Twenty-three well-conditioned ponies were evaluated for insulin and glucose response following oral glucose administration (1 g/kg bodyweight [bwt] as a 20 per cent solution). Ponies were defined as normal if total insulin secretion (TIS) was less than 149 mu iu/ml h and the glucose concentration was below 11.1 +/- 0.11 mmol/litre (200 +/- 2 mg/dl) at all times following oral glucose administration. When glucose concentrations were maintained below 11.1 +/- 0.11 mmol/litre, the area under the glucose curve (TG) was less than 17.4 mmol/litre/h (314 mg/dl/h). The ponies were assigned to four groups based on insulin and glucose response: Group 1 (n = 7), normal; Group 2 (n = 5), high insulin, normal glucose; Group 3 (n = 8), high insulin, high glucose and Group 4 (n = 3), high glucose, normal insulin. This classification is an initial attempt to define normal insulin and glucose response in ponies. Additional data need to be accumulated to define further insulin resistance and diabetes in ponies.