why do people think horses are less safe than ponies?

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comet&joe

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why ? Whats the difference? They are the exact same, only bigger. It really confusses me and upsets me sometimes as adults just go on and on about how unsafe this is.
 
I've known horses that are safer than ponies and vice versa. It all depends on the horse and the rider and whether they're both compatible :)
For example - a novice, lightweight rider wouldn't be able to ride a sharp, 17.2hh show jumper without problems but would probably cope fine on a nice 14hh show pony but a more experienced mediumweight rider would be able to cope fine with the 17.2hh...or something like that :P
 
I don't think it is true that all horses are less safe than ponies. They are all different & it is too much of a sweeping generalisation.

However, in my experience, ponies tend to be a bit smarter than horses. Slightly better sense of self preservation! I also think that the more hot-headed breeds tend to be horses, so this is probably where it comes from.
 
I don't think horses are 'less safe' than ponies. Falling from both still hurts. But, Ponies are closer to the ground, so less distance to fall!
My only thing that I would say, is that ponies are fab (generally) at looking after themselves. They can often chip in a short stride to get over the jump safely, where as horses (generally) find that difficult to do and need more help to get it right in the first place.
When you have a rude naughty pony you just go 'little s***, but when you have a naughty rude horse, you go oh *******!
 
I think the height difference gives an illusion. Less of a way to fall.

From personal experience, I think ponies can often be a little easier to ride. I don't think this is to do with their height, rather the difference in temprement between breeds - take a connemara pony and a warmblood for example.

I think height does make a difference as well. Though I don't necessarily approve of this, in dire situations it is much easier to wrestle a smaller pony back under control than a massive horse.
 
Horses and ponies are both matters of preference. I don't know how old/tall/skilled you are but many people (as demonstrated in the thread asking why so many children are overhorsed) feel that ponies are safer for lightweight/young/inexperienced riders due to their smaller stature, self preservation instincts and lesser strength.

Horses are quite often more hot headed and generally more powerful, therefore can be seen as being a more difficult ride.

Of course this is a generalisation, so is not true in all cases. (I defy anyone to be able to think through all horses and ponies they know and not think of a couple of examples that break the stereotypes!)

Enjoy your horse, as long as you feel safe and happy, ignore those who are tying to persuade you that you feel otherwise!
 
thats interesting as i'd heard it the other way round! as it seemed ponies were the nippy, fast, jumping/mounted games types that normally had some cheeky welsh/native lines thrown in and are made for kids and teenagers to get good times competing! and the horses were the more obedient type, or happy hackers for parents, or more careful and steady jumpers... hmmm
 
Ruthnmeg said:
I don't think horses are 'less safe' than ponies. Falling from both still hurts. But, Ponies are closer to the ground, so less distance to fall!
My only thing that I would say, is that ponies are fab (generally) at looking after themselves. They can often chip in a short stride to get over the jump safely, where as horses (generally) find that difficult to do and need more help to get it right in the first place.
When you have a rude naughty pony you just go 'little s***, but when you have a naughty rude horse, you go oh *******!
Click to expand...

Those were my thoughts exactly!!!! lol, so Ditto :)
 
lorraine&comet said:
why ? Whats the difference? They are the exact same, only bigger. It really confusses me and upsets me sometimes as adults just go on and on about how unsafe this is.
Click to expand...

I would disagree that they are exactly the same except in size. They are quite different! And a naughty pony is way worse than a quiet horse.

BUT... as others have said, given a good natured pony, 1) you have less far to fall, and less muscle and weight to control and 2) the pony will 9 times out of 10 look after itself, and therefore, you. Especially when jumping, hunting, cross country etc - ponies are wily and sure footed, horses often (though not of course exclusively) need more 'telling what to do'.

I'm not sure why you should be upset by this? Perhaps you disagree, which is just fine? Maybe your horse is safer than ponies you know, it wouldn't be the first time!!
 
I don't think horses are less safe than ponies per se but having had a 17.2hh warmblood on loan and when that copped a strop it seemed a lot worse than a 14.2 pony. Especially when the ground was so very far away :eek: . When they prance around on the end of the lead rope its like leading a giraffe. They are difficult to get on and off - dropping a whip on a ride was a right pain and the number of branches I was nearly decapitated by was far too frequent for my liking. Also it didn't fit in anyones lorry which was frustrating. I now have a compact 16.1 (prob more like a 15.3 as high wither) not a pony but very pony like in his character.
 
I think ponies are more intelligent than horses, apart from that they seem more sure footed, if you watch horses and ponies bombing round an endurance ride on a muddyish bend, the horses legs are all over the place, the ponies just seem to scoot round nicely, something else I seem to notice is that horses seem to go lame more often.
 
