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2022 Story and Poem Submission Rules: Winning stories and poems will be published in our new Clip Clop Magazine. All entries must be original, meaning that the member who enters them must have written the text. Stories should be suitable for all ages, including younger members, and include a horse or animal in them someplace. Clip Clop Magazine is boosting its commitment to provide an established outlet for new writers. Each month Clip Clop Magazine will award $25 USD to one winning article or poem that we print. All other published entries will be awarded $5 apiece. Submissions can be fiction, nonfiction or poems.

The Café Pony In a small café not too far away there was a pony who could serve you a latte.	nightsong & Dream Catcher
2021-10-22 19:00:45
Sawyer and the Round-up It happened on a normal day. A five-year-old mustang colt was running with his herd, when the buzzing began. At first, he thought it was just a fly, and lifted one hind leg to scratch his ear. The buzzing didn’t stop or grow faint. Instead, it continued to get louder until it was nearly on top of him. Then his herd began to panic. His mother said, “Oh, dear! I’ve seen this before. Run!” “Run? From what?,” he wondered. “I don’t see anything.” Then the noise really was on top of him, and the wind stirred up the dirt, making it hard to see or smell anything. His herd began to rush around him, pushing and shoving, so he had no escape. He tried to push ahead, but was pushed back time and time again, until he was at the back. They ran and ran, until finally they reached a big box. It was very dark. The colt tried to push his way out and go around the big box, but the big buzzing thing blocked his path and made him turn and bolt in the opposite direction. The buzzing thing once more flew into his way, so his only option was to go into the box. “I hope it doesn’t eat me!”, he thought. Then there was a bang, and the box got darker. The big dark box was filled with other horses, so closely packed that he couldn’t move in any direction. “Well, it can’t get any worse!” He was unfortunately mistaken. The truck started to move. Eventually, the bumping stopped, and the ride became smoother. The colt began to settle down. The box seemed to move forever, but finally, it stopped. Suddenly, light came streaming in through the back of the box, and the colt and all the others ran into the sun and the dirt. All of the horses were happy to be outside, but didn’t know where they were. It was scary, and confusing. As the colt looked around, he realized that there were things blocking his path. Then, two legged creatures, waving long, noisy, sticks came up behind him and his friends, scaring them, and moving them forwards. The two legs, (as the colt thought of them), were herding them into different pens. Then he was herded into another large box, though this one was thinner. Once in, he was poked and prodded, and his mouth was opened. Then this big box started to move. “Oh, no. Not again,” he thought to himself. “Now where am I going?” He found himself slowly drifting off during the long ride. He woke up occasionally, when the box stopped moving, but nothing happened, so he went back to sleep. The last time it stopped he didn’t think anything of it; until a wall behind him opened. He ran into the sunlight joyfully, happy to be free of the confinement of the box. His happiness was short lived, when he realized there were more walls around him. As he looked around, he saw more two legged creatures watching him. The two legged creatures opened a hole in the wall and came towards him. “Oh no!”, he thought, “What will they do to me?” He was about to find out. They came closer, holding things that clanked and clanged. When they got to him, they threw long snaky things around him, holding him in place. Next, they took something bone shatteringly cold, colder than anything he had ever felt, up against his skin, and held it there. They held it for what seemed like forever, until he thought he couldn’t stand it anymore. Finally they took it away. Then they took off the things holding him in place, and left. Shortly after they left, they came back, and left food and water. He noticed that there were other horses around him, and eventually, other horses were put in with him. He learned from an old mare that told him the two legs were called humans, and the thing they were in was a pen. A few days later, there were many more humans that came and watched him, talking to each other. Other horses were taken by the humans, but he and another stayed; until two came that seemed to like them. They came up to the pen, talked for a bit, then left. Then yet another big box came toward their pen. Part of the pen wall