Volume 2 Number 28 ----- January 19-25, 2009
Club Pony Pals News |
| Trail Riding Open for Testing |
Dear Pony Pals Right now just the very first section of Pony Pal trail is there. A big thank you to all our testers and subscribers for helping us make this a great game! Happy Riding! |
| Letters from Club Members |
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Dear Pony Pal Rachel I wish I could. Right now, it is not very easy to get Pony Pals books. They are only available through the Scholastic Book Club in schools. We are working with the publisher to change that if we can. WebMaster |
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Dear Pony Pal Carla What great photos. Sharne looks like she has a "kind eye." That is a Western U.S. term for a horse who has a calm way about them. We are working with Scholastic to see if we can help make the Pony Pals books easier to get. Many club members have written to ask how they can find books in the series. There are 44 Pony Pals books. Some of them aren't sold by Scholastic any more. We hope that changes. Congratulations for reading more than 250 books. Thank you for sharing a bit of what your life in South Africa is like. In Wiggins it is very, very cold right now. There is lots of snow, too. What do you like about ClubPonyPals? What things would you like to see offered in it? Please write again to tell us what your life in Africa is like, with ponies and horses! Our site has had visitors from over 50 countries now. Webmaster |
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Dear Pony Pal Samantha Thanks for starting to test our new trail riding game. What do you like about it? What do you think about it? How can we make it better? Webmaster |
| Letter to Jeanne Betancourt |
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Dear Pony Pal Grace Thank you for writing. The features you would like to see in the ClubPonyPals site are already planned. I know the webmaster is working with her code writers almost every day, sometimes quite late. They are moving forward as fast as they can to create a virtual Wiggins that has more contests, virtual goods, ways for visitors to post notes for other Pony Pals, a virtual Off Main Diner, a virtual Mrs. Baxter's beauty shop, ways to see avatars of other Pony Pals and lots, lots more. Webmaster for
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| Letters to Pam |
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Dear Amy College? Really? In the U.S., that means you have finished 12 years of school. Is it the same where you live? Lightning is fine. But she has had to spend a lot of time in her stall because it is so cold and snowy outside. When it is too cold to give lessons, my mom has kept busy looking over all her schooling tack. That means mostly leather items like bridles and saddles. If they need repair, this is a good time do do that. She sits in the game loft and sews or patches things that she can fix. The ponies all watch her. I help my mom feed in the morning before I leave for school. I help clean in the barn when I come home from school. If it is not too cold, I try to ride every day. I do homework every night. I always go out to say goodnight to Lightning before I go to sleep. I sleep better when I know she is OK. Your friend,
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Dear Pony Pal K South Dakota? Wow, how cold is it there? It has been pretty cold here in New England. Do you have any idea why your cousin does not like to let you ride her horses? Have you talked about this with your parents? Have you asked your cousin? Do you live near other horses or ponies? What are you studying in school? How many Pony Pals books have you read? Your friend,
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Dear Ellie I really like helping my mom in our barn. I just love being around horses and ponies. Feeding, grooming and cleaning their stalls doesn't really seem like work to me. What does your mom or dad think about your helping out at a nearby stable? Have you talked this over with them? It's been so cold this week, I sometimes put an extra saddle blanket over Lightning, Daisy, or Splash when I walk or trot around our paddock. I am careful not to work them so hard that they sweat. That would mean I would have to make sure they were all dry before I put them up in their stalls again. Friends,
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Dear Pony Pal Cayce Have you spent much time at your local library or on the internet looking up Cushing's? I found a vet's site about older horses. They are called "geriatric" like old humans are, too. These horses all live in Texas. http://gericat.com/archive/archivedaskanexpert.html I think the good news is that horses with Cushing's should live as long as horses without it. The disease does have an effect on the immune system. That's just like in humans, it's a body's overall defenses against sickness of all kinds. Have you asked your vet about clipping Cimarron next summer, when it is warm again? Yes, I think horses get jealous. In fact, Fat Cat is not specially jealous. But Acorn, Snow White and Lightning all seem to know who belongs to who and they seem to get annoyed when they think the wrong pony is getting attention from the wrong human. Your friend,
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Dear Pony Pal Summer Gosh, this is a topic I never really thought about much. Next time I see Ms. Wiggins I will see what she thinks. Consider Lightning hugged. Her mane smells really crisp and fresh in these cold temperatures. That's where I like to hug her. The twins are fine. They look like round little gnomes after my mom bundles them up to go outside in these cold temperatures. If mom is grooming or riding a horse, I watch them. They waddle around like a couple of penguins, they are dressed in so many layers. Dad is busy. Older pets sometimes have a hard time in cold weather. He puts a worklight under his truck's hood at night, next to the engine's battery. He says it helps him start the truck if he has to go out in the dead of night when it is coldest. He says that if someone calls, it's serious and he doesn't want to fool with a truck that won't start at a time like that.
