The Differences in Ponies & Miniature Horses

Size matters...when you are talking about horses. Equines fall into three size categories: horse, pony, and miniature. Miniature horses, like many toy dogs, were breed to their present size from larger models. Miniatures look like mini-drafts and Arabians. Ponies look like the breed to which they belong. Many of the differences between ponies and miniature horses result from their respective heights.

  1. Height

    • The biggest difference between ponies and miniature horses is size. Measured in inches, miniature horses may reach a maximum height of 38 inches. As a rule, ponies fall between 9.2 and 14.2 hands tall. Ponies are any equine that meets the criteria. This means a 14.1 hand Quarter Horse---a prominent American breed usually considered a horse---shows in pony classes with the Shetland pony, another breed originating in Europe.

    Health

    • Miniature horses eat less than ponies, largely due to their size. Problems with obesity and teeth abound in miniatures, requiring extra diligence in those areas than other equines. High incidences of dwarfism occur in miniatures. Pregnant miniatures have difficult births with increased chances of deformities resulting from dwarfism. More births resulting in foal death occur in miniatures than ponies, because the placenta tears during the birth, suffocating the foal.

    Occupation

    • Ponies participate in much of the same work as their larger counterparts, but more often involving children than adults. An increased awareness of miniature horses' potential has made them popular seeing-eye animals, which lead the blind safely through traffic and other hazards. Miniature horses live about twice as long as seeing-eye dogs and require about the same care.

    Breeds

    • Miniature horses are restricted to several breeds, such as the Australian miniature pony, miniature toy horse, micro mini, falabella and dartmoor pony. Humans deligate ponies into specific breeds, such as the Shetland pony and Pony of Americas, as well as use it as a term to describe a horse's size.

    Living Quarters

    • Ponies generally need more space to run and larger stalls to stable. About five miniatures can feast and thrive on an acre of land, while one pony can enjoy the same space. Miniature horses use stalls 6 x 8 feet wide. Ponies occupy stalls 10 x 10 feet wide.

    Ancestors

    • Miniature horses primarily descended from the Shetland ponies, which were originally much smaller than the pony size of modern Shetland ponies. Ponies have a larger base of ancestors. since the term "Pony" can refer to pony breeds as well as horses under a certain height.