Horses from Manipur were used by the cavalry of Ningthou Gharib Nawaz (Meitei: Pamheiba) in his wars against the Konbaung dynasty of Burma.

In 2005, a heritage park was opened by the Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association with the goal of preventing the extinction of the breed and promoting them to tourists.

[9] The Manipuri Pony has a light head with a straight profile, set on a well-formed neck, somewhat pronounced withers, a deep chest and sloping shoulders.

[8] In 2007, a study was published that examined genetic variation among five Indian equine breeds—the Manipuri, Marwari, Spiti, Bhutia, and Zanskari.

[14] Polo was introduced into the area of Manipur state as early as the seventh century, and Manipuri ponies were one of the first breeds used in the game.

[12] The British learned of polo during the nineteenth century while watching it played on Manipuri ponies in India.

[7] During their early history, they were in demand as cavalry horses, and men that rode these ponies were thought well-mounted.