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Dear Pony Pal Gabby Sounds like it's as cold where you are as in Wiggins. I guess being around our barn keeps me cheerful. There's always so much to do that I never seem to get bored. Does Scouty do any tricks? Do you know how to help a dog or cat learn tricks? A famous Russian scientist named Pavlov figured out that you only have to give a treat one time in 10 to reward something you want them to do. Woolie has other opinions. But I'm sticking with the 10 percent idea. A Pony Pals TV show sounds good. I think the Webmaster is working on something along those lines. I don't know if George Lucas likes ponies. Maybe you can write to him and find out. Can you work with Rocky even though it's cold outside? How is school working out? Monday is Martin Luther King's birthday. It is a school holiday. Our family is happy to see an African American in the White House. I think Dr. King would have liked that.
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| Letters to Anna |
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Dear Hope, Acorn is good. It has been really cold here. When we ride I have to wear lots of clothes. I wear my Shetland Island costume and my new sweater and a scarf and mittens. It is too cold to ride for very long. Pony hoofs get packed with snow when we ride. It is slippery for the pony. We have to be careful where we go. If we ride down into Badd Brook we get off and clean out their hooves first. We rode to Pam's on Wednesday. It was just for a visit. There are icy patches under the snow. But when we were in the forest there was a pretty bird.It had a black head. Lulu knew what it was. She said it was singing "chick-a-dee" and that was its name. Lulu said it hides seeds in bark all summer and goes back in winter to find them. I said how did it know where to look. Lulu said she would ask her dad in an email. I gave Acorn a horse cookie from you. He really liked it. I gave him a hug from you, too. You didn't say to. But Acorn liked that too. Did you have any adventures this week? Friends,
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Dear Nicole Yes, my pony's name is Acorn. He is a Shetland pony with a black mane and tail and a brown body. Mrs. Crandal says he is a light bay, almost a buckskin color. Right now it is cold so he is really fuzzy. Sometimes he is very stubborn. But lately he is pretty good. Mostly. When I leave home to go to school Acorn talks to me like that too. Sometimes he looks at me when I walk back towards the house like he wants to know why I have to go away. I think he would like it if I stayed outside all the time. It would be too cold, I think. Even with a lot of clothes. Does Buddy stay at your house? It sounds like he is nice. What color is he? What kind of riding do you do? Write back, your Pony Pal friend
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Dear Ellie My tutor had a game she gave me. I lent it to Pam. It is in the game loft. It helps to practice multiplying. But if I am tired it can be too hard. Then I just do things like we practice skip counting. 2's are 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12... Or 5's. They go 5, 10, 15, 20, 25... For me sometimes I need to use my fingers. But if you practice skip counting numbers it helps. I am still not too good on 6's, 7's and 8's. For nines there is a nine times trick. Hold your hands out. Spread out your fingers. Nine times and put that finger down. Like nine times two. Hold your second finger down. Then you have one finger up. And eight fingers up. So that is 18. It works with all the nine times. There are other math tricks here that you can try. My mom says math is really important. That is what my tutor helps me with a lot. I guess it is good it has been cold. I have been practicing math a lot. Hope this helps.
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Dear Amy Wow! Are you a grown up? How come you get to go to COLLEGE? I'm just in elementary school. You are so lucky to have a little sister. I remember she was cute. Does she talk yet? I got a saddle blanket and halter for Acorn. They were periwinkle blue. He looks very cute. If it ever gets warm enough to ride again he will, I mean. Write back and tell me about college. Is it cold where you are too? It is really cold here now. Friends,
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(Note- this week there was a three-way tie for Jigsaw Contest winner. |
Dear Jess What a pretty drawing. You are a REALLY good artist. Your drawing made me remember I promised I would draw me and Acorn this week. Here is my drawing. It was when Ms. Wiggins and me were getting Acorn to pull her sleigh. It was fun.
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Dear Bethany When mom gave me your letter I was really happy. I like getting mailbox mail! I really like all the drawings that you made. The WebMaster liked them too and she put them all together into one page for a jigsaw puzzle. She said she would put it in Pam's game loft. Is your Acorn stubborn sometimes? Who do you like better, Acorn or Clip Clop? Did you ride on Pony Pal Trail yet? Write back again and let me know.
