Summer Camp is at Castle Irvine, Necarne from Monday 6th – Wednesday 8th July 2026 

Camp is about having fun, friendship and making memories that will last a lifetime.    

Dates and Timings 

Camp will run from Monday 6th to Wednesday 8th July.  Members and their ponies arrive between 8 and 8.30am on the first day.  For the rest of the camp – Lead Rein arrive at 8.30am and Juniors arrive by 8.15am to complete their yard duties and feed ponies.  Seniors staying onsite will feed ponies at night and give hard feed in the mornings. 

A full programme of events is planned, incorporating plenty of fun events alongside stable management sessions and riding.  We also have evening activities.  Full timetable details and ride groups will be sent out before camp.   

Riders – please be punctual for all rides and stable management – ponies should be fully groomed and riders well turned out each day.  On the final day we ask that riders wear show gear. 

 

Stabling 

Stables will be pre-allocated.  We will be using the barn stables and possibly some ponies in the courtyard.  Initial bedding will be provided, you will probably need to bring more.  For any member who would like to lay a complete new bed, please let organisers know so we can inform Castle Irvine.  Members need to supply their own hay/haylage and hard feed.  There will be a stable allocated for this.   

As part of yard management, members are responsible for looking after their pony during camp – mucking out, feeding, watering, grooming, etc.    Instructors will supervise all rides.  For lead rein group parents can assist, all other rides to work independently. 

Members will feed their ponies before leaving camp each day and leave out hard feed for morning and extra hay/haylege.  The seniors staying onsite will check ponies and “throw in” extra hay/haylage about 8pm each evening.  Ponies will be given hay/haylage each morning and hard food (this is to be left ready the night before outside your pony’s stable).   

End of camp – it is the responsibility of each parent to ensure that their child’s stable is left clean and tidy at the end of camp.  Wet bedding must be removed and the remainder of bedding banked up against the walls and the floor brushed to allow the floor to dry.  The Branch will be fined for any stable left in a dirty condition, and the fine will be passed on to the member concerned.   

 

Safety 

NO DOGS AT CAMP 

Please sign your child in and out of camp each day on the register on the noticeboard in the barn.  Please inform the committee member on duty in the yard that your child has arrived. 

All riding hats must be correctly tagged (with the pink tag).  Please speak to a committee member before camp if you need a hat tagged.    

When in the stable every member MUST wear their helmet and appropriate footwear, ie jod/paddock boots – sliders, trainers, soft shoes are not allowed. 

Skull hats and body protectors MUST be worn for cross country.  Riding hats with a fixed peak cannot be worn on the cross-country course.  Body protectors should be Beta Level 3 2018 blue/black label – details on our website. 

Please check your tack is in good condition, especially buckle areas, stitching and stirrup leathers.  

Children should wear gloves when riding and riders with long hair should have it tied up securely in a hairnet. 

If your pony is shod, please check the condition and, if necessary have them reshod before camp. 

We ask that non pony club siblings do not come to camp. 

The passageway must always be kept brushed and clear, there should be no tack/feed sitting in the passageway during the day for safety reasons.  All tack will be stored in a locked room during camp and overnight.   

 

Behaviour 

Members must follow guidance given by instructors and committee members on duty to ensure camp runs smoothly.  The committee are volunteers who work very hard, giving up their own time to help camp to run. Given the age range of members at camp, please be aware we do not want any foul or abusive language, (from parents or older children) discrimination of any kind, or any violence towards animals or people. Any incidents of bullying, including cyber bullying, or fighting that come to our attention will be investigated by at least 2 committee members, including our safeguarding officer. Any member behaving in an unacceptable or discourteous manner may be asked to leave.  

All members and parents should be familiar with the Pony Club codes of conduct which will be applied – https://branches.pcuk.org/seskinore/information-for-members/  

 

Vaccinations 

Please ensure that your pony’s vaccinations are up to date before camp, otherwise they cannot attend – https://branches.pcuk.org/seskinore/passport-and-vaccination-rules-2024-onwards/  

 

Pocket money/valuables 

The Branch is not liable for any loss or damage incurred to personal items.  Mobile phones are not permitted to be carried whilst mounted and there is no secure place for storage, we would prefer they ARE NOT brought to camp.  Pony Club are not liable for any theft or damage of mobile phones or communication devices.  Committee members will be available if children/parents need to be contacted at any time.   

 

Catering 

We ask that parents send a packed lunch for their child each day (seniors please bring a packed lunch on the first day and then lunch will be provided for the other days).  All other senior meals are provided. 

Tea/coffee will be available during the day in the tack room for parent helpers.  We would be delighted if parents would send in scones, traybakes, cakes, etc for snack for adults & children.  We’ll arrange a rota for this. 

