OCTOBER 2025 PONY TAILS
A Letter from Alice
Did I scare you? Doubt it - I’m sure it’s no surprise that I’m back with another issue of the Pony Tails Kids Club Digital Magazine!
This October edition is all about celebrating Spooky Season. But don’t worry, there’s nothing to be frightful of. I’ve got Halloween-themed coloring pages, games, stories, and more! Enjoy my tricks and treats (carrots or apples preferred), and I hope to see you and your favorite horse flaunting your Halloween costumes on October 31 . st
Stay ghoulishly cool kids, And always remember to pat your pony!
Signed,
Alice the Pony
Horse/Pony Breed
of the Month: SKELETON HORSE
Behold... the skeleton horse. Although this may be one of Alice’s made-up breeds, there is some truth to this image. Horses have a skeleton just like you and I, made up of 205 bones! Their most unique one is their distal phalanx... more commonly known as the coffin bone (how fitting for Halloween)!
Mr. Bones the Skeleton Horse
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: Alice’s Stable Spell
Put on your witch’s or warlock’s hat, dust off your spellbooks and hop on that broom... because Alice is here to tell you a story full of magic and delight.
Alice’s Stable Spell
Alice was no stranger to being referred to as “Magical” She had been told it by her owner Kira, their coach, and even strangers watching them at horse shows. She jumped with springs in her legs, turned like a dime around barrels, and could brave anything out on the trails She was patient, well behaved, and never objected to vet appointments or long trailer rides. She never rolled in the mud the night before a competition, never pinned her ears at other horses, never begged for treats She could help the youngest, most scared riders overcome their fear of being in the saddle. She had the kindest heart of any pony that ever lived She was unlike any other horse
But that was truer than anyone else realized... Because Alice had a secret.
She had magical powers!
For it turns out witches don’t only take human form Alice had been capable of casting spells since she was a very young filly. Although she had never used them to cheat or tempt fate, her powers had come in handy throughout the years Messy barn aisles suddenly became clean. Empty water buckets appeared filled. The muddy footing in the rained-out arena dried instantaneously That’s because Alice only ever used her powers for good; a promise she had kept to herself since the very beginning Magic was intended to help, never to harm - and she intended to keep it that way.
But unfortunately for Alice, not everyone around her was as kindhearted. A band of rebellious teenagers had discovered her gift not long ago: they had witnessed her shapeshift while out in the forest on a trail ride The troublesome kids decided that their acts of theft would be much quicker and stealthier if they could use her magic. They planned to surround her and pressure her into helping them with their next big robbery - set to take place at Alice’s stable on Halloween night.
On October 31 , a dozen horses and riders set out in their costumes and rode to the neighboring farms with their trick-or-treating bags. Ryan had dressed up as a skeleton, painting white bones on his black horse Onyx to match him Kira and Alice adorned white bed sheets with holes cut out in the eyes, appearing totally ghostlike. Even coach Steph had dressed up - she went as a pilot and had attached painted cardboard wings to her saddle to transform her horse into the airplane Each pair had made a unique, splendid costume: some scary, some cute, but all of them undeniably creative People were delighted by the sight of dressed-up ponies on their lawn, making them very generous with the amount of candy they gave away. By the time everyone returned to the barn, each rider’s bag was overflowing with goodies
“What a fun night!” Coach Steph proclaimed, setting down her heavy load of candy on the floor of the feed room “You guys can leave your candy in here until it’s time to go home. Now, who’s ready to watch a scary movie?” Everyone cheered with excitement. They dropped their bags and headed to the viewing lounge, where a movie projector and popcorn machine were already set up.
Once the horses were settled in their stalls, the film was rolling, and everyone was distracted, the band of teenage thieves saw their time to strike. They backed their van up next to the barn door and opened the trunk Alice’s ears pricked forward as she watched them sneak into the barn, wearing dark clothing and hoods so they were less easily seen. Soon enough there was a large group of them surrounding her stall on each side, each with a menacing look on their face “We know about your powers ” stated the leader, a boy not much older than Kira. “We’ve seen you do all sorts of witchy things We know you can move things with your mind So you ’ re gonna help us steal that candy, and you ’ re not gonna tell anyone you saw us OR ELSE ”
Alice cowered in the corner of her stall with fear, feeling helpless She wanted to whinny and get the attention of the others, but she was scared of how outnumbered she was Hesitantly, she closed her eyes and harnessed her powers The first bag of candy began floating towards the trunk of the van The crooks shared an evil laugh, believing their plan was well under way. But just when they thought they had gotten away with it, Alice changed course The candy bag slammed against the wall of the barn with a loud BANG. This startled the thieves and alerted the others of their presence “What’s going on down here?” Coach Steph demanded, running down the stairs and confronting the criminals The thieves looked nervously between each other, realizing they had been caught. “RUN!!” instructed the leader, and the band of crooks made a break for it, speeding away in their van with no intention of ever returning.
“Alice!” Kira exclaimed, stepping out from behind Coach Steph and running up to her stall door, “ you saved all of our candy from being stolen!” She threw her arms around Alice’s neck and hugged her tightly Alice nickered softly and nuzzled Kira’s hair, feeling grateful that she had her powers to help protect her favorite person.
“You really scared them off, girl” remarked Coach Steph, giving Alice a scratch on the withers. “I don’t think they’ll be back any time soon. ”
This time around, Alice took extra precautions to make sure that was true. Once the humans had resumed their movie, she pawed at the ground and uncovered her spellbook from where she hid it in her shavings Then, she began reciting an ancient protection spell, sealing the farm under the safety of her magic. From that day forward, no one ever disturbed the stable grounds again, and Alice’s magic remained solely as a powerful tool for doing good.
THE END
Activity of the Month: Bake Halloween Horse Treats!
Get out your pots and pans, and give these baked horse treats a try this Halloween season!
Candy Corn HORSE TREATS
INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups of Oats
3/4 Cup Molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Can Pumpkin Puree
Handful of Candy Corn
INSTRUCTIONS
Make sure you wash your hands before you begin your baking!
With an adult’s help, preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a metal baking pan
In a large bowl, combine the oats, molasses, brown sugar, and pumpkin puree.
Use a cookie scoop (or ice cream scoop, or large spoon) to divide out your mixture into individual cookies on your baking pan. Add a couple pieces of candy corn to decorate
Have your guardian place the cookies in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until they have reached your desired doneness Oven times may vary.
Allow the cookies to cool. Pack them up in an air-tight container and bring them with you to the barn for your pony pals!
**Although safe for human consumption, eating these cookies is not recommended for people Always check with the barn owner/manager if any of the horses have dietary restrictions. Feed sparingly.**
Mortals, beware! Here are three horse-related mythical beings from throughout European history.
Púca
Epona HORSEY FACTS OF THE MONTH: SPIRITS AND LEGENDS
is a mystical creature from Celtic folklore that was said to take on many different forms... including that of a horse
According to Gallo-Roman religion, Epona was a goddess and protector of equids (horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules).
Kelpie
This shapeshifting being appears as a water-dwelling horse in Scottish mythology
