page_title: Pony
hierarchical_section_title: Pony
caption_attribution_description: Grace of Carlung, Highland Pony champion at the Royal Highland Show 2005. Cream dun&#91;1&#93; mare as called by the owner, has dark eyes, dark skin and clearly black pigment in the legs. Is most probably a buckskin-based dun, combining one copy of cream dilution gene along with the dominant dun gene. Synonyms in English include buckskin dun, dunskin, buttermilk dun.
context_page_description: A pony is a small horse. Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. A pony is typically under the height of 14.2 hands high. There are many different breeds. Compared to other horses, ponies often exhibit thick manes, tails and overall coat, as well as proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, thicker necks, and shorter heads with broader foreheads. The word pony derives from the old French poulenet, meaning foal, a young, immature horse, but this is not the modern meaning; unlike a horse foal, a pony remains small when fully grown. On occasion, people who are unfamiliar with horses may confuse an adult pony with a foal.
  The ancestors of most modern ponies developed small stature because they lived on marginally livable horse habitat. These smaller animals were domesticated and bred for various purposes all over the Northern Hemisphere. Ponies were historically used for driving and freight transport, as children's mounts, for recreational riding, and later as competitors and performers in their own right.
context_section_description: A pony is a small horse (Equus ferus caballus). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. A pony is typically under the height of 14.2 hands high. There are many different breeds. Compared to other horses, ponies often exhibit thick manes, tails and overall coat, as well as proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, thicker necks, and shorter heads with broader foreheads. The word pony derives from the old French poulenet, meaning foal, a young, immature horse, but this is not the modern meaning; unlike a horse foal, a pony remains small when fully grown.  On occasion, people who are unfamiliar with horses may confuse an adult pony with a foal.
  The ancestors of most modern ponies developed small stature because they lived on marginally livable horse habitat. These smaller animals were domesticated and bred for various purposes all over the Northern Hemisphere. Ponies were historically used for driving and freight transport, as children's mounts, for recreational riding, and later as competitors and performers in their own right. During the Industrial Revolution, particularly in Great Britain, a significant number were used as pit ponies, hauling loads of coal in the mines.
  Ponies are generally considered intelligent and friendly. They are sometimes also described as stubborn or cunning. 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. In modern use, many organizations define a pony as a mature horse that measures less than 14.3 hands (59 inches, 150 cm) at the withers, but there are a number of exceptions. Different organizations that use a strict measurement model vary from 14 hands (56 inches, 142 cm) to nearly 14.3 hands (59 inches, 150 cm). Many breeds classify an animal as either horse or pony based on pedigree and phenotype, no matter its height. Some full-sized horses may be called ponies as a term of endearment.
  A group of ponies is called "a string of ponies," which dates back to a mention in the 15th century Harley Manuscript.
caption: A Highland Pony, demonstrating the pony characteristics of sturdy bone, a thick mane and tail, a small head, and small overall size.
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