PONY TAILS
OCTOBER 2024
A Letter from Alice
Hello readers!
I am back with an extra spooktacular version of this month’s magazine! I hope that this special issue will help get you in the Halloween spirit all October long
On the previous page, you will see my buddy Oliver and I all dressed up in our fabulous costumes We love to wander around the farm with our Trick or Treat bags and gather all the carrots and apples we can... sometimes even when it’s not Halloween
I’m so curious to see what my readers and their ponies will dress up as this year What are you going to be? Email me a photo of you and your pony by November 1st for a chance to be featured in our next issue!
Happy Spooky Season everyone - and remember, always pat your pony
Signed,
Alice the Pony
Horse/Pony Breed of the Month: Zangersheide
The Zangersheide is one of three warmblood sport horse breeds coming from Belgium (a country in Europe), with the other two being the Belgian Warmblood and Belgian Sport Horse. These horses are very athletic and excel specifically in the sport of showjumping. Zangersheide horses are easy to recognize, because they all have a “Z” at the end of their name.
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!
Horse pictured: Cairo Z
Story Feature: The “Haunted” Stable
One dark and stormy night, Rhiannon was finishing up her evening chores alone at the stable. As she continued on flick, flick, flicking, dirt down the aisle with a broom, she found being all by herself in the dark to be quite eerie Every so often, a bolt of lightning would pierce the sky, followed by the bellowing sounds of thunder The wind whistled through the barn and between the stall doors, making them sway open and shut with a high-pitched creeeeak Cobwebs lined the ceiling, as tiny spiders crawled through the rafters spinning endless webs Every few seconds, the lights would flicker off and on. Despite the fact that the other riders had gone home over an hour ago, the sights and sounds made it feel as though Rhiannon wasn’t alone
All of a sudden, the air around Rhiannon became very cold, and she could sense a presence in the room. She stopped sweeping and stood up straight, her eyes darting all around her. Everything in the barn still looked the same, so she shook her head and went back to work She resumed sweeping until a few moments later, when she heard a click clacking sound traveling towards her There was a quiet rustling near the feed room She looked around again, but it was still just her alone in the barn What is going on? She thought to herself, her gut telling her there was something watching her. I must be working too hard she decided, figuring the long hours at the stable were making her so tired that she was imagining things.
But all of a sudden, the raging storm shut off all the barn’s power, leaving Rhiannon swallowed by darkness From the abyss, she could hear footsteps again, this time a little louder. “Hellooo???” she called out down the aisle into nothingness. The sounds stopped for a second, then turned and continued moving closer to her. Rhiannon’s blood ran cold, and her breathing became quick and shallow “Who’s there?” she demanded to know in a panic She could tell, whatever it was, it was only a few feet away, and she could see clouds of its breath forming in the chilly air Another bolt of lightning struck down, illuminating the inside of the barn and exposing the terrifying creature It was a freakish thing; a cloaked monster with several legs and no face. Rhiannon shrieked and ran around the corner, ducking behind a stall door and quivering as she hid
Moments later, the backup generator kicked in, and all of the barn lights turned back on Although she was petrified, Rhiannon slowly peeked out from behind the stall door to catch another glimpse of the monster. But, as it turns out, it wasn’t a monster at all. There in the middle of the barn stood none other than Alice the pony herself She had somehow managed to escape from her field and had wandered into the barn in search of some grain At some point on her adventure, she had managed to get her fall blanket stuck over her head, making her appear like one of those sheeted ghosts that people dress as for Halloween “Oh Alice,” Rhiannon scolded, setting down her broom, “ you scared me! How on earth did you get out of your field?!” She walked over and unveiled Alice’s cute little head, then righted her blanket and tightened all the straps She gave Alice a fond pat on the neck and returned her safely to her paddock, making sure to double check the gate was locked as she said goodnight
This is a reminder kids... make sure you always check that your blankets are snug, your ponies are put away properly, and that everything is done right before you leave the barn. Otherwise you could be in for a real fright! Happy Halloween from Alice and her friends
Horse & Rider Costume Inspiration
For This Halloween Season
Do you want to dress up with your pony this year, but have no idea what you should be? Don’t worry - Alice has got you covered! Check out the inspiration list below for an idea that’s clever and easy to replicate.
SAFETY TIP: Remember to desensitize your pony gradually and properly to any costume pieces you ’ re putting on them Any paints or dyes you use on them must also be washable and non-toxic
Superheroes
Barbie and Ken
Pirates
Dragons
Princess and the Frog
Rockstars
The Grinch & Max
Matching Condiments (Peanut Butter & Jelly, Ketchup & Mustard, etc.)
Buzz Lightyear and Woody
Witches and Wizards
Skeletons
Painter (if you ride a paint horse, you can splatter your clothes in the same colour as their patches!)
Wild animals (paint your horse as a tiger, giraffe, or zebra)
Detectives
Mummies (you can probably find some white polos or standing wraps at the barn to help you out with this one!)
Vampires
Knights
Alice in Wonderland (Alice/Mad Hatter/ Cheshire Cat/etc.)
Wizard of Oz characters (Dorothy/Toto/Scarecrow/Tin Man)
Aliens
HORSEY FACTS OF THE MONTH - HALLOWEEN
ADDITION
So Spooky
Horses are FLIGHT ANIMALSwhich means that if they sense danger, they will spook and run away rather than stay and fight!
Skeletons... oh my!
Once fully grown and developed, horses have 205 bones in their body!
Tasty Pumpkins
Looking for a Halloween snack for your pony? Pumpkin is non-toxic to horses and can be fed to them in small amounts
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