The Majesty of the Horse: An Illustrated History

COLOR

Often gray but can be any color.

APTITUDE

Riding, light draft, showing, dressage, jumping, competitive horse sports

THE BRITISH ISLES ARE HOME TO NINE surviving native and ancient breeds of pony, often referred to as the Mountain and Moorland breeds, that developed primarily in the rugged moorlands and highlands of the country. Each exhibits its own distinctive characteristics, but they also share many common traits as a result of the similar, harsh habitat in which they developed; in many cases, they also share similar prehistoric roots.

One of the most influential of Britain’s native breeds is the Welsh pony, which has frequently been used with great success to improve and even create other modern horse breeds, such as the American Welara, based on crosses between Welsh ponies and Arabians. Welsh ponies have roamed the moorlands of Wales since prehistoric times and are thought to have descended from the now-extinct Celtic pony. In 1901, the Welsh Pony and Cob Society was established in the United Kingdom by local landowners who recognized the great importance of their ponies, and in 1902 the first studbook was opened. It was divided into four sections to acknowledge the four different types of Welsh pony that had developed: the Welsh Mountain Pony (Section A), the Welsh Pony (Section B), the Welsh Pony of Cob Type (Section C), and the Welsh Cob (Section D).

The Welsh Mountain Pony is the oldest of the four types with fossil evidence suggesting that small ponies existed in the remote hills of Wales before 1600 B.C.E. These animals were small and fine-boned, but they developed great endurance, toughness, and sure-footedness; survival of the fittest and natural selection in wild herds contributed toward the passing on of these innate traits, and the Welsh Mountain pony today has retained its durability.

At some point fairly early in the pony’s history there was a significant infusion of Arabian blood, possibly encouraged by Julius Caesar. The ponies were used widely by the Romans, especially in a light draft capacity, and it is possible that Arabian and Oriental blood was introduced to increase their speed and agility. Today the presence of Arabian blood is evident in the Welsh Mountain’s extreme quality and often extravagant movement. Welsh Mountains typically have very attractive heads, often with a slightly dished profile that reflects the Arabian influence.

More Arabian blood, in addition to Thoroughbred and Hackney, was introduced to the breed during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with one small early Thoroughbred stallion in particular having a significant effect. Merlin, a descendant of the Darley Arabian—one of the foundation sires of the Thoroughbred breed—had such an impact on the Welsh Mountain that the ponies were sometimes referred to as Merlins. The other great foundation stallion for the breed was Dyoll Starlight (f. 1894), who also had Arabian blood in his breeding. Dyoll was a magnificent gray pony and produced many gray offspring in his likeness. Gray continues to be the predominant color of the breed.

The Welsh Pony (Section B) is a slightly larger version of the Welsh Mountain Pony and can stand up to 13.2 hands high. These ponies have fine, high-quality, beautiful heads with small ears and good width between the eyes. Typically, they have excellent body conformation and a free-flowing action with greater riding-pony qualities. The Welsh Pony can be any color, but they are most frequently black, bay, or gray. They excel as riding ponies and often exhibit a great talent for jumping.

The Welsh Pony originally developed through crossing the smaller Welsh Mountain Pony with the larger Welsh cob. They share many lines similar to those of the Welsh Mountain, including the early Thoroughbred Merlin and Dyoll Starlight. A significant influence on the breed was the stallion Tan-y-Bwlch Berwyn (f. 1924), who was descended from the Dyoll Starlight line crossed with a Barb. Two further important founding stallions are Criban Victor (f. 1944) and Solway Master Bronze (f. 1959). The Welsh Pony is noted for the elegance and freedom of its movement and is, like all four of the sections, suitable for riding and driving.

The Welsh Pony of Cob Type (Section C) is heavier in frame than Sections A and B and can stand up to 13.2 hands high. Their appearance reflects their cob blood, seen in their heavier frame, majestic bearing, and often-considerable feathering around their lower limbs. They retain all the beauty of Sections A and B, with attractive heads set to a finely arched, muscular neck. They are compact and muscular animals with powerful shoulders that allow for their excellent movement. They are similar in appearance and aptitude to the Welsh Cob, Section D, the largest of the Welsh breeds, which stands at more than 13.2 hands high and has no upper height limit. These are truly superlative animals that are equally at home being ridden as driven. Both Sections C and D, like their smaller counterparts, exhibit a great talent for jumping and have superb, ground-covering natural movement. Although they can be any color, they are most often black, bay, or gray.

