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The Bali pony is from very ancient stock,
although there is little known about their ancestry. Various theories regarding
their background include one presented in 1916 by Groenveld, which concludes
that the ponies probably developed from an ancient stock, taken to Indonesia by
the Chinese as early as the sixth century.
If this was the case, the Mongolian
horse would be largely responsible for the early characteristics of the breed
and there are, even now, present some indications of Mongolian blood in the Bali
pony's background. Some Indian horse breeds were taken to Indonesia but the
exact breeds are unknown. Then, in the 18th century, the Dutch were responsible
for importing various oriental strains to Indonesia, and although rather vague,
this combination of oriental and Mongolian blood is generally considered to be
the most likely base for the Bali pony.
This pony breed, which lives on the
island of Bali, has not been selectively or consistently bred to produce any
kind of aesthetic or athletic qualities. They do, however, perform the necessary
functions of life required of them by the local people, and they are used in the
transportation of stones and coral from the beaches, to be used as building
materials. They are incredibly strong in comparison to their size and are also
used for riding, trekking, and sightseeing by tourists. These ponies are very
self-sufficient, probably through necessity, and can survive on minimum rations,
with a minimum amount of care.
They have notably hard feet, tough and sound
legs, and feet that are rarely shod. They also rarely go lame. Their appearance
is primitive and often of a
dun color with a
dorsal
stripe,
wither
stripes, and
zebra stripes on the legs- all of which are indications of their ancient roots.
They customarily have an upstanding black mane of coarse hair, another drawback
on the Mongolian pony. Their appearance has often been compared to that of the
Przewalski's Horse. The Bali pony does not habitually have good confirmation, as
its head is often large and rather coarse, though nevertheless full of pony
character.
The neck is of a reasonable length and the shoulders rather upright,
contributing to a short stride. They are not particularly wide in the chest or
in the back, which is often quite short, and they tend to have a sloping croup.
They tend to range in height pretty much from 12 hh to 13hh.
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