Do y'all get offended by the term "Pony"?

[tracerace]

I'm asking because I know a breeder nearby who gets really miffed when people refer to the mini's as "ponies". It doesn't phase me at all...it's too confusing even for the average non-horse person to understand that a "pony" isn't a baby horse anyway

. I am even guilty of calling our mini paddock the "Pony Paddock" because there is a young pony with them.

Just wondering if and why it bothers some people.

 

[Lauralee]

NOPE not at all.

 

[wendy4mini]

No doesn't bother me either. To most people any horse under 14.2 hands is a pony. I call my paso fino a pony all the time because she is only 14 hands. To me its just a term for a small horse.

 

[Kendra]

No, it doesn't offend me, but I will correct someone who uses the term, simply because I want them to learn that they are a very special breed that is called the Miniature Horse!

 

[shminifancier]

No not at all cause they are

That is correct for a small horse

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]No not at all since several of my minis ARE ponies.... including my 32.5 inch stallion.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[~Palomino~]

I dont get offended, but I inform them that they are miniature horses, not ponies! Its no diferent if someone came up to my arab(even though I dont have one, just using it as an example) and said oh nice quarter horse!

-Gage-

 

[Dr. Pam]

OK, so I'm a little bit of a hypocrite. When we're out and someone asks if they are shetlands or ponies, we always respond "No, they're miniature horses" (Patty usually beats me to it). At home--I call them ponies all the time

 

[Sterling]

No, not really...but I do also explain the miniature horse thingie to them as well. They leave here very happy and having learned something new!

On the other hand, some people use the word "pony" as an endearing way to refer to horses. Case in point, back a few years when I had an appy/QH mare, a gentleman I used to work with would always ask me "Hows your "pony" doing"? He looked to me as a daughter figure.

 

[Shari]

No, not offended at all.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

Not offended at all, but I do let them know that my horses are a special breed called American Miniature Horses.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Nope not at all they are what they are lol

I do say they are registered as Miniature horses they ask if that is an exotic breed my answer usually is

it was a great marketing tool by a failing pony market and they started off being midget ponies but then yes went for the more exotic name miniature horses

 

[shortymisty]

OK, I usually don't get offended either, but actually argued with someone that said there was no such thing as a miniature horse, she kept telling me they were ponies and she had a minor in equine science so she should know, they were either horses or ponies, of course that ended my conversation with her. I guess I should have pulled out my papers and said "See my "pony" is a registered miniature horse." But I don't think I would have one the conversation anyway I looked at it.

 

[littlehorse2]

Nope, I call them ponies all the time. Now that Trisket is here and she's bigger than Smarty and Bell everyone calls her a pony anyways. My mom's neightbor calls them swamp donkies why I don't know, but it's kinda cute. Yes he does know that they aren't donkies that they are mini horses.

Christy

 

[Dona]

Nope...doesn't bother me at all. And I think the ones who do get upset when they are called "ponies"....are a tad "anal".

What I DO say to someone who calls them ponies is...."yes, they are very small ponies, but the breed is "American Miniauture Horse" and that is how they are registered.

 

[runamuk]

OK, I usually don't get offended either, but actually argued with someone that said there was no such thing as a miniature horse, she kept telling me they were ponies and she had a minor in equine science so she should know, they were either horses or ponies, of course that ended my conversation with her.  I guess I should have pulled out my papers and said "See my "pony" is a registered miniature horse."  But I don't think I would have one the conversation anyway I looked at it. 

497146[/snapback]

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I hate to bring this up BUT from a scientific standpoint they are ponies not horses....so your friend really is quite correct. The term miniature horse was coined as a marketing tool as people had overall a bad impression of ponies in general........they aren't truely scaled down horses they come from pony stock and most pony stock is derived from northern drafty breeds of ponies hence that distinctive pony look. Addmittedly the american shetland has some hackney blood which is a horse breed so if your miniatures come from known hackney lines then you do have some horse gene's back there a ways........

As for me I don't care what people call them and I tell them about the registries and the name.......but technically they are ponies so doesn't bother me.....

 

[AS IF BY MAGIC]

i would normally correct some-one as well, when they ask what the difference is I normally add about £1000.00 !!

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

Well gee I must be the only one here who IS offended by someone calling one of my mini's a pony! Of course I don't jump and scream and correct them in a mean way...just inside I take a moment to take a breath and tell myself..they're only human, it takes some studying to learn the real difference! Where then I will just let them know that my horses are "miniature horses" - anything above 38" and under "horse height" at the withers is what I consider a pony. I don't even consider baby horses to be ponies. I usually use the term "pony" when i'm joking around and pretending I dont have the knowledge I have! Not to be offensive or anything for those who don't know the difference...but yes, deep down I do find it offensive for someone to look at my miniature horses and go "oooo PONY!" and ask to ride it and such. jmho.

 

[PinkStalkings]

I'm guilty of calling them ponies.. infact I even call my mares who are 14 hands and up the ponies.. Its to me more of a gesture of affection. Like ' I always wanted a pony ' . . Didn't buy one but the horses and minis will do fine..

 

[Buckskin gal]

I don't necessarily become offended with anyone calling my minis, ponies, but If they call them Shetlands then I do correct them

because they are not Shetlands. They are only registered as Miniature horses and not Shetlands. Most Miniature horses are not Shetlands because they can't be registered as such. Yes, there are now Shetlands that are registered as Miniature Horses in the AMHR registery but I think we should remember that a Shetland can be registered in the AMHR registery if it is 38 " or under but a Miniature Horse canot be registered as a Shetland. I do find it intereting that some think the Miniature Horse came about because the market had gone bad on Shetlands. I always thought the Miniature Horse was developed through selective breedings to downsize to the most possible perfect horse in miniature and the Standard still states that should be the goal. JMO