Surely it is easier to just say stocky or refined???
Quite frankly I find that every bit as pointless as referring to "QH type" or "Arab type" because as we have seen on here on different threads, everyone has different opinions as to what is 'refined' or what is 'stocky'
Heck, many people can't agree on type in the big horse breeds. I used to show our Morgans at the open fairs. We would show in our Morgan classes, and then in the open line class. Most fairs offered two divisions--western and English. We'd usually show English, but there were a couple of judges that figured Morgans should be western type, and if those guys were judging, we showed western. One fair also had a harness type division, and at that show we showed in harness type. One lady one year showed her American Saddlebred in harness type, and the judge informed her that she should have shown English type--she didn't use the horse in harness type. The owner was totally frustrated, because the previous year she'd shown in the English type class, and the judge that year informed her that she should show in harness type--that particular judge figured English meant hunt seat, not saddle seat type horses.
I know that story is all about type, nothing to do with comparing to other breeds, and yet it is still a good example of how "type" varies greatly, depending on who you're talking to.
I've seen a couple Minis that I thought very much resembled Standardbreds. Did they look exactly like Standardbreds? No, but at the same time, if I'm telling someone about them & say that they were kind of standardbred type, most people do get a fairly good image of their "type" and appearance/build. Using the words "stocky" or "refined" wouldn't tell the listener anything at all of the general appearance of the horse.
as for "Shetland" type...definitely it depends who you're talking to. If I'm talking to someone in North America who is familiar with the American Shetlands and the registration of ASPC ponies as Miniatures, when I say Shetland they will be thinking American Shetland. If I'm talking to someone locally who is not familiar with Miniatures & I say Shetland, I know they will be picturing the little Thelwell pony type of Shetland, because that is the only sort of Shetland we have around here. We have Hackney ponies and Welsh ponies & grade Thelwell Shetlands, we do not have American Shetlands.
and yeah, there are still Minis that IMO can be described as nothing other than Thelwell pony type...or porkchop type. And come on, if I say porkchop type, how many people are actually going to visualize a cut of meat???? You're all going to visualize a Thelwell pony, chunky built leg-at-each-corner!
I've just never seen what the big whoopdidoo is about comparing to big horse breeds. It's as accurate as any other description. Miniature horse type? Well, I believe Miniature horses are quite obviously "Miniature horses"--in any given picture there are things that give them away as Minis, not big horses--the proportion of legs, heads, ears....those cute little short tippy ears that some people figure are Arabian are actually very much pony ears. Big horse ears, Arabs included, are much longer in proportion than Mini ears. Mind you, I used to have one Morgan that I said had "pony ears" and even then they were still longer in proportion than most Mini ears. And have you ever noticed, when you do come across a Mini that has ears in the right proportion--ears that would really be "horse ears" and not "pony ears".... most people will look at that Mini & declare that he has BIG ears.
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