pony
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pony
pony, small horse, officially any horse under 14.2 hands (58 in./145 cm) high. Most ponies are of Celtic origin. They are noted for their extreme hardiness and gentle natures. Some ponies are only 26 in. (65 cm) high. See Shetland pony; Welsh pony.
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The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Pony
a small horse, measuring 80–140 cm tall, bred in the British Isles (including the Shetland Islands, the Hebrides, and Ireland), Iceland, Corsica, Sicily, Gotland, and Hokkaido (Japan). Among the approximately 20 breeds are the Shetland, Welsh, Icelandic, Gotland, and Hokkaido ponies.
In their native lands, ponies were used on small peasant farms and in mines. They were also used as pack animals along mountain paths and for distributing food in the cities. Today ponies are widely encountered in parks, where they are hitched to light carriages or used as riding horses. In many countries, various types and colors of ponies are bred especially as work or riding horses.
REFERENCE
Konnozavodstvo i konnyi sport. Moscow, 1972.The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
pony
1. any of various breeds of small horse, usually under 14.2 hands
2. Brit slang a sum of £25, esp in bookmaking
3. US slang a literal translation used by students, often illicitly, in preparation for foreign language lessons or examinations; crib
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005