Some are fat, some are lean. Some are fuzzy, some are sleek. Some are lazy, and some are fast. These are the ponies of our childhood. And Ready Penny, the featured pony of the 1970s children’s book A Very Young Rider and whom I’ve written about this week (p. 22), was most of those.

“Penny” was a beautiful and successful show hunter pony, although young Vivi Malloy did have some testing moments with the Arabian-Welsh cross, as the book shows, especially during veterinary visits! While Penny was accurately portrayed as a serious show pony in the text and photographs of the book (which is how I remember her), she did have a lighter side that her friends recalled. Especially in the twilight of her life, Penny was a true child’s pony who enjoyed teaching young riders the ropes as a lesson mount and as a therapeutic riding pony.

Columnist Bill Moroney also touches on the importance of ponies in the lives of children in this week’s column “Ponies Teach Us Far More Than Riding” (p. 56). He says the most important lessons ponies teach aren’t necessarily in competition. They teach children to be responsible and to have empathy for the pony and, consequently, that empathy carries over to other animals and to people. In addition, ponies help young children learn that being tactful gets you a lot further than being a bully.

These lessons are why A Very Young Rider is such a timeless book. Readers gain an insider’s look at what it takes to own and compete a pony, from the ground up to the biggest horse shows in the country. Vivi isn’t a pampered rider. She’s outside working in the cold weather, she’s practicing in the heat of the summer, and she’s waking up at 4 a.m. to prepare for the show, from longeing her pony to grooming and even braiding!

Vivi, now 39, recalled in our interview how important Penny and the book became to her later in life. As a child, she didn’t think of her life with ponies and horses as anything special–it was just her life. But as an adult she later realized how important they were, how they helped shape her as a person and taught her responsibility, how to work toward goals and to be gracious in competition. Vivi no longer rides competitively, but she said she’s going to keep horses on her radar for the future, whether for herself or for her two young children.

Like Vivi, I have a young child who has expressed an interest in riding. My son, now 5, started taking lessons this year and has enjoyed learning about the world of ponies. After the first couple of lessons, I wasn’t sure if he was enamored with riding, but during his most recent lesson I sensed a change.

Aboard a cute gray pony named Tally, he found new confidence and an understanding of cause and effect (ponies actually listen to you if you ask correctly!). With a huge grin on his face, he even asked his instructor if he could go over his first jump. Tally obliged. While Cameron was in two-point position, she stepped carefully over a 6-inch crossrail.

While Cam’s experiencing his early introduction to ponies and riding, I’m hoping that he discovers that with the great responsibility of a pony comes great rewards. But if he chooses to play golf (his other interest) or soccer, I’ll be happy to cheer him on. Although since I’ve really enjoyed being around ponies again, I just may have to buy one for myself!