I totally loved those real ponies when they had them at the fair each year, and my mother always let me ride on them. Having a real pony of my own was my biggest wish when I was little, and my mom finally let me have one when I was around 10.Those pictures on a pony as a little kid are always special. I think since those were the days of black and white TV westerns, that many kids dressed up in "cowboy" outfits and had a pair of cap six guns and a stick pony. Town kids could even go on real pony rides and get their photo taken if their folks wanted to part with some cash.
Back in the middle 50’s , Shetland ponies were a big thing, and cost as much as a full-sized horse, sometimes even more.
This is me at around 2 on one of the pony rides. Picture taken in Bend, Oregon when we were visiting family there.

