HORSEMANSHIP
From page 33
of their diet but donkeys must
not be fed large amounts of
protein, bread, puffed rice or
processed food because they
may develop foot disease and
become lame.
Donkeys have a life span of
30-50 years. Mules have a
lower life span of about 30 to
40 years. The modern
domestic horse can live about
25-30 years, although a few
live longer.
So if a horse is a horse, what
is a pony?
The difference is size. In
general, a horse is an equine
that stands 14.2 hands high
(equivalent to 58 inches or
147cm) or more and a pony
is an equine that stands under
that mark. (A “hand” is an old
measure equivalent to four
inches).
The height of ponies and
horses is measured from the
bottom of the forehoof to the
highest point of the withers,
which is the point where the
neck meets the back. The
withers is used for measurement since it is a stable part of
the anatomy, unlike the head
and neck which move up and
down with the body of the
horse.
There are other physical
differences. Ponies are
typically much stockier than
their horse relatives. They also
often have thicker manes,
tails, and coats, so (depending
on breed) are better able to
endure cold weather. They
have proportionally shorter
legs, wider barrels (body of
the pony that encloses the
ribcage and all major internal
organs), heavier bones, shorter
and thicker necks, and short
heads with broader foreheads.
In official equestrian competition in South Africa today
children under a certain age
inches, measured at the top
are obliged to ride ponies
of the shoulders, where the
and, when they reach their
mane ends. Miniature horses
teenage years, are obliged to
are measured in terms of
graduate from their ponies to inches while ponies are
horses if they wish to continue measured in terms of hands.
competing. This rule applies
A full-grown miniature weighs
regardless of the size and
between 65 – 115 kilograms.
strength of the pony, or of the Miniature horses come in
size and strength of the child
every possible horse colour.
or teenager.
Ponies have a thicker coat
than a miniature.
Just when you thought you
Miniature horses are better
knew about horses and
used as home companions,
ponies, along comes the
being too small to be ridden
miniature horse.
(although some are used to
Although some miniature
draw miniature carriages)
horses resemble ponies, the
whereas ponies are extengoal of miniature horse
sively used for driving and all
breeders is to create a tiny
horse, with everything about it kinds of riding and horse
sport.
the same as a full-sized
horse, only
smaller. They
should not have
short legs, thick
necks, or big
bellies.
A miniature horse
is shorter than the
smallest pony
and may be no
Full-size horse and miniature
taller than 34
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