Ponies and cobs – everything you need to know about them

They are small, but have a lot of character: ponies. In addition to Shetland and Dartmoor Ponies, Welsh Mountain Ponies and Welsh Cobs are among the most popular pony breeds. Of course, the breeding aims of the individual pony breeds vary, as is also the case with warmbloods. Nevertheless, a sociable character is often the focus of pony breeding. However, it is not only their size and character that distinguishes them from big horses. Ponies also differ from other horse breeds in the way they are kept and fed.

Pony or horse – What are the differences?

Ponies often look like the small image of a horse. However, ponies differ from horses not only because of their appearance. Their origins indicate that they also differ from warmbloods in their requirements in terms of feed, husbandry and exercise.

Size of ponies

Basically, horses can be divided into ponies, cobs and horses. A horse that is smaller than 14.2 hands in height is a pony.

In general, cobs are larger than ponies, standing 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147cm) or taller, but are relatively compact and small, usually with short legs.

However, there are also pony breeds that are categorised as ponies by height, but are referred to as „horses“ due to their large horse-like appearance. This is the case with Icelandic horses or the American Miniature Horse, for example. In the case of Icelandic horses, there is also the fact that the Icelanders did not recognise any other horse breed than their own and therefore did not need to make the distinction between pony and horse.

Build and conformation of ponies

The majority of pony breeds originated in arid, often cooler climates, such as Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Iceland or Poland. Their origin not only influences their feed requirements, but also their conformation.

Ponies are generally strongly built, have strong joints and robust hooves. This makes the small, robust animals ideal for carrying loads. Shetland ponies are considered one of the strongest horse breeds in the world and can carry up to 30% of their body weight.

Accustomed to cold weather fronts in their native regions, ponies develop a long, thick plush coat in winter. Even the auricles are protected by long hair.

Show ponies, on the other hand, have a lighter build and look sporty and elegant, making them successful in show jumping, eventing and dressage competitions. Apart from their size, the only thing that distinguishes them from a warmblood is their typical pony eyes and tapered head.

Character and nature of ponies: small, big personalities

Because of their size, ponies are often used for children and young beginners from their first riding lesson. Nevertheless, the cliché persists that ponies are stubborn, cheeky bullheads. This is only partly true: ponies are very intelligent animals that want to be mentally challenged and encouraged. Their underchallenge then manifests itself in untrained behaviour that cannot be corrected by their young, inexperienced riders. However, with good basic training and regular correction by an experienced horse person, they are very good-natured contemporaries for children, novice riders and petite adults alike.

In general, ponies are very gentle, patient, but also curious and adaptable animals that enjoy a lot of variety.

The many different uses of ponies

Due to their gentle disposition, but also their great willingness to learn, pony breeds can be used in a wide variety of ways.

• School pony for children
• First pony for young riders
• Coach ponies for single and multi-horse carriages
• Liberty work and trick training
• Horse shows
• Entry into competition sport in dressage and show jumping, but also lead rein classes and carriage driving
• Depending on the breed, gaited competitions

Equipment for ponies: saddle, saddle pad and bridle tailored to pony size

The special features of pony saddles

The short back of a pony requires a short but wide contact surface of the pony saddle. This is because the small space between the shoulder blade and the last ribcage would result in high pressure peaks with narrow saddle panels.

Pony saddles are usually sold with a seat area of 15 to 16 inches, although the actual contact area can be larger or smaller. The decisive factor is the shape of the saddle panels. You can read all about this in our saddle guide in the section on saddle panels.

In order to allow ponies with broad shoulders sufficient freedom of movement, the angle of the gullet plate must be very flat. The points must not dig into the trapezius muscle.

