Mandy's story
Hi. My Name is Mandy. I’m one of the Pegasus ponies and I thought I’d let you know a little bit about Pegasus – straight from the horse’s mouth.
You know I reckon I’ve got the best job in the world. I get to hang around in the paddock with my mates, I’ve got HEAPS of human friends who look after me and I get to help some really great kids learn to ride. I also help to teach them a whole heap of other things too.
My day normally starts around 8.00am when me and my mates wander in from the paddock and hang around the gate waiting for our brekky. Debbie - she’s one of humans that work at Pegasus every day - takes us into the stables and gives us lots of yummy hay. We also get some feed in our feed bin and that tastes great. Debbie says that it will give us lots of energy and has something called ‘vitamins’ in it to keep us healthy.
After we’ve finished brekky one of the other helpers brings some brushes into the stable and they give us a really good brush. They brush us all over, pick out our hooves and give our face a nice wash. Johnny said that he heard Kris (she’s the lady that teaches all the helpers how to look after us) – she said that there are about 100 of these helpers that work at Pegasus each week. Kris must be really busy teaching them what to do because I know they do all different kinds of jobs. I’ve see them doing things like picking up our poo in the paddocks, cleaning our saddles, pulling out the weeds that can poison us, helping the kids who come to ride and I think some of them even work up in the office. I reckon those helpers have the worst job cos they’re stuck inside all the time and they don’t get to play with us very much.
Once we’ve had a brush one of the coaches comes and puts on our saddle and bridle and any other special equipment that our riders need. Sometimes I have to wear special reins because one of the riders has one hand, and sometimes we get to have a nice soft sheepskin on our back instead of a saddle. I think this is because some of the kids have a bit of trouble stretching far enough to get into a saddle. I don’t mind though because it’s nice to have them closer to me and we can feel each other much better with just a sheepskin.
I always keep my head collar on under my bridle so that the helpers can clip a lead rope on if one of the kids is having trouble steering or is a bit worried that I might not do what I’m told. I don’t know why they bother with this though, ‘cos I’m really well behaved and always do everything that Debbie has taught me to do. Things like standing really still in the mounting blocks when the kids are hopping on, and being very quiet and sensible when they play with weird toys or make loud, scary noises around me. I’m really glad that Deb spent so much time teaching me that these things aren’t so scary.
I get Sunday and Mondays off, but most days I work in three classes. It’s great fun! There are heaps of different kids who come to Pegasus and they all love to ride. Some of them need a fair bit of help, so that’s when they clip my lead rope on to make sure I
move in just the right way. Sometimes I have to move slowly – especially when the kids don’t have very good balance. Other times I get to trot and even canter, because some of the kids are really good riders and don’t need much help at all.
If one of the kids isn’t very good at talking to the other humans or can’t move very well, Kris my coach asks one of the helpers to walk along beside them to help explain how to get me to go and stop and how to steer me around the poles and do all the fun games we play. I love the smiles that they get when they ride. Sometimes some of them even squeal! Kris tells me that this is ‘cos they’re having so much fun and don’t often get to do things like this. I wish more kids could come for a ride because then I’d get more of those great hugs that they give me before they go back to school.
You know us Pegasus ponies are really good teachers. We can help the kids to get better balance, and just by sitting on our back, they get stronger and better co-ordinated muscles. You know I remember that when Keelan first came to Pegasus he was using a walking frame to help him to walk, but since he’s been riding me and going to see his physio, he doesn’t need his frame anymore. I reckon that’s just fantastic!
I remember Sarah too. Wow, the day that she first spoke I was so proud. Kris said that Sarah had been so sad that she hadn’t spoken a word to anyone for two years. Then, all of a sudden she spoke to me! All she said was “Go Mandy”, but I thought that was just fantastic. I’m sure she understood my whinny goodbye that day - even though I can’t speak human.
We also teach stuff that other kids have to learn in school. Things like using numbers, how to read and how to do things in sequence, but they have much more fun when they do it with me. Sometimes I think that they don’t even realise that they are learning – they are having such a great time.
I just wish that Becky up in the office could find enough money to be able to buy some more ponies and teaching equipment so that we could help more kids. Did you know that she’s got something up there called a ‘Waiting List’ and there’s 80 kids sitting on it ‘cos we don’t have enough ponies or coaches to give them a ride on a real horse? I know it’s hard enough for her to find the money to feed us horses, so how is she going to find the money to feed a ‘Waiting List’?
I guess things really have started to look up lately. The humans have managed to do up one of the really old arenas so that soon we’ll be able to teach the kids in there too. Just the other day they put in a big new fence so that we have more room in the paddock and I think they’re planning on putting in a whole heap of new trees soon too. That will be great because the trees are really important to keep our paddocks healthy. There was one paddock that had these great big gullies in it because of the drought, but the other day they brought in some huge noisy machines that built up some banks to help stop the erosion. Now we just need some rain so we get some yummy new grass to eat.
You know the more I think about it the more I realise how much work all those humans do to look after us. It’s just great that I’ve found a home where I love the work and I get so well looked after.
Anyway, I hope that you know a little bit more about Pegasus now and all the very special people that help to keep the place running. Maybe one day soon I’ll see you out there. We always love to meet new helpers. Or maybe you might be able to help Becky to find some money to feed that Waiting List? I really don’t like the thought of anything having to carry around 80 kids for such a long time.
