Lessons from Pete the Pony, Meet the Herd

LESSONS FROM PETE THE PONY MEET THE HERD

NIKKI GLANDON +DIANNA GLANDON

Pete the Pony Meet the Herd

Nikki Glandon and Dianna Glandon Copyright © 2021 Planting Seeds. CO All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9798546227067 No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a

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DEDICATION

For my Mom and Dad who taught me that differences make us better and respect is an important key to life.

For Emma, if I can teach you anything, it is lessons from the horse.

For Whit, we ride at dawn.

For Andy, the day on Frank changed my life.

Hi, I'm Pete the Pony. I want to share with you how I live such a wonderful life in the mountains with my family and friends.

I was born in the colorful Colorado mountains. I love the sunshine, the fresh air, and, of course, living with my herd.

I just turned two and am growing into a big strong colt. My mom has raised me to be part of the team.

Let me tell you about her.

Mom is the herd leader.

For years, she has taught the young ones the rules of the herd.

She’s like a wise old grandma!

We love and respect her.

One important lesson she has taught us is to be accepting of each other's differences.

This is key for us to get along and live such a wonderful life!

You see, we are all very different in our colors, sizes, shapes, and much more!

None of us is exactly the same as any other horse in the herd.

What differences do you see in us?

One difference I have noticed is that I seem to be a lot shorter than the rest of the herd!

I am only 13 hands tall.

That is why they call me "Pete the Pony" instead of "Pete the Horse."

To be a horse, we have to be 14'2 hands tall.

My friends have all grown so tall.

They are all over 15 hands!

Sometimes this makes me feel different and sad, but my herd tells me they love me for me!

The best thing about this herd is we love and respect each other even though we are all so different!

When the herd taught me that being different is what makes us all special, I felt so loved!

It’s pretty cool that they love me for being different instead of making fun of me.

I really like that I have such kind and supportive friends!

I love how our variety makes the herd bright and colorful!

It makes it quite fun to have so many different friends who love and respect each other!

I love being part of such a unique and varied herd.

They teach me lessons daily.

I am very excited to share what I’ve learned with you!

I have learned that in order to have the most fun, it is best to be kind and respectful of each other.

When we respect each other, we enjoy life more and have really good friends!

It is also important to take care of and help each other whenever possible.

See, there is this part on my back called my “withers.”

I can’t reach them when they itch; but my buddies can!

They use their noses to scratch my withers.

I can also do this for them!

I've learned that when we help each other, it makes everyone feel really good!

Plus, the itch stops!

We also have to help each other because the mountains we live in are filled with some other animals that want to eat us!

Like mountain lions and wolves!

This is one reason why we watch each other's backs!

It’s so we can protect each other; and, of course, this helps us have more fun when we are safe.

We have to work together all the time.

Working together teaches me many things I need to know so I will grow up to be wise.

It also teaches me to be kind, respectful, compassionate, and loving!

Every day, we move around to different places.

So, we have to take care of each other everywhere we go.

That takes a lot of respect for each other!

When we move around, the environment changes. We have to pay attention to our surroundings to keep us safe.

What are we watching for here?

We also show each other love every day.

It is very important for us to get along so that we can relax, play, and live a happy life!

If we didn’t get along and show each other love and respect, it would be a lot harder for us to survive on our own. (and to keep the mountain lions and wolves away!)

I mean, don’t get me wrong.

Sometimes, we get mad at each other; but we always forgive and show respect to our friends.

I show respect to my friends by not making fun of them for being different from me.

I help them by scratching their backs when they itch and help protect them from the wolves and mountain lions!

I really like that we all show respect and compassion to each other.

It makes life so much more fun!

How do you show respect to others?

I am glad I got to introduce you to the herd and show you our home!

We learn and play everyday, and I love telling you our stories.

I can't wait until I get to share more lessons I have learned from the herd!

Happy Trails, Pete

For more lessons + stories from Pete the Pony visit www.petethepony.com

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Nikki Glandon is an international best-selling author, founder of Planting Seeds Co. and lives life with a child-like heart. She loves learning from and teaching with horses, storytelling, and empowering our youth to live a positive life.

She believes stories are a wonderful way to inspire kids and adults to live with love, respect, and gratitude.

Dianna Glandon is, first, Nikki's mom, as well as President and Founder at Above the Rest Balloon Designs. As a former teacher, her love for storytelling and creativity shines through as she brings her experience of teaching back to life through the lessons of Pete the Pony!

She desires that Pete the Pony brings smiles, joy and positive life lessons to children worldwide.