THIS JUST IN! OMG THERE ARE GENIUS HELPER PONIES GIVING ADVICE AT APPLE STORES!
Alert reader Super Cinge hoofed the floor twice, indicating we should post this image. Read the entire story over at Frank Chimero’s Blog.
“You should get the 64 gig Wi-Fi + 3G.”
September 4, 2010 By
Excuse me, that’s MAC genius helper pony to you. PC users… *rolls eyes*
He likes the mac because there’s only one mouse button *wise nod*
@ Mel – works better for ungulates, no?
GAH!! I want a mini helper pony! (say in Homer Simpson wanting a helper monkey voice).
OMG PONIES!!!111!!!
FYI – I’ve heard from a reliable source that this is the University Village Apple Store in Seattle, WA.
And I agree with Frank… WHY DOES NO ONE SEEM TO NOTICE THE MINI-HORSE??!!!
that ain’t no pony moron-ey
(I know that technically it prob. isn’t a pony, but I wanted to use the silliness/CuteOverload/ Icanhazcheezburger speech and saying of OMGPONIES!!11– I think that particular phrase might even be listed in
Ye Olde Cute Overloade Glossarye.)
How did they let a pony into the store? Is it like a seeing-eye pony or something?
Jes askin’…
–bossgripes.com
I beg you to click the link and read this guy’s article – it’s freaking hilarious!!
It’s my birthday and that’s just what I wanted!!! Thanks CO!!!!!
I live near that U Village Apple Store and I’m going there to see that mini pony! The woman with it looks like they walked from the farm but there are no farms around U Village, just the U of Washington and the city!
@Kim – maybe it’s like a pink elephant. No one really wants to believe it’s there, and certainly no one wants to be the first to mention it….
i’m a helper monkey and windows 7 was my idea
I saw this article and I crack up with the author’s stream of consciousness!
I was in the Apple flagship store in Montreal just the other day and there was no tiny pony. Apple should made them standard in all their store!
Hehe, its a miniature horse that’s a service animal:
http://www.guidehorse.org/
They can be trained just like service dogs, but they live much much longer.
That’s it, I’m switching to Macs. JOOOOOBSSSS!!! (shaking fist at sky)
What they hay?
I’d be worried the Apple store would suddenly come into a supply of road apples.
@kevin
hee hee hee (haw.)
What about the guy in the kilt? Can we talk about that.
So I guess the rumors are true. You do have to Pony up a lot of dough for an iPad…
LOL@ Amy that was my first thought too.. well second after OMG PONY!!11111
Then I thought omg man in a kilt!!!1!!1
Also HEheheh Nikki
I love how no one seems to notice. “Just another Apple customer, we don’t care if you have 4 hooves…. or….. none.”
Frank’s blog is so sweet. Even though I’m an Apple freak, I think I would have seen the tiny pony and made a noise so high-pitched that dolphins would have joined our tiny friend.
Tha pony is so cute! And the article is fantastic, very well written!
Time to revisit:
http://cuteoverload.com/2007/09/25/this-way-dude/
Think the pony gets upgraded to iPad, like Sumo Wrestlers have as even their dainty hooves can’t manage iPhones
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11082125
But I hope they do stock apples for the Pony to nibble while Hes humans ingrossed
Um, is there an app for that?
Neighsayers flock to Apple stores for the debut of the new iPlod.
@ 260Oakley Grrrrooaaannn!
Horse walks into a computer store and sez, “Can you help me? I keep getting stalled.”
*grooooaaaan* @ Nikki and Oakley!
cuuuuuuute! and random xD
I know that horses like apples, but this is ridiculous. How many megabytes can they handle?
*ROFL @ CO comments* *puts in long-term memory as one of best CO posts EVVVVVER*
@ kathyp:
Wow! I never even thought of the apple/ horses angle!! NICE!!
If it’s memory you want, you should get an elephant.
Horse walks into a computer store and sez, “Can you help me? My mane frame’s a mess.”
It’s service pony (they live longer and are easier to deal with than dogs, sometimes). The NYTimes magazine covered a variety of controversial “service” animals, from ponies to parrots to monkeys. As someone said upthread, it probably is a seeing-eye pony (or does whatever a service dog would do, at least)
‘“Okay, one last question, Jason,” I say to the acne-smacked employee. He looks sharp in that t-shirt.”‘
…”Acne-smacked employee”? *Eye roll*
Was this in an Apple store in NY? Where is that guy’s blog based?
