Choosing the Right Horse or Pony.
If you have the awesome opportunity to go out and buy a horse or pony of your very own, it is VERY important that you know how to choose the one the is right for you. If you are a child, and you have a parent or older family member that rides, talk to them because they might know what horse or pony will suit you and where to find it. If you don't have someone in the family that knows about riding, then you will need to get some expert help. Before you start, you will need to know what to look for in a horse or pony. Horses and ponies, like people, have many different personalities and special abilities. They also come in many different shapes and sizes. Good conformation is one very important element. Conformation is the shape and proportions of the horse or pony's body.
Head- neither too large, nor too small. It should look alert and interested in all that is going on around it.
Back- short and strong, and not too hollow.
Eyes- large, set wide apart, and with a kindly expression.
Ears- small and pricked forwards
Chest- should be broad.
Hindquarters- should be very muscular, and not slope too much down from the croup to the top of the tail.
Neck- not too think, but should have a slight crest. A neck that is concave on its top line is called a ewe-neck, and is a defect.
Legs- smooth, free from blemishes, swelling or hard lumps. The lower legs and feet should feel cool. From the front, the forelegs should be quite wide apart. From behind, the hocks should be straight, and not turning in toward each other, a condition which is called cow-hocked. The circumference of the font legs just below the knee is called the bone measurement, and the higher it is, the stronger the pony or horse will be.
Shoulders- should slope in a line from the withers to the point of the shoulder for a riding pony. Shoulders that are too straight or upright give an uncomfortable ride.
Pasterns- sloping, but not too long and weak.
Feet- rounded, not small and donkey-like, or boxy. The front feet are naturally more rounded that the back. Seen from the front and back, the feet should point straight forward, not inward or outward.
Back- short and strong, and not too hollow.
Eyes- large, set wide apart, and with a kindly expression.
Ears- small and pricked forwards
Chest- should be broad.
Hindquarters- should be very muscular, and not slope too much down from the croup to the top of the tail.
Neck- not too think, but should have a slight crest. A neck that is concave on its top line is called a ewe-neck, and is a defect.
Legs- smooth, free from blemishes, swelling or hard lumps. The lower legs and feet should feel cool. From the front, the forelegs should be quite wide apart. From behind, the hocks should be straight, and not turning in toward each other, a condition which is called cow-hocked. The circumference of the font legs just below the knee is called the bone measurement, and the higher it is, the stronger the pony or horse will be.
Shoulders- should slope in a line from the withers to the point of the shoulder for a riding pony. Shoulders that are too straight or upright give an uncomfortable ride.
Pasterns- sloping, but not too long and weak.
Feet- rounded, not small and donkey-like, or boxy. The front feet are naturally more rounded that the back. Seen from the front and back, the feet should point straight forward, not inward or outward.