Horse Illustrated Magazine

May 8, 2016

Dear Diary,

Guess who’s gonna be 21 on Thursday?

Yup. That’s right. ME!!

I, Marey the Pony, am officially turning 21 on my birthday (on Thursday), and I’m so excited. I’ll finally be a grown-up pony! . . . Well, okay, in human years I’m just now grown up. In pony years I’m already grown up. I like human years.

ANYWAY, I can’t wait for my birthday because it’s going to be MY DAY, all about me, with presents and singing and treats. Goldie says she would make me a cake if she had a recipe, and if she knew how to use an oven, and if she had thumbs. But since she has none of those things, she said I can have the sweetest grassy patch in our pasture to eat instead. Wasn’t that nice??

Bedtime now!

— MAREY

May 9, 2016

Dear Diary,

Three more days!!

I wrote my birthday list. This is it:

What I Want For My Birthday:

1 Back Scratch,

2 Sugar Cubes,

3 Choruses of Happy Birthday,

4 Fun Games, and

5 Kisses on the Nose.

Isn’t that a great list?? I really can’t think of anything else I want. Ruby said I’m probably being a little greedy, but I say NO. You just can’t be too greedy on your 21st birthday. This is a milestone! Anything I say should be law on my birthday!

— MAREY

May 10, 2016

Dear Diary,

Two more days!

Today I got a bath in honor of my impending 21st birthday. Well, actually I was just dirty. I’d been rolling in the dirt in my pasture yesterday, and my humans said “Eww, you are a dirty pony!” and then they got out the hose.

I don’t mind baths very much. The water feels kind of nice on a hot day. But it’s the principle of the thing that matters (they can’t go around thinking they can just bathe me any time they want!) so I pranced around and snorted at the water and pretended I was scared of it. Just to show them who’s boss around here.

My human told me afterwards she can’t believe I’m going to be 21. She says I still act like a baby.

— MAREY

May 11, 2016

Dear Diary,

TOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAYTOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAY

TOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAYTOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAY

TOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAYTOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAY

TOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAYTOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAY

TOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAYTOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAY

TOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAYTOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAY

TOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAYTOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAY

TOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAYTOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAY

TOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAYTOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAY

TOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAYTOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAY

TOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAYTOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAY

TOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAYTOMORROW’SMYBIRTHDAY

— MAREY

P.S. I’m excited!!

May 12, 2016

Dear Diary,

I woke up this morning reeeeally early, but that’s okay because everyone else was awake, too. They all sang me Happy Birthday THREE TIMES, just like I wanted! When we went outside we played a lot of fun games, games like “run up and down the fence line blowing really loud” and “roll all the way over from one side of your back to the other.” It was so much fun!!!

When my humans came to give us our dinner, they gave me my back scratch and my two sugar cubes and my five kisses on the nose. I liked the sugar cubes best.

Now it’s bedtime. Goodnight, diary. Here’s to year 22!

— MAREY

Read more Diary of a Pony:
Diary of a Pony: When Ponies Write Poetry
Diary of a Pony: Where’s Spring?
Diary of a Pony: A New Friend

Samantha Johnson is a freelance writer and the author of several books, including The Field Guide to Horses, (Voyageur Press, 2009). She raises Welsh Mountain Ponies in northern Wisconsin and is a certified horse show judge. Follow her on Twitter: @miraclewelsh.