Horse people! Pony aficionados!

BostonBanker

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#21
What are they bred for, besides as pets?
Miniature horse shows are fantastic viewing!
[YOUTUBE]v=8bcRZukM0L4[/YOUTUBE]

I know they are used for driving. But mostly, I think they are pets and show animals. Which, to be fair, is pretty much what a lot of full sized horses are bred for as well.

The Welsh ponies are way more my cup of tea!
 

Lyzelle

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#23
I had no idea there were horses that tiny that aren't dwarfs or little Shetland ponies!

What are they bred for, besides as pets?
Driving, in-hand, riding, halter (conformation), etc. Many ponies can actually be ridden very easily by us short people.

So virtually all the same things as horses, depending on what they were built and bred for.
 

Snark

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#24
Miniature horses

Ponies
I WANT that little black pony on the left. Lol!

The Shackleford ponies (Shackleford Island, Outer Banks, NC) have always been called 'ponies' but they are actually horses. DNA tests show they descended from Spanish horses left behind in the 1500s but their size diminished over the centuries.
 

Romy

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#26
I'm fairly tall, and not particularly fond of equines, but if I ever had one it would probably be some type of large pony or small horse. Either a fell or if I wanted to be all fancy and import some really cool ugly horses a kabardin. 14 hh is absolutely perfect riding height imo.
 

BostonBanker

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#27
I'm fairly tall, and not particularly fond of equines, but if I ever had one it would probably be some type of large pony or small horse. Either a fell or if I wanted to be all fancy and import some really cool ugly horses a kabardin. 14 hh is absolutely perfect riding height imo.
I couldn't go full-out pony size, but if I were in the position to be horse shopping now, I'd be seriously looking into the Section D Welsh and Connemara crosses.

After so many years of owning a hot-house flower, I would like a tank of a creature that could get fat on air, and get hit by a truck and trot off sound.
 

Snark

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#28
I'm fairly short so I could probably fit pretty comfortably on the larger pony breeds. I do like Connemaras and love the Welsh cob but I'd probably stick with an old style Morgan, a leg at each corner and can trot all day in a quart measure. Oh, to win the lottery so I could afford it all...
 

crazedACD

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#29
I'm fairly short so I could probably fit pretty comfortably on the larger pony breeds. I do like Connemaras and love the Welsh cob but I'd probably stick with an old style Morgan, a leg at each corner and can trot all day in a quart measure. Oh, to win the lottery so I could afford it all...
Yesss, I'm a Morgan fan. They have the right amount of oomph but still sensible.

I also feel like I must include Norweigan Fjords in here, just because. :p
 

BostonBanker

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#30
Yesss, I'm a Morgan fan. They have the right amount of oomph but still sensible.
Going to UVM pretty much ruined my enjoyment of Morgans. There are a few I've known that I absolutely adored, but good heavens, there is more of a divide in them than in any dog breed I can think of. Those saddlebred looking ones that seem to be all over the place here now hold no appeal to me.
 

Dekka

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#31
I love ponies.

IME there are quite a few ponies that look like horses.

Section A/B welshies:

OMG tiny sport poneh (an A)


A B


I also have a serious love affair with this pony:
(sorry I couldn't find a better one, or a video. He moves like a lovely warmblood)


So to me pony is far more about size than build.
 

Kootenay

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#32
I adore my 14.2 hh Arab. Perfect size for me, I am 5'5''. I pretty much just really like Arabs a lot, though if we're talking real dream horses here, I would looove an Andalusian.

A friend of mine has this gorgeous colt, I covet him so much, he's an Andalusian x Paso Fino, and GRULLA! Such a stunner! He's still really young, not sure his exact age in this picture, but I can't wait to see what he looks like when he's mature.

 

Xandra

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#33
I adore my 14.2 hh Arab. Perfect size for me, I am 5'5''. I pretty much just really like Arabs a lot, though if we're talking real dream horses here, I would looove an Andalusian.

A friend of mine has this gorgeous colt, I covet him so much, he's an Andalusian x Paso Fino, and GRULLA! Such a stunner! He's still really young, not sure his exact age in this picture, but I can't wait to see what he looks like when he's mature.

The best equine color IMO. He's really cute! I wish more horses came in grullo, but it seems there was a historical bias against dun...
 

Snark

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#34
Going to UVM pretty much ruined my enjoyment of Morgans. There are a few I've known that I absolutely adored, but good heavens, there is more of a divide in them than in any dog breed I can think of. Those saddlebred looking ones that seem to be all over the place here now hold no appeal to me.
Yeah, I've never understood why they're taking the breed away from Justin Morgan. I mean, if you want a saddlebred looking horse, BUY a Saddlebred! There's still the Lippitt Club breeders but I don't have the funds for one of their horses. Sigh...
 

Dekka

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#35
Yeah, I've never understood why they're taking the breed away from Justin Morgan. I mean, if you want a saddlebred looking horse, BUY a Saddlebred! There's still the Lippitt Club breeders but I don't have the funds for one of their horses. Sigh...
If you like old style morgans have a look at Canadians. They are one of the original breeds that made up morgans. There is some speculation that Justin Morgan's horse was a Canadian.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_horse
 

Romy

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#36
Honestly I'm a million times more likely to get a mammoth jack than a horse. Either that or a yak.



One time I got to ride a gaited mule that was mammoth jack X tennessee walker. Oh. My. Gosh. That was the most amazing ride ever, and he was so even tempered and wonderful. I would totally get a mule if one like him ever came up for sale, but I get the feeling people don't usually sell animals like him once they get their paws on them. lol

ETA: that's not him in the pic, that's a donkey. lol. Just realized after I posted that it could be taken that way.
 

Pops2

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#38
I couldn't go full-out pony size, but if I were in the position to be horse shopping now, I'd be seriously looking into the Section D Welsh and Connemara crosses.

After so many years of owning a hot-house flower, I would like a tank of a creature that could get fat on air, and get hit by a truck and trot off sound.
need a like button
 

Pops2

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#39
Romy
I'm with you. i've had enough horses try to kill me (many on purpose) that i have no real desire to have one. i like a mule though. they may not do what you want but they generally won't do anything to kill you in the process of refusing to cooperate.
 

Miakoda

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#40
For the record: a mini stud can, and will, impregnate a full-size horse. Just wanted to throw that out there in case some were unaware if this simple biological fact and decided to further throw such animals together.

A horse is a horse no matter its size. My 14 hh Arab is a horse despite being within the height requirements of being labeled a "pony" (and he's more like 13.3).

I also have a 13 hh Welsh Cob x. And then there's our mutt miniature horse, which has dwarfism. I've been told she is a Shetland x mini horse cross, but who knows.

A miniature horse is still a horse in smaller stature. Most are very fine-boned, and their structure often resembles that of an Arabian horse. While they are encourages to be harnessed up for driving, the true breeders and fanciers cringe whenever they hear of them being used for riding.

Ponies, as a general, have a thicker bone structure, which makes it easier for them to tote around little kids.
 

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