A pony is a type of small horse, usually measured under a specified height at maturity. Ponies often have thicker coats, manes and tails, compared to larger horses, and proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, thicker necks and shorter heads. In modern use, breed registries and horse shows may define a pony as measuring at the withers below a certain height; height limits varying from about 142 cm (14.0 h) to 150 cm (14.3 h). Some distinguish between horse or pony based on its breed or phenotype, regardless of its height. The word pony derives from the old French poulenet, a diminutive of poulain meaning foal, a young, immature horse.: 1041 A full-sized horse may sometimes be called a pony as a term of endearment.
Definition
For many forms of competition, the official definition of a pony is a horse that measures up to 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) at the withers. Standard horses are taller than 14.2. The International Federation for Equestrian Sports defines the official cutoff point at 148 centimetres (58.3 in; 14.2 hands) without shoes and 149 centimetres (58.66 in; 14.2+1⁄2 hands) with shoes. However, the term pony can be used in general (or affectionately) for any small horse, regardless of its actual size or breed. Furthermore, some horse breeds may have individuals who mature under that height but are still called horses and are allowed to compete as horses. In Australia, horses that measure from 14 to 15 hands (142 to 152 cm; 56 to 60 inches) are known as a "galloway", and ponies in Australia measure under 14 hands (56 inches, 142 cm).
History
Ponies originally developed as a landrace adapted to a harsh natural environment, and were considered part of the "draft" subtype typical of Northern Europe. At one time, it was hypothesized that they may have descended from a wild "draft" subspecies of Equus ferus. Studies of mitochondrial DNA (which is passed on though the female line) indicate that a large number of wild mares have contributed to modern domestic breeds; in contrast, studies of y-DNA (passed down the male line) suggest that there was possibly just one single male ancestor of all domesticated breeds.Domestication of the horse probably first occurred in the Eurasian steppes with horses of between 13 hands (52 inches, 132 cm) to over 14 hands (56 inches, 142 cm), and as horse domestication spread, the male descendants of the original stallion went on to be bred with local wild mares.
Domesticated ponies of all breeds originally developed mainly from the need for a working animal that could fulfill specific local draft and transportation needs while surviving in harsh environments. The usefulness of the pony was noted by farmers who observed that a pony could outperform a draft horse on small farms.
By the 20th century, many pony breeds had Arabian and other blood added to make a more refined pony suitable for riding.
Uses
In many parts of the world, ponies are used as working animals, as pack animals and for pulling various horse-drawn vehicles. They are seen in many different equestrian pursuits. Some breeds, such as the Hackney pony, are primarily used for driving, while other breeds, such as the Connemara pony and Australian Pony, are used primarily for riding. Others, such as the Welsh pony, are used for both riding and driving. There is no direct correlation between a horse's size and its inherent athletic ability.
Characteristics
Ponies are often distinguished by their phenotype, a stocky body, dense bone, round shape and well-sprung ribs. They have a short head, large eyes and small ears. In addition to being smaller than a horse, their legs are proportionately shorter. They have strong hooves and grow a heavier hair coat, seen in a thicker mane and tail as well as a particularly heavy winter coat.
Pony breeds have developed all over the world, particularly in cold and harsh climates where hardy, sturdy working animals were needed. They are remarkably strong for their size. Breeds such as the Connemara pony are recognized for their ability to carry a full-sized adult rider. Pound for pound, ponies can pull and carry more weight than a horse. Draft-type ponies are able to pull loads significantly greater than their own weight, with larger ponies capable of pulling loads comparable to those pulled by full-sized draft horses, and even very small ponies are able to pull as much as 450 percent of their own weight.
Nearly all pony breeds are very hardy, easy keepers that share the ability to thrive on a more limited diet than that of a regular-sized horse, requiring half the hay for their weight as a horse, and often not needing grain at all. However, for the same reason, they are also more vulnerable to laminitis and Cushing's syndrome. They may also have problems with hyperlipidemia.
