Camp Senior Entry

Pony Club Camp is a holiday to share with your four-legged friend – and of course, friends you have made within the Branch.

Attending camp for the first time can be quite daunting.
There are a number of forms for you to fill in as well as all the kit you and your horse need to take with you.

1. Camp deposit is required when you register and you are able to do this from the Parents Meeting in March.
2. Kit list, rules and guidance will be emailed to during march and can also be downloaded from this page.
       We suggest you download and print these, bringing them with you to the camp meeting.
3. Those with a place on camp can pay by instalments or in one payment.
   
4. Consent forms and payment balance required by the camp meeting in July.
       ‘Pony Health Information’ and ‘Information on Members’ these forms can be
   downloaded from our Branch web site and will be emailed to you.
5. Camp meeting in July
         .. all those going to camp are expected to attend
                     Ponies passports are verified for Flu and Tetanus
                     Somerford are currently operating a 12 month Flu policy
                     We will go through the camp Health & Safety and Rules
   Pay your £10 stable deposit
   Collect your camp polo shirt
6. Arrive at Somerford
                     Members are NOT allowed on the Woodside yard before 6pm
                     If you are arriving before 6pm park and wait on the main car park
                     Before unloading your pony at Woodside report to camp check in
                     You be shown which stable your horse/pony is in
   There will be a plan of where your tent/horsebox/trailer goes
   Hand in your ponies passport
                     Extra shavings can be bought at £9 per bale, paid for when they are taken
                     Cake should be left in the pavilion
7. During Camp
                     Visitors are not allowed except by prior arrangement
   Any visitors must on arrival make themselves know to a camp
                     organiser and ‘sign in’. 
8. Departure of Somerford
                    Parents can arrive on Friday from 9am
                    On the last day there is a show and the camp presentation
                    You must not leave before the Yard Manager has inspected your ponies empty stable
                                 Collect your stable deposit
                                 Collect your ponies passport
                                 Woodside has to be vacated by 3pm

• You will arrive at the Woodside complex with your horse on the Friday evening not before 6pm, settle your horse/pony in the stable, put all your riding equipment in the lockable tack room, set up your tent and once parents have left we will have a first night briefing where members can ask any questions they may have.
• We will have activities such as cross-country practice, flat work and jumping lessons, stable management talks, badge sessions, evening events and finish at 2pm on Sunday, leaving Somerford no later than 3pm.
• There are qualified instructors, first aiders and security in the form of committee members at all times.  All meals are included in the price but we must be informed of any special dietary needs well in advance of camp. There is always something available for members to eat or drink.
• Haylage for the horses is also included in the price but if your horse requires hay you will need to supply your own. You will be provided with two bales of shavings but any additional bales will incur an extra charge of £9 per bale, payable on collection.
  Straw is not permitted.  
• Hard feed for the horses is also included in the price but if your horse requires and special feeds or supplements you will need to supply your own.
• Members are put into groups based on the ability of the horse and rider.  This is one of the reasons why it is important to attend the mounted rallies so that our instructors can assess which group you and your horse will be best suited to at camp.

Summer Camp takes place annually at Somerford Park at the end of July and places are very limited.

Members must be 10 years old or over on 1 January of the year of attending camp.  All activities are supervised however members must be capable of tacking up their own pony correctly, carrying out basic stable management duties and be comfortable riding their pony in open spaces such as the cross country field, also called ‘the 80 acres’, and on the farm ride at Somerford Park in small groups.

Members MUST have attended a minimum of THREE ridden rallies before camp. Three rallies  is a minimum requirement and a significant number of our members attend many more.  You must have attended at least three ridden rallies on the horse/pony that you intend to bring to camp with you. 

From the parents meeting members will be able to register for camp and pay the deposit. Should it be oversubscribed, priority will be given to active members who attend our rallies and other events regularly, as well as members & parents who support the committee whenever possible at branch events, competitions and rallies, with setting up, clearing away etc. Those members who arn’t offered a place will go onto a ‘waiting’ list. The waiting list deposit will be refunded if a place does not become available.
Members who get a place and are unable to attend will loose thier deposit if their place is not filled.

