Mini vs. Pony
@GardenGerty (160978)
United States
September 27, 2017 9:29pm CST
@Marty1 asked in one of my discussions what the difference is between a miniature horse and a pony. I told her I would post a discussion about it.
A pony is always less than 14.2 "hands' in size, and usually has stockier legs, and a larger, deeper chest or "barrel" among other things.
Here is a small part of an answer on Yahoo answers: A pony is a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds of ponies. Compared to horses, ponies often exhibit thicker manes, tails and overall coat, as well as proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, thicker necks, and shorter heads with broader foreheads.
A miniature horse is built proportionately like a horse, but smaller. They are still horses, with horse attitude and temperament. They act like horses and can be trained to do the things horses do just on smaller scale.
There are many breeds of ponies, such as "Shetland Ponies" and "Paint Ponies", but a miniature horse is a miniature horse.
If you are really curious you can research more, but basically it is a bone structure and body type difference, as well as "attitude"..
7 people like this
10 responses
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
29 Sep 17
I had no idea you were a pony person. When I went to Hawaii my uncle bought me a horse because my cousin had one and we spent a lot of our free time at the ranch riding. I loved the horse. I also missed my horse so much when I went to California to live with my grandma.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
30 Sep 17
I work with special needs children. There is a lady who owns miniature horses who is allowing them to learn about their care. They help exercise and brush the miniature horses usually every week.
1 person likes this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
30 Sep 17
@GardenGerty How excellent. I read that animals really help special needs children. This is a good program and a good thing for the children. I am sure they love the horses and look forward to going there each week.
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
29 Sep 17
Yes, they really do not explain things like this, unless you are in a farming community, then you might grow up knowing the difference.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317238)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
29 Sep 17
@GardenGerty Even in a farming community, unless you know some farmers and associate with them a lot, you're still not going to know all that. I grew up in a farming community.
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
28 Sep 17
I have not seen that but I do imagine it would be interesting. They could be very efficient.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (93953)
• United States
28 Sep 17
@GardenGerty I have seen them for little kids. Not in person, but in news articles.
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
28 Sep 17
Chocolate looks like a mini horse to me in this photo. Was he good natured?
1 person likes this
@sallypup (61643)
• Centralia, Washington
28 Sep 17
@GardenGerty He's rather big bellied. That's my fault. Chocolate came to me as a 2 year old stud. He was H double tooth picks- he rared up at me and rushed me and tried very hard to bite. We called a Vet out and had the Doc perform a big boy surgery. Now Chocolate is milder. I am sure the previous owner allowed their kid to hand feed him and there starts the urge to bite. But now he acts, like I said, milder and more along the lines of a gelding.
@Courtlynn (67080)
• United States
28 Sep 17
Good to know, as I always thought they were the same.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
28 Sep 17
It is easy for people to call one the same as the other. I would not know as much if I had not been around them and also researched a little.
1 person likes this
)@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
28 Sep 17
My dad was a city boy. Milk was delivered by wagons to homes. He thought since horses pulled the wagons that milk came from horses. City folk know other things.
1 person likes this
@YrNemo (20255)
•
28 Sep 17
@GardenGerty 
That is so funny, the thought of milk comes from the horse!
That is so funny, the thought of milk comes from the horse!
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
28 Sep 17
thanks for the i nformation about ponies and miniature horses
@andriaperry (117146)
• Anniston, Alabama
28 Sep 17
There are people in town that have 4 Shetland Ponies, they are adorable, one had a baby this year.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
28 Sep 17
Mom won a Shetland Pony in a sales contest when I was young. It was a registered pony and eventually she sold it to buy a car.
