I have a little pony and I'm not sure if he's a mini or a Shetland or a cross, can anyone help? He is 32" at nineteen/twenty months old, but it's highly possible his growth been stunted.

My farrier thinks he'll be lucky to make 9hh. He has a very fine frame, tiny feet, is in a 3'-3'3 rug. He was 7hh at 10 months. He is very hairy, super long double? coat. How big will he grow?

Also, can anyone help with colour? He's brown and black with half blonde mane and tail? I've been told anything from burnt buckskin to chocolate taffy.

Will email photos to anyone who can help. I don't know a heap about the little ones, but he is just a little sweetheart.

Welcome to the forum!

Hard to say without knowing the pony's pedigree, but Miniature is a height breed, not based on any particular breeding, so it is certainly safe to call to call it a Miniature for all intensive purposes. He probably won't get much taller, maybe 2" at the most, but by now he would have done most of his growing. The blonde in his mane could be just sunbleaching, or he could carry the silver/taffy gene.

The only way for sure to tell the colour is sending a hair sample to be tested, right? I think I'd like to do that, do you know where to start with finding out who does the testing?

I don't know his pedigree, I wish I did, he is a rescue and is looking like he might have long-term problems from that. I was told he was full shettie, but I don't think so!

I uploaded some photos that show his colouring and build (and his cuteness too!). Pictures here:
http://s1027.photobucket.com/home/minilittlesmall/recentuploads
What do you think?

And thanks for the welcome! I will have to do an intro on the intro thread soon.

the University of Queensland are the only ones in Australia that I know of that do DNA testing, but not sure if it would be the type of test you are after. Here's a link: http://www.aegrc.uq.edu.au/index.html?page=29912

Most people I know that have had it done send away a hair sample to the US, I don't know who would be best to use for this, but you want something like these people: http://www.horsetesting.com/equine.asp

we send all of ours to the US...