to further elaborate on my speculation that most people think ponies
are mean... i think a lot of it stems from people buying ponies for
children, children who don't know how to ride or treat an animal the
way it should be treated. from being at boarding barns I have been
often horrified by the way some children treat their horses. The
reason I have our donkey curly ray is in fact because children at the
barn were just terrorizing him and everyone thought it was cute. They
would just laugh and laugh when these big overweight preteen and young
teen children would hop on him and hang on screaming laughing whilke
he bucked and ran them into fences trying to get them off him. He is a
mini, 48 inches at the withers. One teenage girl wouldnt ride him if
he was "dirty" so she bathed him every single day. scrubbed him with
soap. to this day I cant even get him on a washrack without him
choking hisself on the rope halter. I dont understand it. When my
daughter was three I caught her dragging our dog around by a tight
rope around its neck and I talked to her about it in such a way as to
create empathy for the animal, I asked how she would feel if I did
that to her, choking her so she couldnt breathe, thinking it was fun
while she choked and struggled with a rope tight around its neck. She
never did it again and has grown up to be a person who cares a great
deal for other creatures. But some people, man i dont know what they
are thinking. I say good for you if a pony bites a mean child... and
good for a cat or dog to scratch or nip at children who drag them
around hurting them half the day every day!
Janice
--
yipie tie yie yo
