The Power of the Pony

When scanning my inbox, one word jumps out: pony.

It is my work email, and the message subject is summer pony runs -- a topic that has everything to do with the mail schedule between buildings and nothing to do with those four-legged creatures. But of the hundreds of words on the screen, I saw pony. Apparently it's a word that captures my attention during conversations too. When I was a child, I remember my parents were discussing plans for their summer party. My dad talked of ordering a pony. I was pretty excited until I learned he meant a pony keg of beer.

Truth is, even today, and even as a beer lover, I think I'd rather have the four-legged version.

I've never outgrown my love of ponies. When working at summer camp during college, I was quite happy to work in the pony barn rather than the horse barns. Today, when most of my horsey friends ride horses, I'm riding my pony.

I like that my 14.1-hand pony fits in places horses can't, and that, in a pinch, I don't need a mounting block. Generally speaking, most ponies are hardy little souls, who can live on little food. Most don't require expensive shoes. Many are quite sociable.

And, they remind me of a time in childhood when dreams were singular and simple: I dreamt of having a pony.

Pictured is Ms. Lily in her favorite pose. That girl can live on just a few hours of pasture a day. Unfortunately, that gives her plenty of time to figure out how to rearrange the barn.