The Deutsche Reitpony or German Riding Pony is a very popular

pony A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...

breed in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It is described as a "miniature

warmblood Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds primarily originating in Europe and registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian spor ...

" with refined, horse-like characteristics that make it suitable as both a children's pony and as a mount for

sport horse A sport horse or sporthorse is a type of horse, rather than any particular breed. The term is usually applied to horses bred for the traditional Olympic equestrian sporting events of dressage, eventing, show jumping, and combined driving, but ...

competition in Europe. Originally bred in Germany and later throughout Western Europe, the breed is relatively new to North America.

Characteristics

More than most pony

breeds A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slight ...

, the German Riding Pony has a

phenotype In genetics, the phenotype () is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism. The term covers the organism's morphology or physical form and structure, its developmental processes, its biochemical and physiological pr ...

very similar to that of a full-sized horse. Only the head is pony-like, giving the appearance of having a pleasant manner and friendly disposition. The German Riding Pony ideally is between 138 cm and 148 cm or approximately 13.2 hands to 14.2 hands, though in some European competition, ponies up to 151 cm are allowed, and these taller animals can compete against full-sized horses at CDI FEI-sanctioned competition. The German Riding Pony is bred to be handled by children and adolescents. It is suited for both dressage and jumping, with a way of going that is smooth and very horse-like.

History

The breeding of the ''Deutsche Reitpony'' began around 1965, by

crossbreeding A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. ''Crossbreeding'', sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism, While crossbreeding is used to main ...

various English pony breeds, especially Welsh ponies, on

Arabians The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, No ...

Anglo-Arabian The Anglo-Arabian or Anglo-Arab is a crossbred, part-Arabian horse that now also has its own status as a horse breed. It is the result of a Thoroughbred (hence, the prefix "Anglo") being crossed with an Arabian. The cross can be made betw ...

s and

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

s. The goal was to breed competition-quality ponies for children to ride in

competitions, more easily controllable by children than the typical large

Warmblood Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds primarily originating in Europe and registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian spor ...

horses used by adults, while also keeping some Pony characteristics, including character, type and willingness to perform. Initially, Thoroughbred and Arabian stallions were crossed on pony-sized

Fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Förden and East Jutland Fjorde, Germany, ...

s and

Haflinger The Haflinger, also known as the Avelignese, is a breed of horse developed in Austria and northern Italy (namely Hafling in South Tyrol region) during the late 19th century. Haflinger horses are relatively small, are always chestnut with flaxen ...

s. These cross-breeding attempts to produce a sport pony in one generation did not lead to the desired type. After British pony breeds, primarily Welsh ponies were imported and added to the bloodline, by 1975 a distinct German riding pony type developed. In the 1990s attempts were made to further improve the breed through the infusion of

Trakehner Trakehner is a light warmblood breed of horse, originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the town of Trakehnen from which the breed takes its name. The state stud ( :de:Hauptgestüt Trakehnen) was established in 1731 a ...

, Hanoverian and

Holsteiner The Holsteiner is a breed of horse originating in the Schleswig-Holstein region of northern Germany. It is thought to be the oldest of warmblood breeds, tracing back to the 13th century. Though the population is not large, Holsteiners are a do ...

blood, but this infusion of horse blood was unsuccessful: the pony type and qualities were often lost. Today's German Riding Pony breeders use specific bloodlines to reliably create German Riding Ponies that fulfill the goal of a pony type who competes with the athleticism of a small

. Today, the German Riding Pony breed has distinct bloodlines, and all ponies that will be used as breeding stock must pass rigorous inspections. They are registered through Weser-Ems, a registry based in Vechta, Germany and partnered with the Oldenburg registry. Some infusion of Welsh pony and Arabian blood is still used.

Uses

Pony sport horse competitions or "tournaments" are popular in continental Europe, and ponies are shown by children and adolescents up to 16 years of age in the disciplines of dressage, show jumping, and

eventing Eventing (also known as three day eventing or horse trials) is an equestrian event where a single horse and rider combine and compete against other competitors across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This ...

. Major tournaments for pony riders include the German Youth Championships, the European Championships and the "Preis der Besten," a team competition, which will be in dressage, with the International Dressage tests of the FEI ridden, for preparatory examination, team and individual scoring. This competition is very popular and both contestants and coaches vie for spots on the respective participating teams. The German Riding Pony breed is relatively new to the United States, with a few imports and a single

breed registry A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeder ...

authorized to conduct inspections for breeding stock.

Characteristics

History

Uses

See also