Pony News, Views and Attitudes -- Vol.2 No.13 -- October 6-12, 2008 PAGE 5

CLUB PONY PALS
READER LETTERS

I love club pony pals and I love being a game tester!*
I hope your website will never end!!
yours faithfully
Samantha in Australia

Thank you for sending me the info to test the game.
I logged in and groomed my horse. It was hard to get the grooming tools out. i don't know if it was just slow to respond or what. Eventually they popped up but when i tried to to do it again I couldn't get the tools to come up at all.
When I went outside the stall to ride my horse
i could see the pony and fence but i could not get the horse to move.
I clicked on the pony's head- nothing happened
and tried to use the arrow keys- nothing happened. I don't see any "triangular mouse controls in the upper right corner". That would be very helpful cause i can't use the keyboard myself and would have to get my onscreen keyboard up.
My computer is a Mac ibookG4 with the latest version flash installed. Maybe its just lag and I need to wait more patiently?
The game looks really cool! i can't wait to be able to do more.
THANK YOU!
Madison R.


Dear Pony Pal Madison

Thank you so much for your letter about our game. Getting input from testers like you is a big part of making our game better.
Some other players (including someone who works here in the office) have had the same problems you report.

Regarding riding:
The mouse control triangles we wrote about are kind of pinkish and are in the upper right hand corner above the fence. When you click on them with your mouse they turn yellow. The triangles point up, right, down and left. It is supposed to work that if you click on a triangle it moves your pony in that direction. Please let us know if that information helps, we will add it to the help page.

Regarding grooming:
As a hint, you need to tie your pony first (halter) then use the groomer (red circle) and then the brush. Finally you use the hoof pick. Swap sides on the pony and clean the other side using the same tools.

We really appreciate your trying the game out for us! Please write back and let us know more.
WebMaster
ClubPonyPals.com


Hi! I’m Sarah. I’d like to try out the game! It looks very fun. I’ve also been waiting for the game to come out!!!
Sincerely, Sarah

We would love to test out your new game. Please let us know when it is available Chris W

I signed up to be a tester but I never got an e-mail. Then when I went to play on my account it wouldn't let me ride my pony. What happened? Gabby

I love the pony pal books! Every book is thrilling and exiting! I have read every one I can get my hands on. Ever since I got my horse, I like to pretend I’m a pony pal! Anyway, I would really like to be a tester for the game! I am so exited for the game! I really love to ride pony's (real and virtual!) Please find out what is going on, for my pony's health, too!
Haley+Sugar

P.S. I finally did get to ride! It was really fun, but will you please try to make the pony's turn around quicker, other wise it was great!
thank you!
Haley+Sugar

Hi,
I would like to sign up to be a game tester. I am 9yrs old. Please let me know how i can do this?
thankyou Autumn

I would like to be a tester from Anna

Please sign us up to be testers. Our group of students includes: James, Gedia, Allon, Naveen, and Tyrece
We're reading "A Pony in Trouble." We think it will be fun to read these books and to get into the club.
Mrs. S
A. B. Combs Elementary School

i would like to sign up to be to test your new game.
i am 13 and i love horses. Sky H

Dear Club Pony Pals Web Master,
So far I like the game but after cleaning and tacking my pony, I was unable to ride. I tried single and double clicking but nothing worked. I even tried clicking and then being really patient but that didn't work either. Please let me know if this is a problem or when it is fixed. Thanks for letting me test the game, I am really excited about it.
Hope K

I would like to be a tester for the Pony Pal Game.
Thank you,
Kiersten

Lucy F wrote five emails….

1. I would like to become a tester for the Pony Pals game.
2. It doesn't let me log in
3. It doesn’t let you saddle up easily
4. First off, I thought it was going to be great then once you actually log in you can groom your horse but you can get him tacked up or take the stupid halter off. I think its either a glich or something you put in makes it not work.
5. OK, now I understand very good, it works fine.. I like the riding though ... more trails would be nice. And also, I would like to be able to visit the other stalls, that would be neat if you could.


Dear Sarah, Chris, Gabby, Haley, Autumn, Anna, James, Gedia, Allon, Naveen, Tyrece, Mrs. S., Sky H. , Hope, Kiersten and Lucy,
We really appreciate your taking time to try this. Your opinions and suggestionswill help us make this a better game.
The riding experience is changing every day, a new version will go out for out testers soon. Thanks again!
WebMaster

The story continues..

Summer F writes:

Six Girls, Six Ponies, And They Soon All Become One Club...
Meredith, Pam, Anna, Lulu, Summer, and Sunshine have a new problem.

A wild pony named Eye-High was to be trained by Meredith. But the pony becomes frisky and won't obey orders.

Can the six girls and ponies help Eye-High?

Or is the only thing Eye-High will be dog food?

Lulu S. writes:

Meredith and Pam looked over the fence at Eye High. He was running around, his eyes wide and snorting!

"He looks like he would be a good pony," Mer-mer said, "If we could ever catch him."

Pam picked up a pony halter and lead rope. She looked at the horse cookie jar next to Mer-mer's tack box, and grabbed a few Mrs. Pastures cookies for horses.

"Watch this," Pam said, as she walked toward the pony.

The pony started to run off but when Pam held out a Mrs. Pastures horse cookie he stopped.

Ally writes:

Then he came to Pam.

He took the cookie.

Jane writes:

Eye High never had a Mrs. Pastures cookie before. It took him a few seconds to figure out that he had to chew it up with his back teeth. Then he started to chew. And chew. And chew.

