How many of you have heard this? And along with the "that's cute" comment is a tiny little smirk at the corner of their mouth.
I also hear, "Ponies are assholes."
That's nice. Thank you for your kindly put opinion. I can't tell you how many times someone has said this to me.
I take my mini and small pony very seriously. I take their care seriously. I take their training seriously. I take their driving seriously. As serious as you are about your big horse, doing Dressage or Three Day Eventing or Rodeos, I am THAT serious about my ponies. Most of the people that I know that have ponies or minis take them VERY seriously. They are not pets to us but equine athletes that deserve the very best we can offer them.
Because I choose to have a mini and a small pony does not make me less knowledgeable about training and nutrition. In some cases I have to be MORE knowledgeable about these things.
I love my ponies and I think they are adorable. I also think they are serious little athletes and I am so tired of people thinking less of them.
In my humble opinion, ponies are far far too smart to simply be pasture pets and companions to big horses. And using them for this purpose alone is a bit of an injustice.