Pony Programs for Schools

When the weather is good on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays we try to be available for low-cost educational programs at preschools, daycares, kindergartens and elementary schools.

How does it work?

The plan is to be present for about an hour, with just one pony. The children, in small groups, get to pet the pony, ask questions, learn never to stand behind a horse, and perhaps get a short pony ride.

We try to keep the cost to something that can be managed from within a petty-cash budget. For schools that are not far away (less than 20 miles or so from our farm) the price is less than $100 for one hour. Additional hours can be arranged at $50 per hour.

What else is there?

We would like to work with teachers in developing extenders. We are thinking of having drawings of ponies for coloring, connect-the-dots drawings, word-find puzzles with horse-related words, and so on. But we don't have any of those things yet! Please get in touch with us (919-353-4591) if you think you would like to help.

Why are ponies part of education, and not just entertainment?

A century ago all children, even city kids, knew about horses. Everyone either owned horses or encountered them everywhere.

Now horses are much rarer, but there's something about horses that seems to excite kids of all ages.

We think everyone should learn about horses, because horses have nearly always been part of the development of civilization. Here are some of the subjects that horses can help teach:

• History - Horses have been used for thousands of years.
• Sociology - How do people interact with someone on horseback?
• Physiology - How do a horse's strong muscles and bones work?
• Gymnastics - What's the best way to mount or dismount?
• Ethics - The horse works better if you treat him correctly.
• Physics - The laws of motion are behind everything your horse does.
• Zoology - How does the horse fit in with the other animals?
• Mathematics - How far? How fast? How many horses?
• Comparative anatomy - How is the horse's foot like your finger?
• Health care - Do horses catch colds?
• Nutrition - What should horses eat? What should they avoid?
• Opthamology - The horse can see predators from all directions. How?