OutlawsLastDance - 2015-08-31 1:30 PM When you say pony, what size are you exactly talking about? Are you talking about the "anything under 14.2" definition of a pony, or like Shetland pony sizes? I'll be honest with you, I don't think "we can't win because we're just too short" is a valid reason to want your own class. Look at Babyflo and Stingray. I don't know their exact size, but they certainly are less than 15-16 hands + which seems to be about the majority of the others. I heard a trainer explain to someone one time that there is no reason that little horses can't run just as fast, or faster than their bigger counterparts. Big horses have to slow down much more in order to make tight turns, and they make up their time in the straightaways. Ponies or little horses don't have to slow down as much. They can be trained to use their size to their advantage and have a more snake-y style to running than a roll back style bigger horses seem to have.

Izzy+coy - 2015-08-31 2:39 PM At the fairs around here we have pony classes ( under14.2) my pony always has either the fastest time or darn close. She isn't even 14hh . She runs hard and her turns are great . She is in shape. There is nothing more she can do to make her times faster. She kicks butt at rodeos with tighter patterns, but the IBRA shows with the longer patterns her legs just aren't long enough to cover ground on the straight .