Why have ponies/horses been marketed towards little girls?

[cider float 2,538]

Historically horses were mostly used by men for war, hard labor and occasionally sports. How did such an animal used for manly activities become an icon for youthful femininity?

 

[碇 シンジン 27,431]

I think Because hasbro had this awesome idea at the back then that ponies can be cute and little and pretty

 

 

Though i think horses and stuff were popular with the girls earlier too, because what is more fun than owning your own horse you can ride it, and brush the pretty hair and be happy =) 

[Chara 1,565]

Well its when Hasbro made My Little Pony.  I think.

[Shanks 10,816]

There are all sorts of things that used to be considered masculine that are now considered feminine actually, pink was once considered a manly color because of how close it is to red. And men used to wear high heels (I am not joking), noblemen in Europe wore them as a sign of status. Women started wearing them as a sort of really really early feminist statement (like 1630's early) and they then became so associated with women that men stopped wearing them in order to not seem effeminate.

 

Since horses became used less and less for sports and war to the point where they are practically never used for either horses then gained the status more akin to a really expensive exotic pet that you have the added benefit of being able to ride. With this change in status they likely became associated with nobles (though they already were to a certain extent in some cultures and time periods) and probably became associate with femininity due to being associated with things that are "cute".

 

 

I think Because hasbro had this awesome idea at the back then that ponies can be cute and little and pretty

Actually it predates Hasbro though I have no idea exactly how much. It turns out that My Little Pony was actually born from this successful toyline called My Pretty Pony, Hasbro bought the rights to it and rebranded it as "My Little Pony" and the rest is history.

Edited June 6, 2015 by Darth Bane

[Thorn O Discord 118]

I've developed a theory.

 

Compared to the work horses used for centuries, ponies were cute. As a person with a young sister, she's the cutest thing I can imagine, so bridging the gap is not hard. After one person makes the connection, someone finds a way to use it to make money, it gets popular, and before you know it, you've made your very own stereotype. 

[Jackie Snack 1,498]

Screw gender roles and gendered activites! >: U <3

Edited June 6, 2015 by x0jackie0x

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Why? Cause what child didn't grow up wanting a freaking pony man?! :3 I only got to ride a horse one time on my 7th birthday.

 

Best bday ever.

[Justin_Case001 4,893]

This is true and very interesting.  Toy horses, of any kind, seem to only be marketed towards girls, which is unfair and stupid.  Anyone can like them, obviously.  But it's a much broader phenomenon than just merch.  Horseback riding today is by far a female dominated sport.  But, as the OP pointed out, in ye olde days, when horses were used for war and transportation and such, it was obviously a male dominated field.  Why the change?  I don't really have a good theory for you, surprisingly, but I know of someone who does.

 

 

 

The author, GaWaNi Pony Boy, a male Native American, is probably the greatest horseman of modern times.  He put together this book to examine the apparent special relationship between women and horses.  I haven't read it, but I'd like to.

[cider float 2,538]

What's interesting is that in the older days wooden horse toys like this one

 

 

Or carved wooden horses

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalecarlian_horse

 

All were equally played by both boys and girls.

 

I wonder if someone will look at this and start carving wooden MLP horses now 0.o

Edited June 7, 2015 by cider float

[HereComesTom 2,268]

My understanding is that there was a whole genre of books in the 1930s/40s about a woman acquiring a horse, and that's probably where the connection happened---I read about that here:

 

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PonyTale

[MoltenKitten 341]

I am a man and I always wanted a pony

[Snow Frostflame 3,568]

because reasons back before our parents were born.... Then Hasbro spiked it in the 1980's when creating My Little Pony.... but I'm going to go with a hunch and say its because girls like cute things... so why not horses?

Edited June 7, 2015 by Snowflake Frostflame

[Lexamena 391]

I'm sure there have been girls and women who love horses since the beginning of time

[Alto 437]

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121103075533/elderscrolls/images/7/73/Shadowmere_IceBear.png

before mlp this is what i think is cool, i still do but dashie is 20% cooler

[MoltenKitten 341]

because reasons back before our parents were born.... Then Hasbro spiked it in the 1980's when creating My Little Pony.... but I'm going to go with a hunch and say its because girls like cute things... so why not horses?

Tbh horses are one of the ugliest creatures and in my opinion are far from cute.

[Alto 437]

well some of us thinks horses are majestic

[Commissar Alexer 763]

As darth bane said, it was considered something for men...but these days you can't say as a man that you loves horses/ponies without being regarded as a  homo.

 

Sad but true.

[Malinter 3,064]

Because girls for some reason don't seem to find tanks with 20 guns on them "cute"... can't understand for the life of me as to why.

 

 

Most likely they believe girls to be more likely animal lovers than boys so use little ponies and "littlest pets" ect to appeal to them.

[Silver Letter 1,832]

Probably just some nonsense that caught on for some reason. All stereotypes are bogus and will eventually change.

[Troblems 5,617]

The reason that My Little Pony started was that the woman who created MLP (Bonnie Zacherle) always wanted a horse. She couldn't have one, so she made a toy line which was the next best thing. It wasn't a doll, nor a stuffed animal, which back in the 80s was rather novel, so Hasbro picked it up and ran with it. 

 

And that's how Equestria was born.

[TheJLeeTeam 914]

Because girls find them beautiful or cute.