Vote for your favorite caption for this cartoon--

Write a caption for this --

Can you write the winning funny caption for this cartoon? Deadline is Thursday before the next newsletter issue. Email it to Contests@clubponypals.com

Look for the entries in the next issue's e-newsletter and vote for your favorite.

Winning caption gets 500 bucks, runners-up get 100 W bucks each. Captions should be short.

or draw a cartoon --

We are looking for cartoon artists, too. Draw one and email it to us by Thursday.

If it is selected, you can earn 500 Wiggins bucks! Hint -- for this contest, please draw your cartoon in black and white. If you want to enter, send your art to Contests@ClubPonyPals.com or mail it to:

Club Pony Pals
16654 Soledad Canyon Road #382
Canyon Country, CA 91387 USA

Envelope Art Contest! Win 100 Wiggins Bucks!

by Crusinpaint123

from Apples24

from Delilah

EagleGirl's Clicker Club Training Column

I hope you are enjoying clicker training your pets!  The clicker can help you to do all sorts of wonderful things with your pets.  Not only can you train them to do things that are useful and keep them safe, but you can use the clicker to teach and play games.  If you have an older animal that is not able to do a whole lot, they can still enjoy playing games with the clicker.  Or if you have a young animal that is not ready for strenuous training, playing games is a wonderful way to get started on building a relationship and a "clicker mentality".  Games are also good for an animal that is stressed and needs a rest.

We have already discussed The Rope Bump Game.  This game is a great way to help your pony or other pet become desensitized to ropes moving around him or touching him.  We have also discussed targeting.  If your pet has learned to target, you can use this skill to play all sorts of fun games.

You can teach your pet to target various objects, then combine objects and have him target them.  For instance, teach your pony to target a fence post, a tree, an old tire, and a log.  Then put them all together; have him touch the post, move to the tree and touch it, move to the tire and touch it, then finally to the log.  You can rearrange things until you have a nice obstacle course of sorts.

You can also teach your pony or other pet to walk over things, such as logs, tarps, platforms, etc.  You can start out by simply leading your pet up to whatever it is you want him to step on or over, and have him target it.  Don't forget to click and treat!

Let's say you are teaching your pony to step over a log.  Walk up and have him target the log.  Turn around and walk off, then repeat a couple of times.  Then walk up to it and step over it, continuing to lead.  Say "Over" as you step over, and continue to walk as though you expected him to step over it too.  If he does, click as soon as one foot goes over the log, then treat.  Then continue to walk, letting him step the rest of the way over the log.  Circle back around and do it again.  After a few times you can wait until he has put both front feet over the log before you click and treat.  Eventually you will wait until he has stepped completely over the log before you click and treat.

If you lead him up to the log and he does not step over it after you do, then just stand and wait.  Invite him to walk with you.  If he does, click and treat as soon as one foot goes over the log.  If he doesn't, then ask him to target your hand or the end of the lead rope.  Click and treat as soon as he targets it.  Then step back a bit, and ask him to target it again.  Continue moving back one step at a time, then asking him to target.  Once you have stepped back far enough that he cannot reach the target without taking a step, this may be all he needs to encourage him to take that first step over the log.

Continue asking him to touch it until he moves forward.  Since you are asking him to "touch it", you will want to wait until he does touch it before you click and treat.  If he somehow manages to touch it without stepping, click and treat anyway, because he did what you asked him to do; he touched the target.  Then step back a little more and ask him again.  If you keep this up, he should eventually put a foot over the log.  Be sure to click and treat when he touches the target, not when he steps over the log, because you asked for targeting, not stepping over.

If you keep working a little at a time, eventually he will step over the log with you.  Once he has gotten over the log with targeting, you can approach the log again and try stepping over it and saying "Over" as you keep walking.  Observe him closely, and click as soon as one foot goes over the log.  Then follow the steps above until he is stepping all the way over the log.

What do you do if your pony simply will NOT step over that log?  Don't despair.  Just back up to the last place he was successful.  Did he touch it when you asked?  Lead him away, walk around a bit, then come back and have him target the log again.  Click and treat.  Walk off, come back, and target the log.  Now, he has been successful, and you can end the session with success.  Then you can come back another time and work through the steps outlined above.  With patience and time, he will get it.

You can use objects that you already have available for targeting and obstacle courses.  If you have a little extra money, there are things you can buy that make it even more fun.  Traffic cones are great for targeting, learning patterns, backing, weaving, turning . . . the list goes on.  You can buy small playground cones in various colors.  The colors are more for you than your pet.  You can also go to the hardware store and buy big orange cones.  You can create aisles to walk down and back down, patterns to weave in and out of, targets to touch; just use your imagination.