You know I reckon I’ve got the best job in the world. I get to hang around in the paddock with my mates, I’ve got HEAPS of human friends who look after me and I get to help some really great kids learn to ride. I also help to teach them a whole heap of other things too.
My day normally starts around 8.00am when me and my mates wander in from the paddock and hang around the gate waiting for our brekky. Debbie - she’s one of humans that work at Pegasus every day - takes us into the stables and gives us lots of yummy hay. We also get some feed in our feed bin and that tastes great. Debbie says that it will give us lots of energy and has something called ‘vitamins’ in it to keep us healthy.
After we’ve finished brekky one of the other helpers brings some brushes into the stable and they give us a really good brush. They brush us all over, pick out our hooves and give our face a nice wash. Johnny said that he heard Kris (she’s the lady that teaches all the helpers how to look after us) – she said that there are about 100 of these helpers that work at Pegasus each week. Kris must be really busy teaching them what to do because I know they do all different kinds of jobs. I’ve see them doing things like picking up our poo in the paddocks, cleaning our saddles, pulling out the weeds that can poison us, helping the kids who come to ride and I think some of them even work up in the office. I reckon those helpers have the worst job cos they’re stuck inside all the time and they don’t get to play with us very much.
Once we’ve had a brush one of the coaches comes and puts on our saddle and bridle and any other special equipment that our riders need. Sometimes I have to wear special reins because one of the riders has one hand, and sometimes we get to have a nice soft sheepskin on our back instead of a saddle. I think this is because some of the kids have a bit of trouble stretching far enough to get into a saddle. I don’t mind though because it’s nice to have them closer to me and we can feel each other much better with just a sheepskin.
I always keep my head collar on under my bridle so that the helpers can clip a lead rope on if one of the kids is having trouble steering or is a bit worried that I might not do what I’m told. I don’t know why they bother with this though, ‘cos I’m really well behaved and always do everything that Debbie has taught me to do. Things like standing really still in the mounting blocks when the kids are hopping on, and being very quiet and sensible when they play with weird toys or make loud, scary noises around me. I’m really glad that Deb spent so much time teaching me that these things aren’t so scary.
I get Sunday and Mondays off, but most days I work in three classes. It’s great fun! There are heaps of different kids who come to Pegasus and they all love to ride. Some of them need a fair bit of help, so that’s when they clip my lead rope on to make sure I
move in just the right way. Sometimes I have to move slowly – especially when the kids don’t have very good balance. Other times I get to trot and even canter, because some of the kids are really good riders and don’t need much help at all.
If one of the kids isn’t very good at talking to the other humans or can’t move very well, Kris my coach asks one of the helpers to walk along beside them to help explain how to get me to go and stop and how to steer me around the poles and do all the fun games we play. I love the smiles that they get when they ride. Sometimes some of them even squeal! Kris tells me that this is ‘cos they’re having so much fun and don’t often get to do things like this. I wish more kids could come for a ride because then I’d get more of those great hugs that they give me before they go back to school.
You know us Pegasus ponies are really good teachers. We can help the kids to get better balance, and just by sitting on our back, they get stronger and better co-ordinated muscles. You know I remember that when Keelan first came to Pegasus he was using a walking frame to help him to walk, but since he’s been riding me and going to see his physio, he doesn’t need his frame anymore. I reckon that’s just fantastic!
I remember Sarah too. Wow, the day that she first spoke I was so proud. Kris said that Sarah had been so sad that she hadn’t spoken a word to anyone for two years. Then, all of a sudden she spoke to me! All she said was “Go Mandy”, but I thought that was just fantastic. I’m sure she understood my whinny goodbye that day - even though I can’t speak human.
We also teach stuff that other kids have to learn in school. Things like using numbers, how to read and how to do things in sequence, but they have much more fun when they do it with me. Sometimes I think that they don’t even realise that they are learning – they are having such a great time.
I just wish that Becky up in the office could find enough money to be able to buy some more ponies and teaching equipment so that we could help more kids. Did you know that she’s got something up there called a ‘Waiting List’ and there’s 80 kids sitting on it ‘cos we don’t have enough ponies or coaches to give them a ride on a real horse? I know it’s hard enough for her to find the money to feed us horses, so how is she going to find the money to feed a ‘Waiting List’?
I guess things really have started to look up lately. The humans have managed to do up one of the really old arenas so that soon we’ll be able to teach the kids in there too. Just the other day they put in a big new fence so that we have more room in the paddock and I think they’re planning on putting in a whole heap of new trees soon too. That will be great because the trees are really important to keep our paddocks healthy. There was one paddock that had these great big gullies in it because of the drought, but the other day they brought in some huge noisy machines that built up some banks to help stop the erosion. Now we just need some rain so we get some yummy new grass to eat.
You know the more I think about it the more I realise how much work all those humans do to look after us. It’s just great that I’ve found a home where I love the work and I get so well looked after.
Anyway, I hope that you know a little bit more about Pegasus now and all the very special people that help to keep the place running. Maybe one day soon I’ll see you out there. We always love to meet new helpers. Or maybe you might be able to help Becky to find some money to feed that Waiting List? I really don’t like the thought of anything having to carry around 80 kids for such a long time.
