APPENDIX E Would you like to offer any other comments? AFFIRMATION OF THE VALUE OF PONY CLUB COMMENTS Organizational The United States Pony Club is a fantastic organization that, in my eyes, gives far more than it takes and strives to educate tomorrow's equine professionals in an accessible and attainable manner. Outstanding organization with lots of opportunities We love PC and want it to continue to be the wonderful respected organization it is. Pony club is a great program. I think that Pony Club is a great thing that more people should get involved with Pony club is awesome! I love Pony Club (2) I love USPC! Pony Club Proud!! I love pony club and what it stands for. Keep up the good work! I think Pony Club has a great mission, system of education, and an incredible body of resources for education (both in print/video and in the network of recognized professionals) and that if serious, substantial changes were made to increase accessibility through Riding Centers and for adults to be included, then membership and participation may again increase. The step-by-step curriculum and the group support make a wonderful educational model. I have encouraged 3 more people from my barn and area to join PC and they are loving learning in the well thought out structured way PC is set up. We also have super leaders in our region. As a parent who grew up riding but not in pony club I love how it teaches caring for horses and not just riding to win ribbons. 1 In my day Pony Club was organized by the hunt and field master to encourage young riders to participate in the hunt. In my daughter's day pony club was run by folks who ran barns, gave riding lessons, etc. Today I see parents who know very little about horses bringing their children for an activity. Sometimes a club is lucky to have knowledgeable adults and sometimes the club is very short in horse experts. Thank goodness Pony Club has great instructional material! Best equine education ever. Still believe in what it teaches and does. It is the best educational equine organization in the USA. Keep up the good work - really USPC needs to actively continue as premier HM resource. USPC is a good organization that delivers sound information I do also think that the quizzes on your website are super helpful for ratings. Please keep them up! I personally feel it is an amazing program. Now more than ever we need to be producing horsemen not just riders and Pony Club is one of the last stalwart mechanisms to do so. It is a desperately needed more affordable option for those lower income families. Continue to counter the overall impression that equestrian sports are just for the wealthy. We really have enjoyed joining PC and all of the opportunities it offers! We appreciate what the organization does to try to minimize the financial impacts, including not requiring fancy/new equipment or attire. Pony Club is a great place for kids to learn and experience showmanship who otherwise would not have had a chance, I really appreciate that. Thank you for carrying on the work of educating members about horses, horse care and the value of good sportsmanship What I love about Pony club is any pony that has a sane mind can be used to educate the rider. Not breed or size specific- just good temperament. Horses are better than electronics and cause the rider to take responsibility of the 80 % of what is going on with the horse. It’s a beautiful way to learn life lessons and have FUN!! My child was competitive on a half-arab/half 1/4 horse. Where else is that going to happen? We’re new to pony club and we love our club! Our club is very organized and we’ve great parents, members and coaches and an awesome DC! 2 Only 4 months into Pony Club and my daughter is all in as am I. We have met wonderful people already! Thank you for your work for this important organization! Thank you for all you do for the members! Best wishes for your continued efforts! Personal/Family Pony Club is the organization that I grew up in and helped shape me 30 years ago into the smart confident person I am today. My daughter is now a pony clubber and I'm hoping it will do the same for her. Although when I considered registering her, I got negative feed back and was discouraged by some very reliable well horse people. Which I found very sad My daughter is graduating medical school this weekend and she just put together a proposal for the associate dean of the medical school using the pony club standards as a framework. The dean didn’t change anything. I have worked professionally in the horse industry for most of my life, I attribute my awareness and hyper-vigilant barn management to my foundation in Pony Club. The most valuable knowledge continues to be the safety practices learned in Pony Club. Thank you so much for the fantastic education you've given me! I’ve been in PC since I was nine, ten years this fall. I have had such an amazing experience in the program and will likely stay involved in some capacity even once I graduate college. One of my best friends I met in PC and I am so grateful to have her in my life and it is all thanks to PC. I have gained leadership opportunities, been exposed to teaching which led me to become an education major in college. The school I attend directly referenced everything I have done in PC in my acceptance letter which was exciting, knowing that a structure with no connections to the horse world was able to see the amazing things PC did for me and what I gained from it. #weareponyclub I was heavily involved in PC in the 1990s. I had read about it in a Breyer magazine and it had become a dream to join. Thankfully my riding instructor got us involved and kept us involved. The lessons I learned on safety, horse management and riding still stick with me today. It was the absolute best thing that I was ever involved in. I still benefit from what I learned in Pony Club. I always thought my children would follow in my footsteps, but they all play soccer! No interest in horses, sadly. When I teach riding lessons, I share my Pony Club knowledge with my students. There is no organization better than USPC. The teamwork, the friendships, the respect you learn for your horses and you peers - it is priceless. Hoping one day I can become a volunteer. 3 Pony Club has given me so many opportunities and I think that there are a lot of people that could benefit from pony club too if they knew about it. I was a member of Monadnock Pony Club back in its' second year...yup I am old now. MPC years were some of the BEST of my entire life. Thank you for everything you guys have done! pony club has helped me be a better person while showing my passion of horses! I really love pony club and the opportunities it has provided for me. I’ve made so many great memories and so many new friends through pony club, especially on the IMGE trip to England last year. I love Pony Club. Pony Club changed my life. I am so grateful to be part of Pony club. PC involvement provides an incredible foundation for life long enjoymentof horses I loved my PC experience & am very proud of being a Graduate "A". Those were some of the best experiences of my life & the friends I made I still keep up with thru social media. That is the experience I hope is promoted. Discovering pony club in the mid eighties was the best thing that ever happened or one of the best. Three of my four children were members and each participated in their own way. My one daughter, a graduate h-a is the dc of our local club and my granddaughter is a member. Over the years I have seen many positive changes so pony club is available to more horse loving kids I greatly enjoyed my time in USPC and do value much of what I learned. We believe in the value of pony club for our children! Pony Club was the most rewarding experience I could have wanted for my C2 (now on her collegiate Eventing team) daughter. It prepared her in so many ways for "life.” Pony Club has changed my daughter's life for the better. It has made her into the confident young lady she is now. Have been a mom of a PC member for 2 1/2 yrs. Think it's great, and hope that it will be able to continue in this area. My daughter has truly benefitted from all PC has to offer. 4 In my experience, pony club provided the best education and training for my daughter. I love being part of Pony Club! It really makes me feel like I'm finally part of a team and there are others like me. I’ve done champs and rally for mounted games for many years and every year has been wonderful. I absolutely loved Pony Club when I was a part of it because I got to meet other kids who rode and enjoyed learning about horses Pony club has been a HUGE blessing to my family and could continue to be one to others.