Don't forget to observe your pony or pet and let him tell you what he needs and what he is ready for.  Remember that clicker training is all about learning to tune into your pet and helping him learn to tune into you.  Relax, take your time, don't stress, and most of, have fun.

Until then, happy clicking!
EagleGirl

Member Photo Gallery

from Ellie Renneberg2

These are some pics of me and the wonderful Appy.

 Slipping my feet into the stirrups, ready to take him out for a canter.

Thank you for putting Appy in the WbW! (Max should be coming soon :p)

from Ajaxsluvr101

Some pictures of Bentley and I! The thing on my shoulder is a sling, cause I broke my arm! Bentley is Knabstrub gelding.

from Kell27

This is the breyer i have been painting with pastels and his markings are done in acrylics. He was originaly chilli but in 1 day he turned into this!! Here are his before and after pictures. The brown and white paint was before, and the bay is what he looks like now! He is only about 73% done. :) I will show you more pictures when he is done! :) - Kell27 and mingo

from Zippabull

from Taylor***

Me and my other Sis when I won the blue ribon for the little miss contest at my fair!

Roger!

Sky and Thunder! Thunder in front and Sky in back(he turms that color during the summer)

Will - RIP - best kitty ever!

Member Art Gallery

Rest in Peace, Pippy - December 2, 2010

by Ellie Renneberg2

by Apples24

by Thesilverbrumby

by Delilah

by Ajaxsluvr101

 

Dear Pony Pals Send in your photos, stories and drawings for our contests. e-mail them to Contests@ClubPonyPals.com or mail it to: Club Pony Pals 16654 Soledad Canyon Road #382 Canyon Country, CA 91387 USA The first printing of collectable stickers is almost gone. Get yours now, if you want a sticker and bookmark make sure and include a mailing address where we can send it. Please include your user name and the email address you used to register in your letter, too. Webmaster

 

Play These Games to Earn Wiggins Bucks

 

Play these to earn bucks! Each issue of the newsletter, the highest scoring

Scavenger Hunt
Winner gets 3000 Wiggins bucks,
next nine members scores below that get 500 bucks each.

 

 

scoutgirl

myhorseluv

Callie99

1121122211211222

K1I5T0

Oattawa

pony4me

Clairebear686

RSFM44

ilovehorses1226

mjeanm11

 

Pony Pal Derby
Race your pony to earn Wiggins bucks!
Each issue of the newsletter, the derby game's highest scoring player
earns 3000 Wbucks.
500 Wbucks goes to each of the next nine highest scores.

 

LongTail

Chelsea2

Callie99

lor344

vikinglove

Fidget

anniew

swanheart

Orola

GoldMare

Sleipnirr

 

Math Games
High scoring players in addition,
subtraction or multiplication earn 500 Wiggins bucks,
next nine players who have high scores earn 100 bucks each.

 

Add Like Mad

indijade

LunaLight

sarah_beguerra

kande

Blily1234

KerBlang

horselover1012

LovelyBrains

Brylee12345

Parakeet15

 

 

Subtraction Action

LunaLight

indijade

CurlyQ

LovelyBrains

Kaleidoscopic

lennypep

Lizziewizzie

Orola

foogieblom

sarah_beguerra

 

 

Multiplication Station

CurlyQ

horseloverlou

horseloverlou25

Axel

candyvt

LunaLight

Hazelvt

Paint The Wind

Ashlyne1299

lennypep

This issue's Cross Country Course Winners:

Cross Country North

scoutgirl

sandy bergsma

coconut 101

Gooseberry

CrazyBit

Cross Country South

Raven305

LilBitOfMagic437

Agnetha

K1I5T0

SW123456

 

Pony Pal Thoughts for the Day:

"The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You don't blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the President. You realize that you control your
own destiny."
Albert Ellis

_____________________

"When somebody says it doesn't take much to get a friend, they are the ones with bad company. "
Nat2

_______________________

" IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO THINK LIKE A HORSE
When in doubt, run far, far away.
You can never have too many treats.
Passing gas in public is nothing to be ashamed of.
New shoes are an absolute necessity every 6 weeks.
Ignore cues. They're just a prompt to do more work.
Everyone loves a good, wet, slobbery kiss.
Never run when you can jog. Never jog when you can walk. And never walk when you can stand still.
Heaven is eating at least 10 hours a day... and then sleeping the rest.
Eat plenty of roughage.
Great legs and a nice rear will get you anywhere. Big, brown eyes help too.
When you want your way, stomp hard on the nearest foot.
In times of crisis, take a poop.
Act dumb when faced with a task you don't want to do.
Follow the herd. That way, you can't be singled out to take the blame.
A swift kick in the butt will get anyone's attention.
Love those who love you back, especially if they have something good to eat"
author unknown -- submitted by luvlolly