‘Pony Play’ aims to provide therapeutic experience for kids
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Toni’s Ponies, a horse rescue and rehabilitation organization located in Kingston, has already had a busy summer between appearing in the Fourth of July parade, hosting its annual yard and tack sale and a reading of Jennifer K. Mann’s new book The Riding Lesson in partnership with Saltwater Books. But another exciting thing happening at Toni’s Ponies this summer is its weekly Pony Play event, which occurs weekly on Thursdays, and all are welcome to join the fun.
Pony Play is aimed at preschool and elementary-aged children, but the entire family is invited to join. The goal of Pony Play is to give kids a calm environment to get hands-on experience with the horses, ponies, and donkeys living at the rescue. The weekly event includes a story time, crafts and group activities, as well as time to brush, pet, and connect with the animals.
When asked about the inspiration to start this event this summer, Toni Houck, the founder of Toni’s Ponies (or as she says, “the one who is lucky enough to have her name on the sign.”) said they had tried to do a day camp in the past but lacked the resources to take on such a massive project. However, they were still looking for a way to connect kids and the rest of the community with the horses and what they do. So, a scaled-down weekly version was born.
The weekly summer event takes place on the property in a shaded paddock next to the horse corral, where the volunteers set up tables for crafts, story time, and other activities. “We sometimes have birdseed or oats for the kids to touch and feel. We try to focus on sensory activities for that age,” explained volunteer Alex Sanford. “Then we bring out the horses and let them pet or brush them and sometimes let them sit on the horse.”
It is important to remember that the horses at Toni’s Ponies are not considered rideable horses. Many were rescued from abuse or neglect and are fearful of people. However, the work the volunteers at Toni’s Ponies are doing, including the interactions the horses and children have during Pony Play, helps to acclimate those animals to people, and only horses that are ready for those interactions are used in Pony Play. These interactions have a notable effect on the children, volunteers, and horses themselves.
Houck told the story of one visitor who was non-verbal and visibly nervous to be there, who “lit up with joy,” Houck said, “the moment she was placed on the horse and started babbling with her mother. She even hugged the horse before climbing down.” Another young girl asked to remove her shoes so she could feel the horse with her feet.
Some of the most interesting stories of healing did not come out of Pony Play but from the day-to-day activities of the rescue itself, which the $10 requested donation for each family attending Pony Play goes to support. Houck told one story of a horse that was brought to Toni’s Ponies injured and pregnant. She had been separated from her last foal and got hurt trying to get to it. This particular horse no longer trusted people and required a great deal of patience and healing. A high school-aged volunteer immediately fell in love with this particular horse and chose to work with her every day, even taking her homework into the horse stall to just sit quietly together. This particular horse is now one of Toni’s Ponies’ success stories. She has been adopted by that same volunteer and is not only rideable but often leads trail rides.
Another touch of healing and rehabilitation Toni’s Ponies is known for is their weekly visits from local retirement communities in which, much like at Pony Play, they are able to introduce their visitors to the horses, donkeys, and ponies living at the rescue and sanctuary and give both the animals and the visitors chance to interact in a peaceful environment. “It’s wonderful to see,” said Houck, “they leave here looking ten years younger. Our ultimate goal is to (construct) concrete paddocks and walkways to make it easier for those groups to visit and interact with the animals.”
All of the work Toni’s Ponies does is fully funded and supported by donations and volunteers. Prior knowledge of horse husbandry is required to volunteer; many volunteers come just to help work on the grounds or organize events like the weekly Pony Play or the annual yard and tack sale or the yearly gala that will take place in November.
If you are interested in donating or becoming involved, you can reach out on the Toni’s Ponies website or come visit Pony Play every Thursday this summer from 10:30 -11:30 a.m.