Both Sections C and D developed from the same roots. The cobs originated during the Roman occupation of Britain when the Welsh Mountain Pony was crossed with horses brought by the Romans into the country and later through the infusion of a great deal of Spanish blood. There was also influence from the now-extinct Norfolk Trotter and the Hackney. The Welsh cob was extremely popular, particularly in the Middle Ages, because of its versatility and was used for working the land, riding, and transportation and by the Welsh Militia in 1485 when Henry Tudor won the throne of England. These hardy, energetic horses were and are renowned for their extravagant and smooth trot and are able to traverse difficult terrain quickly and comfortably. The Section D is still famous for its spectacular trot, and for many years breeding stock was selected based on the quality of this gait.

NEW FOREST PONY

ANCIENT – ENGLAND – UNCOMMON

HEIGHT

12–14.2 h.h.

APPEARANCE

A large but fine head set to a muscular neck and good, well-conformed shoulders. The ponies are quite narrow in build but very athletic, with an exceptional long, low, and smooth stride. Those that are privately bred (as opposed to feral) make fine riding ponies.

COLOR

Any color except cremello, spotted, skewbald, or piebald.

APTITUDE

Riding, showing, dressage, light draft, jumping

THE NEW FOREST PONY has had one of the rockiest histories of Britain’s native pony breeds, and also one of the most unusual based on the location of the breed’s origin. They hail from the New Forest, a huge area of unenclosed land made up of moorlands, heath, forest, and open pasture that stretches across part of the counties of Hampshire and Wiltshire and also incorporates some of England’s southern coastline.

Despite the apparent wilderness of this enormous landscape, it was in fact comparatively busy early in history because of its proximity to the city of Winchester, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Wessex from around 686 C.E. and then of England until shortly after the Norman conquests (1066–c. 1088). Because of the city’s importance, there was a continual passage of people and livestock across the surrounding countryside and into the center of commerce. Unlike the other native British pony breeds, which developed in isolated environments, the New Forest pony was in an area subject to a great deal of passing equestrian traffic. As a result, the New Forest pony has been influenced by an extensive range of other pony and horse breeds throughout its development, whereas other indigenous breeds remained largely genetically pure.

The first written accounts of ponies in the New Forest date to 1016 to the Forest Law of Canute, implemented by the Viking king Canute who took the throne of England in the same year. Around 1079, William I of England designated the area a royal hunting ground and granted the rights to common pasture for those individuals who lived in the forest. At some point the wild little ponies mixed with this domestic stock and moved into private ownership, though they were still kept within the same area.

The New Forest pony has occasionally suffered genetically from a great and often random dilution of the gene pool. Whether encouraged to or not, early travelers’ horses would have bred with the ponies, and the effects of indiscriminate breeding soon became apparent. In 1208, the first recorded attempt to systematically improve the breed was made when eighteen Welsh mares were introduced to the herds, and since then Welsh blood has been used with some frequency on the New Forest pony.

One of the more unusual contributors to the New Forest was the Thoroughbred stallion Marske (f. 1750), sire of the famous racehorse Eclipse. Marske was moved to the New Forest in 1765 and helped improve the overall quality of the New Forest pony; although today his influence is not hugely evident, many New Forest ponies do still exhibit high-quality, elegant heads. In the nineteenth century, Queen Victoria instigated a renewed effort to improve the hardy ponies by lending her Arabian stallion Zorah to the forest in 1852, followed by her Arabian Abeyan and her Barb Yirrassan in 1889.

Early in the twentieth century, other native British breeds, including Highlanders, Dales, Fells, Welsh, Dartmoors, and Exmoors, were introduced to the forest with great success. Lord Lucas (1876–1916), who lived in the forest and was a dedicated breeder of the New Forest pony, also used Welsh stock descended from the great Welsh stallion Dyoll Starlight, along with Dartmoors and Exmoors.

