Ponies

John Howe - Bill the Pony

Ponies were common beasts of burden in Middle-earth, especially used by Hobbits and Dwarves, whose small stature made the riding of horses difficult.

History

Thorin and Company used ponies for the first part of their journey in the Quest for Erebor. they were loaded with all kinds of burden and the smallest one was for Bilbo Baggins. The ponies were captured by Goblins in the Front Porch. Beorn also used ponies and lended some of his to the Dwarves up to their way to Mirkwood, provided that they'd release them by the Forest Gate; although some considered to break their promise, Gandalf told them that Beorn was spying on them as a bear. They were provided ponies again from the Lake-town on their way to Erebor.

Meriadoc Brandybuck had some ponies in his house at Crickhollow. He had prepared five of them (Sharp-ears, Bumpkin, Wise-nose, Swish-tail, and White-socks, who by that time were unnamed) for Frodo Baggins and their friends on their way to Bree. In the Old Forest, the ponies stayed with Tom Bombadil's pony, Fatty Lumpkin, and became friends.

At Bree, spies let the ponies run to the wild to hinder the hobbits (eventually they returned to Fatty), so Sam Gamgee bought one from Bill Ferny, which he named Bill. Bill was released outside the Doors of Durin as he couldn't follow the Fellowship of the Ring inside Moria. He found his way back to Bree.

Meriadoc was given the pony Stybba by Theoden. Stybba carried Merry through the mountain passes from the Hornburg east and south to Dunharrow and thence northward to Edoras.

In Minas Tirith, Frodo named his new pony Strider after Aragorn's nickname. With him he rode back to the Shire, and eventually to he Grey Havens years later.