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Posted by on Jan 21, 2015 in TellMeWhy |

Is Pony a Baby Horse?

Is Pony a Baby Horse?

No, pony is not a baby horse. Ponies are horses, but they are a type of horse that happens to be smaller than average. By definition, a pony is a horse no taller than 58 inches when fully grown. It weighs less than 800 pounds.

Most of the ponies that you see are Shetland ponies.They may stand up to 107 cm (42 in) at the withers. They are used for riding, driving, and pack purposes.

Shetland ponies also were probably influenced by the Celtic pony, brought to the islands by settlers between 2000 and 1000 BCE. The harsh climate and scarce food developed the ponies into extremely hardy animals.

They originally came from the Shetland Islands of Great Britain. These ponies are descendants of horses brought to the islands centuries ago.

The pony’s small size and heavy coat are characteristics which developed in order to help it survive in a harsh climate where food was scarce. Ponies have short legs and wider bodies than full-sized horses. Ponies often have thicker manes too.

Maybe this is the reason why people out of curiosity ask is pony a baby horse. People can ride ponies, just like they can ride full-sized horses. Historically, people have also used ponies to pull carts and help with transportation.

In fact, a baby horse is called a foal. A foal is a horse that is younger than one year old. A pony can be any age. A baby pony is also called a foal.

Content for this question contributed by Antonio Marquez, Jr., resident of Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, Philippines