Remember when you begged and begged your parents to buy you a pony, and when you finally gave up your dream to be a steeplechaser like Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet and went off to journalism school, they bought one for your little sister? No?

Don’t let your kids grow up bitter travel bloggers, is all I’m saying. Budding equestrians between the ages of 7 and 16 who stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire in bucolic Hampshire, England can take advantage of the “Own a Pony Day” experience, which gives them charge for 24 hours of one of the hotel’s hoofed residents. Riding is part of the package, but it’s not all carrots and crossrails — ponies don’t shovel their own manure (read: help hotel save on grooms’ fees by putting younger guests to work mucking stalls and cleaning tack).

Photo: Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire

If your inner equestrian is more cowboy than hunt seat, saddle up for the Calgary Stampede, which runs July 3 to 12, 2009. Highlights include annual rodeo events, with top-tier bull riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing and more, along with chuckwagon races, a Grandstand concert schedule that includes performances by Reba McEntire, Kenny Chesney and George Strait, and, perhaps most importantly, all-you-can-eat pancakes. General admission is $12 for adults, $7 for kids 7 to  12, little ones 6 and younger stampede for free. Book the Cattle, Rattle, Saddle & Paddle Package (starts at $305 per person) for a full trip of horseback riding, white water rafting and a cool trip down the luge in Calgary’s Ice House. cs.calgarystampede.com

It’s a good week for fans of tri-corner hats (yes, you!).

To celebrate the opening of Night at the Museum 2: Battle at the Smithsonian, George Washington’s one-time residence in Virginia is hosting special “Night at Mount Vernon” evening programs from 6 to 9 p.m., May 22 to 24 and 29 to 31. The site’s regular admission of $15 for adults and $7 for kids between ages 6 and 11 will apply, but just like in the movie plot, historic characters from the museum’s displays will come alive to give tours, which sounds a little scary, but still more fun than going to see the movie itself.

Although, IMDb tells me this film has the distinction of being the first since Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure to star both Abraham Lincoln and Napoleon, which proves that we can all learn something every day.

(Read about additional summer deals for Mount Vernon and other Virginia attractions in our Virginia is for Lovers anniversary post.)