Oruanui Pony Club

Waikato Strangles Update – Please Stay Vigilant.

We are aware of the recent cases of Strangles affecting horses in the Waikato region. While the outbreak is currently centred on training and pre-training properties, Strangles is a highly contagious bacterial disease that can spread through horse-to-horse contact, contaminated equipment, clothing, footwear and transport.

If you are attending rallies, competitions or travelling with horses, now is the time to be extra vigilant.

Good biosecurity practices include:

Do not take a horse that is unwell to any event.

Monitor horses daily for signs of illness, including fever, nasal discharge, swollen glands, coughing or loss of appetite.

Do not share water buckets, feed bins, tack or grooming equipment.

Clean and disinfect floats, equipment and gear after use.

Wash hands and change clothing and footwear between properties where practical.

If you suspect your horse may have Strangles, isolate it immediately and contact your veterinarian before moving the horse.

At this stage, NZPCA is not placing restrictions on rallies or events. However, we encourage all Clubs and members—particularly those in or travelling to and from the Waikato region—to review their biosecurity practices and make sensible, informed decisions based on local circumstances.

Thank you for helping protect the health and well-being of New Zealand's horses.

The countdown is on for the 2026 NZPCA Conference & AGM, and we would love to see every Club and Region represented.

This year's theme, Where It Begins, reflects the important role Pony Club plays in developing not only riders and horse people, but also volunteers, leaders, coaches and communities.

Conference is more than an AGM. It is a chance to step away from the day-to-day demands of running a Club or Region and focus on the bigger picture.

Taking place from 24–26 July 2026 at Sudima Auckland Airport.

Conference information:
https://www.nzpca.org/events/agm-conference/agm-conference

Register here:
https://nz.nominate.com.au/equestdn/Event.aspx?e=ECD19923CD714ECF910AA165811AC606&eventlist=8

Oruanui Pony Club Season Dates:

August 1st 2026 to July 31st 2027- Fixed Membership

Our memberships are coming to an end and we would love to invite you to consider becoming:

A Ground User Member: This gives you full access to our Club Grounds including our XC Course. We have a membership available for this so you can bypass filling out a form etc each time you visit.

Pony Club Membership: Do you have a child who would like to become an Oruanui PC Member and join in on rallies and enjoy the Pony Club structured certificate system designed to get young people to gain qualifications. We encourage young people to ride and enjoy all kinds of sport connected with riding through our rallies, events and competitions.

Please get in touch with the friendly team by PM to know more.

Online Ground user form attached.

Oruanui Pony Club Ground User Application 26/27 I wish to apply to become an annual ground user for Oruanui Pony Club for the 2026 – 2027 season commencing 1 August 2026. ANNUAL FEES - Single Named Rider : $160.00 - Family Pass A – 2 named, immediate family members : $240.00 - Family Pass B – 3 or more, named, immediate family members : $28...

🏆 REQUESTING all OPC TROPHIES to be handed back into the club please 🏆

Do you have a trophy at home from years gone past that has forgotten to make its way back to the club?

If so, we would love it to find its way back so we can continue the tradition for all our exisiting members and riders to come.

Please message the page and we are happy to sort out getting it back.

Thanks

Congratulations to Pippa Cooper and Brooke Lee on passing their Pony Club C certificate in pretty awful weather. Well done on all your hard work on achieving this major milestone. Thanks also to coach Lynley Price for her invaluable tuition for these girls.

Hunting Season Is Here!

At Pony Club, riders learn more than just riding in an arena.
They learn how to ride cross country, understand horse behaviour, and be part of a wider equestrian community.

Hunting is a great way to build those skills.
It’s about confidence, teamwork, and learning to ride in real situations.

A big thank you to the New Zealand Hunts Association Inc for their helpful guide for Pony Club members. Find it on our website here:
👉 https://www.nzpca.org/nzpca-resources/the-shared-hub-1/shared-coaching

If you have the opportunity to go hunting this season:
✔ start simple
✔ ride at your own pace
✔ ask questions and learn

You can also complete the Hunting Achievement Badge
👉 https://www.nzpca.org/pony-club-programmes/achievement-badges-1 #

This helps riders learn about:
• safety and etiquette
• how a hunt works
• riding in a group

Find a hunt near you:
👉 https://www.huntingwithhounds.co.nz/directory/

Hunting is one of the many ways Pony Club helps riders grow their skills and confidence.

!

Great turn out at Hunter Jump training tonight. Lots of people not just achieving their goals but smashing them!!

Send a message to learn more

A great big thank you to Taupo Hunt Inc for hosting our rally tonight at the Hunt kennels. We were joined by some Tauhara PC members too, so a total of 24 riders in all.

We started off with a chat with Master Robin and Huntsman Josh about hunting, hounds, etiquette, what to wear and what to do. Then we got to meet the hounds up close, and they loved getting pats and meeting the riders - plus there were some rather cute pups.

Then we headed off into groups to ride. The jumping group started off with cantering in a group, then moved onto jumping logs from trot and going straight before and after, before dual jumping. Then we moved onto jumping wire spars, combinations and ended up with crossing through doubles.

The other groups did some riding around and jumping too.

A huge thank you to Taupo Hunt for the sausage sizzle afterwards which was most appreciated.

Thanks to Tia for the videos which show the progression through the evening.