Legend says that in the seventeenth century, Lord Hisamatsu of Matsuyama Han put the local farmers in charge of breeding his horses. They selected the smallest and the strongest horses to cart their crops over the steep mountain paths. Though very small, the Noma is strong and surefooted. These are two traits that have served it well on the treacherous and rocky terrain of its homeland in the Noma region of the Ehime Prefecture of Japan.

Though prized, the Noma Pony is very rare. Today, there are an estimated fifty Noma horses and they are kept by several Japanese stud farms. The Noma is still used though, and is often chosen as a child's riding horse because of its small size and patient temper. It can still be used as a light pack horse, but because the breed is so rare, it is highly protected and supervised.

Physically, the Noma Pony sports a large head atop a thick, horizontally held neck. The croup, which is the line running from the top of the tail to the peak of the hindquarters, is wider at the top than most ponies. The mane is voluminous and rick and the horse can appear in a variety of colors; including brown, roan, bay, cremello, and chestnut. They generally do not show any white markings, but many sport what is called a “dorsal stripe,” this is a darker stripe that runs down the back from the base of the mane.

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