EEE! I live in Seattle! *Tears out door*
But seriously, if it’s a helper pony, it shouldn’t be petted while it’s working, and the woman whom it’s helping probably does get a wee bit tired of fending of people like me, who practically have to sit on their hands to keep from just picking the damn thing up and snoozling it for dear life.
On a lighter note: A pony walks into the Apple Store, and Jason says “Hey, why the long face?”
I recently saw a tiny papillon service dog. Proudly wearing its blue service coat, it was a “certified hearing dog” claimed the elderly lady who quite rightly told me I could not pet her dog even tho’ I really wanted to.
Service animals seem to come in all sizes and species.
But I’d love the pony the most.
LOL, pyrit.
The author is from Portland! I’m so proud!
No one is noticing the moni-horse because the woman brings it in all the time. My fiance works at the U-Village Apple Store and we see our cute little horse friend frequently.
Apple is incredibly animal friendly, almost to a fault (I once had a dog lunge at me as I was walking past him). The horse isn’t full sized, so they let him in to enjoy the store just like a dog would be welcomed in.
@Kim-I used to live and work in Seattle and evidently near Madison street you can have a horse. University Village is near enough she could easily get the pony from point A to B.
Also when I worked in Madison Valley there was a woman who would walk her Iberian pony around. And bring him into shops. He was really sweet but since the place I worked at had breakables he couldn’t come in. Apple is probably more horse friendly than we were, it definitely has more room. Hope she cleans up after her horse…….
I LOVE this. Also, thanks for getting rid of the pooping cat.
I hate to disappoint everyone, but this lovely miniature horse is in all probability a service animal. Miniature horses can live up to 30 years and are highly intelligent, making them more desirable than service dogs.
I am very happy with all the witty comments from the Peeps, as always.
My nearest Apple store is in Manchester (UK). I have never seen any ponies, dogs, otters, monkeys etc. there, so I haven’t spent an awful lot of money on Apple recently (hint).
Horse walks into a computer store and sez, “Can you help me? I don’t like Gates.”
I know its probably been said 1000 times already but as I actually said it out loud when I saw the pic .. . . OMG PONIES!!11!!1!
Also excellent article if you follow the link. I still don’t know how employees at the store could let them selves get immune to the idea of how cool a pony in a computer store is. Well any store, or any place at all ponies are always cool and squeal worthy.
*nods* Probably a service pony. Sometimes they have little rubber “sneaker” horseshoes so that they don’t mar floors. And when their people travel, they have to go through security, so there is info in the TSA manual on how to screen service dogs, ponies, even monkeys!
I have a friend who was 2 service chihuahuas! One is trained to detect the early stages of a seizure and the other can smell when she is about to have severe diabetic issues because her blood sugar levels change her smell. They are so adorable in their tiny service vests. But no, if they have the vests on they are “working” and you can’t pet them. It’s also rude to ask why someone needs a service animal, but it’s usually OK to ask in conversation “what does he/she do for you?” That puts the focus on the animal rather than implying “what’s WRONG with you?”.
Also OMG PONIES!!!!
Obviously, it’s an iPony.
I hope they have sugar lumps as well as apples for the ponies.
Wow. The guy’s blog says “when do we get acclimated to the exceptional”?
Here at CO, clearly that is not true. It’s really good to appreciate the small things in life…..
@rooanne
yeah, but don’t you love the idea of things that are “tiny ponies?”
i know i see them all the time.
BAHAHAHAHAHA @amy AHAHAHAHA!
XD
Also, pyrit, how many is too many? XD
That is a BEAUTIFUL mini! So many of them look distorted and misshapen to me, like Shetlands gone wrong, but now some minis are being bred that look like real miniature horses.
I think this cute horse is a pet. There isn’t a service vest on the horse. There is nothing on the animal to indicate that the woman is using it as a service animal.
“I hate to disappoint everyone, but this lovely miniature horse is in all probability a service animal.”
Why would that disappoint anyone?
@theresa
i want to hear more about tiny ponies with service vests who get to go on airplanes!
Well, it’s an apple store, right? Besides sugar lumps, horsey’s do like apples, right?
Typical Apple blog and pony show
And I think it’s cool that no one has his/her nickers in a twist over this app-aloosa in the computer store.
I am somewhat skeptical that ponies are as good as doggies or monkeys in service (esp. agility like leaping and crawling to retrieve stuff), but I do get that some folks would rather have a pony than a dog. Whatever floats.
