Pony Request

November 19, 2010 7:57 AM

The Shetland Pony Grand Nationals (via)

Bonus links: amazing pony jumpers, cute pony jumpers, naughty pony jumpers.

posted by SomeTrickPony (16 comments total)

I love how the riderless pony in the first link continues to race, even making jumps on the part of the course where it's not required.
posted by rtha at 8:31 AM on November 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

E-pony-sterical.
posted by chavenet at 8:39 AM on November 19, 2010 [7 favorites]

I love how the riderless pony in the first link continues to race, even making jumps on the part of the course where it's not required.

YES YES it looks so delighted to be prancing about madly. Oh ponies.
posted by elizardbits at 8:47 AM on November 19, 2010 [2 favorites]

Perfect for a Friday morning. Thank you for the big grin.
posted by fiercecupcake at 8:48 AM on November 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

This is seriously the cutest thing I have ever seen. Yes, cuter than kitties.
posted by OolooKitty at 9:13 AM on November 19, 2010 [2 favorites]

Yeah, number six keeping the race going all, "I'm no quitter, no not me!" was awesome.

Also: FUZZY LITTLE FENCES AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH.

Thanks.
posted by Gator at 9:20 AM on November 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

I was going to go again this year, but I got me a stone pony, don't ride Shetland no more.
posted by organic at 9:31 AM on November 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

I wanna pony. Now.

Also, definitely #6 FTW.
posted by kinnakeet at 10:03 AM on November 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

Thank you so much for the links :-) I just love their mischievious nature. When I went horseback riding, I had a part-bred pony because he was the shortest horse there. He had so much personality. At the beginning of the ride he refused to move until a horse he disliked appeared, and then he made sure to get behind him in line. He spent the whole ride trying to bite this other horse's bum. Then he hightailed it for the barn at the end of the ride. He didn't care about me and also went under a tree. But bless Pete - if he's still around - I would ride him again :-)
posted by Calzephyr at 10:20 AM on November 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

I can't think of ponies without thinking of Kate Beaton's excellent pony comics.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 10:28 AM on November 19, 2010 [2 favorites]

I love how the riderless pony in the first link continues to race, even making jumps on the part of the course where it's not required.

The joys of the herd instinct. Full-sized steeplechasers will do the same thing if they've lost their rider. It may look cute, but it's actually one of the great dangers of horse racing: they won't necessarily stop if there's a disaster looming right ahead of them. In an interview, the jockey Chris McCarron once said that he knew John Henry had to be exceptionally intelligent when he pulled up of his own accord during a race after the horse in front of him stumbled.
posted by thomas j wise at 10:36 AM on November 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

Naughty pony jumping? Naughty horse jumping. (NSFW, naked Frenchman)
posted by Pallas Athena at 12:13 PM on November 19, 2010 [2 favorites]

HA! Ed at 1.40 in the naughty pony link is hilarious. I'm just going to lay down now.
posted by youngergirl44 at 4:38 PM on November 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

I watched sub-miniature chuckwagon races at the IPE this year. Little buggers are perhaps knee-height. Four mini-horses to a wagon. They raced with the attitude of big horses, not ponies. Hell bent for leather. In their own minds I am absolutely certain they stand 20 hands tall.

Greatly amusing.
posted by five fresh fish at 4:44 PM on November 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

That video of the kid getting hung up and dragged in the last link is some scary shit. That pony would have had a serious come- to-Jesus moment long before it came to that if it were mine. Accident waiting to happen.

I have no idea why people bother with helmets and safety vests but not common sense.
posted by fshgrl at 11:07 PM on November 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

i prefer ewok jockeys
posted by past at 7:39 AM on November 20, 2010 [1 favorite]