FAQ

The Pony

2008-08-19 17:40:00 - by Horsetype

Exmoor Pony	Zoom

[ RACE ] By definition, the pony is a small horse. Its most common physical characteristics, in addition to its small size which seldom exceeds 1.48 m (14.2 hands), are its abundance of hairs, a big mane, its short and robust legs, his thick neck, its short head and its broad face.

If the pony can be recognized initially by its appearance, sometimes it can be difficult to know if a small horse is considered a pony. In this case, it is better to refer to the registry of the race to which the small horse belongs. Each race has a whole list of predetermined criteria which are not limited to the size. Among the ponies recognized by registries, one finds, among others, the following races: Chincoteague, Australian, Bashkir, Caspian, Connemara, Dales, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Fell, Gallois, Fjord, Galician, Gotland, Highland, Landais, New-Forest, Pottok, Shetland, Welsh.

Equine sporting events also have a system of classification which makes it possible to qualify an animal as being a pony or a horse. This classification judges primarily the size of the animal and its single purpose is to gather the small horses in classes called “ponies”.

The ponies excel in dressage, eventing, gymkhana (O-Mok-See), etc. Even if several equine contests gather ponies in classes specially created for them, ponies can compete successfully against horses. For example: Stroller, a pony of 14.1 hands, which won the silver medal in show-jumping at the 1968 Olympic Games for the English equestrian team, and Theodore O'Connor, another remarkable pony, which won the gold medal at the Pan American Games in 2007.

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