News and Events
What’s going on At the Pony Zone
Welcome to The Pony Zone France News and Events page. You’ll find details here about recent activities and training sessions, and also our upcoming events and classes.
Update on Woody
Lots of our followers on Facebook have been asking about Woody, our new glamourous, four-legged assistant. For those of you who haven’t heard about him, here’s a brief update on progress, and a little sneaky photo with his ‘creator’, Glen.
June 2022
Glen has been tasked with creating a model of a pony for me. I’ll be using this very friendly and patient horse – which won’t move about or kick – to help me teach. With Woody’s help students will learn how to :
- approach a horse;
- mount;
- size, fit and put on different tack, including driving harness;
- plait a mane and tail;
- bandage a tail;
- adjust stirrups;
- sit in different positions in the saddle;
- carry out exercises while mounted;
- put a rug on….the list goes on and on!
Build confidence
These practical sessions help children to build up their confidence as they improve their skills. They will have to remember plenty of what we study during the studio sessions because I will be running practical assessments. I’ll be basing the assessments on the standards set by other relevant equestrian organisations in France and the U.K.
Different coloured rosettes will be presented as a reward for each achievement. Depending upon the decisions the children make, and their subsequent actions during the assessments, points will either be awarded or deducted. But they are given plenty of chances, support and encouragement to help them all achieve the grades.
Safety is a priority
All activities are safe and suitable for children of all ages., They will need to wear suitable clothing and hats will be provided. The height of this particular model can be lowered, but in the photo, Woody stands at around 12 hands high. which is it’s highest level. I’m off to buy some safety mats tomorrow, as have included this as a necessity following the risk assessment I’ve carried out so far.
How to measure a horse’s height
Seeing the model, and knowing what has been achieved so far, I’m confident that Glen is expertly implementing my ideas and safety requirements. And I’m extremely impressed by his attention to detail, patience and specialist wood-working skills. However, I’ve now seen an option that may allow the Woody’s head to turn and be raised and lowered. So Glen could be regretting taking on this particular challenge.
Each time I visit his workshop, I’m itching to drill a couple of holes or bolt a rail on somewhere. Unfortunately, at this late stage, I very much doubt that Glen will be letting me go anywhere near. It might also be because I asked if he could put a spacer/bar on either side, between the front and back legs. There are several very important reasons for my request, safety being one of them. But it probably means I’m now banned from the workshop forever.
Official Pony Zone Events
Years ago I was one of the first people to run official pony parties and events in the U.K. and I learned a lot from my time there. All that event organiser knowledge and expertise serves me well for my business in France.
Knowing the challenges, administration and expenses involved in moving real horses and ponies between locations, Woody is the perfect solution. He is also less expensive (doesn’t eat very much) and a less time-consuming way for me to educate children.
Have horse, will travel
‘Have car, will travel’. Perhaps in my case, ‘Have horse, will travel’ is more appropriate. He’s not going to be the horse that ‘wooden’ go anywhere. Woody will definitely be going places – lots of them. That’s because I’ll be putting him in the back of the car and bolting his head, body and legs together myself!
Eventually, once he’s fully built, I think Woody will have a few of his own stories to tell. Until then, if you want to check on Woody’s progress, there are more photos on our Gallery. But make sure you come back here for all the news and events updates.