I also get that some mini-lovers like to take their ponies around with them just ’cause…… heck I hauled my goat around town (to 4H shows, to vet, etc.) in the back seat of my Opel Cadette. That was fun too.
@ 2600: “typical blog/ pony show”
ME= BWA ha and also HA!!!! Ya dun good, kid!!!!
Hmmm.. I thought that helper ponies were only allowed in the Beijing Apple Store.
A black president is a tiny pony. Raise your hand if you agree with that statement.
@marthava
>>A black president is a tiny pony. Raise your hand if you agree with that statement.
hmm… is this a trick? because all i can think is asking peeps to raise their hands on the innerwebs is a tiny pony itself.
no no NOOOOOOO! — too cute this lady was on you_tube don’t know which one??? remie the rat sends his thanks to the minniture horse.!!! \
I have to third the interest in Kilty MacNiceCalves….
Yeah, it might be a service horse of some kind, but there’s no way it can be a working Guide Horse with no harness on. It looks like the woman is just holding it by the halter or maybe a lead rope; Guide Animal handlers need a rigid harness so they can immediately feel where the animal is moving…unless, I suppose, maybe, it could be a Guide Horse in the early stages of training, where it’s just getting used to being in places horses don’t usually go. But Dana, above, says that the store is in a city—for urban dwellers, service horses are a lot less practical than service dogs. Absent any direct evidence to the contrary, I’m going to say Probably Not A Service Horse.
Some service animals tell people when they’re about to have a seizure or their blood sugar smells off kilter– would they need the rigid harness? Isn’t that only for visual problems? (But I think they usually do have some sort of vest or obvious ID.) And maybe the person being helped is allergic to dogs.
Still admiring the beautiful little horse, but very glad I’m not the farrier. Putting shoes on those teeny hooves would play hob with my eyes.
I want a pony! Tout de suite! Waaaant!
My husband and son saw that horse in University Village (Seattle) when they were their with our Golden Retriever. The dog really freaked out. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to see it.
My husband and son saw that horse in University Village (Seattle) when they were there with our Golden Retriever. The dog really freaked out. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to see it.
Miniature Ed the Miniature Horse! I believe this isn’t the first time a mini horse or pony has been treated like a companion or service dog…. I seem to recall a pony that did the same job as a service dog. And there have been stories of people letting their horse live in their house with them! I guess since we have alternative modes of transportation, it’s time to get creative with just what a horse’s role in the human world can be.
OMG I got to pet a bunch of these wee fellas a couple of weeks ago! Well, not service ponies, but miniature ponies. They’re even cuter in person! And most of them are so friendly, like puppies! I wish I hadn’t left my phone/camera in the truck.
You shoulda seen them standing next to the Golden Retriever. The dog is bigger than half of the horsies! 
Oh, and the peeps who own the farm told me I need to come back when one of the ponies is born, cuz you can pick them up and carry them around! SQUEE!
@brinnann
do you think they would mind if about 100,000 of us tagged along?
LOL Well it’s a big farm with several pastures. I think we could maybe fit 100,000. Y’all ready for a trip to Texas?
Brinnann—I’m there! When do we leave? I’ll bring snacks!!!
@pyrit funny. Well why is the pony here, to rat me out for hanging out all day and using the free internet. Because we all know what they say about wifi. And does CO hate me for not posting this comment earlier.
OMG PONIES!!1!1!
My best friend works at the Apple store in boston, and when i came by to take her out for lunch yesterday she was telling me about this (apparently well-known) horsie. Apparently the company has a very animal-friendly policy. I jokingly suggested that next time i’d bring along my pet rabbit on his harness, and we had a fun time imagining that, hahaha. Might have to do that sometime : )
yay! I live just south of Kittrell I have seen one of their ponies at the NC Sate Fair
about remie the rat:: his thanks is that it’s NOT a cat!!!
Its a seeing eye animal. People tend to avoid looking at seeing eye animals, no matter haw unique they might be.
Late To The Party Question: Wouldn’t the service pony be wearing some sort of harness like the dogs do? I know several service animals, and they always have some sign that they’re working so people don’t bother them while they’re doing their jobs. My first thought when I saw the pony was that s/he was some sort of service animal, but all the ones in the site rhapsody linked us to were wearing their special harnesses as well. It may just be that someone has a miniature horse as a pet.