Photos: Cute Ponies

Also known as “Do-san-ko,” a Japanese term of endearment, the Hokkaido pony is an old breed believed to have been brought to Hokkaido, Japan’s second largest island, by fisherman during the Edo period of 1600 to 1867. Fisherman who came to the island in search of herring used the ponies for transportation. When the fisherman returned home from Hokkaido for the winter, they left the ponies on the island to fend for themselves. The fisherman returned the following spring with new ponies and also utilized the ones who survived the winter. Today, the Hokkaido is still used for transportation, and some ranchers even release the equines in the mountains during the winter to continue the breed’s survival traits. But you want to hear the cutest thing of all? In the spring, the ranchers don’t have to go in search of their ponies. Nope, the ponies return home without assistance every spring.