Undergraduate student Zoe Reardon studies world languages and business at Southern Methodist University. Outside of her academic responsibilities Zoe Reardon enjoys riding horses. She participated during the 2016 US Equestrian Foundation Pony Finals championship.
While many people have likely gone through a phase where they wanted a pony, they are often not aware of the difference between a pony and a horse. Both animals are part of the same species and are regarded as equines. However, ponies aren't baby horses, like many people think. Rather, they are a specific breed of equine that matures faster than horses do, but stay smaller.
This difference in size is the most obvious difference between ponies and horses. Normally, horses measure at about 14.2 hands and higher, or 14 hands for western riders. Meanwhile, ponies come in below this threshold. Not only that, but ponies are stockier than horses, and have a thicker mane, tail, and coat than their counterparts.
Beyond these physiological features, ponies usually have different personalities than horses. Normally, a pony’s temperament is more docile and stoic than a horse’s temperament. This, along with their physiology, makes them a popular choice when choosing an animal to carry large loads. Many ponies are also more intelligent than horses, a trait that often makes them seem stubborn to humans.
Part of what causes so much confusion between the two animals is that there are examples of horses and ponies that do not meet these characteristics. For example, some horse breeds, such as the Arabian and American Quarter Horse, are seen as horses regardless of size. Meanwhile, certain ponies have more horse-like behavior. Still, the above differences hold true for the majority of ponies and horses.
