In the West Australian town of Carnarvon, 900 kilometres north of Perth, members at the local pony club will soon have access to their monthly lessons via Zoom.
Key points:
- Carnarvon Horse and Pony Club will introduce remote learning this year
- Riders who live far away on stations will have access to zoom lessons
- It is aimed at improving participation and membership numbers
The remote learning program is new to the club this year and is aimed at ensuring families that live on far away stations can still feel included.
Club vice president Ainslee Hutchinson said some members lived anywhere between 100 and 400km away from the grounds.
“Basically they can still follow on and be doing exactly what the kids here at the local Pony Club are doing so they don’t get left behind and it also just helps to keep them engaged,” Ms Hutchinson said.
“It’s just not possible for them to come in all the time and it shouldn’t be expected either.
“They’re working and they’ve got things to do, just like everyone here in town.”
Remote riders expected to boost numbers
Remote riders will be offered four lesson plans throughout the year and have access to coaching via Zoom and phone calls.
The program will be adapted to each individual and the equipment and riding facilities they have at home.
Ms Hutchinson also hoped the idea would also help boost fluctuating participation numbers.
“In years gone by, the club was quite large but recently we’ve gone down in numbers and probably looking at 10 to 30 members,” she said.
“Our juniors go away to boarding school and things like that, but then they come back as adults and return here again.
“It’s one of our main challenges — we can have very, very small numbers to suddenly, the following year, having very large numbers.”
Online pony club for rider safety and horse welfare
Participation was one of the main goals behind Pony Club so just being able to turn up in an online capacity would make a huge difference for some riders.
“Pony Club really base their core values on education rather than competition so the fact that they can just get out and give everything a go is way more important than coming in to a competition,” Ms Hutchinson said.
“It also improves their safety and the horses’ welfare so we also get peace of mind that these kids are out on the stations have learned their core values and their teachings and they’re more likely to be a lot safer with their riding.
“It’s wonderful when riders have aspirations to go further and to compete but our real aim here is just to make everyone comfortable and safe … and to enjoy it along the way.”
Families are keen to get on the zoom call
With the first official Pony Club rally at Carnarvon only a week away the announcement of remote learning has piqued the interest of some far-flung families.
“It has prompted some comments from people out on the stations saying that they’re more likely to join pony club now that this is being offered,” Ms Hutchinson said.
“So that’s really humbling to hear that they’re more inclined.
“It also just proves why this is so necessary … and it means their membership is more worthwhile.”
