PONY TAILS
J U L Y 2 0 2 4
A Letter from Alice
Hello readers!
Long time no see! I have been so busy travelling the world and making new pony pals that I haven’t had the chance to write to you in a while. But don’t worry... that is all going to change. From now on, all of my honorary Pony Tails Kids Club members will receive my special magazine once a month Yippee!! Each issue will contain activities, stories, and loads of interesting facts about horses for you to read and enjoy
For those of you that are new here, I want to give you an especially warm welcome from the Pony Tails crew. I know that you’ll be a great addition, and we can’t wait for you to join in on all the fun!
Signed,
Alice the Pony
Dartmoor ponies originally hail from - you guessed it - Dartmoor, in south-west England. They can survive in cold climates with harsh weather and poor vegetation. They can grow up to 12.2 hands high!
What breed do you want to see featured in our next issue? Reach out to Alice at ponytails.alice@hcbc.ca and let her know!
Story Feature: Panama’s Pal
CAN I TELL YOU A SECRET? I HAVE BEEN FEELING AWFULLY LONELY LATELY. MY OWNER MOVED ME TO A NEW BARN, AND I DON’T KNOW ANY OF THE PONIES HERE. MAKING FRIENDS CAN BE SCARY AND I OFTEN DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO OTHER PONIES. THEN, THIS MORNING, MY OWNER PUTS ON MY HALTER AND LEAD ROPE AND TELLS ME THAT WE WE’RE GOING TO GO FOR A WALK. WHERE TO? I THINK TO MYSELF.
WE PASS BY BRIGHT GREEN TREES AND PRETTY RIVERS UNTIL, FINALLY, WE GET TO A RUSTED IRON GATE. I LOOK OUT AND SEE LOTS OF PONIES GALLOPING AROUND THE FIELD BEYOND THE GATE. A BROWN AND WHITE HORSE SEES ME AND CALLS OUT. HE SEEMS FRIENDLY BUT I AM STILL SCARED AS I HAVE NEVER MET HIM BEFORE.
MY OWNER GENTLY PATS MY NECK AND SAYS, “SWEET DREAMS, PANAMA. GO OUT AND MAKE SOME NEW FRIENDS, OKAY?” THEN, SHE WALKS OUT OF THE GATE AND BACK DOWN THE PATH UNTIL SHE IS AS SMALL AS A PIN. I TAKE A FEW STEPS, NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF. NEXT THING I KNOW, THE BROWN AND WHITE HORSE IS STANDING IN FRONT OF ME, AND HE NICKERS A SOFT GREETING.
“HELLO.” HE SAYS. “MY NAME IS PATCH.” A NERVOUS FEELING FLUTTERS AROUND MY TUMMY AND I STRUGGLE TO KNOW WHAT TO SAY BACK.
“HELLO.” I FINALLY SAY. THAT IS ALL IT TAKES SOMETIMES. THAT FIRST STEP, THAT SMALL MOMENT OF BRAVERY. PATCH WAS VERY NICE TO ME, AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOW LOVELY THE SUMMER SUN FELT ON OUR BACKS AND WHAT SHOWS WE WERE GOING TO COMPETE IN THIS SEASON. PATCH INTRODUCED ME TO ALL THE OTHER HORSES IN THE FIELD: SUGAR, HONEY, BRUNO AND OLD TIMBER. EVEN THOUGH I WAS NERVOUS AT FIRST, I FOUND FRIENDS THAT WELCOMED ME HAPPILY. NEW EXPERIENCES CAN BE SCARY BUT, WITH A FRIEND BESIDE YOU, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
Crossword Fun!
THEME: THINGS YOU FIND INSIDE A STABLE
Can you help Alice fill in the crossword? Check out the clues below, then fill in the letters in each box to form the correct word! If you ’ re really stumped, don’t worry... the answers can be found on the very last page.
ACROSS
What you use to groom your pony. 1. Where all the bridles, saddles, and other equipment is kept. 2. What you clip your pony into while they’re getting ready so they don’t wander away. 3.
DOWN
The place where your pony is kept inside the barn. 1. What you use to sweep up your spot when you ’ re done riding. 2. The tool that you use to scoop your pony ’ s poop. 3.
HORSEY FACTS OF THE MONTH
Foals can stand within two hours of being born.
What strong legs they have!
Horses are herd animals, meaning that they prefer to be in groups.
Most breeds of horses need to wear blankets for bad weather, which is like a horsey raincoat!
JULY 2024 COLORING PAGE
FOR EACH DISCIPLINE, RIDERS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAR DIFFERENT THINGS. THIS RIDER IS DRESSED FOR CROSS-COUNTRY.
CAN YOU COLOUR IN THE PICTURE AND LABEL ALL THE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT? (ANSWERS ON THE BOTTOM OF NEXT PAGE)
HCBC OFFICIAL PARTNERS
