A girl in a purple coat rode a white and dark brown horse named Marion. The barn lights reflected off the rider's blue helmet. The girl rocked from side to side as the mare took slow, confident strides.
“Are you having fun?” her mom called to her.
Bristol, 5, paused. “Yeah!” she said.
“I have a feeling you’ll be on a horse again someday,” one of the staff members leading Marion around the ring said.
Bristol Conder has two miniature donkeys. She likes riding one of them but is too small to ride the other just yet.
Marion was the first horse Bristol had ever ridden.
Within the first hour of the event, more than 200 people came to the Christmas with the Ponies event at People & Animal Learning Services, or PALS, located on West Elwren Road. This is the second year of the event, operations director Cynthia Wakley said.
Last year the total number of attendees was about 200. She said people enjoyed meeting the horses while listening to Christmas music and sipping hot chocolate.
“Christmas is fun enough as it is, and you add ponies and horses with it,” she said.
The event introduces people to some of the 12 therapy horses, Wakley said. PALS is a nonprofit therapeutic riding center that provides various services, and they often work with veterans, foster children and people with disabilities. This event was open to the public.
“A lot of people only know horses in the movies,” Wakley said. “It’s very rewarding when they actually start interacting with them. They see how much love and compassion the horses have.”
The event also helps educate people about how to safely ride and groom a horse, Wakley said.
In the barn, people could take 15-minute rides around the ring for $15 and 15-minute grooming lessons for $5.
Bloomington resident Michelle Schaller has been around horses for most of her life. She surprised her 3-year-old daughter with a trip to see the horses. This was her daughter's first time getting to groom one.
Michelle said she thought the event was well done because the rides were long enough, and kids could participate in an activity of putting rings around cones during the ride. And there was a saddle small enough for her daughter, Eilis.
Michelle also noticed how gentle all the horses at the event were.
She squatted next to Poco — one of PALS' miniature horses — and helped Eilis comb the horse.
“Do you want to give him a kiss?”
Eilis approached Poco’s face and held out her small hand in front of him.
“That’s good, you’re letting him sniff you,” Michelle said.
Poco let out a low whinny, and Eilis began backing away.
Michelle took her daughter in her arms, and Eilis touched her lips to the horse’s nose.
“Do you want to come back?” Schaller asked.
“Yeah!” Eilis squealed before running away to look for the barn cat.
