Pony Club
Pony Club is an educational organization that provides a program that teaches riding and horsemanship.
Michael Minor, a San Diego Country Estates resident for 38 years, is the Ramona Vicente Pony Club District Commissioner and has held this position since May 2022. He is newly retired from Ramona Unified School District as a special education teacher, having spent most of his time teaching at Ramona High School.
The Pony Club fundamentals include instruction, safety, sportsmanship, stewardship and leadership. The club currently focuses on dressage, eventing and hunt seat, but Minor hopes to expand the instruction lineup to include western-style riding and vaulting.
The equestrian sport of eventing, which is like an equestrian triathlon, was first recognized in the Olympics in 1912. The sport originated as a calvary test comprised of three phases: dressage, cross country and show jumping. Dressage shows the graceful partnership of a horse and rider through a sequence of movements. Hunt seat is a discipline that mimics fox hunting and includes jumping a horse in a controlled fashion.
Pony Club Members participate in rallies as the primary form of competition, and as they earn new certifications, the rally levels increase in difficulty. Historically, Pony Club has been for children, but now adults are accepted as members. The core group for this chapter is ages 8-18, and they focus on equine education.
Ramona Vicente Pony Club offers two mounted and unmounted meetings per month on the 2nd and 4th Thursday at 6 pm. This schedule will run through September and October, at which point they will set a new schedule to accommodate its members. The mounted and unmounted instruction is provided by International Equestrian Trainer Candace Regal. Each session is an hour long. Mounted instruction focuses on jumping and dressage, while unmounted instruction focuses on horse management, nutrition, health and first aid. The members also need to know the parts of the horse, saddle and bridle.
Minor says pony club rallies are similar to scouting jamborees. Pony club rallies are like horse shows, and members are tested on their knowledge. Rally teams have a stable manager, and the members ride in the rally discipline. “It’s a way for kids to compete,” says Minor. “And you don’t have to have a fancy show horse.” He adds that horse shows can be costly, and Pony Club gives kids who ride an average horse an opportunity to compete. Rallies also have a quiz where the members can show what they know.
Ramona Vicente Pony Club has five members and is looking to grow its membership. Pony Club is a pathway to learn, and it doesn’t take away from a student’s trainer but rather supplements training. Membership is open to people of all ages and experience levels. For more information, please call Minor at 619-972-0164 or email him at mhminor38@gmail.com.
Photos courtesy of Michael Minor.