A number of New Forest ponies continue to live in semi-feral conditions in the New Forest, and they can exhibit a wide range of characteristics, though they are fairly universally sure-footed and agile. New Forest ponies that are bred in studs and private residences tend to display a far greater quality of conformation and make excellent ponies for children.

FELL

ANCIENT – ENGLAND – AT RISK

HEIGHT

Up to 14 h.h.

APPEARANCE

Small, quality head with intelligent, kind eyes and a well-shaped neck. Long through the back with muscular hindquarters and a sloping shoulder. Deep and broad through the chest with sturdy legs and feathering around the fetlocks.

COLOR

Predominantly black though can be brown, bay, or gray.

APTITUDE

Riding, light draft, packing, showing, dressage, jumping, competitive horse sports

THE FELL, ALONG WITH ITS CLOSE RELATIVE the Dales, is one of the more unique and beautiful native ponies, with an often jet-black coat and a particularly majestic bearing. The breed traces its roots back to the time of Roman occupation in Britain, which first began when the Romans, under the directive of Julius Caesar, landed c. 55 B.C.E., bringing their horses with them (though sustained occupation is generally dated from 43 to 410 C.E.). The Romans constantly battled along their northern border with the fierce Picts, who lived in what is now Scotland, and in 122 C.E. the Roman emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of a massive fortified wall to keep the Picts at bay. The wall would traverse the northern border of England from coast to coast, and at intervals of a mile along the wall there would be sentry stands and armed guards. It was an enormous undertaking and a significant historical event; it also marked a most important development in the establishment of the Fell breed.

The native ponies of that time were small and originally descended from a Tarpan-like pony that bore much in common with the Exmoor. Along the northern and western edges of the Pennines and the open moorland country of Westmorland and Cumberland in the north of England ranged ponies that had developed from these prehistoric ponies and the now extinct Galloway. The Galloway was in effect one of the “superhorses” of history and was the sure-footed and tireless mount of marauding Scottish warmongers and cattle drovers. The Galloway was bred in the Mull of Galloway, the southernmost part of Scotland, and was renowned for its very great trotting ability. Although no longer in existence, the Galloway contributed significantly to a number of breeds, including the Fell, the Dales, the Highland, and, indirectly, the Thoroughbred and the Canadian Newfoundland.

The diminutive size of these ponies roaming along the northern border made it difficult for them to transport the loads required in the construction of Hadrian’s Wall. As a result, when building began, around six hundred men from Friesland were sent over to help, and they brought with them their large, black, distinctive Friesian horses, which were crossed with the local native stock. It is thus the indomitable Friesian horse that was most significant in the development of the Fell, and today the stamp of the Friesian is still most evident of all those that influenced the breed. There was the occasional influence of other foreign breeds imported by the Romans, particularly the Arabian and other European horses, but after the Romans withdrew from England, approximately one thousand Friesian stallions were left behind in the northern territories. These horses continued to breed with local stock, thereby consolidating the characteristics of the Fell. Little further outside blood was introduced to the breed, with the exception of the Galloway, and as such it has remained almost untouched genetically.

Fell ponies are very strong for their size and able to carry and pull heavy loads. Because of this, they were greatly suited to riding, driving, and being used as pack animals, and they were used extensively in the north of England for transportation. Roads were few and far between until the eighteenth century, and the Fell was perfect for traversing the difficult terrain at speed and with a very smooth pace. By the nineteenth century, the ponies had started to be used less and less for transportation and in agriculture and instead became popular in trotting races. Today the Fell makes a fantastic riding or driving pony suitable for children and small adults alike.

FRIESIAN

PREHISTORIC – HOLLAND – UNCOMMON

HEIGHT

15–16.2 h.h.

APPEARANCE

Majestic horse with fine, quality head set to an elegant and upright neck. Large, kind, expressive eyes and small, neat ears. Compact and muscular through the frame with powerful quarters and sound, feathered legs.