pony
Sign in to savethumb|A Highland Pony, demonstrating the pony characteristics of sturdy bone, a thick mane and tail, a small head, and small overall size thumb|A Shetland pony shown in harness A pony is a type of small horse, usually under a specific height at full maturity. Ponies often have thicker coats, manes and tails, compared to larger horses, and proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier , 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 to . Some distinguish
AI overview
A pony is a small horse breed, typically under a certain height threshold (varying by registry), distinguished by features like a thick mane and tail, shorter legs, and a proportionally heavier build compared to larger horses. Ponies matter because they are recognized as a distinct type in modern horse breeding, showing, and registration, with specific breed standards that help categorize and preserve these animals.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
8 sectionsContents
- Definition
- Characteristics
- History
- Uses
- Similar or similarly named horses
- See also
- References
- Further reading
thumb|A Highland Pony, demonstrating the pony characteristics of sturdy bone, a thick mane and tail, a small head, and small overall size thumb|A Shetland pony shown in harness A pony is a type of small horse, usually under a specific height at full maturity. Ponies often have thicker coats, manes and tails, compared to larger horses, and proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier , 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 to . 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 meaning foal, a young, immature horse. A full-sized horse may sometimes be called a pony as a term of endearment.
==Definition== thumb|A pony foal For many forms of competition, the official definition of a pony is a horse that measures up to at the withers. Standard horses are taller than 14.2. The International Federation for Equestrian Sports defines the official cutoff point at without shoes and 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 are known as a "galloway", and ponies in Australia measure under .