Pony Tails November 2024 by Horse Council BC

PONY TAILS

NOVEMBER 2024

A Letter from Alice

Hello readers!

This month I want to remind everyone of a very important date: on Wednesday, November 13th it is WORLD KINDNESS DAY! This international movement encourages us to change people’s lives in a positive way. Kindness is not about getting something in return: it’s about helping others simply out of the goodness of your heart.

This issue is all about being kind to those around us, whether they are human or not! For example - when you are kind to and take good care of your pony, they will show you that love in return. Being generous and compassionate to everyone we meet - at the barn, at school, or just in general - helps create a better world Try doing something kind today for another person. I promise you it’ll feel amazing when you make someone else’s day!

And on the topic of kindness remember kids: always pat your pony

Signed,

Alice the Pony

Horse/Pony Breed of the Month:

CLYDESDALE

The Clydesdale is a Scottish breed of horse that has been around since the 17th century. It is a DRAUGHT (pronounced/also written as “draft”) horse. Draughts are a group of larger, fuller horse breeds designed for heavy pulling and other farm work. Although their size may be daunting, these gentle giants are known for their sweet nature.

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: Kindness is Cool!

It was a crisp Saturday afternoon at the stables, and Kira, Rhiannon, and Parker were untacking after their weekly lesson. The three girls chattered excitedly while they groomed horses and put away their gear At the other end of the barn, the new girl Lauren stood there puzzled She was not one of the regulars in the 3:00pm Saturday lesson It was actually her first time riding at this barn, and she had no idea where any of her equipment went! Lauren stared down at her boots nervously. She was scared to ask where her saddle and bridle were supposed to go. What if the other girls thought she was weird? Would it be strange of her to go up and approach them? Standing there next to Oliver, who still had all his tack on, she felt silly. She could hear the others talking about their post-riding plans “I’m so excited to go bowling!” Kira exclaimed as she curry combed her pony “Me too!” Parker chimed in, “ even though I’m not very good...” They all laughed. “Don’t worry, ” Lauren assured them, “whether you win or lose, we ’ re getting pizza after either way ” . As Lauren listened to them going back and forth, she felt further and further away from the other girls. Gosh... why did making new friends have to be so hard?

Lauren snapped out of her thoughts once she saw Kira approaching “Need some help with putting your things away?” She asked, extending a hand to help carry Oliver’s tack. “Yes please!” Lauren answered excitedly, passing over his grooming kit. “I don’t know where anything is supposed to go. ” Kira smiled softly. “That’s okay, I’ll show you! And if you ever need any help at all, I’m here almost every day. We’re really happy that you ’ ve joined us!” Hearing those words made Lauren feel all warm and welcome She could tell from her friendly interaction with Kira that this barn would soon feel like a second home “Thanks so much” she responded gratefully “No problem!” Kira replied. She glanced at her other friends, who smiled at them from the other end of the barn aisle, then back at Lauren. “We usually do something every week after our Saturday lesson. Tonight is bowling and pizza. Do you want to join us?”

Lauren nodded enthusiastically. “I would love to.”

As this story illustrates, a little bit of kindness can go a long way You never know how someone is feeling, and how much a bit of positivity and compassion could impact their day. Alice encourages all her readers to practice being kind whenever they can: the world will be a better place because of it.

Horse Colours

What colour is that horse? Test your knowledge of these basic horse coat colours. These are just some of the MANY variations that can be found! If you need help, you can ask a friend or look it up (and if you’re really stumped, the answers are on the last page).

2. 3.

4. 5.

Source: https://www themoviedb org

Pictured above: “Mr Ed the Talking Horse” from the 1960s sitcom of the same name

EQUINE CELEBRITIES ADDITION

Secretariat

Also known as “Big Red”, this legendary thoroughbred was a once-in-a-lifetime racehorse and winner of the Triple Crown Secretariat knew a thing or two about kindnesshis heart was SO BIG, it weighed more than twice that of the average horse!

Source: https://galleryofchampions.com/

Trigger

Fictional movie star horse “Trigger” was played by a beautiful palomino named Golden Cloud. He acted alongside the legendary Roy Rogers in several western films. He knew over 100 different tricks that he could perform for adoring fans on command Take a bow, Trigger!

Source: https://equestrianinfluence com

Source: https://www.horsejournals.com/

This enormous and beautiful Belgian Warmblood was a famous Show Jumper, and the mount of our very own “Captain Canada”, Ian Miller After competing in Grand Prixs all over North America and Europe, Big Ben accumulated over 1 million dollars in prizemoney! This handsome boy now has book mentions, a Breyer model horse, and a large bronze statue dedicated to him