Dear members and parents,
Thank you all for your continued support and participation in Pony Club. We have a busy summer of activities ahead before concluding the current membership year in August. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our upcoming rallies, camps, training sessions and tests.
I would like to extend a very warm welcome to our new members. Current membership of the club stands at over 220. For those who are new to us and as a gentle reminder for those who already know us well, Hong Kong Pony Club is a voluntary organisation operating for more than 50 years in support of Pony Club's mission to provide children and young people with opportunities to develop a lifelong love of horses through fun, friendship, horsemanship and sport.
We try our best to make the most of limited resources available for equestrianism in Hong Kong through a programme of activities that encourages and supports members at various stages of their growth. Please remember that all Hong Kong Pony Club examiners, coaches and administrators are volunteers juggling other pressures and commitments too. Please respect our good will and behave with courtesy and consideration, including showing respect for our policies on timely membership renewals, event registrations, submission of required information and payments.
The Pony Club Efficiency Tests
The Pony Club training system in Hong Kong comprises of a series of Efficiency Tests from D through to D+, C, and C+. Covering essential aspects of riding and pony care, these tests offer a tried and proven pathway for preparing young people aged 8 - 14 years to enjoy a lifetime of fulfilment with horses. This year, we have introduced revised syllabuses to ensure that our learning in Hong Kong continues to align with evolving international expectations that places increasing emphasis on social responsibility and animal welfare.
Pony Club Efficiency Tests are designed to guide and give encouragement to children as they grow both physically and in competence and confidence over time. While every child is unique, in general children are expected to progress from D through to C+ level with regular practice and incremental learning reinforced by formal assessments every two years or so from ages 8 to 14. Because horsemanship is inherently practical, children cannot learn it from a book or by watching others, but they will develop skills and gain experience through regular practice over time.
The importance of Pony Care
All riding centres in Hong Kong are very busy and the work of looking after ponies and horses is the responsibility of professional adults. Even for children who are fortunate to attend regular riding lessons, it difficult to spend enough time with ponies learning to understand their behaviours and responding to their basic needs.
The primary purpose of Hong Kong Pony Club is to support Hong Kong's riding centres in creating more opportunities for children to learn about ponies and have fun while doing so. Please come to our activities with the expectation of spending time caring for ponies, including cleaning them and cleaning up after them. We do not offer study sessions to cram for Pony Club Efficiency Tests.
Schedule of future events
Many of you are keen to know what Pony Club has in store for the new membership year, starting in September. We have already posted some activities on our website and will endeavour to publicise more activities up to next Chinese New Year by the time everyone goes back to school. We receive a lot of queries regarding information that is already available on our website. I urge you to please read event information properly and do not register for events that you are not eligible for.
We welcome queries by email to secretary@hongkongponyclub.com but please note that our esteemed Pony Club Secretary, Daisy Won, is a very important person and does not work for Pony Club full-time. We appreciate your patience.
Thank you again for being part of our club and community. As your District Commissioner, and on behalf of the Pony Club Committee, I always welcome constructive feedback on how we can serve our members better. Please reach out to me at dc@hongkongponyclub.com.
With kind regards,
Elise McAuley
District Commissioner
Hong Kong Pony Club
