Gotta love ponies!

Are ponies tougher than horses? French researchers say so.

“We often hear that ponies are more robust than horses, and our study shows for the first time that they are less inclined to develop signs of poor welfare and that they are more resistant to deleterious equitation,” Dr. Clémence Lesimple.

(Deleterious equitation means “unhelpful” riding. We’ve ALL been there.)

Speaking about the ways we can preserve the well-being (and sanity) of our wonderful riding lesson horses, Dr Lesimple said that poor riding technique has a great impact on the presence of pain in horses, and poor riding technique has an effect on the development of stereotypies. (ie. cribbing and weaving).

Deleterious equitation …ponies seem to roll with it.

“Frequent forage feeding, regular free time in the paddock with other horses, straw bedding, and good riding techniques are also critical elements for promoting equine welfare in riding facilities,” she said.

Anyone have a resilient pony story?