Issuu

A Letter from Alice

Hi kids,

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and it’s made me think of all the things I love: carrots, a good scratch on the withers, and most of all... my readers! That’s why I’m back with another awesome issue of the Pony Tails Kids Club digital magazine. This Valentine’s-themed issue features a whole bunch of facts, stories, and games created by me... from the heart.

I hope you enjoy this month’s edition. Make sure to keep spreading kindness and love all around you. ESPECIALLY to the amazing horses in your life. ...

And the best way to show them you care is...? You guessed it - to always pat your pony.

Love, Alice the Pony

Horse/Pony Breed

of the Month: WELARA PONY

This unique cross (pictured to the left) belongs to one of our Pony Tails members, and combines two different breeds: the Welsh pony and the Arabian! This wonderful mare has the hardiness and good temperament of a Welsh pony, along with the endurance and distinct look of an Arabianmaking her an all-round outstanding horse. Thank you Janelle for sharing your beautiful girl with us!

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!

Photo courtesy of member Janelle

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day was next Saturday, and the riding arena viewing lounge was abuzz Kira, Matt, Lauren and Ryan were all busy yammering about their favorite barn tradition: giving and receiving candy grams Coach Steph had been running the Candy Gram community fundraiser for over a decade Every year, each rider would send out a goody bag of candy to their bestest friends: for every purchase of a candy gram, all of the proceeds would be doubled and then donated to a local horse sanctuary

“I got four last year ” Lauren declared with pride “I’m hoping this year I’ll get DOUBLE Then I’ll have enough candy to feed me until Christmas!” Then Kira piped up, “I remember that. Last year the fundraiser was such a hit, we managed to feed all the horses at the sanctuary for over a week Hopefully this year we can increase our goal!” Everyone continued chatting excitedly, trying to guess how many candy grams they would receive and attempting to do the math for how much money they could raise They were all so excited

All of them, except for the new girl Emily While the others were absorbed in their conversation, she sat alone on a chair in the corner. She glanced at the others longingly The thing about Emily was that she wasn’t afraid of much She would jump the biggest logs out on the cross-country field Moments before stepping into the show ring, everyone else would be nervous, while she remained cool as a cucumber. She was the first to volunteer to go up to the hay loft to fetch the spare arena equipment - even though it was rumored to be haunted. But despite being so brave, Emily was still terrified of one thing: the thought of no one sending her a candy gram on Valentine’s Day

“What’s Emily doing in the corner by herself?” Lauren asked, glancing over to where Emily was seated. She was fiddling with her hands, her eyes staring down at her boots nervously “Hmm I’m not sure, ” Kira pondered, “but I know it must be hard being new to this barn The four of us have been friends for so long She’s probably just scared to join in with our group. There must be some way we can make it easier.” The students looked at around at each other, silently contemplating how they could include Emily After a moment, Ryan piped up. “I have an idea!” He declared, then quieted down to a whisper “But we have to keep it a surprise until Friday ” The group huddled together and spoke in low voices as they devised a plan

Meanwhile, Emily glanced up to see the four riders whispering to one another in a closed-off circle. Oh brother, she thought, look at them. They would never want me to be part of their friend group I better kiss my hopes of getting a candy gram goodbye

Valentine’s Day rolled around, and all the riders were gathered again in the viewing lounge for the handing out of candy grams Coach Steph held a giant wicker basket that overflowed with goody bags of sweets. Each baggie was accompanied by a handwritten card, addressed with care from the sender Surely none of those are for me, Emily thought. Ugh. Why do I even have to be here?

“First and foremost,” Coach Steph announced, “I want to thank everyone who participated in the fundraiser and bought a candy gram for their friend. Because of you guys, we were able to raise enough money to help the sanctuary fix one of their paddock shelters!” All of the riders cheered with joy They knew this important facility renovation would allow the sanctuary to take in more horses in need. Emily smiled to herself She had gone on a whim and purchased four candy grams - one for Lauren, one for Matt, one for Kira, and one for Ryan. Even if she didn’t get any in return, at least the funds were going towards a good cause

“Now, the moment you ’ ve all been waiting for. Time to hand out the candy grams!” Emily watched Coach Steph go around the room with her basket of goodies, handing out bagged sweets to everyone she passed. The riders thanked one another and hugged, their hearts touched by all the nice things their friends had written to them in their cards Emily let out a big sigh Fitting in at her old barn had been so easy; she wondered if she would ever feel that way here.

“Last but not least,” Coach Steph said as she stepped in front of her, “ we have a very special candy gram for Miss Emily” She pulled a GIANT bag of candy out of the bottom of her basket - it was at least three times bigger than the other ones It was stuffed full with Emily’s favourites: including cookies and cream Hershey’s kisses. How had they known? Accompanying the bag was a card signed by every single person at the barn. It was full of so many kind remarks:

“Happy Valentine’s Day Emily! You are such a great rider, and I’m glad we’re in the same lesson group.” -Lauren

“Thanks for always reminding me where the next jump is on course. You’re soooo smart! I don’t know what I’d do without you.” -Ryan

“Whenever I feel scared to do an exercise in our lesson, I always look to you. I really admire your bravery!” - Matt

“Not only are you great with horses - but you’re kind, funny, and awesome to have around! I hope we can become best friends this year.” - Kira

“Welcome to the barn Emily. All of the riders have told me how excited they are to have you join us, and I couldn’t agree more. We are so happy you are here!” - Coach Steph

Emily’s heart swelled with all of the kind words. In spite of her worries, it was clear now that she was admired and cared for by everyone around her In all that time she was stressed about fitting in, she failed to see the truth: that everyone loved her because of all the amazing ways in which she stood out

Happy Valentine’s Day <3

Activity of the Month:

FILL-IN-THE-BLANKS

Put your horsey knowledge to the test by completing the following sentences.

1.A male horse is called a S _______, or a G ______ .

2.A female horse is called a M ___ .

3.A baby horse is called a F ___ .

4.Horses eat G ____ when they’re out in their pasture. They also eat a dried version of this called H __ .

5.Horses have F ___ different gaits. They are W___, T___, C_____, and G _____ .

6.Horses are H ___ animals, which means they prefer to live in groups with other horses.

7.When you ’ re riding, you steer and stop by using the R ____ .

8.When you ’ re riding, you make the horse go forward by squeezing with your L ___ .

9.If a horse needs help staying warm in the winter, they wear a B ______ .

10.Horses like treats - some of their favourites include C ______ and A _____ .

[Answers on the last oage]

HORSEY FACTS OF THE MONTH

The Heart Rate Scale

You’ve probably been to the doctor and heard your own heartbeat with a stethoscope - but have you ever wondered what a horse’s might sound like? Here is a scale of the horse’s heart rate at each gait in beats per minute (bpm).