Pony Gets Put on Diet, Hysterics Over What Happens Next: ‘No Guilt’

Sticking to a weight-loss diet can be hard even for animals, as proven by a viral TikTok video that has left internet users in stitches.

The hilarious clip, shared in December under the username @franky_loda, shows a pony named Kobe pretending to nap on the grass, while actually taking some sneaky bites, thinking that he is getting away with fooling his owner.

“POV [point of view]: your pony is on a diet but finds any type of way to eat some more,” the poster wrote on the clip. Newsweek reached out to @franky_loda for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.

Ponies, like horses, belong to the same family, the equidae, and even though they do look very similar, there are some major difference between the two.

The most noticeable difference between them, as suggested by Dr. Jess Kirk in a Vet Explains Pets article, is their size. Ponies usually don’t get any taller than 58 inches at the withers, while horses go well beyond that.

Their body build is also different; in fact, horses have leaner bodies, longer legs, and more refined features, while ponies often have thicker necks, shorter legs, and rounder bodies, which make them a more popular choice for children’s riding programs and activities.

These two equines also have very different temperaments. While ponies have a more strong-willed nature, horses are usually more docile and willing to please.

With different sizes come different riding abilities. Both horses and ponies can carry a maximum of 20 percent of their weight, so since a pony weighs around 600 pounds (while a horse 1,500) they can carry around a total of 120 pounds, tack included. This is why ponies are not generally ridden by adults.

The video quickly went viral on social media and has so far received over 1.7 million views and more than 273,000 likes on the platform.

One user, That Sarah Lynn reference, commented: “The fact he didn’t try to escape is even funnier. He went right back in.”

Tay wrote: “At that point he deserves a snackie snack just for the out of the box thinking.”

GRACE added: “We discovered that my horse had been escaping ALL SUMMER by going under the fence, eating hay off the field and shimming back under lol [laugh out loud]. We saw all the hay pushed down eventually.”

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.