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The Cheju horse is originally from the Cheju Province,
which is off the southern coast of Korea. It has not been firmly established
when and what type of horses were introduced to the Korean peninsula, but it has
been assumed that they came from China. They are used for riding and light draft
work and stand around eleven hands high.
They
are predominantly chestnut, bay, and black, and are occasionally pinto, cream,
gray, or white. They have nicely shaped heads with straight profiles, large
eyes, and small ears. They have deep jaws that taper to a small muzzle, and the
neck is short and well-muscled. They have straight, short backs and a gently
sloping croup with a fairly high-set tail. The shoulders are often straight and
the legs seem to be all joints and tendons. The Cheju pony shows influence from
both the Arabian and Mongolian horse breeds.
According to a professor at the
Cheju National University at Cheju City, it has not been firmly established when
and what type of equines were first introduced to the Korean Peninsula; however,
it is assumed that they came from China. Ancient records reveal that horses were
the most important animals used for agriculture and military purposes from
before first-century BC through the 14th and 19th centuries. This pony may have
existed since prehistoric times, although there are no recording clearly
confirming this. During the Korya dynasty (1276-1376), Mongolians governed the
province of Cheju, and thus introduced their horses to the island. Supposedly,
160 breeding horses were brought from Mongolia to Cheju and used to improve the
strain of native ponies.
Since that time, the horses from
Cheju have been exported across the mainland of Korea to China. The native
ponies were used for crossbreeding as well, with Mongolian horses and some other
exotic breeds in the areas. During the reining dynasties, the Cheju province was
a profound horse breeding area; twenty five percent of the island's farm
households produced horses. There were as many as 20,000 native Cheju ponies in
Cheju at one point, but through the modernization of industries and farming and
transportation, this number has been decreased to only 2,500 in 1989. The breed
is in imminent danger of extinction. In 1987 the Korean government designated
the Cheju pony as a National Treasure.
The hardiness of these ponies is
incredible to behold, and nothing short of amazing when considering its small
size. They can survive severe winters without artificial shelter, and tend to be
highly resistive to both disease and ticks. The mares are able to foal up to
twenty or more years of age, and the ponies can carry loads up to 230 pounds.
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