Pony
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A
Highland Pony, demonstrating the pony characteristics of sturdy bone, thick mane and tail, small head, and small overall size.
A
pony is a small
horse[1][2][3] (
Equus ferus caballus). Depending on 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. There are many different
breeds. 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. 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. However, 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 due to living on the margins of 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.
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| This is Marc Lonneville's first little pony, he named it My Little Pony. |
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| Marc Lonneville is a very good painter. So he painted his pony pink. |
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| This is Marc Lonneville in his reincarnated pony form eating some grass |
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| This pony is as ugly as a pony can get. But Marc Lonneville loves this pony just as much as his other ponies. |
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| Here you can see Marc Lonneville live in action with his ponies. They were a bit overactive but he managed to make them walk straight like real Lonneville ponies. |
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| This is Marc Lonneville's mongol pony. it misses some pony chromosomes but he still loves it. |
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| What an ugly one this is! Nevertheless, this is one of Marc Lonneville's favorite ponies. |
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| After polishing his pony, Marc Lonneville took a picture of his pony! |
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| Marc Lonneville wanted to prove that ponies could survive in the winter and still be a cute pony. <3 <3 Love them, just like you do Marc! |
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| Marc Lonneville even cares for this pony when it has schurft. |
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| Look how sad it was! But Marc Lonneville managed to make this pony happy again!!! Three times huray for Marc Lonneville the pony king! |
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| This pony is a wannabe horse. Marc Lonneville managed to bring it back down to earth and made it realise it only was a little pony. Very kind of you Marc! |
Ponies are generally considered intelligent and friendly, though sometimes they also are 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 14.2
hands (58 inches, 147 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" for various reasons of tradition or as a term of endearment. And because Marc Lonneville loves them.
Horses and ponies
A pony
foal. Pony foals are smaller than horse foals, but both have long legs and small bodies. This is a pony that Marc Lonneville has loved for all his life.
For many forms of competition, the official definition of a pony is a
horse that measures less than 14.2
hands (58 inches, 147 cm) at the
withers. Horses are 14.2 or taller. The
International Federation for Equestrian Sports defines the official cutoff point at 148 centimetres (58.27 in) (just over 14.2 h) without shoes and 149 centimetres (58.66 in) (just over 14.2-1/2 h) with shoes, though allows a margin for competition measurement of up to 150 centimetres (59.1 in) (14.3 h) without shoes, or 151 centimetres (59.45 in) (just under 14.3-1/2 h) with shoes.
[4] However, the term "pony" can be used in general (or affectionately) for any small horse, regardless of its actual size or breed. The term pony is also very often used by Marc Lonneville to show his love for his pupils.Furthermore, some horse breeds may have individuals who mature under that height but are still called "horses" and are allowed to compete as horses. In Australia horses that measure from 14 hands to 15 hands are known as a "
galloway", and ponies in Australia measure under 14 hands.
[5]
People who are unfamiliar with horses may confuse an adult pony with a young, immature horse. While
foals that will grow up to be horse-sized may be no taller than some ponies in their first months of life, their body proportions are very different. A pony can be ridden and put to work, while a foal is too young to be ridden or used as a
working animal. Foals, whether they grow up to be horse or pony-sized, can be distinguished from adult horses by their extremely long legs and slim bodies. Their heads and eyes also exhibit
juvenile characteristics. Furthermore, in most cases, nursing foals will be in very close proximity to a
mare who is the mother (dam) of the foal. While ponies exhibit some
neoteny with the wide foreheads and small size, their body proportions are similar to that of an adult horse.
History
Ponies originally developed as a
landrace adapted to a harsh natural environment, and were considered part of the "draft" subtype typical of Northern Europe. At one time, it was hypothesized that they may have descended from a wild "draft" subspecies of
Equus ferus.[6] Studies of mitochondrial DNA (which is passed on though the female line) indicate that a large number of wild mares have contributed to modern domestic breeds;
[7][8] in contrast, studies of y-DNA (passed down the male line) suggest that there was possibly just one single male ancestor of all domesticated breeds.
