I had to write a blog to get my thoughts out related to a new member to my favorite POA page saying that "big money runs the club". I'm literally dying laughing. Of all my friends in POA, very few of them are what I call "big money" and the few of them that are a little more affluent give back to the club time after time after time.
MOST of the folks in POA are in our breed for the love of the breed (best little horse around) AND the fact that POA is the affordable breed. I don't venture over to the AQHA show world much to snoop around, I have never attended a paint, pinto or buckskin show, but I have been to an Appaloosa show. My daughter however, does keep her nose in all of those clubs' business. Here's what her take is on it all - POAs are the last affordable DIY friendly breed. They are the last breed where you can show in a training saddle, with a button up shirt on a pony you trained yourself and be competitive. You don't need a full time trainer, a $6500 saddle, a $50,000 horse and a $3500 outfit to win at even our highest level, the POAC National Congress. Our ponies are more affordable, our shows are more affordable and our lifestyle is more affordable. That said, most of us showing POA don't have "big money".
I am literally chuckling to myself inside at the thought of "big money". I'm going to share our personal experience about all of our extra big money. In order to afford owning, showing and breeding ponies, between the two of us, my husband and I have 2 full time jobs and 4 part time jobs along with Tim taking on additional responsibilities at his full time job to make extra money. I teach and work part time at the local restaurant/bar. I also train the ponies and work to create advertising materials for POA free of charge. Tim works at a dairy farm milking cows, works at the school as an AD, coaches track, is an official for basketball, football and track. He is currently working on getting his license to drive a bus. Even with all those extra jobs, we aren't exactly rolling in the dough. We are more blessed than some and we are thankful that we are able to work these extra jobs and afford to do the shows that bring us joy. We still have to make some sacrifices though.
We aren't able to afford a full time trainer. We, my kids and I, literally have to ride our own. We have to take our licks and take our losses when our green horses aren't as polished or ready for the show as the horses in full time training. However, what we have seen at POA is that many other people are right there with us, riding their own ponies and training their own. We spend time in the warm up pens visiting and helping each other; laughing at the crazy things our green ponies do and telling each other what things to look out for in the pen. "That scary corner or that weird looking garbage can" are things we share with each other since we are all in the same boat.
The great thing about training and riding a POA is that they are beginner trainer friendly. Even a green broke POA is quieter and more adaptable to the chaos of the training process than most other horses out there. They are forgiving and wicked smart. You can make mistakes and retrain the pony to fix the mistake. It makes sense. POAs with that foundation breeding have been bred to be kid mounts and the kind of mount a kid can train. It's not surprising at all that disposition is something that has been carried down through genetics over the years.
My oldest daughter told Sophie and I when we got home from our first POA Congress in over a decade that she thought "we were going to get our butts kicked". Instead I was reserve high point in my division and Sophie placed in the top of many of her classes as well. Yes we had our training saddles and work bridles on. Yep, we showed showmanship in our Goodwill jackets and dress pants. Yes, every outfit we owned was hand me down, homemade or discount store bought. I think the most expensive piece of tack we had at the show was Kathy's show halter that had been a gift years earlier. No one made fun of us, or looked down at us (At least not to our faces anyway.... lol) and the judges didn't seem to care.
The folks that can, help out at POA. Business owners give back and donate where they can. Families and farms sponsor classes and awards. We have a few families with "big money" and they make sure that our horse shows have good awards, have live streams and/or nice facilities. We are thankful to them. They don't "run" POA, they support and keep us going. If it weren't for the dedicated, hard working and GIVING members of our club busting their butts day in and day out, we wouldn't be the club we are today. Apologies if some of us are kind of defensive of our active club members working to keep our club going. If it takes a village to raise a family, it takes a megalopolis to keep a club going. I will always have their backs and you should too.
ETA: I feel that I do need to explain that we work those extra jobs, not just for the horse show world- but for the broodmares and stallion we keep. Believe me when I say they cost as much to keep, in the condition I consider what they deserve, as the horse shows we attend. Especially with the outcrosses to outside stallions. Breeding is not cheap, free or easy. If we just kept a couple ponies to show our lives would be much more affordable but…. BABIES! The foals make us so happy!
We also bring multiple ponies to show because we are addicted to the in hand classes AND the riding classes. We show multiple divisions for riding as well. We could show much more affordable within POA. We are willing to work our butts off to chase our big dreams and goals but sure get that others don’t have that luxury. Like I said - we are blessed!
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