Ponies are generally considered intelligent and friendly, though sometimes they also are described as stubborn or cunning. The differences of opinion often result from an individual pony's degree of proper training. Ponies trained by inexperienced individuals, or only ridden by beginners, can turn out to be spoiled because their riders typically lack the experience base to correct bad habits. Properly trained ponies are appropriate mounts for children who are learning to ride. Larger ponies can be ridden by adults, as ponies are usually strong for their size.
For showing purposes, ponies are often grouped into small, medium, and large sizes. Small ponies are 12.2 hands (50 inches, 127 cm) and under, medium ponies are over 12.2 but no taller than 13.2 hands (54 inches, 137 cm), and large ponies are over 13.2 hands (54 inches, 137 cm) but no taller than 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm).
The smallest equines are called miniature horses by many of their breeders and breed organizations, rather than ponies, even though they stand smaller than small ponies, usually no taller than 38 inches (97 cm; 9.2 hands) at the withers. There are also miniature pony breeds.
Similar or similarly named horses
Some horse breeds are not defined as ponies, even when they have some animals that measure under 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm). This is usually due to body build, traditional uses and overall physiology. Breeds that are considered horses regardless of height include the Arabian horse, American Quarter Horse and the Morgan horse, all of which have individual members both over and under 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm).
Many horse breeds have some pony characteristics, such as small size, a heavy coat, a thick mane or heavy bone, but are considered to be horses. In cases such as these, there can be considerable debate over whether to call certain breeds "horses" or "ponies." However, individual breed registries usually are the arbiters of such debates, weighing the relative horse and pony characteristics of a breed. In some breeds, such as the Welsh pony, the horse-versus-pony controversy is resolved by creating separate divisions for consistently horse-sized animals, such as the "Section D" Welsh Cob.
Some horses may be pony height due to environment more than genetics. For example, the Chincoteague pony, a feral horse that lives on Assateague Island off the coasts of Maryland and Virginia, often matures to the height of an average small horse when raised from a foal under domesticated conditions.
Conversely, the term "pony" is occasionally used to describe horses of normal height. Horses used for polo are often called "polo ponies" regardless of height, even though they are often of Thoroughbred breeding and often well over 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm). American Indigenous tribes also have the tradition of referring to their horses as "ponies", when speaking in English, even though many of the Mustang horses they used in the 19th century were close to or over 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm), and most horses owned and bred by Native peoples today are of full horse height. Non-racing horses at racetracks that are used to lead the racehorses, ponying them, are called "pony horses".
The term "pony" is also sometimes used to describe a full-sized horse in a humorous or affectionate sense.
The Pony Club uses the term "pony" for any mount ridden by a member, regardless of its breed or size. Pony Club members are allowed to compete with full-size horses and are not limited to pony-sized mounts.
See also
- List of horse breeds § Pony breeds
- Pony Club – International youth organization
- Norman Thelwell — the late British artist known for his cartoons of ponies and their riders
- Pony Express – 1860–1861 mail service in the United States
References
- Macdonald, A M, ed. (1972). Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary. London: W & R Chambers. ISBN 055010206X. OL 5343277M.
- "Pony Measuring System". FEI. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- Owlet, Lorna and Phlip Mathews, Ponies in Australia, Milsons Point: 1979
- Bennett, Deb (1998). Conquerors: The Roots of New World Horsemanship (First ed.). Solvang, CA: Amigo Publications, Inc. pp. 6–8. ISBN 0-9658533-0-6. OCLC 39709067. OL 711950M.
- Jansen, Thomas; Forster, Peter; Levine, Marsha A.; Oelke, Hardy; Hurles, Matthew; Renfrew, Colin; Weber, Jürgen; Olek, Klaus (6 August 2002). "Mitochondrial DNA and the origins of the domestic horse". PNAS. 99 (16): 10905–10910. Bibcode:2002PNAS...9910905J. doi:10.1073/pnas.152330099. PMC 125071. PMID 12130666.