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Dear Morgan My tutor read your letter and said to say hi. She says you must like to read. I'm glad you like the books. I love ponies and horses too. Even before I had Acorn I loved ponies. I was so glad when I got him for forever. Do you get to visit ponies sometimes at a stable or to ride? Rosalie likes to come visit sometimes to see our ponies. When she is here I know she just wants a pony so bad. Did you get books for Christmas? I got a sweater and a halter and blanket for Acorn. Write back and tell me what you did this week. Your friend,
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Dear Madison I love Acorn too. He is really special. Even when he plays chase me. It has been so cold here we have made sure that the ponies have hay all the time. Mrs. Crandal said make sure that they can eat and we gave them twice as much oats to help keep them warm. Lulu's dad got a heater for the water trough. So we just had to run water in a hose to it. We do that from the basement from mom's laundry tub. Sometimes we use warm water so the heater doesn't have to work so hard. Lots of food means lots of something else. Every day Lulu and I have to clean the paddock. We have a big bin we put it all in. Nelson's farm takes all of what we clean up for composting. They use it to grow stuff. They come every couple of weeks and empty the bin. Sometimes in summer I get to see them come by. In winter they come while I am at school. What did you get your brother for his birthday? Your friend,
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Dear Alyssa Your drawing made me laugh. I really like it. Acorn liked it too. What did Tiny think of your toy dog? Was he jealous? I told Mrs. Crandal about your inviting your friends. She asked me to tell you THANK YOU. She said to write it in ALL CAPITALS so you would know she REALLY WAS HAPPY ABOUT IT! What did you take in to your class from your past? Pam and Lulu and me found a really old bottle once. It had a note in it. Did you read that book? It was a really fun, that's how we found the secret meadow and how we met Mrs. Eastman. The book is called "Ponies from the Past." Acorn is really good. Shadow is fine, it has been so cold at night that sometimes we bring her inside to stay warm at night. My mom said it was ok as long as Shadow stayed in the basement. She said she didn't want Shadow's ears to freeze. I hope it warms up soon. Your friend,
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Dear Sandee Thanks so much for writing. You must be really smart. I study all the time. If I get a B I am really happy. I drew a picture of me and Acorn. Can you draw a picture of yo and your horses? It would make me happy to see it. How do you get champion speech for 4-H? Is that everywhere or just where you live? Write back - your new friend,
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| Letters to Lulu |
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Dear Amy Best of all, I got to see my dad at Christmas. That made me really, really happy. Grandma Sanders was so happy to see dad she got all teared up. She knows that he does what he loves, that he loves me and her. So all really treasure the time that we all have together. I love dad's stories about where he goes and what he does. He is very concerned about what he sees when he is far away in remote places. He says that animals he studies are starting to feel the effects of shrinking forests and warming temperatures. I think his next project has something to do with jungles. He is gone now. I miss him. He wrote me from an internet cafe already. That made me happy.
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Dear Pony Pal Summer Hug delivered. She is all frosty in the morning when I look out at Harley's paddock where she and Acorn live. Acorn looks like a furry plush toy. Snow White has her winter coat now. I clean out her hooves from packed snow when I come home from school. If it is not really, really cold, I will put a saddle on her and walk around a bit. But it still gets dark pretty early. So I can't really ride anywhere, even if Anna and Acorn are with me. We have lots of homework. Monday is a school holiday for us. It is Martin Luther King's birthday. I hope it is warm enough for Anna and I to ride on Pony Pal trail over to Pam's. Then we can ride some over there. Your Pony Pal,
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Dear Veronica A black pony? Gee, I'll have to think about that. Shadow is a good name for a black pony. It is the name of Acorn's cat. Do you have an online pony at ClubPonyPals? What part of the world are you in? ClubPonyPals gets visitors from over 50 countries now. Friends,
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Dear Ellie I think to start, you can talk to your school librarian if it has one. Or you can try a county library closest to you. If your local library does not have Pony Pals copies on their shelves, they can probably have them lent from another library and sent to where you can check them out to read. The Webmaster thinks that it should be easier for people to get Pony Pals books. She is working with Scholastic to see how she can help make that happen. Pony Pals,
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Dear Madison Try http://www.gypsyvannerhorsesociety.org/ or sometimes an internet search is a good way to start. My school library has a computer that the librarian showed me how to use. It has a safe search program on it.
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Dear Nellie Thanks. Its always nice to hear from a new friend. We have been making sure our ponies stay warm. It is really cold here. Is it cold where you are? What do you do when you're not in school? Write back and tell me more about your adventures. Friends,
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| My Club Pony Pals |
Picture It |
The Story so far.... The Pony Pals had just completed freeing a herd of wild mustangs. They were cleaning up the twine and string, putting it in their saddle bags when suddenly someone shouted "Stop!" They all turned and saw Lulu's father. Lulu was very angry with her Dad, she jumped on Snow White and galloped away. Summer, Meredith, Sunshine, Lulu’s Dad, Pam and Anna gave chase on their ponies and horses. Snow White got out safely, but horse thieves came and tried to steal all the other ponies and horses. Elie and Star stopped them and gave the ropes back to Lulu's dad. Lulu yelled up that she still needed help. Mr. Sanders laid down on the bank and started to feed a rope down to Lulu when suddenly he started to slide! The girls grabbed his shoes but one came off and ..... Eye-High started down towards Lulu and her dad but Tommy Rand poured some oil on the rocks right in front of Eye-High. Eye-High picked up his pace. Everyone Held their breath. Then, Eye-High... Pony Pal Summer writes... .......Lifted his front legs..... Pony Pal Pam writes... .......and jumped! He sprang so high that everyone was amazed. It was like he was going up and up and up, when Eye-High came back down he was past the oily rocks. He cantered past the oil and tossed his head up. "Mustangs know what needs to be done." He trotted up to Lulu and her dad and put his nose down to sniff. Then... What happens next? Let us know. Write to WebMaster@clubponypals.com |
Pony Pal Thoughts for the Day If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us. - Hermann Hesse
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