Parents will be on a rota for snack & lunch duty (including making sandwiches for seniors and washing up afterwards).  We try to avoid times when your child is riding, but this isn’t always possible, so please ensure you are in the kitchen at the relevant times.    

Each member to bring their own named water bottle, which they can refill at any time.   

 

Welfare 

Camp is for your child to have a few fun days with their pony so they can improve their riding and learn more about stable management.  Please ask your child to tell Jenna/Mandy or one of the instructors if they are unwell or unhappy.  Please complete the attached medical form and return before camp.  Please ensure all relevant information is included – these will be kept confidential. 

 

Parents and Helpers 

Any parent staying on site during the day or overnight must have completed a Pony Club Access NI check – this is FOC.  Parents staying overnight should also complete the Pony Clu Safeguarding training.  We need 2 females and 1 male to stay each night please – if you’re available please speak to Mandy or Jenna. 

A parent or responsible adult must stay with members of the lead rein group whilst they are on-site at camp.   

All members are encouraged to become more independent while working with their pony at camp (give parents some time off!!).  Members are expected to tack up, groom, muck out and look after their own pony (although some assistance will be given where needed).  Our older members will be on hand to help the younger members with tacking up, etc.  

Parents don’t have to stay during the day, but if you are we ask that you help throughout the day – there will be a rota of various jobs to keep camp running smoothly. 

Please do not interrupt any lessons during camp and only enter the arena if an instructor asks.  At all other times parents must stand outside the arena.   

 

Turnout and Inspection 

Inspection will be carried out each morning before the first ride.  The instructor will check the cleanliness of the pony, tack and rider and award marks – this is a traditional part of camp.  Members should wear white/beige or black/navy jodhpurs, long boots/short boots with chaps, hat, white shirt and Pony Club tie, Pony Club Sweatshirt and Pony Club badge.  All long hair should be securely tied back/plaited to prevent it whipping round the face and in a hairnet.  

For inspection (and to get some extra marks😊) most members wear a show jacket for inspection and then change into their sweatshirt for riding.  Anyone who wants to buy a Pony Club badge or tie, please let Pauline know.  If you don’t have a show jacket, don’t worry, maybe another member has one for sale that is too small for their child – just put a wanted/for sale post on our Whatsapp group. 

Secondary school age members should have full manes plaited (tails too if possible), as if presenting for a test. Other rides should have 3 plaits in each day, marks are awarded for effort and it’s lovely to see an improvement in plaits each day – parents can show how to plait and assist but should not be plaiting!!!  Plaits MUST be removed each night for horse welfare. 

Stables should be skipped out and the pony’s hooves picked out before they leave the stable to avoid carrying bedding into the passageway and courtyard area. Instructors will be monitoring this too and points could be taken off!! 

 

Set up and Tidy up  

We ask parents to help with setting up camp and tidying up before everyone goes home.   

We have use of the XC fences at Castle Irvine, but also need to bring some of our own smaller fences.  If you can help us transport the jumps to Castle Irvine on Sunday 5th July, afternoon time and/or collect again Wednesday 9th July afternoon, please let us know.  We also need “muscle” to lift the XC jumps into place and this is easier with a good team. 

 

Prizegiving 

On the last day of camp parents are invited to our Prizegiving at approximately 3.30pm. 

 

After Prizegiving we ask parents to please help tidy up when members are tidying their stables, etc. 

 

Please discuss the relevant parts of this with your child.  A lot of hard work goes into organising and running camp.  What members get out of camp is a measure of what they are prepared to put in.  I trust that we can all work together to ensure that all campers have an enjoyable and educational time at camp this year. 

 

Without the support of parents and our committee Pony Club camp could not happen, so we pass on our thanks in advance. 

 

If you have any queries about anything to do with camp or Pony Club, please contact either of us. 

 

Jenna & Mandy 

 

What to Bring  

• Water bucket 

• Feed bucket & hard feed 

• Haynet (if required) 

• Saddle, saddle pad/numnah 

• Bridle 

• Grooming kit 

• Tack cleaning items 

• Sweat/stable rug (if required) 

• Older groups bring your own bandaging material and rugs for practice. 

• Notebook and pen/pencil and Pony Club Manual 

• Hat (correctly tagged) 

• Whip (if required) 

• Gloves 

• Body protector 

• Riding wear (including a change of clothes in case of getting wet) 

• Waterproof jacket 

• Sun cream (hopefully) 

For our tackroom we will be using a secure room off the stable block, which has no saddle/bridle racks, so please bring a Saddle Mate/saddle stand, etc for your saddle & bridle.   

Please ensure all clothing (PC sweatshirts & coats especially), buckets, etc are labelled with your child’s name.