It really does depend on the individual doesn't it. My pony is 13.2hh and a fell, he has recently learnt to rear and spin if he doesn't want to do something (what a clever boy!). Now if the thoroughbreds I was riding last year threw themselves around like he does I would have been terrified, as he's 13.2hh and (more importantly) wide as a bus with a very large bum I don't get as scared and just tell him to grow a pair and get on with it. I say he's like a weeble toy - the rearing doesn't bother me cos with his huge bum he's well anchored and I like to think he can't go over or anything!!

Saying that last year I rode a 14.2hh TB racehorse and he scared me beacuse I just couldn't stop, I had no brakes whatsoever and at my height it was like riding a BMX bike with no brakes!
 
I've never thought about this question from the horse side before, like some other people on this thread I always think of cheeky little ponies that can be quite mischievous. Yes they do have a greater sense of self preservation and aren't hot blooded but I think someone needs to tell that to my welsh d x when he's on a xc or sj course :p!
 
Ponies have more mischief in them I think, and generally they seem to turn on a sixpence so if they want you off they can do it just as well as a horse can:D I think if anything ponies are probably slightly less safe than horses given their generally higher intelligence levels! But it all comes down to individuals, you get ponies that are as safe as houses and horses that are fire-breathing nuts and vice-versa.

My favourite horse ever was in effect an overgrown (16hh!) pony who once snuck up on a workman mending the fence in his paddock, rifled through his toolbox and ran off with his drill - my kind of equine, that:D
 
Most ponies are bred to be safe for children - just look at the breed description for NF ponies for example, or dartmoors. There is also the strength and size issue. I'm only 5ft4 and can easily deal with pretty much whatever a pony might do. I'm fairly happy up until about 15.1hh, at which point the increasing strength and power of the horse makes it harder to deal with really naughty behaviour. I don't mind the odd buck/mini rear beyond that height, but am far less willing to try to deal with anything more serious! Of course, if you're 6ft tall, you'll be fine with a much bigger horse, I'm just short!!!
 
Spudlet said:
My favourite horse ever was in effect an overgrown (16hh!) pony who once snuck up on a workman mending the fence in his paddock, rifled through his toolbox and ran off with his drill - my kind of equine, that:D
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Love it! :D My old horse was the same whilst the fence was being mended he took a pile of electric fencing out of the back of the truck and walked off with it.

My current horse is also very pony-brained - I think I must be drawn to that type of character. I could probably train him to do handstands and cartwheels for a polo.
 
spudlet said:
ponies have more mischief in them i think, and generally they seem to turn on a sixpence so if they want you off they can do it just as well as a horse can:d i think if anything ponies are probably slightly less safe than horses given their generally higher intelligence levels! But it all comes down to individuals, you get ponies that are as safe as houses and horses that are fire-breathing nuts and vice-versa.

My favourite horse ever was in effect an overgrown (16hh!) pony who once snuck up on a workman mending the fence in his paddock, rifled through his toolbox and ran off with his drill - my kind of equine, that:d
Click to expand...

lmao :d
 
My history of falling off:

1. Copperdust, some sort of mega-spook? Pony.
2. Daisy, tripped over a jump and fell over. Horse.
3. Lady, tripped over a jump and fell over. Large pony, if you flattened the hair on her withers.
4. Blackie, tried to roll in the snow---less a fall, more of a hurried dismount as he was lying down. Pony.
5. Katie, slid off sideways while cantering bareback in field: she tripped or bucked, not sure. Mane was hogged, so nothing to grab! Pony.
6. 15 years later, big grey IDx at RS. Thought it was going to drink from puddle, but it jumped puddle instead. Numpty fall! Horse.
7.--19. Spooky Pony's various "moments": the mud puddle, the little double of cross-poles, the huge field trying Le Trec, a cross pole, another cross pole, a jump wing flapping in the wind, the bed (yes, bed) in the forest, the hoof boot sticking in the mud, the random take-off in a lesson, the Christmas tree incident, jumping up a bank, the stop after the spread, the random take-off in the show warm-up.

There may have been more, but those are all the ones I can remember...

Several conclusions to be drawn from this:

1. At 17/19 falls from ponies, no wonder I feel safer on horses!
2. I don't fall off a lot, really. It just feels that way at the moment.
3. Given that 13/17 of the pony falls have been from the same pony, we probably can't attach any statistical significance to these data (4/6 falls from ponies is a lot less impressive. Especially if you count Lady as a horse).
4. I'm probably an idiot for continuing to sit on same-said pony day after day... :o
 
I'm not sure u can say a horse is safer than a pony or viceversa it really depends on how well trained the horse/pony is and how capable the handler is my 15.1 mare is an absoulte gem owned her for 10yrs and never fell off * touch wood* but in the wrong hands she's a pushy wee ***** and will take the utter Micheal out of you my 16.1 mare is the same although I did fall off her and fracture my collar bone but then I also ride some of my friends ponies that she sells 13.1-14.2 and they sometimes pull a fly one and have ended with me on the ground a couple of times
 
Cos they're barking mad... I know I've been chucked off many more ponies than I have horses... Ponies as a general rule are brighter (IMHO)

Blitz
 
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