Pony Tails September 2024

PONY TAILS

SEPTEMBER 2024

A Letter from Alice

Hello readers!

Summer is out, and school is back in session But hey, that’s alright with me - because learning is FUN! I’m here to prove that statement with my super awesome September issue of the Pony Tails Kids Club Digital Magazine This month’s publication is full of educational content and horsey themed games for you to enjoy. And... if you have any ideas for next time, feel free to reach out to me over email!

Are you interested in additional learning opportunities? Horse Council BC is partnered with Equine Guelph, which delivers educational content targeted at kids through the EquiMania! section of the Horse Portal Check out their digital platform by clicking on the link below:

https://thehorseportal ca/equimania/

And remember kids - as always - don’t forget to pat your pony!

Signed,

Alice the Pony

Horse/Pony Breed of the Month: Welsh Ponies

Welsh Ponies originate from Wales in the United Kingdom. There are four types - Welsh Section A, Welsh Section B, Welsh Section C, and Welsh Section Dwhich differ in height and body type. Welsh ponies can excel at many different jobs and make for a great riding or driving partner!

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: Mistakes are OK!

It was a nice crisp fall day, and Lucky the pony was riding in the outdoor ring with his owner Rhiannon during their group lesson Five pairs of horses and riders listened eagerly as Coach Steph stood in the center of the arena, giving them instructions each time they passed by.

After warming up with a loose, stretchy walk, and doing some circles at the trot, it was time to go over a few ground poles. Coach Steph set down three poles, each about four feet apart, and then asked Rhiannon and Lucky to go first Rhiannon gave Lucky a big squeeze with her legs and steered him on a straight path towards the poles The pair came out of the corner looking confident and determined Lucky stepped over the first and second poles with ease

However, he had a small trip over the third one, sending it rolling a couple inches out of place As Coach Steph set about fixing the pole, Lucky walked back to the center of the ring with his ears back and his head hanging low. As he stood there waiting with his fellow pony friends, it was obvious that he was upset

“What’s wrong?” asked Panama, who was concerned by her pal’s change in mood “I don’t know...” grumbled Lucky, “I’m just embarrassed about tripping over that pole. Everyone watched it happen, and I feel like I let my rider down I don’t want to disappoint her!”

Rhiannon shook her head, giving her pony a gentle smile “Oh Lucky you could never disappoint me! Even if you make a mistake, you always try your best for me - and that makes you the best pony in the whole wide world!” All of the horses and riders cheered and nickered in agreement “Besides,” Panama added, “ you shouldn’t view making mistakes in a lesson as a bad thing. You should see them as opportunities to learn, grow, and improve!” Everyone else nodded in agreement; including Lucky, who now understood these words to be true “Plus,” Coach Steph pointed out, “if you do the exercise perfectly every time... what on earth will I have left to teach you?”

Everyone laughed and felt newfound gratitude, as they realized that a flawless ride every time would leave their poor coach with no work left to do.

“Give it another go Lucky”, Coach Steph instructed, “and remember - no matter what happens, your instructor and friends will always be here to support you. ”

Alice wants all of her Pony Tails Kids Club readers to know that it’s okay to not be perfect, and that no one is (even those Olympians that were competing in Paris last month... they sometimes get it wrong too!). Making mistakes is a part of life, and each one is a new chance to learn a valuable lesson So, the next time you ’ re in the saddle and something doesn’t go your way, just know you are about to discover something you didn’t know before Alice promises that you will be a better equestrian because of it

Let’s play... at the Barn

Have you tried THIS? Cross off all the horse related things from the Bingo card that you have done. Compare your list with your parents, siblings, or friends, and feel free to share some of the memories you have from doing these activities. It’s nice to look back fondly on the time we’ve spent in the barn!

given a horse a bath

been to a fair/rodeo with horses

jumped a jump on your own feet

been a Pony Tails Kids Club Member :)

watched horses on tv

FREE fed a horse a treat

tacked up a horse made horse treats

gone trail riding

read a book about horses learned the different horse colours

been to a horse show

brushed a horse

helped sweep or tidy the barn learned parts of the saddle or bridle driven by horses in the car talked about horses at school known more than 5 parts of the horse met horses in a new town/city

ridden with a friend brought a friend to the barn

searched up a horsey question online

seen a horse roll in the dirt (it’s so silly!)

drawn a picture of a horse