WHAT IS A POA?

     The Arizona POA Club welcomes you to the world of POAs.  This athletic horse has the speed for games as well as the patience for rail events, including costume, pleasure classes, rail, reining, jumping and leadline to name a few.  POA's can accommodate adults in addition to youth making this horse the ideal family mount.  Uniquely family oriented, youth compete in all english, western and gymkhana events while the adults compete in western and english pleasure, trail, halter, driving and reining.  Parents are also paired with 6 year old and younger in leadline classes.  The POA has a solid past with over 50 years as a registered breed with a very exciting future.

     The founders of this youth oriented breed registry set out to develop a quality mount for children.  From the first POA foaled in 1954 from an  Appaloosa/Shetland cross to the 50,00th POA foaled in 2008, these colorful sweet-tempered mounts have been stealing the hearts of kids and adults alike.  Through careful out crossing with Appaloosa, AQHA and Arabian bloodlines, POA breeders through the past 5 decades have developed a pony that stands between 46 and 56 inches, with the beauty and refinement of the Arabian, the color of the Appaloosa and the versatility of the American Quarter Horse.  A quiet disposition, quality conformation and color are still the most important traits considered in the POA breeding programs of today, which extend all across the US and even into Europe.

     Kids and POAs develop special bonds.  This closeness seems to come from being similar in size.  Youngsters can comfortably handle the everyday tasks associated with riding, like picking out hooves or brushing the mane and tail.  They can "reach the pedals" so to speak.  It is not uncommon to find youth competing successfully on  ponies as young as 3 years old that they have trained themselves, or even on stallions - such is the nature of this breed's easy-going disposition.

     Our 19 & over training program provides an avenue for adults to compete using registered POAs four years and  younger, culminating in the International Futurity each fall where these junior ponies can win financial rewards and often find their first youth owner.  This program helps ensure a steady supply of well-trained ponies safe enough for even the youngest of riders.  For the adult owner that can't bear to sell that pony they've trained, the National Board has recently added 19 & over pointed classes for adults riding any aged POA.  Since the halter, longe-line and pleasure driving divisions also have classes for adults, POA shows offer something for the whole family.

     These gentle child-size equines can give a boy or girl confidence and responsibility which will serve in later life.  The POA moto is "Try hard, win humbly, lose gracefully, and protest with dignity."  This perhaps more than anything else, sets POA exhibitors apart from others in the world of horse show competition.  Boys and girls cheer for each other even though they are competing against each other.  Deep friendships are made that last entire lifetimes for both parents and childen from coast to coast.  POAs are perfect for trail and endurance riding, ranch work and hunting.  Their gentle disposition, durability and intelligence of the breed serves well.

     From the original national POA club there are state clubs, state shows, regional shows and sales, a world class international show and sale and classic championship shows.  Besides the usual high point standings, the breed has Register of Merit Awards for halter, performance and gaming.  A POA earning all three receives the highest of all awards, Supreme Champion.  Breeders whose POAs receive a number of these outstanding awards can earn Bronze, Silver, Golden and Diamond Premier breeder Awards. 

     The Arizona POAC sponsors approximately 10 local shows per year.  Not all members show as there are some families who use these POAs in lesson programs, endurance riding, trail riding, jumping events and gymkhana events.  We also have a Junior Club headed up by youth board members, where kids work on community service and fund-raising projects, clinics and of course, get togethers for fun on and off the ponies.