His eyes closed partway and he licked his lips. When he finished chewing Pam held out the halter. Eye High sniffed at it and Pam put it over his nose and gave him another cookie.

Pam said "He likes those!" as she buckled the halter. "Let's go clean you up."

But when Pam turned toward the barn, Eye High....

Ally writes

... fell to the ground.

Lulu writes

He really did not want to come with Pam.

Before Pam could turn around to get Eye High up, she heard a noise and turned around to see....

Summer F writes
.. a tan and white object running from the barn. Pam sighed with stress. It was Pongo, the Appaloosa foal.

Pongo was caught in quicksand and only by teamwork, Meredith, Pam, Anna, Lulu, Summer, and Sunshine were able to save him.

Pongo was sick from eating poisoned berries while lost, so he had been staying at the Animal Clinic.

Pongo been nothing but a troublemaker. First, he chased some leghorn hens at the pen. Pam bought them from Green Market when livestock were sold.

Then, Pongo rolled into red mud, making his coat, kind of a ruby color. He still had a faint stain. Then, he was bucking and kicking Lightning, bossing her to play. When Pam shooed him away, he just wheeled right back, and head-butted her so hard, she fell down.

One time they were having a barn sleepover, and Pongo was whinnying and chasing Acorn, Lightning, Hugo, Piddles, Squirrel, and Snow White. He was even chasing the school ponies. Pam tried to chase him away, but the raced right back. An like a bighorn sheep fighting another, he rammed Pam right into a puddle of black mud.

Anna, Lulu, Meredith, Summer, and Sunshine giggled. But they helped Pam get up and helped her shower. Then they put Pongo with them. But he kept stepping on each other's hair or sleeping bag. So they put him in Lightning's stall. And Pongo fought with Woolie, Pam's sheepdog when he was trying to herd her with Lighting. Woolie kept barking and snarling. But he yelped in panic when Pongo reared and punched Woolie on the side with his front hooves. So Woolie hardly ever went near Pongo.

This time, Pongo leapt like a cat and kicked Eye-High's rear with his back hooves. "Pongo!" said Pam, "Stop it!" Instead of running away, Eye-High reared and pushed Pongo so hard with his front hooves, Pongo was punched into the barn door. He chased him away. "Eye-High!" said Pam. Eye-High raced to his paddock. He was scared; you could see the whites of his eyes and his ears were laid back. "No cookies for that behavior!" Pam and Meredith saw Eye-High run around in his paddock. Pam and Meredith needed help, they needed their friends for this horse.

Then...

Ally writes:

He stopped.

Anna Harley writes:

Mrs. Crandal walked out from the barn. She had JB. He had a saddle on.

Next to JB all the ponies looked tiny.

Mrs. Crandal mounted JB. They walked over to the girls and ponies. She said looked down at them and said, "You know, if you just...."

Bobby M.K. writes:

"....are calm, think about where you would like to be with these ponies, then that will give you a goal. Once you know what you want, then most times it's just a matter of figuring out what steps you need to get there.

First, I think we should put Pongo and Eye-High in different paddocks.

Lulu, do you have a horse cookie?"

"Yes, I have a couple of Mrs. Pastures' cookies left in my pocket," said Lulu.

"Well, then I'll ride JB, open the gate to the empty paddock next to this one and then go in there. Pam, go fetch a halter and lead rope for Eye-High."

Pam quickly got a pony-sized halter and a lead rope while Mrs. Crandal walked on JB over to the empty paddock and opened the gate.

"Lulu, give a cookie to Anna," said Mrs. Crandal.

Lulu did.

"OK, now Lulu and Anna, stand at different ends of this paddock, Lulu, go stand by the exit gate " asked Mrs. Crandal.

They did. Pongo followed Anna, and Eye-High followed Lulu.

"OK, Lulu, give Eye-High his cookie, Anna you slowly walk down the fence with your cookie in sight but don't give to Pongo yet. When Eye-High gets his cookie, put your halter on him and lead him out the gate."

Lulu did. Eye-High looked happy. She led him out the exit gate.

Pongo saw Mrs. Crandal sitting on JB in the next paddock. Pongo was suddenly lonely when Eye-High had left. Anna walked toward JB and Mrs. Crandal. Anna climbed through the fence and walked toward JB. Pongo trotted over to the open gate into the next pasture and walked in. Mrs. Crandal leaned down from JB and gently closed the gate.

"OK, Anna, climb back through the fence, but be sure and give Pongo his cookie after you are outside," said Mrs. Crandal. Anna did. Pongo walked over. Anna gave him his cookie. Mrs. Crandal walked JB out another gate. Now Pongo and Eye-High were in different places.

Suddenly Eye-High....

Jane F. writes

...turned around and looked for Pongo. He looked for JB and then he looked for Lighting.

Mrs. Crandal and JB rode toward the training paddock. Soon they were out of sight behind a row of trees.

Pongo let Pam put his halter on and she walked him into the barn.

Eye High was alone. He was not happy.

"Whinnnnnnnnyyyyy!" Eye-High wanted his buddies. "Whinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnyyyy!"

Pam came back with a couple of Mrs. Pastures cookies for horses and stood at the fence. Eye-High trotted over but when Pam held out a cookie he whirled around and.....

Lulu S. writes

Trotted over to take it. High-Eye really liked the cookie, Pam petted him.

When he finished chewing, he stood there while Pam kept rubbing his back.

This story comes from Club Pony Pals members writing in with their ideas.

What happens next? Let us know. Write to WebMaster@ClubPonyPals.com

 

Pony Pals Thought for the Day

If a pony says "no" you haven't asked the right question -- or the question right.