- Widespread; Horse Lineages, Domestic (2001). "Widespread origins of domestic horse lineages". Science. 291 (5503): 474–7. Bibcode:2001Sci...291..474V. doi:10.1126/science.291.5503.474. PMID 11161199.
- Lindgren; et al. (2004). "Limited number of patrilines in horse domestication" (PDF). Nature Genetics. 36 (4): 335–336. doi:10.1038/ng1326. PMID 15034578. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2010.
- Anthony, David W. (2007). The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. pp. 196–197, 202. ISBN 978-0-691-05887-0. OL 11182657M.
- Smith, E. C. A. (November 1915). "The Pony Useful". In Bailey, Liberty Hyde; Saylor, Henry Hodgman (eds.). Country Life in America. Vol. 29. Doubleday, Page & Company. pp. 46–47 – via HathiTrust.
- Sponenberg, D. Phillip (1996). "The Proliferation of Horse Breeds". Horses Through Time (First ed.). Boulder, CO: Roberts Rinehart Publishers. pp. 155, 170–173. ISBN 1-57098-060-8. OCLC 36179575. OL 8699719M.
- Barakat, Christine. "Why Size Matters." Equus, October 2007, Issue 361, pp. 36-42
- Strickland, Charlene (1 January 2001). "Pony Power!". thehorse.com. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019.
- Jorgensen, Erin (27 July 2010). "Ponies at Boone County Fair pull their weight and then some". Missourian. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012.
- "Assateague National Seashore - Wild Horses". Archived from the original on 13 May 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
- Gantz, Tracy (2 May 2019). "The Track Pony: A Racehorse's Best Friend". thehorse.com. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019.
Further reading
A pony is a type of small horse usually measured under a specified height at maturity Ponies often have thicker coats manes and tails compared to larger horses and proportionally shorter legs wider barrels heavier bone thicker necks and shorter heads In modern use breed registries and horse shows may define a pony as measuring at the withers below a certain height height limits varying from about 142 cm 14 0 h to 150 cm 14 3 h Some distinguish between horse or pony based on its breed or phenotype regardless of its height The word pony derives from the old French poulenet a diminutive of poulain meaning foal a young immature horse 1041 A full sized horse may sometimes be called a pony as a term of endearment A Highland Pony demonstrating the pony characteristics of sturdy bone a thick mane and tail a small head and small overall sizeA Shetland pony shown in harnessDefinitionA pony foal For many forms of competition the official definition of a pony is a horse that measures up to 14 2 hands 58 inches 147 cm at the withers Standard horses are taller than 14 2 The International Federation for Equestrian Sports defines the official cutoff point at 148 centimetres 58 3 in 14 2 hands without shoes and 149 centimetres 58 66 in 14 2 1 2 hands with shoes However the term pony can be used in general or affectionately for any small horse regardless of its actual size or breed Furthermore some horse breeds may have individuals who mature under that height but are still called horses and are allowed to compete as horses In Australia horses that measure from 14 to 15 hands 142 to 152 cm 56 to 60 inches are known as a galloway and ponies in Australia measure under 14 hands 56 inches 142 cm HistoryA pony near a mountain Ponies originally developed as a landrace adapted to a harsh natural environment and were considered part of the draft subtype typical of Northern Europe At one time it was hypothesized that they may have descended from a wild draft subspecies of Equus ferus Studies of mitochondrial DNA which is passed on though the female line indicate that a large number of wild mares have contributed to modern domestic breeds in contrast studies of y DNA passed down the male line suggest that there was possibly just one single male ancestor of all domesticated breeds Domestication of the horse probably first occurred in the Eurasian steppes with horses of between 13 hands 52 inches 132 cm to over 14 hands 56 inches 142 cm and as horse domestication spread the male descendants of the original stallion went on to be bred with local wild mares Domesticated ponies of all breeds originally developed mainly from the need for a working animal that could fulfill specific local draft and transportation needs while