Horses and Ponies - What's the Difference?

Horses and Ponies - What's the Difference?

“I heard a neigh.
Oh, such a brisk and melodious neigh as that was!
My very heart leaped with delight at the sound.”
Nathaniel Hawthorne

Size matters.

What is the difference between a horse and a pony?

Many people assume that a pony is simply a baby horse, or even a little horse. This is absolutely not true. Ponies and horses, though related, are not exactly the same creatures.

Certainly, both ponies and horses are considered equines.

How can you tell a pony from a horse?

The main difference is this: a pony stands 14.2 hands high (58 in. or 147 cm.) or less at the withers, and a horse is 14.2 hands or taller.

Actually, there is more to it than that. Exceptions to the rule include larger ponies, such as the Pony of the America or the high-stepping Welsh Cob, who can exceed 14.2 hands in stature at maturity. In addition, certain horses may mature to shorter heights than their breed standards – but that does not make them ponies.

In fact, Falabellas, Caspians, and other miniature equine breeds are actually classified as horses, although they may be considerably smaller than most ponies. And Arabian horses may occasionally be shorter than 14.2 hands, but they are still horses.

Do ponies look different from horses?

Are ponies more suitable for children than horses?

Ask any equestrian about ponies and horses.

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