All about Horses                                                                      

I have a pony called Angel, she is a Connemara bred pony. She is grey in colour. She is very good tempered. She is four years old and lovely to ride. When I ride out I ride her around 3 acres of land. Her only vice is that she loves mints. I give her mints as a treat but if she smells them she attempts to take them from my pocket. She and I belong to the Connemara Pony Society. Every  month I receive a newsletter which lists all up and coming events and the dates they are set on.

Caring for a horse  

You need special equipment to ride a pony. I wear jodhpurs and riding boots on my legs. There is a hard hat to wear on my head. I keep my bedroom. Riding equipment is called tack. A pony takes a lot of looking after. You have to keep their stables clean by mucking them out and putting down fresh bedding . They also have to be groomed with a body brush which is good for the skin and the muscles of your pony. You use a curry comb which is made of steel for the mane and tail because their hair is much stronger in these areas. Also you have to trim their hooves regularly because they grow the same as our finger and toe nails. Ponies also have to be wormed about every eight weeks or if you change their feed or move them to different grass. If the pony is being ridden on the road or on a hard surface they have to have shoes fitted by a farrier. Each foot is a different size so each shoe is made individually. In Winter ponies must be fed a course feed mix which contains: wheat, oats, barley and nuts to provide them with the vitamins and minerals which they cannot get from the grass at this time of the year.

Shows   

There are different types of shows: Show jumping, Hunting, Racing. Dressage. Eventing, Point to point, Showing by Hand , to name a few. Before a pony enters any competition or show they must be washed and groomed. If they  have  good feet you can highlight them by blackening them with hoof oil. Nose hair and ear hair are trimmed and the heels are clipped tight. Plaits are used to enhance the appearance of the main and tail before shows. A lot of preparation goes into every single animal before every single show.

Breeds.