Ponies, are taxonomically the same animal as a horse, with the difference found primarily in their height, conformation and temperament.
When compared to a horse, ponies usually have thicker manes, tails and coats, as well as shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bones, shorter and thicker necks and short heads with broad foreheads. Ponies are also known to be calmer than horses and exhibit high levels of intelligence, which makes them ideal of cooperating with human handlers and thus for pony ride sessions.
Ponies are herbivores, meaning they eat grasses and other plant materials. They also have a keen sense of smell and an advanced sense of taste, which provides them with the ability to choose what they would most like to eat. Their lips then make it possible for them to sort even the smallest of grains.
Their eyes are positioned on the sides of their heads, which gives them a range of vision of more than 350 degrees. Additionally, they are able to see very clearly in both day and night and, though they can see colors, they exhibit a colorblindness similar to that found in humans – where reds appear as greens. Ponies also have an elevated sense of hearing. In fact, their ears can rotate up to 180 degrees, which allows them to hear a full 360 degrees around them without having to move their head, but also raises the likelihood that they will encounter noises that will stress or startle them.