Horsy News, Views and Attitudes Vol. 1 Number 36 March 24-30, 2008

Ride in a late snow

Photo courtesy of

Votes are In:

Members Want Their Own Pony

Last week's survey results don't surprise Jane Crandal. The local horse trainer knows how having a pony makes a kid happy.

"The best part about being a trainer is seeing the look on a rider's face when they succeed in a lesson," Crandal said. "They gain confidence when they learn to control their pony. Confidence is the basis for making decisions in the rest of life."

"Everyone likes ponies," Crandal continued. "We plan to make sure that every Club Pony Pals member gets the pony they've always wanted."

Pam, Anna and Lulu were surprised and pleased that members want to meet them.

"We really like that people want to meet us," Lulu Sanders said. "It's great to have so many friends all over the world who want to be Pony Pals!"

Anna Harley knows that learning about ponies can be fun. "Acorn has taught me so much about myself in learning to care for him. Sometimes I think he's taught me more than I've taught him!"

Carly R. heads home after running an errand for her Mom in Norco, California

Photo Courtesy of Gina Verazzi, Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-outthere21mar21,0,4218503.story

Wiggins Weekly Survey

Which is your favorite pony?

· Pam Crandal's Lightning

· Anna Harley's Acorn

· Lulu Sanders' Snow White

Vote at http://www.clubponypals.com.

_________________________________________________________

RESULTS FOR LAST WEEK'S SURVEY

What do you think is most important about the new Club Pony Pals game?

219 Having my own pony

216 Meeting Pam, Anna and Lulu

214 Learning about ponies

214 Taking virtual riding lessons

211 Puzzle games

210 Meeting other Pony Pals at the barn

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Horsy News, Views and Attitudes Vol. 1 Number 36 March 24-30, 2008

LEARN TO SPEAK PONY

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Q. This week I got a new English saddle and breast collar. I rode my pony twice and then I noticed a bare spot on my pony's chest. What does this mean? Should I not ride him any more? Is my saddle OK?

A. Whenever you ride a horse with new tack it is very important to check that it fits well. The bare spot you sent a picture of shows that your breast collar is wearing on that spot. It may be too tight, too small, or have a rough spot on that piece of the breast collar.

Put the breast collar back on your pony and look at what part of it is rubbing where the hair is gone. Then take it off and look at that part on the breast collar.

In the picture you sent, it shows the little flat part of the breast collar that is in the middle of your pony's chest is what is rubbing. The back of that piece is wearing a hole in your pony's chest!

If the collar was not too tight, then it needs to be padded. You can take it to a saddle maker or shoe shop and have them glue on a small piece of sheepskin or soft leather on the breast collar. That will only fix if the breast collar where it is rough, not if it doesn't fit!

Pony Pals Letters

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Davina

Please put my email on subscription list. I love Pony Pals!

Orla

Dear New Pony Pals Davina & Orla,

Welcome to Club Pony Pals! We look forward to hearing about your adventures!

Editor

Dear Wiggins Weekly

Three young friends, the girls who call themselves the 'Pony Pals,' asked I write you.

My grandfather Simpson settled on eastern Mt. Morris just before the first War, way back in 1904. He logged off the hill, sold the lumber and built a home in Wiggins. While I was growing up that hill was covered with small trees.

Jeanne Betancourt wrote about when I was young in a book called "Ponies from the Past". Just like my young friends, Abigail Wiggins and I rode ponies, too.

Then I grew up. I married Mr. Eastman. He loved to ski and so did our two girls. Our family built and ran a small family ski resort. We even had a rental business and restaurant. The big metal machines on Mt. Morris are the bases of our old ski lifts. I had to close the resort when my husband died.

It is so nice having young friends. I like to get letters, you can write me in care of the Wiggins Weekly.

Sincerely,

Lydia Simpson Eastman

Read a letter from Pam! Pony Pals Letters

Continued on page 3

Pony Pals Poem for the day - -

A loose pony is always looking for new pastures.

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Horsy News, Views and Attitudes Vol. 1 Number 36 March 24-30, 2008

Pony Pal Letters

Continued from Page 2

Dear Pony Pals,

After Anna, Lulu and I visited Mrs. Eastman last week she seemed happier. I think she is lonely and when the Pony Pals Club came to visit again, it made her glad.

Saturday we all went for a ride. It looked like maybe it would snow in the afternoon. But there was some sun in the morning and we stopped in Mrs. Wiggins' field to practice jumping. We all talked about how we have to make a plan about the Mt. Morris marker. None of us had any ideas.

But then the survey came out on Sunday night! More people voted for having a monument than not. Before school we all agreed to have a Pony Pals meeting at lunch.

When we sat down to eat, Anna said she wanted to do a drawing of what the monument should look like. We all liked that idea.

Lulu said that she thought we could hold a fundraiser for the monument, like a bake sale or a rummage sale.

My idea was that we could go to talk to Mr. Shapiro the Town Clerk and ask what he thought. Maybe he could tell us how the town of Wiggins might help us find some money.

Anna and Lulu both said that Mr. Shapiro already told us there was no money for a monument. I said that he also said there might be money if people wanted it. The survey said that people want it. I think Mr. Shapiro will know how we get the City to believe us.

Anna and Lulu and I all agreed that asking his advice is the first thing we have to do. I said I would ask my Mom if it was okay to do it on Tuesday. Anna said she had her tutor at four o'clock but if she went right after school it could work. Lulu said she would ask her Grandma.

Everyone said yes, so on Tuesday we all

went to City Hall to see Mr. Shapiro. First, I reminded him about Mrs. Eastman, the old Mt. Morris ski resort.

We told him about the new Wiggins Weekly survey and said that showed lots of people want to see the monument built.

Anna said she was drawing a picture of what it would look like. Anna said her dad builds stuff, so maybe he can help us figure out how much it would cost to make.

Mr. Shapiro said that the only way he could help us would be to put us "on the agenda." The way he said it sounded very serious.

We all looked at each other. It seemed like this was a scary thing. None of us knew what he meant.

He started to get out a sheet of paper and asked us all for our names. We told him and he wrote them down. Finally I had to ask. "What does it mean to be on the agenda?"

Mr. Shapiro laughed and then got serious. He told us that means we will have to talk to the Town Council and ask them.

He said that to get money, we have to get approval from the Wiggins Town Council. To do that we have to tell them what we want. That means we have to stand up in a meeting and tell them about the monument.

Mr. Shapiro turned to Anna and said that it was really important that her drawings be easy to understand.

Then he said that we should know how much the monument will cost to make, so Mr. Shapiro can write it on a page for the Town Council.

Then Mr. Shapiro looked at a calendar and said that the next Town Council meeting was Saturday April 5th. We looked at each other. Lulu nodded. Anna nodded. I said, "We'll be ready."

So this week we were busy. On top of schoolwork, we have to get ready for the Town Council meeting. -- Pony Pals, Pam