Heythrop Hunt Pony Club Minimus Camp 2025

Organisers/Contacts

Sarah Taylor — 07801658 885 Jessica Binnie – 07887600915  

hhpccamp@gmail.com

Mini Camp is generally geared towards children under 7 years, depending on experience. If you are unsure which camp would best suit your child, please discuss this with the camp organisers.

All children are either assisted or on the lead rein so will require one responsible adult to stay with them for the duration of camp.

All supervising adults have been DBS checked and have attended a safeguarding course. Camp organisers and instructors have all been DBS checked and have attended a safeguarding course. They have also attended first aid training and there are on site medics to ensure your peace of mind. The children will take part in ridden sessions, stable management sessions, working towards pony club tests and other fun activities.

Camp Set-Up

Sunday 20th July 2025, starting at 10:00 AM. – This usually takes a couple of hours. We heavily rely on help from the parents and children.

Final Day – Saturday 26th July 2025 

All relatives are warmly invited to watch their children riding within their groups in the morning. This will be followed by a clean-up session and prize-giving after lunch. 

Costs

Mini camp £170. There is a £25 discount for second and subsequent children attending either Minimus, Junior or Senior Camp.

Timings 

The riding sessions will follow the usual schedule, starting at 9:30 AM and finishing at 12:30 PM approx. We are putting on lunchtime activities for the mini campers which will run for an hour after riding.

Lunch time

All ponies must be untacked at lunchtime and provided with hay and water. There is no water available on site.

Please ensure that lorries and trailers remain hitched up during the day, so they can be used for ponies during lunch. Shade will be limited if the weather is hot, so please plan accordingly to keep your ponies as comfortable as possible.

Children should bring a packed lunch which can be eaten in the minimus tent.

Communication 

Communication prior to camp, will be via email to the address used to make the camp booking. A WhatsApp group will also be set up for organisers to send information during the week. Please provide up to 2 numbers per child. This will be both to communicate important information prior to and during camp as well as to send pictures during camp week. 

It is imperative we have a mobile number for emergencies. Medical guidelines have recently changed, where it is advised that our on-hand volunteers, (albeit all first aid trained) should always try to gain permission from a guardian or parent before administering ANY medication from paracetamol to antihistamine, even with prior permission. Please ensure we have a mobile number that we can reach you on, in any event, to ensure we can help your child, should we need to.

Help needed 

Camp is a huge undertaking and can only be run with the help of parents. All parents will be contacted and you will be allocated a job dependent on your availability. This could involve setting up camp, stewarding a ride, providing lunch, collecting buns, distributing buns, checking ponies at lunchtime, day to day logistics and clearing up. Pleas let us know if you have a preferred role.

Daily Timetable –

Minimus Camp

Arrive – 9.15

9.30 – Rides start prompt

10.45 – Bun break

11.00 – Rides continue

12.00 – Finish riding, settle ponies for lunchtime – hay and water

12.15 – Lunch and group activity.

We will have a range of fun and educational activities taking place at lunchtime to entertain the children. These will take place separately from the junior camp activities.

Important Information

All attendees must be current HHPC members. The quickest way to renew membership is via the Pony Club – Member Portal.

Please ensure your hats, body protectors, whips, stirrups and all other tack and equipment meet Pony Club standards. Children will not be allowed to ride unless equipment meets these standards. It is imperative you check your equipment in advance to avoid disappointments on the day.

Hats and body protectors will be checked on arrival and tagged with the pink pony club hat tag. Please ensure you arrive on the first day in plenty of time to get these items checked.

Pony flu vaccinations: Please ensure your pony’s vaccination record complies with Pony Club rules. It is important to check not just the annual booster, but also the original course. Full vaccination requirements can be found on the Pony Club website. https://branches.pcuk.org/eastdown/passport-and-vaccination-rules/

Riding Hats  All riding hats must comply with the Pony Club Hat Rule. No fixed peaks are permitted. 

Hats must be tagged with a pink PC Hat Tag. If your hat is not already tagged, please bring it to Camp Set-Up for checking and tagging. Children will not be allowed to ride without an approved and correctly tagged hat.

For full details, please see the Pony Club Hat Rule. 

https://resources.pcuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Hat-Rule.pdf

Body Protectors  Although Pony Club rules state that body protectors are only required for cross-country riding, we strongly recommend that body protectors are worn at all times when riding. All body protectors must meet the BETA 2018 Level 3 standard (blue and black label). For more details, please refer to the Body Protector Standards. 

Spurs (NEW RULE) Children wishing to ride with spurs at Pony Club activities must have achieved either: the C+ Riding Test, or the Spurs Test. Only children wearing hats with a yellow PC Hat Tag, confirming they have the necessary qualifications, will be allowed to wear spurs. For full information, please refer to the Pony Club Guidelines on the Use of Spurs. 

https://resources.pcuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Body-Protector-Rule.pdf

Stirrups Rule  Please note that all stirrups must meet the requirements of the Pony Club Stirrups Rule. 

https://resources.pcuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Stirrup-Rule.pdf

Dress and Tack  Please ensure all dress and tack meet the requirements as detailed on the pony club website.

Heythrop Pony Club kit is now available to order directly from 

Wreal Sports in Bourton on the Water. Please order any items you may need in good time for camp.

https://wrealsports.co.uk/shop/my-club/pony-clubs/heythrop-hunt-pony-club/

Occasionally, we may take photographs of the members at our Pony Club activities, these may be used ourselves for promotional purposes or they may be supplied to The Pony Club head office for use in newsletters, website or other publications. we will contact you to gain permission to publish your child before we use any image.

Please be reminded that any photography or videos you take which may have other children in it cannot be published online in any way without the direct consent of the parent of the child.

A medical form will be circulated to you before Camp. You will need to fill in this form and provide us with details of any medication or additional support your child requires, along with details of 2 points of contact who can provide us with permission to administer anything from paracetamol to a plaster. It is vital these contacts are available on the day of camp for this reason.

Your child cannot attend camp if this form has not been completed.

Your data will be kept in hard copy only and held securely by medics and camp organisers. Any relevant information will only be disclosed to your childs instructor, if it is required to keep your child safe. Your child’s data will be kept safe and on the last day of camp completely destroyed in line with GDPR guidance.

Please refer to the Pony Club Code of conduct for Parents AND for your children.

The Pony Club is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of all its Members and the highest ideals of sportsmanship, citizenship, and loyalty to create strength of character and self-discipline. It is important that all Members, Parents / Persons with Parental responsibility, Officials, Volunteers, and Coaches should, at all times, show respect and understanding for the safety and welfare of others

https://resources.pcuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-of-Conduct-for-Parents-and-Persons-with-Parental-Responsibility.pdf

https://resources.pcuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/updated-code-of-conduct-for-members-final-version-13092022.pdf

By signing up to camp you and your child are agreeing to abide by the Pony club code of conduct as specified in these documents.