At the Camp meeting, held in July, horse passports will be checked to ensure that all horses are up to date with their flu and tetanus injections, the ‘tidy’ stable deposit will also be collected.   You must also bring your completed consent forms. If you are unable to attend this meeting it is your responsibility to arrange for this to be checked by a camp committee member before the date of the camp meeting. 

Camp payments must be made in full by the camp meeting. If we do not hear from you before this date your camp place may be offered to someone else. 

If you have any questions please contact Sarah or Ian, details on our website.

Please label all items with the member’s name, wherever possible.
Please do not bring valuables to camp 

Kit List Members: 

• Pony Club approved and tagged riding hat and or jockey skull cap – see The Pony Club hat rule
• Waterproof coat without a hood that can be ridden in (NO hoods around the ponies)
• Jodhpurs / breeches – enough for 5 days – any plain colour for instruction days. White / beige for Competition Day
• Riding clothes bring enough for 5 days, including – PC sweatshirt(s), PC tie, PC badge, Camp polo shirt(s), riding boots, gloves, long sleeve cross country top
• Casual clothes for after riding activities
• Long riding boots or jodhpur boots with chaps (NO socks visible!)
• Wellingtons / yard boots for mucking out (NO flip flops or trainers in stables)
• Jacket for competition day with white shirt
• Whip – short (for all disciplines), schooling (dressage only)
• Complete change of clothes in case of wet weather: long sleeved shirt, jumper, thick trousers or jodhpurs
• Several changes of underclothes and socks
• Body protector and medical armband for the farm ride and cross country training
• Long sleeved t-shirt, sun hat or cap and sun cream, if the weather is likely to be hot
• Sponge bag: toothbrush, toothpaste, face cloth, soap and shampoo, towel x2
• Pyjamas or nightie (plus a fleece, joggers and thick socks in case it is cold)
• Hairbrush, comb and hair bands and a hair net for long hair
• Flip flops for the showers
• Pillow, sleeping bag, camp/air bed (plus an extra cover in case it is cold)
• Tent, torch
• Mug or cup, plate, bowl, knife, fork, spoon, teaspoon, T-towel
• Pony Club manual, pen, pencil and a notebook
• Avoid bringing expensive items to Camp, you do so entirely at the Owner’s own risk – there will be nowhere to re-charge mobile phones
• Money for tack shop – maximum £20. Put it in an envelope with your name on and hand in with your horses passport
• Money for extra shavings at £9 per bale 

Kit List Horses: 

• Usual set of tack plus spare girth and at least two saddle cloths or numnahs
• Head collar and lead rope
• Boots for show jumping and cross country
• Fleece or wicking rug – to cool off and/or dry horse
• Light Stable rug for cooler nights
• Grooming kit including a hoof pick and plaiting bands
• Tack cleaning kit including saddle soap, two sponges and a small bucket
• Towel to dry your horse
• Mucking out tools: fork, brush, skipping out bucket or wheelbarrow.
• Large water bucket
• Feed bucket
• Hoof oil and brush
• Tail bandage
• Haylage net x2 (minimum)
• Feeds: mix and chop is included. Any special feed requirements and supplements should be bagged and labelled with the member’s name (you will require enough for 5 days).
  Feeding will be supervised
• Haylage is included. You can bring Hay if you pony doesn’t eat Haylage
• Money for extra shavings if required

Horses and ponies: Must be fit and well.  Parents will be asked to take home any pony or horse showing signs of lameness, contagious disease or illness.  Please make sure your pony is suitably shod or trimmed before camp, as Somerford Park does not have an emergency farrier in residence.  Your horse must be vaccinated against tetanus and flu and the vaccinations must be up to date.

Stabling: Horses will be stabled at all times. Grazing is not available at Somerford. Two Shavings will be provided, more are available to buy. Members will be expected to skip out but will not need to remove all the wet (unless very wet). Somerford Park require everyone to remove all the bedding on Friday. Members will require parents to help them with this in order to leave the stables clean.  Any clean shavings may be taken home if you wish but you will need to supply your own bags for this purpose. If you require extra shavings, they are available to buy but must be paid for as they are taken or you can bring your own.  Somerford Park Farm does not permit the use of straw at the Woodside complex.  Haylage is provided for all horses. You may bring your own hay if you wish. Special feeds and supplements must be clearly labelled with the members name on them.

