One thing is for sure, kids can learn a lot of life lessons with ponies!  

Some of my best memories are of my children when they were little, on our farm, interacting with the animals.  Safety is of course the number 1 concern but after that I loved nothing better than to allow the kids to participate in developmentally appropriate ways in the care and feeding of theose animals.  We had an old (ancient) Pony that was my daughter's first pony.  He was mini size and so tolerant, not to mention toothless and arthritic so as about safe as you could get. It was actually perfect for my daughter to learn ground handling, grooming and care.  It really wasn't fair to him to be ridden, but that's okay.  The other parts of having a pony get overshadowed with the excitement of riding so he provided a perfect introduction to horse ownership for my kids.  

Not only were the kids able to learn horse care and handling, so many life lessons were right at our finger tips!  When the pony got pushy and disrespectful of their personal space, the kids learn how to be a firm, fair leader and require the pony not to crowd them. Kids learn to handle their emotions and to be proactive in situations without excessive 'drama' or bravado. They learn to be assertive but not aggressive. Since horses are sensitive creatures, kids learn not to be impulsive or reactive but to think thru what they want the pony to do before attempting it. This is all on their scale of course but can certainly carry over into skills later in life.  

The best thing about it is that they can learn this, not from lectures, but thru experience and observation.  I had my 2 year old grandson on my lap as he went with me for a cart ride with our pony.  The pony is still a bit green to the cart and with it being a hot day,  I was using my voice to slow the pony down by saying, Eeee-zeee, easy, all drawn out and slow.  My grandson started copying me and the pony relaxed into a slower pace.  He might not realize it yet, but he saw how someone can use my body, my voice, my energy to quiet a situation.  As a healthcare worker and mental health tech, I can not tell you how many times that skill has helped me at work!  That same day, I showed my y yr old grandson how to tell when the pony needed a breather while pulling the cart.  I pointed out the physical signs on the pony that indicated she was breathing fast and needed to stand for several minutes to rest.  We practiced patience as we were mindful to the pony's needs.  This skill of checking in on the other person (or in this case pony) refines observational skills and empathy. This would be an awkward lesson with another person, but quite natural with the pony.