Kirkcarrion Highland Ponies (and a Welsh Cob)
Disclaimer: this is my personal home page: any views expressed here are purely my own, not representative of the University of Dundee, the Highland Pony Society, or any other body.
Disclaimer: this is my personal home page: any views expressed here are purely my own, not representative of the University of Dundee, the Highland Pony Society, or any other body.
The Dartmoor is claimed by some to have been first mentioned in 1012, but whatever its origin, the breed certainly developed in a very inhospitable part of the UK, grazing on rocky and hilly moorland in the south-west peninsula of England.
Only hardy animals could survive through the harsh winters, and the Dartmoor at work was no less dependent on its strength and hardiness. Used as pack animals supplying tin mines and bringing back the tin back to town, they were also sure-footed mounts for shepherds and others who needed to travel safely in that terrain. In the 19th century some Shetland stallions were turned out onto the moor in order to produce a crossbred pony suitable for working down in the pits. This cross-breeding did no favours to the Dartmoor breed, as it was largely uncontrolled, and the Dartmoor Pony Society had to work very hard to ensure the purity of the registered ponies on its stud book.
Indiscriminate breeding in the 1980s again threatened the standard and purity of the ponies running on the moors, and the Society, together with the Duchy of Cornwall (which owns much of the moor), the Dartmoor National Park Authority and the MAFF, agreed a Moorland Scheme to inspect and identify all true Dartmoor type ponies, brand and record them in a Supplementary Register to the Stud Book known as SR1, and keep them in a protected area with a pedigree Dartmoor stallion. Resulting offspring were also inspected and those meeting the standards were registered in a second Supplementary Register (SR2). Successfully inspected offspring of an SR2 mare is eligible for inclusion in the main Stud Book.
For all the success of these schemes, the Dartmoor Pony is still a breed listed with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and work to protect and develop the breed is ongoing.
The Dartmoor pony should not exceed 12'2 in height (127 cm) and must be solid coloured (ie no skewbalds or piebalds). Predominant colours are black and brown, though there are also grey and roan ponies. A very showy sort of pony, the Dartmoor is well balanced, with a handsome head and a superb temperament.
Dartmoors may be found in the show ring, as children's ponies and as driving ponies, both for the elegant private driving classes and for the more demanding driving trials. Their strength means that they do not need replacing frequently as children grow up - they are more than capable of carrying the increasing weight and can cope with a small adult rider.
More details about the Dartmoor pony may be obtained from the Dartmoor Pony Society or from the Rare Breeds Survival Trust at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.
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E-mail: a.douglas@dundee.ac.uk
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Copyright ©A Douglas 1997 |