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Ponies - Pony Breeds

Family: EquidaePony Of The AmericasEquus caballusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Ken Childs

    Ponies, a long time favorite for children, are popular for showing and as sports ponies too!

     Ponies are growing in popularity for sport and recreation. They make a pleasurable riding horse and many excel in equestrian disciplines and the show ring. The top ponies are even competitive against full size horse breeds.

     Ponies are especially popular for children due to their smaller size. They are closer to the ground, and when well trained they are easily controlled and maneuvered.

     Many riders have also begun looking for a mount that is more closely fitted to their physique and abilities.The smaller pony breeds are often better suited to beginners or small stature equestrians than the larger warmblooded Light Horse breeds.

Ponies: Click on the small images below
for more information about each one.

Pony Breeds
Chincoteague Pony	Connemara Pony
Equus caballus	Equus caballus
Pony of the Americas	Shetland Pony
Equus caballus	Equus caballus
Welsh Pony
Equus caballus

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Horse Backgrounds: Horse Facts About Ponies      Ponies are small sturdy horses with an ancestry stretching back to the primitive Ice Age pony; a miniature horse that was about 12 hands high with a small, short head. Many of the Pony breeds evolved in environments where the landscape was rugged and harsh with inferior nutrition, resulting in a smaller horse.

     Ponies have been developed all over the world. Throughout their history they have been used as work animals for driving and pulling carts, hauling loads such as coal from mines, and as children's mounts. Later they became used for competition and performance, along with pleasure riding.

     Ponies are generally considered to be 14.2 hands or smaller at maturity, however this is a general rule with many exceptions. Pony breeds have a slightly different appearance than the light horse breeds. They usually have thicker manes, tails and coats. They are proportionately shorter legged and rounder through the barrel. They have somewhat shorter and thicker necks and wider, stronger bones.

Horse Breeds: Types of Ponies
    Some popular Pony Breeds include:

• American Sport Pony
• American Quarter Pony
• British Riding Pony
• Chincoteague Pony
• Connemara Pony
• Dales Pony
• Dartmoor Pony
• Exmoor Pony
• Fell Pony
• German Riding Pony
• Gotland Pony
• Hackney Pony
• Highland Pony
• Kerry Bog Pony
• Shetland Pony
• Moorland Pony
• Mountain Pony
• New Forest Pony
• Pennine Pony
• Pony of the Americas
• Welara Pony
• Welsh Pony
• Welsh Cob

Horse Care Tips and Uses: Equestrian Disciplines       Ponies are extremely hardy and noted for their gentle natures. They generally require less diligence in their care and often tend to be more independent than the other types of horses.

     The even tempered Ponies make delightful mounts with a comfortable gait. They are especially popular for children due to their smaller size.They are closer to the ground and when well trained, are easily controlled and maneuvered.

     Ponies are well known for their superior intelligence and with good horse training, more tractable temperaments. Well trained ponies can make wonderful mounts for children. Their small sizes make them less intimidating and are more closely matched to a child's size and strength. They do well in many disciplines including driving, hunters on the flat and over fences, western driving classes, and pleasure riding. The can also show in dressage, equitation, and other events, with top ponies even being competitive against full sized horses.

For More Pony Information, See this article: Ponies: Information and Horse Care For Pony Breeds

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