Although ponies traditionally go barefoot, circumstances might dictate shoeing. I have to pay close attention to the dryness of their feet. Pony Personality Fanciers also praise pony character. Ponies can be easy to train, willing to work, and level-headed. Dunning, who has had Dartmoor ponies since the 1930s, mentions that the Dartmoors understand the routines of riding games.
Ponies catch on quite quickly.
Harris believes ponies are more self-protective and prudent than horses. If a pony starts to jump a fence, he will make it all the way across without changing his mind. Abronson tells of a weanling half-Welsh filly that had trapped her front feet in the spokes of a bicycle lying on the ground. She didn't fight. She was just standing there quietly, waiting.