was moved aside, and humans came in. The process went exactly as before, but with food and water. When the box stopped, he stepped out into another pen, with another small pond and hay net. His friend stepped out after him. “Where are we?” asked his friend. “I don’t know,” the colt replied. In the days after their arrival, those who had been there a while said they were at a sort of school, to teach them what the humans wanted, until a human came to adopt them. The humans had a name for him too: Sawyer. Humans came a few times a day and gave him food and water. They came in his pen to do things with him, and when he did something right, he got a treat. A few weeks after he was brought to the school, another two humans came, and they seemed to like him. They came toward his pen and looked at Sawyer. They came to watch him many times. The humans worked with him a lot, especially the little one. It was raining the day they put him in a box. It was a long ride, but this new place was more like the wild than his old pen. It was more open, and there was plenty of green, but there were still walls around it. Inside of the walls there was another pen like the one he used to have. He saw his hay net, and he began to eat.	ILoveLydia & Molly
2021-10-30 23:43:31
Pedro pal and bingo bud all they do is roll in mud bingo says let's go run Pedro says ill just eat yuuuuuuummmm.	Bingogirl123 & prince
2021-11-02 23:30:32
	ILoveLydia & Molly
2021-11-17 15:39:49
Sawyer and the Round-up It happened on a normal day. A five-year-old mustang colt was running with his herd, when the buzzing began. At first, he thought it was just a fly, and lifted one hind leg to scratch his ear. The buzzing didn’t stop or grow faint. Instead, it continued to get louder until it was nearly on top of him. Then his herd began to panic. His mother said, “Oh, dear! I’ve seen this before. Run!” “Run? From what?,” he wondered. “I don’t see anything.” Then the noise really was on top of him, and the wind stirred up the dirt, making it hard to see or smell anything. His herd began to rush around him, pushing and shoving, so he had no escape. He tried to push ahead, but was pushed back time and time again, until he was at the back. They ran and ran, until finally they reached a big box. It was very dark. The colt tried to push his way out and go around the big box, but the big buzzing thing blocked his path and made him turn and bolt in the opposite direction. The buzzing thing once more flew into his way, so his only option was to go into the box. “I hope it doesn’t eat me!”, he thought. Then there was a bang, and the box got darker. The big dark box was filled with other horses, so closely packed that he couldn’t move in any direction. “Well, it can’t get any worse!” He was unfortunately mistaken. The truck started to move. Eventually, the bumping stopped, and the ride became smoother. The colt began to settle down. The box seemed to move forever, but finally, it stopped. Suddenly, light came streaming in through the back of the box, and the colt and all the others ran into the sun and the dirt. All of the horses were happy to be outside, but didn’t know where they were. It was scary, and confusing. As the colt looked around, he realized that there were things blocking his path. Then, two legged creatures, waving long, noisy, sticks came up behind him and his friends, scaring them, and moving them forwards. The two legs, (as the colt thought of them), were herding them into different pens. Then he was herded into another large box, though this one was thinner. Once in, he was poked and prodded, and his mouth was opened. Then this big box started to move. “Oh, no. Not again,” he thought to himself. “Now where am I going?” He found himself slowly drifting off during the long ride. He woke up occasionally, when the box stopped moving, but nothing happened, so he went back to sleep. The last time it stopped he didn’t think anything of it; until a wall behind him opened. He ran into the sunlight joyfully, happy to be free of the confinement of the box. His happiness was short lived, when he realized there were more walls around him. As he looked around, he saw more two legged creatures watching him. The two legged creatures opened a hole in the wall and came towards him. “Oh no!”, he thought, “What will they do to me?” He was about to find out. They came closer, holding things that clanked and clanged. When they got to him, they threw long snaky things around him, holding him in place. Next, they took something bone shatteringly cold, colder than anything he had ever felt, up against his skin, and held it there. They held it for what seemed like forever, until he thought he couldn’t stand it anymore. Finally they took it away. Then they took off the