surviving in harsh environments The usefulness of the pony was noted by farmers who observed that a pony could outperform a draft horse on small farms By the 20th century many pony breeds had Arabian and other blood added to make a more refined pony suitable for riding UsesAn Australian Pony shown under saddle In many parts of the world ponies are used as working animals as pack animals and for pulling various horse drawn vehicles They are seen in many different equestrian pursuits Some breeds such as the Hackney pony are primarily used for driving while other breeds such as the Connemara pony and Australian Pony are used primarily for riding Others such as the Welsh pony are used for both riding and driving There is no direct correlation between a horse s size and its inherent athletic ability CharacteristicsThe Shetland pony is one of the smallest pony breeds but is very strong Ponies are often distinguished by their phenotype a stocky body dense bone round shape and well sprung ribs They have a short head large eyes and small ears In addition to being smaller than a horse their legs are proportionately shorter They have strong hooves and grow a heavier hair coat seen in a thicker mane and tail as well as a particularly heavy winter coat Pony breeds have developed all over the world particularly in cold and harsh climates where hardy sturdy working animals were needed They are remarkably strong for their size Breeds such as the Connemara pony are recognized for their ability to carry a full sized adult rider Pound for pound ponies can pull and carry more weight than a horse Draft type ponies are able to pull loads significantly greater than their own weight with larger ponies capable of pulling loads comparable to those pulled by full sized draft horses and even very small ponies are able to pull as much as 450 percent of their own weight Nearly all pony breeds are very hardy easy keepers that share the ability to thrive on a more limited diet than that of a regular sized horse requiring half the hay for their weight as a horse and often not needing grain at all However for the same reason they are also more vulnerable to laminitis and Cushing s syndrome They may also have problems with hyperlipidemia Ponies are generally considered intelligent and friendly though sometimes they also are described as stubborn or cunning The differences of opinion often result from an individual pony s degree of proper training Ponies trained by inexperienced individuals or only ridden by beginners can turn out to be spoiled because their riders typically lack the experience base to correct bad habits Properly trained ponies are appropriate mounts for children who are learning to ride Larger ponies can be ridden by adults as ponies are usually strong for their size The Connemara pony is a larger pony which occasionally matures over 14 2 hands 58 inches 147 cm For showing purposes ponies are often grouped into small medium and large sizes Small ponies are 12 2 hands 50 inches 127 cm and under medium ponies are over 12 2 but no taller than 13 2 hands 54 inches 137 cm and large ponies are over 13 2 hands 54 inches 137 cm but no taller than 14 2 hands 58 inches 147 cm The smallest equines are called miniature horses by many of their breeders and breed organizations rather than ponies even though they stand smaller than small ponies usually no taller than 38 inches 97 cm 9 2 hands at the withers There are also miniature pony breeds Similar or similarly named horsesThe full sized horses used for polo are called polo ponies Some horse breeds are not defined as ponies even when they have some animals that measure under 14 2 hands 58 inches 147 cm This is usually due to body build traditional uses and overall physiology Breeds that are considered horses regardless of height include the Arabian horse American Quarter Horse and the Morgan horse all of which have individual members both over and under 14 2 hands 58 inches 147 cm Many horse breeds have some pony characteristics such as small size a heavy coat a thick mane or heavy bone but are considered to be horses In cases such as these there can be considerable debate over whether to call certain breeds horses or ponies However individual breed registries usually are the arbiters of such debates weighing the relative horse and pony characteristics of a breed In some breeds such