Cloncurry Pony Club is on a mission to keep the tradition alive and running for north-west kids and adults alike.
The club has a rich local history dating back to the 1960's.
Cloncurry Pony Club president, Kelly Walker, recently became involved with the club and said she initially joined the for the social aspect.
"I was new to town and when I first joined the club I didn't really know what to expect," she said.
"I had an interest in horses and wanted to meet new people."
That was almost two years ago. Ms Walker has since joined the committee with the club keen to get more youngsters engaged in 2022.
"We really want to get more kids involved," she said.
"Unfortunately our numbers have dropped due to covid and the 2019 flood impacts.
"There were only around 20 pony club members last year, which is half of what it was previously."
The Cloncurry Pony Club is a member of the overarching Pony Club Australia, which teaches riding skills, horsemanship and how to care for horses.
Fortunately, due to Cloncurry's location, members of the local club learn a mix of both traditional and western style sections.
"Pony club is largely centred around horse sports and events," Ms Walker said.
"You have dressage, showjumping, basic flat work and horsemanship skills.
"On the other hand out here, kids are also exposed to more sporting events such as; bending, barrel racing, campdrafting and rodeo."
Ms Walker said the social element was also a huge drawcard.
"It gives kids an opportunity to try horse riding and see if they like it," she said.
"It's important that kids get outside and meet new friends with similar interests."
However, the club is also searching for more instructors to come onboard as rally days and gymkhanas cannot go ahead without a licensed instructor on site.
"We have been struggling to get more instructors onboard as you are required to have a registration certificate with Pony Club Australia," Ms Walker said.
"Our committee is completing our courses, but it can be difficult to have to rely on just one person.
"The more instructors who have their licence means we have different opinions and teaching styles, which I think is overall more helpful.
"We would love to see more local instructors come onboard."
CEO of Pony Club Australia, Dr Catherine Ainsworth, said horses had been a great source of activity and support for members during COVID-19 restrictions.
"Whilst many competitions had to be cancelled, and we even ran our 2021 national championships in a virtual format, our membership numbers have only marginally declined since 2019," she said.
"Our clubs and coaches were very inventive to keep connected with pony club members using social media and we have a trend of people re-joining in 2022 having skipped a year or two."
Dr Ainsworth said overall the number of horse riders in Australia has declined significantly compared to the 1990's.
"Urbanisation and the expansion of other sports means that it is not top-of-mind in many parts of Australia," she said.
"However, it definitely runs in families and the love of horses is passed down through the generations.
"The positive contribution of horses to mental health is now well recognised."
Ms Walker said they also hoped to get visiting instructors out to Cloncurry to teach kids in different workshops.
The club is open to everybody and anybody who is interested in attending.
"You do need to have your own horse," Ms Walker said.
"But in a close knit community like Cloncurry, someone would be more than willing to lend a quiet horse they have to help out."
The club's first rally day and event for the year will take place on April 3. A gymkhana event is in the works for later in the year.
The club is also calling on local sponsors to come onboard to assist in keeping the club alive and running within the community.
Interested individuals or families are encouraged to get in touch with the Cloncurry Pony Club through their Facebook page or email cloncurrypc@gmail.com.
Want news highlights delivered to your inbox? Sign up to the North Queensland Register newsletter below.