New Zealand
Meadowbank Pony Club
Service category:
Pets & Grooming
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Description
Meadowbank members graze their ponies on around 40 hectares leased from local authorities. While the heart of the club is the little A-frame clubhouse at the intersection of St Johns and St Heliers Bay Roads, the land sprawls outwards in both directions, including across the road where pony paddocks gradually recede into the distance.
Because they graze in communal fields, it’s important that their temperaments allow them to mix happily with others. Just as the ponies have to be sensible without drama-queen tendencies, so too their owners – or more specifically their owners’ parents – must be hard-working, co-operative sorts. The terms of the pony club’s lease dictate it must maintain the property to a “park-like standard” and so parents are expected to provide labour at monthly working bees where tasks such as repairing fences, trimming trees, clearing gorse and painting jumps are performed.
In addition to 18 paddocks, 24 yards and two stables, which are reserved for injured horses, the club has two dressage arenas, a show-jumping arena and a cross-country course consisting of 25 jumps. Though some members ride purely for the love of it, others compete in local and national competitions.
Because they graze in communal fields, it’s important that their temperaments allow them to mix happily with others. Just as the ponies have to be sensible without drama-queen tendencies, so too their owners – or more specifically their owners’ parents – must be hard-working, co-operative sorts. The terms of the pony club’s lease dictate it must maintain the property to a “park-like standard” and so parents are expected to provide labour at monthly working bees where tasks such as repairing fences, trimming trees, clearing gorse and painting jumps are performed.
In addition to 18 paddocks, 24 yards and two stables, which are reserved for injured horses, the club has two dressage arenas, a show-jumping arena and a cross-country course consisting of 25 jumps. Though some members ride purely for the love of it, others compete in local and national competitions.
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