But this hides another problem: many ponies have very flat withers, in some cases the withers merge seamlessly into the back. This presents pony riders with the challenge of the saddle not finding any support at all on the shoulder. In very difficult saddle areas, a crupper is often used to prevent the saddle from sliding forwards. But be careful: the sensitive spinal cord is located directly under the skin of the dock. If the crupper is fastened too tightly, this leads to pain, blockages in the vertebrae and loss of rhythm. The pony will also no longer be able to round its back as its tail is pulled upwards. To avoid this continuous pull, a raised hand should fit between the girth and the croup. Ideally, no crupper should be used at all, but the saddle should be properly fitted. An anti-slip saddle pad can also provide the necessary support for the pony saddle.

Riding saddles for children – pony saddles for the little ones

Riding pads or treeless pony saddles with an extra high front and rear pommel are used for very small young riders. The child is framed and held in place so that it does not tip forwards or backwards. This enables young riders to ride with little support.

Saddles for children and riding pads are made of artificial leather or other synthetic materials and have hook and loop pads so that they can be ideally adapted to different pony backs. A sturdy handle or grab strap provides additional safety for the child.

Stirrup constructions that are hung over the horn are suitable for pony western saddles. This allows children with short legs to place their feet in the stirrups despite the fenders being too long.

Short pony saddle pads

A collection for ponies can be colourful and playful. Colour, glitter and appliqués are particularly important when it comes to saddle pads for ponies. Nevertheless, fit and functionality take precedence over design.

As with the saddle, the saddle pad must fit the pony’s short back. If the saddle pad is too long, it will hit the hip bone or the flank. Pony saddle pads are available in pony size. As the actual size can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, you should measure the contact area of the saddle and add six centimetres. This will give you the ideal saddle pad size.

You should pay attention to the following with regard to the material, thickness, padding and fit of the saddle pad:

A saddle pad made of polyester is breathable and well ventilated, especially if the underside is made of mesh fabric. A polyester filling provides good padding and allows for light shock absorption. Cotton absorbs a lot of moisture and therefore regulates the temperature. Many pony saddle pads are made from a mix of cotton and polyester and are machine washable.

The thicker the saddle pad, the better the shock absorption, but it also loses breathability. The type of quilting of the saddle pad has an influence on the extent of the thickness or padding. The finer the quilted pattern (e.g. diamond pattern), the thinner the saddle pad will be. In contrast, saddle pads with simple, horizontal quilting have a large volume, which means they can absorb more moisture/sweat.

Understandably, a suitable saddle pad should be placed under the saddle. A dressage saddle pad does not fit under a jumping saddle. As with large horses, saddle pads for ponies are divided into dressage (PDR) and general purpose (P) according to cut. An anatomical cut that keeps the withers free is also recommended.

Pony bridles & bits for ponies

There are no differences in construction between pony bridles and bridles for big horses. Bridles for ponies are just smaller. An optimum fit is nevertheless important:

• The cheekpiece runs past the cheekbone and does not slip into the eye
• The noseband lies two fingers wide below the cheekbone on the bony part of the nose
• Two upright fingers can be slid under the noseband
• If the pony has a fluffy coat in winter or a lot of mane, make sure that the headpiece is not too tight and presses against the root of the ear
• The same applies to the browband, which must not be too tight that it pulls the headpiece against the ears.

When it comes to pony bridles, you can choose between cavesson, flash, drop, grackle or pull-back nosebands.

Of course, reins should not be missing from a bridle. For young riders who are still learning how to use the reins, reins made of non-slip materials such as silicone studs or web reins with leather stops are recommended. The stops make it easier to hold both reins at the same length. Reins with coloured leather stops make this even easier. This is a particularly useful support for riding students from their first riding lesson.

A pony’s mouth is narrow and flat. The pony bit should therefore also have a narrow, thin shape. As a rule, ponies fit bits with a thickness of between 10 and 12mm. Beginners get on best with single or double jointed snaffle bits. If the learner has not yet mastered the supporting (bearing) rein aids, full cheek snaffles are recommended. These provide additional lateral restraint and guidance.

Curb bits are usually only used on ponies by experienced pony riders in advanced dressage.

Please also read our guide on bits for horses.