Prototype Ponies

This page is devoted to "the ponies that weren't." This page features various stages of My Little Pony prototypes from Generation 1 that did not make it to production. During G1 Hasbro seemed to pretty consistently change their mind after the prototype was made and all the related media produced, resulting in the ponies that were actually produced looking somewhat different than in the ads, in their pamphlets and on their backcards.

Blank Ponies

This includes utterly blank ponies, ponies missing hair, and/or symbols, or any combination. Some blank ponies are totally unidentified, were as some are clearly prototypes of particular characters.

Blank red unicorn

Toys That Were Never Produced

Beddy Bye Eye Ponies

A NBBE Baby Truly was included in a prototype set of the Beddy Bye Eye Baby Ponies shown in a retail catalogue, along with a NBBE Baby Shady in the Baby Cuddles Pose.

Prototype Pony Stats - Baby Truly

• Pose: Baby Glory Pose
• Body: White
• Hair: Red
• Eyes: Teal
• Symbol: A teal dove with red hearts

Prototype Pony Stats - Baby Shady

• Pose: Baby Cuddles Pose
• Body: Magenta
• Hair: Bright yellow
• Eyes: Teal
• Symbol: Three pairs of white sunglasses with blue lenses

Final Pony Stats - Baby Shady

• Pose: Baby BBE Earth Pose
• Body: Hot pink
• Hair: Chartreuse
• Eyes: Blue
• Symbol: Three pairs of blue sunglasses with white lenses

Fancy Swirl Ponies (Celestial / Fairy Bright Ponies)

Fancy Swirl Ponies artwork by Allison Boiselle

Prototype Fancy Swirl pony at Pony Fair West

Packaging art and prototypes for these ponies were produced, but the ponies were never officially released during G1. They are often referred to as the Celestial ponies or Fairy Bright ponies by fans, but Hasbro's trademarked name for the set was the Fancy Swirl ponies.

A prototype of a Fancy Swirl pony was on display at Pony Fair 2022, and later at Pony Fair West the same year. She is made of resin which has been painted. Unlike the art for the set, she is a pegasus. She has the same symbol as the pink Fancy Swirl pony named "Starswirl" (lower right in the official art), but different hair and body colors. According to the original designer, the Pocket Pony poses would have been used for this set.

According to the official Fancy Swirl backcard, their names were:

• "Starswirl" (Pink Pony)
• "Mistyglow" (White Pony)
• "Swirlabout" (Blue Pony)
• "Pearlshine" (Purple Pony)

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Zazzle previously used to carry officially licensed merchandise featuring the backcard art.

These ponies eventually got an official release for the 40th Anniversary of the franchise, being created by Basic Fun after a letter-writing campaign by fans. They were released under the set name "Celestial Ponies", were given new names and poses, and feature slightly different colours from the backcard art:

• "Milky Way" (Pink Pony, Tootsie Pose)
• "Polaris" (Light Blue Pony, Posey Pose)
• "Nova" (Blue Pony, Tootsie Pose)
• "Aurora" (Magenta Pony, Posey Pose)

Artwork Pony Stats - Pink

• Body Colour: Pink with lighter pink swirls
• Hair Colour: Pink
• Eye Colour: Darker pink
• Symbol: Greeen and orange stars

Artwork Pony Stats - White

• Body Colour: White with blue swirls
• Hair Colour: Pink
• Eye Colour: Pink
• Symbol: A pink and yellow plant and moon in front of a cloud

Artwork Pony Stats - Blue

• Body Colour: Blue with purple swirls
• Hair Colour: Lighter blue
• Eye Colour: Goldenrod
• Symbol: A pink and yellow cloud with hearts and lightning bolts

Artwork Pony Stats - Purple

• Body Colour: Purple with pink swirls
• Hair Colour: Turquoise
• Eye Colour: Seafoam green
• Symbol: A light and dark blue ringed planet with moons

Prototype Pony Stats

• Pose: Surprise Pose
• Body: Pink with white swirls
• Hair: White with clear tinsel
• Eyes: Pink
• Symbol: Green and orange stars

Pony Friends

A page from a retail catalogue shows that first set of Pony Friends was originally supposed to come with a human friend for each animal, Zinnia for Zig Zag the zebra, Cornelia for Spunky the camel, Alyssa for Creamsicle the giraffe and someone whose name begins with a K for Kingsley the lion.

First Tooth Baby Sundance

Screenshot from ad

Also featured in the catalogue listing is a NBBE Baby Sundance, who appears as a First Tooth baby pony. This same design appears in a commercial for the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe playset.

