I am not sure if this topic should go here but didn’t know where else to put it.
I am in the market for a pony. This pony will be a companion to my riding horse, I would like to dabble in have a carriage/cart pony and of course to be petted and give rides to grandchildren. My pockets are not really deep but was thinking of looking at a purebred instead of the usual adopting a pasture pet and turning him into a solid citizen.
So my question is what are Halflingers like? Norwegian Fjords? I have known many Welsh cross of some nature but never a purebred. Are section B that much different from a section C ?
The only N Fjords I have known belonged to one person who didn’t spend time with them so what I saw of them probably didn’t represent the breed well. What about Icelandics? I am interested in temperament and trainability. I want something min 12 hands as that is about the size of the harness I was given. and realistically I think that would be the smallest I could turn out with my riding horses and not have them founder. 
The two Haflingers I’ve dealt with (both are therapy horses at the barn I volunteer at) are generally nice horses. Probably both around 14-14.2 hands if I had to guess, and stockier built.
Never had/really been around a Fjord but always loved their unique looks!
For larger size ponies there are also Highlands, Connemaras, New Forest, Welsh, Dales, and Fell.
For smaller Ponies: Shetland, Exmoor, Dartmoor…
You also might consider smaller Gypsy, Halflinger, Fjord…even Quarter Pony or POA.
Don’t write off a hackney pony or even a smaller Morgan cross as a candidate.
There are very nice small pure Morgans, very capable of being ridden and driven. Probably not 12 hands small, but you could sell your gift harness and get one that fits a slightly larger animal.
POAS are nice minded ponies, I know a couple who also drive. But most of them are bigger than 12 hands.
Any of these pony breeds named will probably need grazing muzzles or only part-time pasture. Ponies of all kinds are made to work and stay healthy on minimum, poor quality food. So access to great pasture, with no or minimal work, can easily cause obesity. I have noticed the smaller the animal, the easier it can get fat, obese, founder.
The thing with ponies is that they are designed to live on very frugal rations and to largely take care of themselves. The breed character traits developed in marginal environments of mountains and moorlands without much human interference. They require noticeably less vet care than horses. They don’t thrive on a regime of pampering. They are different from horses: canny, clever and have a sense of self preservation. If one works with a pony, accept their personality and take their opinions into consideration, whilst being firm but fair, they will very willingly join in the fun and be full of joy. If one is demanding, bossy, unfair to the pony they will respond with equally negative behaviour. I love and admire ponies.
Halflingers and Fjords aren’t ponies but rather horses with small stature. The Fjords I’ve met have been pleasant and willing, workmanlike people. Hafflingers look pretty but of the tiny sample of three I’ve ridden, I would suggest they have a stubborn element in their character. Possibly because they were all gorgeous blonds and treated as pets rather than horses.
I can’t work out if you specifically want a small pony or if 12.00 is your minimum. Welsh sec A are widely used for driving in the UK, partly because once the children have moved onto bigger ponies they need a job. They become part of the family, passed between friends and relatives, because a good Welsh pony is worth its weight in gold. Don’t worry about turn out with bigger horses: a Sec A is perfectly capable of being herd boss. Sec B Welsh were developed specifically as riding ponies so have less pony and more blood ‘type’ but still remain versatile. I don’t think there are many in the USA. Sec C are ‘ponies of cob type’ so should look like mini Sec D Welsh Cobs but up to a max of 14.2 most are smaller. Both are ride drive, both are capable of carrying an adult rider. The majority of FEI driving ponies are Welsh.
I once asked “Why aren’t Morgan’s more popular?” here on COTH and it lead to a long, fascinating discussion, which might be worth digging out. If I lived in the USA, I think I would look for a traditional Morgan, not least because it is an historic American breed and it isn’t as common as it perhaps should be, given its ability to do many jobs.
Another breed I personally find very appealling (possibly not to be found in America?) is the Merens, a French mountain breed. Tough, solid, kind and shows a lot of Spanish ancestry. They still live out on high mountain pastures in the summer so have retained all their functional characteristics. I always enjoy riding them because they are bright and alert but sensible.
Yes, those are breeds, lol What are their temperaments? I also have a friend with Gypsy’s, a bit big for what I want, they seem gentle and quiet enough but oddly stubborn, not as trainable as a welsh type. I do not want a smaller pony. They must be able to live out with full size horses and not founder.
If I ever came across a hackney pony you bet I would look. I met a hackney gelding, years n years ago, he was a very kind honest boy.
To be clear, I have set 12h as my minimum partly because of the harness but also because in discussions with others with ponies it seems (and I remain open to the idea I am mistaken) that at that size one may be ok on my limited pasture and access to a round bale.
