1986: So Soft Ponies

SKIPPETY-DOO

Aqua green earth pony with red mane and tail, pink skipping rope symbol. FLOCKED.

Skippety-Doo is the final So Soft Pony made featuring the ambitious rearing pose. It was never used again in mainstream pony design after this set and, considering My Little Pony ran for another eight years after 1986, I think this was probably because it was extra hassle to make a stand for each rearing pony made. Also, the back hooves were wider than most average earth ponies, making it difficult to dress these ponies in ponywear. Whatever the reason, however, the design was abandoned after 1986.

Like Truly and Magic Star from the original set, Skippety Doo was sold with a clear disc shaped stand and came with holes in her hooves to slot the stand into.

You might be forgiven for thinking that her symbol was a string of sausages, because it looks a lot more like that than it does like a classical skipping (or jump) rope. However, her name gives the clue to what it is meant to be.

Spookily, though Skippety Doo was never sold in the UK or as anything other than a So Soft Pony, there is a later UK/European issue pony who bears a startling resemblance to her. Playtime is an earth pony from the Schooltime Pony range, in aqua with dark pink hair. She has a skipping rope for her symbol. Was this an attempt by Hasbro in Europe, several years on, to compensate for the lack of the original in our stores? We will never know. But the likeness is too close to be a bare coincidence...