Ponies

Ponies were common beasts of burden in Middle-earth, especially used by Hobbits and Dwarves, whose small stature made the riding of horses difficult.
== History ==
Thorin and Company used ponies for the first part of their journey in the Quest of Erebor. They were loaded with all kinds of burdens, and the smallest one was for Bilbo Baggins. The ponies were captured by Goblins in the Front Porch. Beorn also used ponies and lent some of his to the Dwarves up to their way to Mirkwood, provided that they would release them by the Forest Gate. Although some considered breaking their promise, Gandalf warned them that Beorn had been following them as a bear, and would be watching them. Reluctantly, they released the ponies and sent them back to Beorn. The dwarves were provided ponies again by the people of Lake-town on their way to Erebor.
Meriadoc Brandybuck had some ponies in his house at Crickhollow. He had prepared five of them (Sharp-ears, Bumpkin, Wise-nose, Swish-tail, and White-socks, who at that time were unnamed) for Frodo Baggins and their friends on their way to Bree. In the Old Forest, the ponies stayed with Tom Bombadil's pony, Fatty Lumpkin, and became friends.
At Bree, spies let the ponies run to the wild to hinder the hobbits (eventually they returned to Fatty), so Samwise Gamgee bought one from Bill Ferny, a sick and mistreated pony, which Sam also named Bill. Bill was released outside the Doors of Durin as he could not follow the Fellowship of the Ring inside Moria. He found his way back to Bree.
Meriadoc was given the pony Stybba by Théoden. Stybba carried Merry through the mountain passes from the Hornburg east and south to Dunharrow and thence northward to Edoras.
In Minas Tirith, Frodo named his new pony Strider after Aragorn's nickname. With him, he rode back to the Shire. At Bree, the Hobbits found all their former ponies safe at the Prancing Pony, having returned there.
Frodo and Sam eventually rode Strider and Bill to the Grey Havens two years later.