Horsy News, Views and Attitudes

Vol. 1 Number 11 -- October 1-7, 2007

Art Contest Entries Sought "The Pony Pals" a drawing by Victoria E. of Charlotte, North Carolina is entered in Wiggins' Fall Festival Youth Art Contest. ___________________________________ Local Riding Clinic Proves Popular Attendance Up Saturday's Crandal's Stables Riding Clinic and Open House had twenty-two attendees this year. Riders got to play games including tag, musical chairs and mother-may-I on horseback. "This is one event that gives riders a chance to learn skills while they play games and have fun, rather than compete." riding teacher Jane Crandal said. "Everyone just fools around on their horses, learning without a lot of pressure." Olson's Horse Farms provided some of the ponies used in the event. Clinic attendee Eve Greeley drew a picture of one of Olson's ponies. "Musical chairs on horses was the most fun. I laughed so hard I almost fell off! Maybe I'll get my own pony for Christmas this year," Eve sighed. "My Dream Pony" drawing by Eve Greeley

IS IT Arson? Illegal Leaf Burning Continues, Two More Fires Set This Week Wiggins residents are urged to keep their eyes open for unusual activity around local leaf piles. Last week an unknown person or persons lighted two more. It is illegal to burn leaves in the Wiggins area. Mounds of leaves next to the road seem to be the target for these blazes. "Last week we thought the Baxter fire was an accident," Wiggins Volunteer Fire Department Chief Roger Edwards declared. "We found clues that show there is someone lighting the piles on purpose." "To help out, both Klein's Hardware and the Green Market are offering leaf bags at 50% off. Bag up those leaves to stop whoever is lighting these fires," Edwards continued. All Residents should take their extra leaves to the Mudge Road Composting Site, provided for free by Nelson's Farm. There are signs posted at the corner of Mudge Road and Lilac Lane. _________________________________________________ SAVE THE DATE Fall Festival Saturday, October 27 10am to 4pm Wiggins Town Green

Subscribe today to the free Wiggins Weekly News from the world of the Pony Pals by Jeanne Betancourt email WebMaster@clubponypals.com

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Vol. 1 Number 11 -- October 1-7, 2007

LEARN TO SPEAK HORSE YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED Q. When my pony is tied up it starts pawing the ground and shaking its head. What is my pony trying to tell me? Your pony is saying, "I don't like this. Let me loose to run around." But just like you may not want to sit still when you are in school, ponies must learn to stand quietly when they are tied. Learning to stand quietly when tied is hard for a horse. Horses like to run away when anything bothers them. On top of that, most ponies are so cute when they are little it is easy to forget they have to learn the same things that bigger horses do. So when young ponies are tied up for the first time, sometimes their owners try to pet them when the pony gets upset. Helping your pony to stand quietly when tied takes time to do. Take a book to read and be prepared to stay for a couple hours. Tie your pony up in a safe place. Then sit down nearby, just out of pony reach. Start to read your book and ignore the pony when it paws or shakes its head. Only pay attention to the pony when it is being good. Whenever your pony stands quietly, walk over and pet it or give it a horse treat. Ignore it unless it stands quietly. By only showing love to your pony when it is being good, you are telling your pony what you want. Make sure and wait until the pony is quiet before you praise it. If you do this a few times, your pony will start to understand what you want. If you do this always the same way, the pony will stand quietly anytime you tie it. "Fancy" by Mimi Kline. _________________________________________________________ "Crandal's Barn" by Wilhelmina Wiggins.

Mystery Solved Local Dairy Says 'Moo-se' is Wandering Jersey Cow This week Appamapog Dairy's owners reported that jersey heifer number 953 got loose during Labor Day weekend. Two boys from Wiggins were near Lake Appamapog on Labor Day when they saw a large brown animal disappear into the woods. The boys thought that they saw a moose, rare for the Wiggins area. This started a wild moose hunt, including searches by a local riding group, the Pony Pals. "We could not find any tracks or other proof," said young Lulu Sanders, a club member. Lake Appamapog Organic Dairy owner Michael Straus laughed when he was asked about the moose sighting. "This heifer likes to go on adventures. That weekend she found a hole in our fence and took a walk. She was back by Tuesday night, and we fixed the fence so she won't go wandering again. " Heifer 953 from the Lake Appamapog Organic Dairy herd escaped briefly on Labor Day. _____________________________________________ Youth Art Competition Drawings Needed There is still time for young artists to enter this year's Fall Festival art contest. Winners will receive a copy of a watercolor by local Artist Wilhelmina Wiggins. All entries must be received by October 20th. Entries become property of the Wiggins Weekly and winners' artwork will be published in this e-newspaper. There are two ways for young artists to enter: by emailing to: WebMaster@clubponypals.com, or by US mail to: Club Pony Pals Art Contest, 16645 Soledad Canyon Road, #382, Canyon Country, CA 91387.

Thought for the day -

Men and horses aren't so different.