The Piquira Pony is a Brazilian gaited light pony breed.

Origins:
The Piquira was first created at an unknown date, in Minas Gerais state in Brazil, when breeders crossed Shetlands with gaited Brazilian saddle breeds, such as the Mangalarga Marchador whose conformation it sometimes resembles.

During the 1970s, following the establishment of the official breed association, specific breeding guidelines were put in place, leading to a more consistent conformation and performance among members of this breed.

The Piquira Pony today:
Piquira Ponies are known locally for being fast and agile, as well as for having comfortable ambling and pacing gaits. As such, they serve as comfortable mounts for children and light-adults.

Conformation:
Piquira Ponies have a far leaner and lighter than seen in most other ponies.

The head is long and has a narrow jaw, a straight profile, large nostrils, and small ears. Their neck is smooth and of high-set, with a wide base and a smooth connection to prominent withers. The back is short, the croup is slightly-sloping, and the legs are relatively thin.

The mane and tail are silky and can grow long, and the legs are clear from feathering.

Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Piquira Ponies in Horse Isle (not bred ones). In rare cases, horses might have metrics outside of the range. Breeders can produce horses that are beyond this range.

Speed: 13.7-15.0, 14.4 (0.3), 0.06.
Sprint: 38-50, 44 (3), 0.61.

Accel: 0.97-1.14, 1.05 (0.04), 0.01.
Decel: 0.86-1.04, 0.96 (0.04), 0.01.

Jump: 5.00-5.25, 5.12 (0.06), 0.01.
Pull: 1.15-1.66, 1.42 (0.13), 0.02.

Turning: 53.15-66.33, 59.21 (3.05), 0.6.
Reverse: 2.4-3.1, 2.7 (0.1), 0.03.

Stamina: 42.61-46.48, 44.53 (0.89), 0.17.
Reaction: 0.70-0.81, 0.75 (0.02), 0.00.

Coats & Height:
Colors: bay, black, brown, chestnut, grey, dun, buckskin, palomino, and smoky black.

Cream-dilution breeding note: double-cream diluted ponies are banned from registration because of their blue eyes. Therefore, it is not recommended to cross two heterozygous cream (Cc) Piquiras.

Additionals: flaxen, linebacked, rabicano, roan, sooty, all rare patterns. The coat is usually solid, but can also be tobiano, white-spotted sabino, or leopard.

Pinto breeding note: while the coat can be pinto, breeding all-white horses is discouraged. Therefore, ponies will be penalized if they have maximum (entirely/nearly all-white) pinto coat.

Height: 11.1hh and 12.3hh
* Remember that in Horse Isle only ponies who are taller than 12hh are rideable.