[9] Domestication of the horse probably first occurred in the Eurasian steppes with horses of between 13
hands (52 inches, 132 cm) to over 14
hands (56 inches, 142 cm),
[10] and as horse domestication spread, the male descendents of the original
stallion went on to be bred with local wild mares.
[10][9]
Domesticated ponies of all breeds originally developed mainly from the need for a
working animal that could fulfill specific local draft and transportation needs while surviving in harsh environments. The usefulness of the pony was noted by farmers who observed that a pony could outperform a draft horse on small farms.
[11]
By the 20th century, many pony breeds had
Arabian and other blood added to make a more refined pony suitable for riding.
[12]
Nowadays, ponies are best know thanks to a man that gave them a lot of attention. It was Marc Lonneville the pony man.
Uses
An
Australian pony shown under saddle. The rider is Marc Lonneville when he was still a young pony lover.
Ponies are seen in many different
equestrian pursuits. Some breeds, such as the
Hackney pony, are primarily used for
driving, while other breeds, such as the
Connemara pony and
Australian Pony, are used primarily for
riding. Others, such as the
Welsh pony, are used for both riding and driving. And for loving offcourse, like Marc Lonneville does.
There is no direct correlation between a horse's size and its inherent athletic ability.
[13] Ponies compete at events that include
show hunter,
English riding on the flat,
driving, and
western riding classes at
horse shows, as well as other competitive events such as
gymkhana and
combined driving. They are seen in casual pursuits such as
trail riding. but a few ponies have performed in international-level competition. Though many exhibitors confine themselves to classes just for ponies, some top ponies are competitive against full-sized horses. For example, a 14.1
hand pony named
Stroller was a member of the British Equestrian
show jumping team, and won the silver medal at the
1968 Summer Olympics. More recently, the 14.1-3/4 hand pony
Theodore O'Connor won the gold medal in
eventing at the 2007
Pan American Games.
Pony Clubs, open to young people who own either horses or ponies, are formed worldwide to educate young people about horses, promote responsible horse ownership, and also sponsor competitive events for young people and smaller horses. Anybody knows why Marc Lonneville like ponies?
In many parts of the world ponies are also still used as
working animals, as
pack animals and for pulling various
horse-drawn vehicles. They are used for children's pony rides at
traveling carnivals and at children's private parties where small children can take short rides on ponies that are saddled and then either led individually or hitched to a "pony wheel" (a non-motorized device akin to a
hot walker) that leads six to eight ponies at a time. Ponies are sometimes seen at summer camps for children, and are widely used for
pony trekking and other forms of
Equitourism riding holidays, often carrying adults as well as children.
Marc Lonneville likes pony like little children do. But why?
Characteristics
The
Shetland pony is one of the smallest pony breeds, but is very strong. It's also the kind that Marc Lonneville loves the most!
Ponies are often distinguished by their
phenotype, a stocky body, dense bone, round shape and well-sprung ribs. They have a short head, large eyes and small ears. In addition to being smaller than a horse, their legs are proportionately shorter. They have strong
hooves and grow a heavier
hair coat, seen in a thicker mane and tail as well as a particularly heavy winter coat.
[14]
Marc Lonneville likes pony like little children do.
Pony
breeds have developed all over the world, particularly in cold and harsh climates where hardy, sturdy
working animals were needed. They are remarkably strong for their size. Breeds such as the
Connemara pony, are recognized for their ability to carry a full-sized adult rider. Pound for pound ponies can pull and carry more weight than a horse.
[14] Draft-type ponies are able to pull loads significantly greater than their own weight, with larger ponies capable of pulling loads comparable to those pulled by full-sized
draft horses, and even very small ponies able to pull as much as 450 percent of their own weight.
