PONY TAILS JANUARY 2026
Jumping Into
A Letter from
Alice
Hi kids, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I am beyond excited to jump right into another 12 months of digital magazine issues, made with love for my favourite pony pals. 2026 offers an exciting opportunity to set new goals and make our dreams come true. Whether it’s learning a new skill in the saddle, brushing up on horsey knowledge, or just making an effort to spend time around ponies, I know that my readers can achieve anything they set their minds to. I would love to hear all about your resolutions - so please feel free to email me at ponytails.alice@hcbc.ca for a chance to get featured in next month’s issue! Keep learning, keep trying your best, and keep having fun throughout this new year. And - of course - keep on making sure you pat your pony. Lots of love, Alice the Pony
Horse/Pony Breed of the Month: CHINCOTEAGUE PONY
Photo courtesy of Kersti Nebelsiek
This breed, also referred to as the Assateague horse, is an American breed that habituates Assateague Island in America. The population is divided into two herds, with the state of Maryland managing one and the state of Virginia managing the other. These ponies are considered “feral” - although domesticated at one point in time, nowadays they are mostly untouched by humans and free to do as they please.
What breed do you want to see featured in our next issue? Reach out to Alice at ponytails.alice@hcbc. ca and let her know!
Story Feature: New Year’s Tale ...
Flip to the next page to read about the time that Alice and her pony pals almost missed the New Years countdown!
New Year’s Tale
It was December 31st, 2025. Kira’s mom was driving all of the kids to the annual New Year’s Celebration at the Stables. There was going to be games, prizes, and treats galore as all the attendees rang in 2026 together. However, traffic coming from the city was absolutely BONKERS, and the car had been stopped for several minutes now. Vehicles were lined up all along the highway for as far as the eye could see. People honked angrily, feeling impatient and wanting to get to their destinations soon. It was 11:35pm, which meant that the countdown to midnight was less than half an hour away. Kira wondered anxiously whether or not they would make it in time. “What’s the holdup?” called Ryan from the backseat. He was tapping his foot and twiddling his thumbs restlessly. Next to him, Emily’s stomach growled as she thought about the snack table awaiting her. “Yeah mom,” Kira chimed in, “do you know what’s causing this big slowdown?” Kira’s mom squinted as she tried to peer around the bend in the road. “I’m not sure,” she replied. “With this many cars stopped, I wonder if there’s some sort of roadblock”. Kira sighed and slumped down in her seat. More than anything, she wanted the chance to ring in the New Year with her pony Alice. It was their annual tradition after all - and they had never missed it in all the time that Kira had owned her. What could possibly be causing all this traffic and keeping them apart? Just then, Kira’s thoughts were interrupted by a tap-tap-tapping on the window. A police officer stood next to the driver’s side door, waving and motioning for them to roll the window down. “Hey folks”, he greeted them, “I couldn’t help but notice your ‘I Heart Horses’ bumper sticker as I was cruising by. We seem to have a little situation up ahead that’s causing this standstill. Do you think you could help us out?’” Kira’s mom responded quickly. “Absolutely we could Mr. Officer. What seems to be the problem?” The officer chuckled to himself and scratched his head. “Well, believe it or not, there seems to be a horse just standing there in the middle of the road up ahead. Even with all the backup we called, we still have no way of catching them and returning them home. Do you have any ideas?” Kira’s mom turned to her and motioned to the trunk. “Why don’t you grab that spare halter and lead rope honey. That sounds like something a horse we know would do.” ... Sure enough, as Kira rounded the bend and could finally see what was causing the big holdup, it was none other than Alice the Pony herself. She stood there contentedly, right in the middle of the road, like a big dapple-grey traffic cone. No amount of honking, shouting, or waving from the other drivers could get her to move. Alice perked her ears up at the sight of Kira. “Here’s a New Year’s resolution for you,” she scolded the pony as she slipped the halter over her head “no more breaking out of your stall. Now let’s hurry up and get back to the barn before midnight!” In the matter of a few minutes, Kira had grabbed her other tack from the trunk and gotten Alice ready. With one police car escorting them in the front and another at the rear, they rode safely back to the barn under the glow of flashing blue and red lights.
Thankfully, the traffic jam Alice had caused was only a few minutes down the road from the farm. They only had to trot for about 10 minutes before reaching the property line. As she rode up to the barn entrance, Kira called out to the fellow partygoers standing by the door. “Sorry that took so long guys. What time is it?” she dismounted. running up her stirrups and loosening Alice’s girth swiftly. “Kira! You’re finally here!” Coach Steph exclaimed, as she emerged from the crowd. “It’s 11:57. Hurry, it’s almost time for the countdown!” Finally, after all that hassle, Kira stood with Alice in the center of the barn aisle while everyone counted down the last 10 seconds of 2025. As the clock struck midnight, they all cheered and celebrated. Kira threw her arms around her pony and hugged her tight. “Happy New Year’s Alice” she said fondly into her silver mane. Alice’s ears flicked backwards, following the sound of Kira’s voice. The pony leaned into the embrace, feeling Kira’s cheek against her soft coat. “I’m so lucky to get to spend another year with you.” Kira said. And although she couldn’t tell her, Alice felt the same exact way.
THE END.
Activity of the Month: WORD SEARCH In a sea of letters, can you find all of these horse-themed words?
X
M
H
O
O
F
V
P
N
S
E
U
B
Q
R
A
B
G
A
Z
R
C
I
D
R
I
E
D
I
P
W
D
U
R
J
Y
D
Y
F
O
S
T
A
L
L
L
U
C
H
H
D
N
E
I
E
K
C
K
O
T
J
A
Z
G
SADDLE
HOOF
PADDOCK
BRIDLE
HAY
STALL
GIRTH
BRUSH
HORSEY FACTS OF THE MONTH:
NEW YEAR, NEW KNOWLEDGE Read up on these horsey facts and reminders as you step into 2026
One Year of Many
Annual Dues
Horses can live for quite a long time longer than people expect. They can live to be 25-30 years old, or even older in some cases! Many people report owning horses that live even into their 40s. That’s basically twice as long as dogs or cats!
To keep horses healthy in 2026, all of them should have the following:
Year of the Horse According to the Chinese calendar, the Lunar New Year of 2026 (which begins on February 17th) is the year of the horse! Just one more reason why 2026 is going to be the best year ever!
annual wellness exam spring and fall vaccinations spring and fall deworming 6-12 appointments with the farrier
January 2026 Colouring Page
Images provided by Canva
Coloring Page and Activities
PRINT Colouring Page
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