as the Welsh pony the horse versus pony controversy is resolved by creating separate divisions for consistently horse sized animals such as the Section D Welsh Cob Some horses may be pony height due to environment more than genetics For example the Chincoteague pony a feral horse that lives on Assateague Island off the coasts of Maryland and Virginia often matures to the height of an average small horse when raised from a foal under domesticated conditions There is debate over whether the feral Chincoteague ponies of Assateague Island are horses or ponies Conversely the term pony is occasionally used to describe horses of normal height Horses used for polo are often called polo ponies regardless of height even though they are often of Thoroughbred breeding and often well over 14 2 hands 58 inches 147 cm American Indigenous tribes also have the tradition of referring to their horses as ponies when speaking in English even though many of the Mustang horses they used in the 19th century were close to or over 14 2 hands 58 inches 147 cm and most horses owned and bred by Native peoples today are of full horse height Non racing horses at racetracks that are used to lead the racehorses ponying them are called pony horses The term pony is also sometimes used to describe a full sized horse in a humorous or affectionate sense The Pony Club uses the term pony for any mount ridden by a member regardless of its breed or size Pony Club members are allowed to compete with full size horses and are not limited to pony sized mounts See alsoWikimedia Commons has media related to Ponies Look up pony in Wiktionary the free dictionary List of horse breeds Pony breeds Pony Club International youth organization Norman Thelwell the late British artist known for his cartoons of ponies and their riders Pony Express 1860 1861 mail service in the United StatesReferencesMacdonald A M ed 1972 Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary London W amp R Chambers ISBN 055010206X OL 5343277M Pony Measuring System FEI Archived from the original on 23 May 2024 Retrieved 1 January 2025 Owlet Lorna and Phlip Mathews Ponies in Australia Milsons Point 1979 Bennett Deb 1998 Conquerors The Roots of New World Horsemanship First ed Solvang CA Amigo Publications Inc pp 6 8 ISBN 0 9658533 0 6 OCLC 39709067 OL 711950M Jansen Thomas Forster Peter Levine Marsha A Oelke Hardy Hurles Matthew Renfrew Colin Weber Jurgen Olek Klaus 6 August 2002 Mitochondrial DNA and the origins of the domestic horse PNAS 99 16 10905 10910 Bibcode 2002PNAS 9910905J doi 10 1073 pnas 152330099 PMC 125071 PMID 12130666 Widespread Horse Lineages Domestic 2001 Widespread origins of domestic horse lineages Science 291 5503 474 7 Bibcode 2001Sci 291 474V doi 10 1126 science 291 5503 474 PMID 11161199 Lindgren et al 2004 Limited number of patrilines in horse domestication PDF Nature Genetics 36 4 335 336 doi 10 1038 ng1326 PMID 15034578 Archived from the original PDF on 17 November 2010 Anthony David W 2007 The Horse the Wheel and Language How Bronze Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World Princeton NJ Princeton University Press pp 196 197 202 ISBN 978 0 691 05887 0 OL 11182657M Smith E C A November 1915 The Pony Useful In Bailey Liberty Hyde Saylor Henry Hodgman eds Country Life in America Vol 29 Doubleday Page amp Company pp 46 47 via HathiTrust Sponenberg D Phillip 1996 The Proliferation of Horse Breeds Horses Through Time First ed Boulder CO Roberts Rinehart Publishers pp 155 170 173 ISBN 1 57098 060 8 OCLC 36179575 OL 8699719M Barakat Christine Why Size Matters Equus October 2007 Issue 361 pp 36 42 Strickland Charlene 1 January 2001 Pony Power thehorse com Archived from the original on 20 April 2019 Jorgensen Erin 27 July 2010 Ponies at Boone County Fair pull their weight and then some Missourian Archived from the original on 24 March 2012 Assateague National Seashore Wild Horses Archived from the original on 13 May 2010 Retrieved 10 May 2010 Gantz Tracy 2 May 2019 The Track Pony A Racehorse s Best Friend thehorse com Archived from the original on 2 May 2019 Further readingBudiansky Stephen 1997 The Nature of Horses Free Press ISBN 0 684 82768 9 OL 1007132M Siegal Mordecai ed 1996 UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Book of Horses A Complete Medical Reference Guide for Horses and Foals HarperCollins ISBN 9780062701398 OL 7290938M
