The Skyros Pony, also known as the Skyrian horse, is an ancient Greek pony breed named after the Island of Skyros, Greece, from which it originated, and where it still roams. It is the smallest native horse [pony] breed of Greece and is among the smallest ponies in the world.

A pure, Greek pony:
It is believed that the native Greek ponies were first brought to the Island of Skyros during the 5th century BC by Athenian settlers. These ponies remained isolated on this island, and over the course of thousands of years they developed into the sturdy and sure-footed Skyros pony.

Today, the Skyros is one of the purest breeds in existence because it wasn't crossbred with any other equine breeds. Its 'existence', however, is fragile, as the Skyros is on the verge of extinction, which is why it is a protected breed in Greece.

Aptitude:
Skyros ponies are extremely smart and have a pleasant nature and a small stature, which is why they are good as children's mounts, and why they are often used in equine-assisted therapy.

Conformation:
Skyros ponies have a straight or slightly convex profile, large nostrils, large eyes, small ears, a short neck, a short and straight back, and a sloping croup. The legs are slender but the body is narrow.

The mane can grow long and be coarse, and the legs are either clear from feathering or have light feathering at the back of the fetlocks.

Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Skyros 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: 12.1-13.4, 12.7 (0.3), 0.06.
Sprint: 25-39, 32 (3), 0.63.

Accel: 0.85-1.06, 0.96 (0.04), 0.01.
Decel: 0.74-0.89, 0.81 (0.03), 0.01.

Jump: 4.48-4.69, 4.59 (0.05), 0.01.
Pull: 0.58-1.13, 0.81 (0.12), 0.02.

Turning: 42.89-56.60, 49.47 (3.07), 0.6.
Reverse: 2.3-2.8, 2.6 (0.1), 0.02.

Stamina: 44.05-49.48, 46.95 (1.19), 0.23.
Reaction: 0.55-0.71, 0.63 (0.04), 0.01.

Coats & Height:
Colors: usually bay or brown, and less often black, gray, dun, or chestnut.

Additionals: flaxen, dark mane & tail.
Linebacked & mealy: similar to other primitive breeds, Skyros Ponies often have primitive markings and mealy coats.

Markings: Skyros ponies can have white markings, but excessive or too large markings are a fault. Therefore, in Horse Isle, they can have white markings on their face or legs but not on both. Ponies will be penalized for excessive markings.

Height: 9hh to 11.2hh*.
* The skyros is the smallest Greek breed and is among the smallest ponies in the world.