If pony hooves work anything like horse ones, having a soft fleshy pad there could be painful! Rocks, dirt, crap, etc. get wedged in behind the hoof nail and cleaning it out is no fun. Metal hooks and brushes - not exactly gentle. >.o The frog is softer than the nail, but then iron is softer than steel.
Hoof is not drawn nor colored separately from the leg -> it’s soft.