SPOT THE MISTAKES

An ordinary day at the barn for Maisie is filled with unnecessary dangers. Can you spot them all?

- BY EMILY FOSTER-TOMKINSON

Folding the excess lead rope across your palm helps prevent accidents, and closing all gates behind you will make sure no equine escape artists get out.

Maisie loves her pony, Monty, but she sometimes gets things wrong. See if you can count how many mistakes Maisie makes while bringing Monty in from his field in the story below.

Maisie walks toward the gate of Monty's field. She has a halter and lead rope ready. It's a hot day, so Maisie is wearing sandals. She leaves the gate open so she can get back out more quickly.

Monty is in the shade of a tree, his eyes closed as he naps. Maisie decides to go up behind him and slap him on the backside to wake him up. Luckily, Monty isn't fully asleep and sees Maisie as she approaches, so he's not too startled.

She throws the lead rope over him and ties it under his neck. Gently stroking his muzzle, she carefully slides the halter over his nose and buckles the crownpiece. Oh no! Maisie must have picked up the wrong halter—this one is far too big. Even with the buckle done up as tight as it will go, the noseband is hanging off the end of Monty's nose!

Give yourself one point for each mistake that you correctly identified, add them up, and then you can see how you did.

1. Maisie is wearing sandals.