things holding him in place, and left. Shortly after they left, they came back, and left food and water. He noticed that there were other horses around him, and eventually, other horses were put in with him. He learned from an old mare that told him the two legs were called humans, and the thing they were in was a pen. A few days later, there were many more humans that came and watched him, talking to each other. Other horses were taken by the humans, but he and another stayed; until two came that seemed to like them. They came up to the pen, talked for a bit, then left. Then yet another big box came toward their pen. Part of the pen wall was moved aside, and humans came in. The process went exactly as before, but with food and water. When the box stopped, he stepped out into another pen, with another small pond and hay net. His friend stepped out after him. “Where are we?” asked his friend. “I don’t know,” the colt replied. In the days after their arrival, those who had been there a while said they were at a sort of school, to teach them what the humans wanted, until a human came to adopt them. The humans had a name for him too: Sawyer. Humans came a few times a day and gave him food and water. They came in his pen to do things with him, and when he did something right, he got a treat. A few weeks after he was brought to the school, another two humans came, and they seemed to like him. They came toward his pen and looked at Sawyer. They came to watch him many times. The humans worked with him a lot, especially the little one. It was raining the day they put him in a box. It was a long ride, but this new place was more like the wild than his old pen. It was more open, and there was plenty of green, but there were still walls around it. Inside of the walls there was another pen like the one he used to have. He saw his hay net, and he began to eat. As he ate, one of the two humans came and watched him. He stared back at it, chewing thoughtfully. After a while, the human left. The sun went down, and he fell asleep. Everyday since his adoption, the human, sometimes with another, comes to see him. It asks him to do things, and when he does it right, Sawyer gets a treat. He enjoys this life, and often waits at the gate for the human to come. He spends his days out in a large pasture with his best friend, playing and eating. The end.	ILoveLydia & Molly
2021-11-29 01:54:37
Mustang Running wild and free fast as can be, over the plains, and past the trees. Not just horses, but a family. A mom and dad, and kids too. They also make friends, just like we do! We need to remember that they like to be free, Not just horses, but a family.	ILoveLydia & Molly
2021-11-30 17:52:59
Pedro and Bingo riding on rainbows finding there pot of gold running and trotting laughing and talking together they grow old :)	Bingogirl123 & prince
2022-04-20 21:03:55
Hi! I am recently writing a story and would like to post it here. I am writing it from a first person point of view. Thanks! CH. 1 A Rough Start I wake up to a thunderstorm. It rattles the windows and I can’t help but feel a little scared. I look at my alarm clock and groan. It’s three thirty-seven am. I turn on my side, fix my sleeping mask and try to go back to sleep. I jolt back to reality as another lightning bolt lights up the room. Immediately a loud boom shakes the house. Shrill neighs come from the barn and I know the horses are as spooked as I am. My name is Hannah Marie Brooke and I’m twelve years old. I’m somewhat of a tomboy but I know how to be a lady. I own an adorable two year old Golden Retriever named Goldie, a palomino Paso Fino named Prancer, and a fluffy long-haired Siamese cat named Mittens. I close my eyes as another boom rattles the windows and drift off to sleep. I wake up a few hours later to my alarm clock. I switch it off and stumble into the bathroom, heavy eyed. I wet a washcloth with hot water and squeeze it out. I lay it on my face and leave it there for a few minutes, then wipe it all over my face. I open my eyes and look in the mirror- my whole face is pink. I sigh, then brush my teeth and hair and get dressed. I join my sister, Elizabeth, or as we call her Beth, to wait the remaining three minutes before we exercise then take Goldie and Cocoa, Beth’s lab and pit-bull mix male dog, on their walk. “Hi,” I say as I walk in. “Hi,” she says. “It’s almost time for our w-a-l-k.” “I know,” I say. “Where’s Cocoa?” He scoots out from Beth’s bed at hearing his name, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. “Come on, goofy,” I say. “I’m gonna go get Goldie ready.” I say to Beth. “OK,” she says. “Just don’t be late for the you-know-what and the exercise.” I grin. “I won’t,” I promise her.	Taylortherider2009 & Buttercup
2022-06-19 02:06:57