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The Highland pony is the native horse of the mountains of
Scotland. Although it is referred to as a breed by many, and has had an
established herdbook since the 1880s, this breed was never created by
controlled breeding the way most other commercial breeds of livestock were.
They descended from crofters' ponies that were used in the Scottish Highlands;
of course there were additions such as horses brought into the country by
invading armies and crossing with other breeds, and all these apply to the
native horses and ponies of this countries.
Quite opposite of other native
breeds, Highland ponies don't have to pass a test for conformation or height
before they can be entered in the stud book. All they need is a pure Highland
pony pedigree. As the only exception, white markings are frowned upon as
possible evidence to past cross-breeding, and the stallions of this breed
cannot be registered if they have more than a small white star on their
foreheads.
Highlands are quite varied in height,
color, and conformation, as a result of the lack of use of approved or
selected stallions only. They retain a broad genetic mix within the population
and the ponies we ride today are a result of their past breeding that is not a
notional 'type'. Today the height is limited to not taller than 14.2 hands
high, although they can be as short as 13 hands high. Because of the good food
and care these ponies receive nowadays, some of the geldings occasionally grow
taller than this. This is predictable because of today's higher nutrition, and
Highland ponies are heavily built, but effectively they are more like horses
with short legs. They are the largest of Britain's native pony breeds, the
largest on nine different breeds.
Originally the Highland pony was a farmer's horse that
could work on all the crofts in the highlands of Scotland. They were used as
pack animals and for transport before the roads were put in about two hundred
years ago, and since then they have been used for pulling carts and other
wheeled vehicles. For almost two centuries these hardy little ponies have been
the main means of carrying deer and other wild game from the hills, and
because of their quiet nature and ability to carry weight pony trekking was
begun in Scotland in 1955.
Highland ponies make ideal family ponies, because they
are versatile but do not specialize in any single area. They can be great
jumpers up to about four feet, and they will also tackle endurance riding and
cross-country courses of a medium degree of difficulty. They excel in their
ability to carry a very heavy load and taking people over the roughest,
steepest mountains and hills. They are inherently sure-footed even on steep
hill slopes, and they have nerve that can well exceed that of their rider.
These ponies thrive outside no matter what the weather, and as a general rule
they dislike being stabled. Many of them work on sporting estates dragging
timber or carrying loads and are the most common pony for trekking in Scotland
today.
This breed is so old it doesn't even know how old it
is...it is not entirely certain if the wild horses were spread into Scotland
after the retreat of the glaciers ten thousand years ago or whether the first
ponies were brought by the first prehistoric settlers. Either way, there are
records of these horses being present in Scotland by at least the 8th century
B.C.
Most of the ponies have primitive marks such as eel or dorsal stripes
along the back, zebra marks on the legs, shoulder stripes, and dark points.
Sometimes these markings fade as the horses grow older, but usually only if
the coat is gray. The same coat patterns can be found on such primitive breeds
as the Przewalski Horse, the Norwegian Fjord, and the Konik from Poland. They
are the only native British ponies in which all these markings occur so
frequently without conscious selection. This suggests an ancient origin
because of the lack of selective breeding and improvement through
cross-breeding.
The Highland is presumably the figurehead for the horses
used in Pictish times (about 550-800 AD) in Eastern and Northern Scotland.
Although few relevant early record exist for the highlands of Scotland, the
Highland ponies are described in first travel accounts and agricultural
surveys in the 18th century. Back then the ponies were smaller, but that is
expected from the stunted growth caused by a hard life in the hills.
The wild
horses mentioned of having been seen near Loch Ness in 1527 may have not been
truly wild, but it is said that they could only be caught by having tame
horses released among them. Many present-day Highland pony bloodlines can be
traced back to the 1830s, and DNA tests group Highland ponies in with British
heavy horses and Fell ponies. The data preserved so far points to an ancient
origin.
Estimates say that there are five to six thousand
Highland ponies worldwide, mostly in Scotland but also in other places in the
British Isles. France, Germany, Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, and
Canada also have some of these ponies as well as the USA, but so far it has
not been kept as a separate breed. The Highland pony has been and still
remains one of Britain's true native types. The breed has a long recorded
history and many proven pedigrees that date back as far as the 1880s. Two
centuries ago the Highland was the universal workhorse throughout Scotland.
Many breeds that are now extinct branch from this versatile breed, such as the
Eriskay, Barra, Mull, Islay, Rhum, and Gocon.
Sometime in the 1890's the Department of Agriculture
in Scotland founded the 'Faillie'
Stud in Skye to improve Highland Ponies for agricultural purposes. This stud
was moved to Inverness in 1913 and changed its name to Knocknagael.
In December 1977, many prepotent sires were bred from this stud until its closure and
eventual sale due to
government cuts.
Although this was a blow to the Society, the stock then offered was all bought
by members and continued to be used to great effect in preserving quality in
the breed.
The Highland Pony Society did not sectionalize the Stud Book, and breeders could breed
freely from registered ponies to select the type for whatever use or market
they were supplying. This has given rise to forthright views about what a
Highland Pony should look like, and also has resulted in a wide range of type
and size in any native breed (i.e, 13hh - 14.2hh). Breeders of Highland Ponies
still have an on-going role for their ponies, for deer forests, trekking,
agriculture, driving, endurance riding and other recreational pursuits.
Ponies
are still bred for bone and substance but the main departure in recent years
is the selection of good strong active animals for riding and driving. This
process is a continuing one and is being used with existing bloodlines.
Nevertheless, there is a growing realization that using a Highland Pony is an
excellent way to improve the substance and temperament and of course with the
Thoroughbred as the first stage in the production of second and third cross
event horses. The Highland Pony supplying excellent bone structure and also
imparting native intelligence and temperament.
Check out these fabulous links for
more info on the Highland Pony!
Strathspey Highland Ponies
German Highland Ponies
Highland Pony
Info
Trailtrow
Highland Pony Stud
Highland Pony
Society
Highland Pony
Society (UK)
Highland
Pony Enthusiats Club
Achna
Carry Highland Ponies
Castle
Green Highland Ponies
Fleetmead
Highland Ponies
Highland Pony Site
(Germany)
German Highland Pony Society
Australian Highland
Pony Society
Highland Ponies in
Sweden
American Highland Ponies
Highland Pony
Information
Highland Pony
Gazette
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