Online Uproar Forces Removal of Pony Club’s Keep Kicking Sign
After a “mixed reaction” to the Pony Club’s motivational sign, the banner was taken down from competition grounds.
The sign, reading “Keep Kicking”, was on display at Chomondeley Castle, Cheshire for the Pony Club’s annual Championships, which run over a series of 5 days.
The banner was one of multiple signs used around the Championship grounds, that displayed motivational phrases. The aim of the “Keep Kicking” phrase was to promote the mentoring scheme and to “encourage positive riding”.
The sign provoked a mixed reaction. Some expressed that the phrase was well known in the horse world and fulfilled it’s motivational purpose, others branded the sign as “shameful” and “appalling”.
The Pony Club have released a statement, regarding the wording of the sign and acknowledging the upset that it has caused;
The Pony Club is aware that there has been mixed reaction from various perspectives around the sign.”
We thought it would be helpful to explain that the sign was part of a series of motivational phrases displayed to promote the mentoring scheme at the Championships. The scheme is a Pony Club initiative sponsored by NFU Mutual, but the Pony Club would like to confirm the sign had not been approved by NFU Mutual.”
‘Keep Kicking’ is used as a motivational statement within the Pony Club. The phrase is used to encourage positive riding, often as support to young riders who are experiencing extreme nervousness or performance anxiety.”
The statement continued to explain that “gentle kicking or a light inward nudge” encourages the horse and rider to work together to achieve similar goals; the “Keep Kicking” sign was used to “motivate, inspire and give confidence”.
As the Pony Club became aware of offence that the signs were causing, they were promptly “removed within an hour”.