Prototype Pony Stats

• Pose: Baby Tic Tac Toe Pose
• Body: White
• Hair: Pink
• Eyes: Blue
• Symbol: Two rings of pink hearts

Final Pony Stats

• Pose: Baby BBE Earth Pose
• Body: White
• Hair: Pink
• Eyes: Blue
• Symbol: A circle of pink hearts and triangles

Pretty Mane Ponies

Pretty Mane Ponies artwork

This Hasbro artwork by Allison Boiselle depicts a set of six Pretty Mane Ponies, rather than the only two that were released and sold as mail orders, Dabble and Scribbles.

Artwork Pony Stats - Turquoise

• Body Colour: Turquoise
• Hair Colour: Red with teal horizontal stripes
• Eye Colour: Pale pink
• Symbol: Red and teal abstract shapes

Artwork Pony Stats - Yellow

• Body Colour: Yellow
• Hair Colour: Green with purple horizontal stripes
• Eye Colour: Pink
• Symbol: Green and purple abstract shapes

Artwork Pony Stats - Blue

• Body Colour: Blue
• Hair Colour: Yellow with orange horizontal stripes
• Eye Colour: Pink
• Symbol: Yellow and orange abstract shapes

Artwork Pony Stats - Magenta

• Body Colour: Magenta
• Hair Colour: Turquoise with yellow horizontal stripes
• Eye Colour: Blue
• Symbol: Turquoise and yellow abstract shapes

Skateboard Unicorn

Radical, dude!

This mysterious prototype unicorn was displayed at Pony Fair 2022 and later at Pony Fair West the same year, along with the Fancy Swirl prototype and the Year 6 Princess pony prototypes. Her intended set or purpose is unknown.

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Prototype Pony Stats

• Pose: Powder Pose
• Body: Yellow
• Hair: White
• Eyes: Light blue
• Symbol: A pink and purple unicorn riding a skateboard

Sweet-Ice Delight Cottage

Pamphlet

The Sweet Ice Delight Cottage was a planned playset that doubled as a sno-cone maker, and was seen in both a catalogue and advertising pamphlet. It would have come with a cottage with an attached windmill, various pony accessories including a pair of chairs and a table with an umbrella, a pony-shaped syrup bottle, a shovel and cup, and two packets of Kool-Aid Brand Soft Drink Mix.

Irresistibles

Irresistibles were a toy line shown in the 1991 Hasbro Toy Fair Catalog, though never produced. They were not going to be associated directly with My Little Pony, but they are in Dream Beauty molds. There were six planned collections:

• The Shimmers Collection - clear bodies filled with glitter
• The Colorburst Collection - clear bodies filled with beads
• The Razzle Dazzle Collection - clear bodies filled with miniature stars of some sort
• The Crystallines Collection - pastel, frosted plastic
• The Funfetti Collection - clear bodies filled with confetti
• The Firelights Collection - bright, neon plastic

Other Prototypes

Shy Pose

Prototype pony in the Bow Tie Pose

This early example of the "shy pose", also known as the Bow Tie Pose, is light blue with white hair, with darker blue speckles for her symbols.

This prototype lives at Hasbro. She is occasionally shown off at conventions and the like. She is hand carved from a hard wax and hand painted.

Prototype Pony Stats

• Pose: Bow Tie Pose
• Body: Light blue
• Hair: White
• Eyes: Blue
• Symbol: Blue spots

Collector Ponies

Minty in a French catalogue

Originally all six of the Collector Ponies were going to have the same symbol as Cotton Candy: appaloosa-style speckles. Prototypes of Blossom and other ponies with the speckles can be seen in the earliest G1 toy commercial and a prototype of Minty can be found in a French catalogue.

• TV Ad Screenshots
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  Screenshot of Blossom from TV ad

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  Screenshot of Blue Belle from TV ad

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  Screenshot of Butterscotch from TV ad

Prototype Pony Stats - Blossom

• Symbol: White speckles

Final Pony Stats - Blossom

• Symbol: Eleven white flowers

Prototype Pony Stats - Blue Belle

• Symbol: Dark blue speckles

Final Pony Stats - Blue Belle

• Symbol: Twelve periwinkle stars

Prototype Pony Stats - Butterscotch

• Symbol: Orange speckles

Final Pony Stats - Butterscotch

• Symbol: Seven orange butterflies

Prototype Pony Stats - Minty

• Symbol: Blue speckles

Final Pony Stats - Minty

• Symbol: Eleven dark green clovers

Majesty

Prototype Majesty from the Dream Castle commercial

An example of a G1 comic book with Majesty's prototype symbol

In the commercial for Dream Castle a prototype of Majesty has a symbol of six round-petaled flowers with yellow centers. Majesty has this prototype symbol design, often with seven flowers, in some G1 comics and storybooks.