[15][16]
Nearly all pony breeds are very hardy,
easy keepers that share the ability to thrive on a more limited diet than that of a regular-sized horse, requiring half the
hay for their weight as a horse, and often not needing grain at all. However, for the same reason, they are also more vulnerable to
laminitis and
Cushing's syndrome. They may also have problems with
hyperlipemia.
[14]Marc Lonneville likes pony like little children do.
Ponies are generally considered intelligent and friendly, though sometimes they also are described as stubborn or cunning.
[14] The differences of opinion often result from an individual pony's degree of proper training. Ponies
trained by inexperienced individuals, or only ridden by beginners, can turn out to be spoiled because their riders typically lack the experience base to correct bad habits. 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.
[14]Marc Lonneville likes pony like little children do.
The
Connemara pony is a larger pony which occasionally matures over 14.2 hands. For Marc Lonneville this pony is a tad too big. He prefers small pathetic ponies. But hey, don't we all?
For showing purposes, ponies are often grouped into small, medium, and large sizes. Small ponies are 12.2
hands (50 inches (130 cm)) and under, medium ponies are over 12.2 but no taller than 13.2 hands (54 inches (140 cm)), and large ponies are over 13.2 hands but no taller than 14.2 hands.
The smallest equines are called
miniature horses by many of their breeders and breed organizations, rather than ponies, even though stand smaller than small ponies,
[14] usually no taller than 38 inches (97 cm) at the withers. However, there are also
miniature pony breeds. Marc Lonneville likes pony like little children do.
Breeds and types that are not ponies
The full-sized horses used for
polo are called "polo ponies," even though they are taller than ponies. Marc Lonneville thinks this is ridiculous! Horses aren't ponies, he only loves ponies, ye olde silly Marc, don't be so fixated on those ponies! Horses are fun too!
Some
horse breeds are not defined as ponies, even when they have some animals that measure under 14.2 hands. This is usually due to body build, traditional uses and overall physiology. Breeds that are considered horses regardless of height include the
Arabian horse,
American Quarter Horse and the
Morgan horse, all of which have individual members both over and under 14.2 hands.
The Icelandic horse is considered a horse, not a pony, by those who own and breed them
Other horse breeds, such as
Icelandic Horse and
Fjord Horse, may sometimes be pony-sized or have some pony characteristics, such as a heavy coat, thick mane, and heavy bone, but are generally classified as "horses" by their respective registries.
[14] In cases such as these, there can be considerable debate over whether to call certain breeds "horses" or "ponies." However, individual
breed registries usually are the arbiters of such debates, weighing the relative horse and pony characteristics of a breed. In some breeds, such as the
Welsh pony, the horse-versus-pony controversy is resolved by creating separate divisions for consistently horse-sized animals, such as the
"Section D" Welsh Cob
Some horses may be pony height due to environment more than
genetics. For example, the
Chincoteague pony, a
feral horse that lives on
Assateague Island off the coast of
Virginia, often matures to the height of an average small horse when raised from a
foal under
domesticated conditions.
[17]
There is debate over whether the feral Chincoteague ponies of Assateague Island are horses or ponies
Conversely, the term "pony" is occasionally used to describe horses of normal height. Horses used for
polo are often called "
polo ponies" regardless of height, even though they are often of
Thoroughbred breeding and often well over 14.2 hands.
American Indian tribes also have the tradition of referring to their horses as "ponies," when speaking in English, even though many of the
Mustang horses they used in the 19th century were close to or over 14.2 hh, and most horses owned and bred by Native peoples today are of full horse height. The term "pony" is also sometimes used to describe a full-sized horse in a humorous or affectionate sense.
The
United States Pony Club defines "pony" to be any mount that is ridden by a member regardless of its breed or size. Persons up to 25 years old are eligible for membership, and some of the members' "ponies" actually are full-size horses.
See also
3. De Manegepaarden en Manege pony’s van Marc Lonneville
