OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Who knew reading and horses could go hoof-in-hoof?
This summer, the Ocala Horse Alliance (OHA) is saddling up with a fun way to encourage kids to keep reading—by offering blue ribbons, horse time, and a simple pledge.

Whether it’s a trip to a distant planet or a deep dive into horse adventures, books can take young readers anywhere. And now, there’s an extra incentive to open those pages.

Reading With a Horsey Twist

On May 14, the OHA brought live horses to 17 Marion County elementary schools as part of their Education Team’s Horse Education Day. The goal? To inspire 4th graders to take a Pledge to Read over the summer.

A blue “1st Place” ribbon sits next to a pledge card featuring a cartoon horse promoting summer reading with the message, “The more you read, the smarter you will be!”
A pledge card and blue ribbon encourage students to read every week this summer. Courtesy: Ellie Trueman/Ocala Horse Alliance

If they sign the pledge card, they’re rewarded with a blue ribbon. The message on the card makes it fun and memorable: “Right from the horse’s mouth, the more you read, the smarter you’re going to be.” It’s all on the honor system.

Real Horses, Real Motivation

“And for those students who take the pledge and sign the card, if they read something every week this summer, they’ll get a blue ribbon,” said Ellie Trueman, president of the OHA.

OHA, in partnership with local farms, has already visited 10 schools this year and plans to reach six to eight more before the school year ends—engaging more than 2,400 kids in total.

A Hands-On Experience

“We bring a horse to the school and then the kids get to see the horse and ask questions about the book and horses,” said Trueman. “They get to pet the horse and brush it, and then they take the pledge to read, and they get blue ribbons.”

She added, “It’s giving them the motivation to keep reading. They can read anything. Reading anything is good. The more you read, the smarter you’re going to be.”

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