Prototype Pony Stats

• Symbol: Six round-petaled flowers

Final Pony Stats

• Symbol: Five glittery blue flowers styled like ermine-spots

Sprinkles

Pamphlet shows sea ponies and prototype blue Sprinkles (far right)

Screenshot from ad

Sprinkles was originally going to be blue with slightly darker blue symbols and hair. The prototype also has fewer, slightly larger ducks than the final version. A more purple-tinted blue version of Sprinkles with the four duck symbol can be seen in the commercial for the Waterfall playset. This colouration can be sometimes seen on merchandise, such as a party favour yo-yo.

Prototype Pony Stats

• Pose: Firefly Pose
• Body: Blue/purple-ish blue
• Hair: Darker blue
• Eyes: Darker blue
• Symbol: Four blue ducks

Final Pony Stats

• Pose: Firefly Pose
• Body: Pale pink-purple
• Hair: Blue
• Eyes: Blue
• Symbol: Six blue ducks

Sundance

It's unclear if the pony shown here is a true prototype, it's possible she's a very well-done custom made from a Birthflower pony base.

At least one Sundance was made in the Collectors Pose, seen in a catalogue ad for the Show Stable or, potentially, Megan's Place..

Twinkle Eyed Ponies

Prototype versions of the first set of Twinkle Eyed Ponies can be found in a toy fair retail catalogue, including Masquerade in Whizzer's pose and Whizzer in Masquerade's pose.

Prototype Pony Stats - Masquerade

• Pose: Whizzer Pose

Final Pony Stats - Masquerade

• Pose: Lofty Pose

Prototype Pony Stats - Whizzer

• Pose: Lofty Pose

Final Pony Stats - Whizzer

• Pose: Whizzer Pose

Paradise

Promotional photos of the UK version of Paradise Estate show a not-So Soft version of Paradise. This version was never actually sold, with or without Paradise Estate.

So Soft Ponies

Twist's Backcard

On the backcards for Bouncy, Fifi, Hippity Hop, Scrumptious, Skippity Doo, and Twist, three of the six are featured as different pony types than their respective toy forms. Fifi is drawn as an earth pony rather than a unicorn. Hippity Hop appears as a unicorn instead of a pegasus, and Skippity Doo is shown as a pegasus as opposed to her earth pony toy form. This may have been the original plan for those three ponies, but it was different by the time of toy production.

It is interesting to note that Skippity Doo replaces Heart Throb, a pegasus, and Fifi replaces Cherries Jubilee, an earth pony, compared to the backcard art from the other 16 So Soft Ponies. Hippity Hop replaces Lickety-Split, but Lickety-Split is correctly depicted as an earth pony in the artwork.

Cloud Puff

• darker colored Cloud Puff

Coco Berry

Pretty Beat

Prototype Pretty Beat as seen in an MLP pamphlet

Prototype Pretty Beat is blue instead of pink.

(Source: [1])

Birthday Pony

pamplet showing prototype birthday pony. MIB picture in bottom left corner.

• The Birthday pony prototype was in the Posey Pose, and had yellow in her symbols.

Precious Pocket Ponies

Pamphlet showing the prototype Precious Pocket ponies. From left to right: Bunny Hop, Sweet Pocket, Bubblefish, and Li'l Pocket.

• Li'l Pocket in the Posey Pose

• Sweet Pocket in the Powder Pose.
• Bunny Hop in the Quackers Pose.

• Bubblefish in the Quackers Pose.

Dance 'n Prance Ponies

screen shot from German Commercial

Princess Ponies

• Princess Ponies with color variations in the accessories

Satin 'n Lace

Pamphlet showing prototype Satin 'n Lace.

In this mail order pamphlet Satin 'n Lace is shown in the Collectors Pose (although the pony is likely Cotton Candy standing in for the bride, based on hair and body color).

Dream Beauties

Prototype Birthday Baby Boy Ponies

Prototype Sunspot

Prototype Sunspot

Sparkle Baby Firefly

Sparkle Baby Firefly - no plug holes, no tail hole

Takara Ochame ponies

These are prototypes of the four Ochame ponies (translation: "playful ponies") from Takara's Osharena pony ("fashionable pony") line.

They were created to model the different hair styles (and in some cases different hair textures) the different ponies would have. A major difference from the retail versions is that these prototypes do not have eyes (which are a separate piece of plastic on Takara adults).

The papers they are shown with are documentation from Takara.

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