Equipment: Members must bring, and be responsible for, all their own clothing, personal equipment, saddlery and stable equipment. All belongings must be clearly marked with the member’s name, except for saddles, bridles and head collars. Members must wear riding headwear which complies with the Pony Club hat rule. 

Tidiness: Somerford Park expects all areas to be tidy at all times.

Arrival: Members are NOT allowed at the Woodside stables before 6pm. If you arrive before 6pm park and wait on the main farm ride car park. On arriveal at the Woodside Yard Pony Club members may NOT unload their pony until they have booked in with the yard manager and surrendered their horse’s passport. 

Leave: Pony Club members may not leave camp without the prior permission of the yard manager. The stable bedding must be emptied onto the muck heap, when the stable is clean the stable deposit and horse passport will be returned. Leaving without the permission of the yard manager will forfeit your stable deposit. 

Welfare: In the event that any member should be unwell or have any problem during camp, please report to a committee member immediately.  Please inform us of any dietary requirements or health conditions well in advance of camp. 

Parents: Parents are expected to be available to help at camp and we have a rota for meals, pavilion duties and arena support. Everyone is welcome from 9am on Friday for the show and presentation and all parents must be available to help clear the stables of clean and dirty shavings and remove everything from the camp field and tack rooms.  Please note that we endeavour throughout camp to ensure that members wear suitable clothing and footwear around the ponies and stable yard e.g. strong shoes with toes covered, long sleeved t-shirts etc, therefore when dropping off on Sunday and picking up on Friday, please make sure that you also wear suitable footwear and clothing.

Behaviour: Members must follow instructions given by committee members.  The committee are volunteers who work very hard, giving up their own time, in order to allow events to run. Any member behaving in an unacceptable or discourteous manner will be asked to leave. 

Dress: Members must be smartly dressed at all times for riding.  All riding headwear must be Pony Club approved. Jockey skull caps, long sleeves, body protectors and medical armband must be worn for cross-country lessons and the farm ride. At all times when on the stable yard and around ponies members must wear suitable clothing and footwear e.g. strong shoes with toes covered, jodhpurs etc, pyjamas and flip flops are not acceptable. 

Jewellery: No jewellery or body piercing. 

Gas: Wagons are not to be used as sleeping accommodation for members or helpers at Somerford Park during camp. 

Medical: You must complete a medical form and a consent form for each participating member and return them at the camp meeting,or to a member of the camp committee prior to the camp meeting.  These form will be emiled to you and are available from our website.  If parents are unavailable at any time during camp, please let us have alternative contact details in case of an emergency.

Instructors: The instructors work hard from 8am through to 5.30pm, outside of these times members should direct all enquiries to the committee that are stopping at camp. 

VISITORS: Will not be allowed during the week unless by prior arrangement. Any visitors must on arrival make themselves know to a camp organiser and ‘sign in’. 

No dogs 

No smoking or alcohol

RULES FOR PONY CLUBS AND CAMPS 

1. SOMERFORD PARK IS NOT A PLAYGROUND. There is to be no riding of bicycles, frisbee throwing, ball games, roller-skating, climbing on fences etc.

2. CHILDREN MUST BE SUPERVISED AT ALL TIMES. We have a very busy driveway, lake and yard with heavy machinery and wagons on the move.

3. NO DOGS ARE ALLOWED WITH ANY CAMP. ANYONE BRINGING A DOG WILL BE ASKED TO REMOVE IT. 

4. NO LITTER. We supply litterbins to ensure the area around the tents and caravans can be kept clean and tidy, and also the indoor and outdoor schools. You are also responsible for ensuring your stable block and tack room areas are swept regularly and kept free of litter. 

5. NOISE AT NIGHT. Our regular clients expect quiet enjoyment of the facilities outside the times that you have booked them. Please ensure that noise levels are kept down after 10.00pm, and switch off stable, canteen and toilet lights. Residents at Somerford Park will appreciate your consideration. 

6. THE LIVERY YARDS ARE PRIVATE. Under no circumstances should you enter the permanent yards. 

7. NO SMOKING IN OR AROUND THE STABLES, TENTS OR PAVILLION AREA.

8. IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF ANYTHING PLEASE COME TO THE OFFICE, RING THE BELL AND ASK.

If everyone abides by the rules, we can all enjoy your stay at Somerford Park!