

Practicing for showmanship

Practicing for showmanship

Starting this month we will offering a clinic type class called “Riding Theories”. This clinic will offer information on horse training theory with topics including; bending, suppleness, horse fitness, horse learning models, etc. This class will not teach any non-riding topics such as grooming, tack etc.

While students will mount up and ride, it is only to experiment with theories being discussed (this is not a normal ‘riding lesson’), and students will share the use of lesson horses / ponies. The use of other teaching aids will be used (white board, photos, hand outs or videos).

Cost of these clinics are the same as Riders’ Academy and private half-hour lessons, $20. Non-riding participants are also welcome for $5.00 (for example, parents). Length will be determined by the number of riding participants, but will be at least 1 hour.

The purpose of this clinic class is to introduce the concepts of ‘theory’ as a group to encourage discussions of the principles, and to introduce these ‘theories’ slightly seperate from the typical riding lesson format (which focuses more on riding techniques). Hopefully this clinic will plant little ‘seeds’ of knowledge that will eventually develop into wisdom during our normal riding lessons.

This class is suggested for riders who have started doing posting and sitting trot work off the lunge line. This class also requires a certain measurement of maturity. :)

For those who want to participate in the May show, please email me to let me know by Wednesday the 18th.

I can’t believe it has been 7 years since she was born (May Day)!

I had purchased her dam, Daisy, from a farm about 3 miles from our place. She was very people-skittish and though it took us quite a while to work things out she became my son’s riding pony. In 2003 I purchased Rosie’s sire, Noah, and about a year later Rose was born.

As Daisy got closer to her due date my son and I kept a close watch on her. The night she was born we had finished up our barn chores for the night and were getting ready for a Pony Club clinic my son had the next morning. Around 11 pm he had gone out one last time to say good night to her, and as I was fussing at him to get back up into the house I heard “FEET! FEET! I SEE FEET!!!” – and within about minutes she was born.

We sat there and watched and watched… and she sat there, lights on but nobody home. Then it was like watching a computer boot up, she started to blink then started to make noises and she came to life. :)