The 7 Types of Ponies You Meet at Pony Finals
BY EMILY LUCIBELLO
The Oldie:
Oldies are a blessing from the heavens. You have seen this pony at shows for what seems like eons and have no clue how they are still around. Needless to say,...
Pony Finals Judges Offer Insight on How to Have a Competitive Edge
BY IZZY FEINSTEIN AND ELISE STEPHENS
Adorable ponies and their riders travel from all over the United States to compete at USEF Pony Finals in Lexington, Kentucky. Competing at this prestigious event is a dream...
PonyMom 101: Is it Better to Lease or Buy Your First Pony?
BY PONYMOMAMMY
Your little (or big) one has been taking lessons for a couple years, and the time has come to get her a pony (or horse) of her very own. Congratulations! You are about...
What it’s like To Be a “Horsegirl” in School
BY EMILY MCNEILL
While watching a movie in history class, a calvary stampedes onto screen. Immediately, your classmates swivel towards you. In the midst of completing punnett squares in biology, a question regarding horse genetics...
20 Awesome Spots and Dots That Brighten Up Hunter/Jumper Shows
BY BLOG EDITOR LAUREN MAULDIN
Though I've been extremely fortunate to own and ride great horses in my life, there's a holy grail that keeps eluding me. I dream about, yearn for and obsess over...
Pony Mom 101 – Equitation Basics Explained
BY PONYMOMAMMY
Pony kids aren’t expected to know everything, but learn in the form of weekly lessons, summer camp, and time at the barn. New pony moms and dads get to pay the bills—and that’s...
Buying & Selling Ponies: A Beginner’s Guide to NOT Wasting Your Time
BY MARTHA RUSSELL
I’m new to this pony game. Well, maybe not new. My 13-year-old daughter is on her 5th (?) pony. She’s a great rider (that’s coming from Mom, so take it with a...
Why Ponies?
Above photo: Bella Griffin leased Vermont Golden Graham for the Medium Green and Medium Pony Hunters in 2017. Photo by Vyla Carter.
Learn more about Emily Elk's Stonewall Ponies by CLICKING HERE!
By Emily Elek
First of all,...
Ten Tips for Horse Show Parents Heading to USEF Pony Finals
By Jennifer Rubin
Congratulations! Your petite equine has finally qualified for the big show! But what can you do to help prepare yourself and your little equestrian for the upcoming trip to Lexington, Kentucky...
A Pony Mom Says Goodbye to #pigtailsandponies
BY PONYMOMAMMY
When my mini-me got her first pony, she was a peanut of a thing. Maybe 40 pounds soaking wet. Her legs barely came past the saddle flap. She let me put her hair in...
Managing Buying Expectations for Eager Pony Parents
BY PONYMOMAMMY
ISO: Unicorn.
Large pony. NO spook, NO vices, 100% Bombproof and kid safe
MUST pass PPE. Budget $3000
I see a lot of ads like this. The addition of social media has been both helpful and...
Pony Hunt Teams: A Crowd Favorite at Devon 2019
BY EMILY MCNEILL
On Saturday afternoon on Devon’s junior weekend, spectators gathered around the wheeler ring to watch an event that is definitely a crowd favorite: the pony hunt teams. Groups of three riders in...
New Pony Parent Horse Show Guide Part II: Prep and Attire
BY PONYMOMAMMY
So, you’ve got the date on the calendar for the first show. Now what? In my last post, we covered some horse show vocabulary for the newly indoctrinated pony parent. Today, we’ll talk...
Who Jumped It Best? 2019 Pony Finals Regular Larges
PHOTOS BY TORI WEED
Pony Finals has almost come to a close, and the awards have all been handed out. There's still one more grand prize we need your help answering—who jumped it best! From...
Lost in the Woods: One Pony’s Journey
BY KIRSTY WRIGHT
Trainers have many horses and ponies wander through our lives. From the perfect packers that we wish we could clone, to the fearsome fiends that make our lives more difficult than they...
Who Jumped it Best? Medium Green Pony Hunters at Pony Finals
BY VYLA CARTER
Pony Finals may be over for the year, but that doesn't mean we can't still pick our favorites from the huge fields of top competition. Samantha Takacs and Galianna earned the overall Medium...
Who Jumped It Best? 2018 Pony Finals Regular Small Pony Hunters
BY VYLA CARTER
At Pony Finals, competitors have one chance to show off their pony over fences to impress the three panels of judges. Over 100 Regular Small ponies jumped their best in the Walnut...
Mistakes Happen (Even at Pony Finals)
BY PONYMOMAMMY
We survived Pony Finals! I feel like there should be some recognition for us moms that helped groom, and clean stalls, and wash breeches in the laundry mat at the RV park at...
A Simple Catch Ride… Maybe Not
Reprint of July/August's 2015 Pony Issue. Read the full Magazine at https://issuu.com/theplaidhorsemag/docs/tph070815
BY JESSICA CHOPER & ARMAND LEONE
As long as there are ponies there will be a need for pony catch riders. Tiny children matched...
Splashes and Pops of Color at Pony Finals
BY TPH STAFF
With divisions that literally have hundreds of ponies, how does one stand out at Pony Finals? Naturally, the hope is with a perfect trip, but some ponies come pre-prepared with their own...
Pony Perfection: Leslie Butzer’s Rico Suave
Leslie Butzer has long strived to breed the best hunter ponies. Thanks to cloning, her beloved gelding, Rico Suave, can help her achieve that dream.
BY KRISTIN PITZERPHOTOS BY DAVID ERDEK & SHAWN MCMILLEN
Whether you’re...
Calling All Non-Horsey Moms – Questions to Ask if Your Kid Wants to Ride
BY LEXI CLARK
What the heck is a jodhpur, and why is my child so obsessed with horses?! How many times have you seen the confused looks on the faces of non-horsey people as you...
