A Pony’s Wish List

By Lydia Fairchok

Every young riding student knows that horses and ponies have Christmas wishes, too...why not let them help fill in the lists? We have a December tradition of hanging a blank list on each horse’s door. At our Christmas barn gettogether, I fill a paper lunch sack with slips that include all manner of things that a horse might want, plus some truly silly suggestions. Students take turns drawing out a slip and attaching it to a horse’s wish list. As part of the fun, they must explain to the group why they think that horse would choose that thing. You will learn a lot about your students’ perception of your horses as you listen! For example:

“Orion would ask for 100 carrots because he is always hungry!” “Sadie would ask for a day at the spa because she likes mud.” “Maggie would ask for another pony so she wouldn’t be the only one small enough to get picked on.”

After the pre-made slips have been doled out, students can fill in extra blanks with their own ideas. This leads to even more merriment as the peerless logic of children is applied to the purported desires of horsekind. When one of my students added “Port-a-potty” to the pony’s wish-list, I could not wait to hear what her reasoning was. She explained that Maggie would appreciate a private place to use the bathroom while outside--a thought process that was based on the fact that every time we bring the pony in for a lesson, the first thing she does is urinate in her stall.

Below is a wish-list template and a ready-to-print sheet of items. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Reindeer Antlers

Trip To The Ocean

Horse Trailer

Warm Blanket

Telescope

Fancy Halter

Back Scratcher 100 Carrots

New Bridle

Flyswatter

Trail Ride

Bag Of Sugar

Sleigh

Big Screen Tv New Horseshoes

Day At The Spa

Glitter

Another Horse/Pony

Blue Ribbons

Giant Candy Cane

Grass