Unfortunately due to the way my portion of the acreage is set up I am not able to divide my corral or pasture to allow for a dry lot for a pony. If I could I would have to buy 2, hehe, because I wouldn’t want to keep on in isolation.
Your distinction between a small horse and a pony was a bit of clarity for me. I think I felt this about many smaller horses but was stuck on the rule of pony/horse height. In light of that I am probably better off looking for a smaller horse rather than a large pony. But those ponies are so darn cute!!
I have met as many stubborn difficult Morgans as I have met easy going trainable Morgans. I have never owned one myself so really can’t say how much is due to temperament and how much is due to training. With Arabs, which I have a soft spot for, I would have to say it is a bit of both.
I had a 12 H Welsh that was on full turn out and never foundered. He was a very nice driving pony but too spirited for kids to freely bomb around on. A smallish teen could handle him u/s.
That sounds perfect!
I have a 52" (so 13h) Hackney Pony living as a companion to my horse & mini.He will be 22 in March & has been with me for 12 of those years.
My pastures never approach “lush” & he has been fine with 24/7 turnout (free access to stall). I feed 1st cuttting grass hay & grain is whole oats w/BOSS.
He’s barefoot, has great feet & health is superb - I tell people he’s 21 going on 3 
I drive my mini, but I’d look for a Hackney in a NY Minute if I wanted another to drive.
This pony was driven by my very experienced shoer, but had a crash & shoer gave him to me as a companion with the caveat to never try hitching him.
Advice I ignored & successfully ground-drive pony.
If my knees weren’t so wonky I’d do more.
Also:
Neighbor is 3rd Generation breeding & showing Hackneys.
His 9yo pony will stand untied, facing an open door, leading to the Great Unfenced Outdoors, waiting for the cart to be brought up.
He looks hot driven (owner does Pleasure & Roadster classes) but I drove him and he was a Saint.
If you are anywhere near an Amish community, the Pony sales are a great place to find one broke to drive. If they advertise as a School Pony you can add Childsafe to the mix.
Last Sale I went to a nice 5yo gelding went for $1200.
The Saint:
Doing his Thang:
My Grandpa:
I knew one hackney pony mare once who allegedly would’ve been in her late 40s when she passed (I’m a bit skeptical as the people that had her weren’t the best horse people and yeah…)
She was the pony I practiced brushing/grooming on as a kid. She was def. a Hackney but by the time I knew her no one would’ve known her registered name or anything like that. She had some freeze brands on her but they weren’t something I knew how to trace to anything (one was just like, 3 lines) and I’m not sure anyone knew about them (don’t have any photos that’d show 'em clearlypand don’t recall what they looked like exactly anymore).
She was a very sweet girl - don’t know what she was like as a riding pony or anything as she was long retired when I’d have known her (when I started riding as a kid in '03 she was estimated to be approx. 35. Again, I dunno if that’s true that’s just what I was told.)
A good Morgan is a fabulous animal, but I’ve never seen them smaller than 14 hands. Why I suggested a cross.
If your looking for a hackney for pleasure, reach out to some show barns. Many have them that are in their early teens that have been driving for years and ready for their person. Hackneys live forever, mine hasn’t slowed down a minute at 18. You would get plenty of years with them.
A friend drives a hackney/welsh cross who is delightful, she found him at an Amish auction in PA. Bigger boned than a hackney, but a driving machine. The ones I’ve seen have been really nice.
oldest daughter’s Lippitt Morgan was 13.3h
many small Morgan will appear larger than they measure, the one Morgan mare we had that always measured under 14.2 h was often challenged when entered in open pony classes, but she never measured above 14.1+
both of these Morgans are ours, the buckskin measured 15.2, the bay is the 14.1+ “pony”
Aw there is just something about that face looking over the fence 
Sadly not close at all to anything Amish.
well she was a people’s horse also, she was at the middle school so often the principal said she had better attendance than some of the kids (and wanted to award her a diploma when daughter graduated
really was interested in just what you were doing (as many Morgans)
Recently I have seen more than a few ads for Morgans under 14 hands and some with driving experience. I will also say as a welsh COB breeder, a descendent of many decades/a couple of centuries of Morgan breeders (own a couple) and being a veterinarian that the Welsh and Morgans who have a higher tendency to founder are often of similar bloodlines. Read between the lines, please. As Willesdon describes, section Bs are more refined than section Cs due to their purpose and breeding standards, but both have several well-known and well accomplished driving ponies to their credit here in the US. I think you have lots of options available to you; but I will add that the Morgans who are of shorter stature often are more affordable than the welsh of the same height be they Bs or Cs.
