The Untold Truth Of My Little Pony

"My Little Pony" creator Bonnie Zacherle always had a thing for horses. She told the Fauquier Times that she was encouraged to become a veterinarian as a child, but she soon realized the field wasn't quite what she was looking for. She said, "I started as a biology major in college and decided it was not for me. I chose to do what I always loved, do what made (me) happy."

It turns out that was coming up with ideas for toys that had the potential to delight generations of children. Zacherle was hired by Hasbro to work on the toy company's development and design team, and in 1981, she came up with an idea that would change everything: toy ponies that have "cutie marks" on their backsides that indicate the pony's emotions or personality traits. She called the idea My Pretty Pony.

Zacherle told the publication that her inspiration for the toys dated back to a childhood wish. She explained, "I got the idea for My Pretty Pony, because a pony was the only thing I ever wanted." She also named the first six ponies herself — their names were Snuzzle, Bluebell, Butterscotch, Cotton Candy, Minty, and Blossom.