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Glite Dictionary
cow pony

cow pony

1 7.5
A small, agile horse ridden to move cattle on a ranch
  • noun
  • /kaʊ ˈpoʊni/
  • US
: caballo de trabajo
  • The rancher mounted his cow pony and rode out to gather the stray cattle.

Examples

  • Like if I were to hamstring one of their cow ponies.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • I rustled every damned horse he had, including a racer that I sold as a cow pony to an Indian rancher.

    The Missouri Breaks (1976)

  • During the rodeo, the competitors showcased their skills riding cow ponies in various events.

  • She loved her cow pony for its agility and ability to maneuver quickly around the herd.

Synonyms

riding horse
vscow pony
4 2.3

A horse people keep mainly for others to ride in lessons or shows

is smaller and trained for cattle work rather than general use under a rider
saddle horse
vscow pony
2 4.2

A horse kept for riding rather than for work

is a small agile animal trained specifically to herd cattle

How Big

draft horse
  • US
2 3.8
riding horse
4 2.3
cow pony
  • US
1 7.5

Surface Forms

cow pony singular
cow ponies plural

Morphology

cows + pony

The meaning 'a small horse used for herding cattle' is directly and compositionally derived from 'cow' (cattle) + 'pony' (small horse): a pony associated with cows. This noun+noun compound follows a common and predictable formation found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

The noun cow pony comes from ranch life: people used a small, quick pony to gather and move cows. So, 'cow pony' means 'a small horse trained to work with cattle'.