The Pony Friends were introduced in Year 5 of the My Little Pony line and were animals other than ponies that had the same general appearance and brushable hair as the ponies.
The Pony Friends were smaller than adult ponies and had a youthful look and expression.
The Year 5 Pony Friends included a giraffe, lion, camel, and zebra. Another set of Pony Friends was released in Year 6, this time with a llama, dinosaur, elephant, and moose.
In Year 7, more non-pony animals called Pretty Pals were introduced. The Pretty Pals were smaller than the Pony Friends and came with coordinating baby ponies. The animals included were a calf, kangaroo, lamb, and panda bear.