yOUR PONy FROM HEAD TO TAIL A pony is a small horse They are tough intelligent and not too difficult to take care of Ponies make wonderful family pets Withers The bony ridge between a pony’s shoulder blades A pony is measured from the ground to the highest point of the withers Tail A pony uses its tail for balance to express itself and to swish away insects Hock Similar to a human’s ankle Fetlock The joint above the hoof 4 Frog The triangular part on the bottom of the hoof
Ears Ponies can swivel their ears and pick up sounds all around them The sensitive area just behind the ears is called the poll Mane The thick hair that grows from the top of a pony’s neck to its withers The mane helps to keep the pony warm drains water away from the pony when it rains and offers some protection from insects Eyes A pony’s eyes are on either side of its head This creates a blind spot directly in front of and behind the pony Muzzle This area is very sensitive It includes the mouth chin lips and nose PONY FACTS Cannon The part of the leg between the hock and the fetlock The unit of measurement for a pony is called a hand Originally a hand referred to the width of a person’s hand Today a hand is 4 inches 10 2 cm across A pony stands less than 58 inches 147 cm tall That is 14 2 hands which is read as 14 hands and 2 inches 5 cm 5
Traditional PONY BREEDS Ponies typically have sturdy bodies strong bones tough hooves and short legs They grow a thick winter coat which allows them to live outside year round Dartmoor ponies are strong reliable and hardy They stand up to 12 2 hands high and are usually bay brown or black see color descriptions on page 7 They are gentle and kind making them excellent ponies for children Pony of the Americas is a breed of pony that grows up to 14 hands high and is known for its spotted coat and gentle personality These ponies are dependable calm patient and surefooted making them perfect for any beginning rider 6 Dales ponies are known for their intelligence strength and courage Dales ponies are calm and kind They have large tough hooves and strong legs with feathered fetlocks They are surefooted meaning they can move easily and safely over uneven ground Fell ponies have heavily feathered legs and feet with strong hooves that don’t often need shoes These clever characters make good family ponies but they can be stubborn They are surefooted and especially suited to carriage driving
Coat Colors Ponies coats come in a variety of colors Here are a few Bay rich-brown body with black legs mane and tail Chestnut reddish-brown with no black points Dun sandy-colored body with black legs mane and tail Roan an equal mix of white hairs and a pony’s basic body color such as a bay roan Gray gray ponies have black skin with white or gray hair and look gray or off-white Pure white horses have pink skin and are very rare Welsh ponies have gentle and friendly personalities making them popular pets for children They are easy to train and make good carriage-driving ponies Welsh ponies are intelligent hardy and surefooted Connemara ponies are smart and willing Connies love to jump but they also do well at everything from carriage driving to dressage These gentle good-natured ponies are easy to keep and at up to 14 2 hands are great for both child and adult riders Shetland ponies stand only up to 10 2 hands high They can survive harsh conditions but can also easily become overweight These little ponies are intelligent and crafty A bored Shetland will get into all kinds of mischief so they need to be kept busy Hackney ponies are medium-sized ponies with broad shoulders smooth backs and high tails They are easy to keep and they have lovable personalities They are perfect for pulling carriages but they also make good riding ponies and companions 7
