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.
Contents
- 1 Blank Ponies
- 2 Toys That Were Never Produced
- 3 Other Prototypes
- 3.1 Early Shy Pose pony
- 3.2 Prototype Minty
- 3.3 Majesty
- 3.4 Sprinkles
- 3.5 CP Sundance
- 3.6 Twinkle Eyed Ponies
- 3.7 Paradise
- 3.8 So Soft Ponies
- 3.9 Cloud Puff
- 3.10 Coco Berry
- 3.11 Pretty Beat
- 3.12 Birthday Pony
- 3.13 Precious Pocket Ponies
- 3.14 Dance 'n Prance Ponies
- 3.15 Princess Ponies
- 3.16 Satin 'n Lace
- 3.17 Dream Beauties
- 3.18 Prototype Birthday Baby Boy Ponies
- 3.19 Prototype Sunspot
- 3.20 Sparkle Baby Firefly
- 3.21 Takara Ochame ponies
- 3.22 See also
Blank Ponies
This section 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.
Toys That Were Never Produced
Fancy Swirl Ponies (Celestial / Fairy Bright Ponies)
Only the concept art seems to have been produced but never the actual ponies. They are often referred to as the Celestial ponies, or Fairy Bright ponies, 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 West 2022. 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)
Pretty Mane Ponies
This Hasbro artwork depicts a set of six Pretty Mane Ponies, rather than the only two that were released and sold as mail orders, Dabble and Scribbles.
Skateboard Unicorn
This mysterious prototype unicorn was displayed at Pony Fair West 2022 along with the Fancy Swirl prototype and the Year 6 Princess pony prototypes. Her intended set is unknown.
Beddy Bye Eye Ponies
Baby Truly was included in a prototype set of the Beddy Bye Eye Baby Ponies (though shown NBBE...), along with Baby Shady in the Baby Cuddles Pose.
Pony Friends
Apparently we were supposed to get a whole set of human friends for the non-pony animal friends!
First Tooth Baby Sundance
Sweet Ice Delight Cottage
Irresistibles
Irresistibles were show 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.
Other Prototypes
Early Shy Pose pony
This early example of the "shy pose" is light blue with white hair, with darker blue speckles for her symbols. She is in the Bow Tie Pose.
This prototype lives at Hasbro. She comes out for the pony fairs and such. She is hand carved from a hard wax and hand painted.
Prototype Minty
Originally all six of the Collector Ponies were going to have the same symbol: appaloosa-style speckles. (Prototypes of Blossom and other ponies with the speckles can be seen in the earliest G1 toy commercial.) Here is a clear picture of prototype Minty with her speckled symbol.
Majesty
In the commercial for Dream Castle a prototype of Majesty has a symbol of six round-petaled flowers with yellow centers.
Sprinkles
Sprinkles was originally going to be blue with slightly darker blue symbols and hair.
CP Sundance
Sundance in the Collector Pony pose. It's unclear if she is a true prototype, it's possible she's a very well-done custom made from a Birthflower pony base.
Twinkle Eyed Ponies
- Masquerade in Whizzer's pose and prototype Whizzer in Masquerade's 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
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 is blue instead of pink.
(Source: [1])
Birthday Pony
- The Birthday pony prototype was in the Posey Pose, and had yellow in her symbols.
Precious Pocket Ponies
- 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
Princess Ponies
- Princess Ponies with color variations in the accessories
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
Sparkle Baby Firefly
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.