A tiny Brixton pony has been given the chance to finally see over his stable door after children designed him a special periscope.
Pedro, a Shetland pony who lives at the Ebony Horse Club in Brixton, has been unable to see what goes on over in the stables because of his small stature.
The club is currently trying to raise the money to buy him a properly sized door, but as a half-term project the children designed him a short term solution: the “Pedroscope”, a periscope which he can look through so he can see over the top of the door.
After hearing about their idea, a volunteer reached out to see if anyone could help and found Stockport-based printing firm Print & Cut, who constructed the life-size Pedroscope.
Ebony Horse Club is a community riding centre in Brixton’s Coldharbour Ward, one of the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the country.
It gives children who would otherwise have no contact with horses the chance to learn to ride and interact with them.
Tiny Pedro is perfect for this, explained Tanya White, a Youth Worker at the club.
“For kids who have never seen a horse, they can be scary at first, so Pedro is perfect for gaining their confidence,” she said. “Last week he visited a school we work with where a number of students are wheelchair users. They loved him as he was so good with them.”
Grace Mpungi, 11, who was involved in the project said: “Pedro is so cute and our other horses love him, especially Joe who is the biggest. I’d never seen a horse in real life ‘til I came to Ebony, never mind one as small as Pedro. It’s been so much fun designing and making the Pedroscope.”
Cameron Chapman, 15, who coined the name of the Pedroscope added, “We’ve been Googling it and we think it’s the World’s first pony periscope!”
The club relies on donations and Ebony needs £700 to raise money for Pedro’s new stable. To donate text PONY44 and an amount of £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 to 70070.
[…] include a Q & A with director, Louise Osmond and producer, Judith Dawson and a chance to meet Pedro, Ebony Horse Club’s famous Shetland pony, and some of the staff and children who care for him […]
This is so sad. Why couldn’t they just build a platform so he could step on it. Now his view (the little one he had) has been completely blocked off. Don’t get me wrong. It is great what the kids did, just wish they had taken in consideration that one detail.