Wokingham Branch of the Pony Club - Camp Frequently Asked Questions
Wokingham Branch of the Pony Club - Camp frequently asked questions
Who can come to camp?
Everyone!!!! We cater for all ages and levels…. From the very minis aged 45 to the seniors aged 25…. All are welcome and catered for
Do I sign up for mini or residential camp?
General guidance for which camp to attend is as follows:
- Members aged under 11 years and under are invited to mini camp (those still in primary school).
- Those over 11 are invited to residential camp (either attending or about to start senior school).
If you are still unsure what is more suitable for you or you have any questions, please contact Suzy Turner.
How do I sign up for Camp?
This year you will be able to secure your camp place with a deposit of £50 paid via the Online system on the website by 30 January!
The remaining payments have to be made by 30 June to Sparsholt and you can either pay the full amount by 15 June or pay in instalments as follows:
- Residential & Senior Camp - March £100, April £100, May £100, June 15 - £55
- Mini Camp - March £100, June 15 - £45
What can I expect from mini camp?
This is from Monday morning until Wednesday evening. Ponies stay on site and members can choose to go home for the evening or stay on site with a parent/guardian. Activities during the day between 08:30 – 16:30 don’t need to be supervised by a parent, but we do expect that parents in attendance will take back the care outside of these hours. Parents are welcome to join us for meals for a charge of £5 per person and evening activities and are more than welcome to spend the day on site. We do ask that parents leave the members under the supervision of instructors/camp organisers when riding/doing stable management. Families are welcome to stay on site in tents/caravans/horseboxes and a list of local accommodation can also be provided.
What can I expect from residential camp?
Members and ponies/horses are dropped off and settled in by parents on Sunday lunchtime. Members then stay on site in tents/caravans/horse boxes for the week. Members are encouraged to share accommodation and Suzy can help find friends to share with if you are new to the club. There is supervision 24 hours a day from the camp team including instructors, organiser and camp mums. Parents are welcomed back at 09:30 on Saturday morning to help pack up and cheer on our members for the final show and prize giving, before going home at lunchtime.
What can members expect in terms of riding?
Members are put into groups based on age and ability. Everyone rides twice a day doing a mixture of flatwork, jumping, xc and mounted games, dependant on age and ability. The emphasis is on having fun and making progress with friends. The horses usually have half a day off and the members do other activities (last year was a Pilates session on how to improve their core strength and position on the horse!)
What other activities does camp offer?
Every day members will also take part in stable management/horse and pony session. Members will be expected to take responsibility for the care of their ponies/horses for the week. Evening activities differ each year but have included cake decorating, quizzes, treasure hunts etc.
How do members mix together?
Everyone is encouraged to support and mix with each other at camp. It’s fantastic to see the smallest of minis interact with the older members. There is a real emphasis on support and making new friends, which Wokingham is well known for. Those on residential camp are also put into mixed non-riding groups from across the rides. These groups share stable duties and compete together for camp prizes.
What facilities does Sparsholt have?
We are very lucky to have the use of 3 fantastic out door and 1 indoor arena, a full set of show jumps and the xc schooling field. Ponies/horses stay in permanent, well sized stables. Hay and straw are also provided in the cost of camp. Feed must be brought from home, shavings can be purchased if required. Secure tack rooms are also available. The college also has showers to clean up at the end of each day, in the main gym which we have available for us to use.
What happens about catering?
All meals are provided and dietary requirements catered for. Meals are home cooked and the camp eats together….. and the food is DELICIOUS!!! We ask that everyone brings a cake to camp as everyone loves a slice of cake after riding!