The Tibetan pony is a

horse breed A horse breed is a selectively bred population of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a broader sense to define landrace animals of a common phenotype located within a lim ...

originating in

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

. Once thought to be simple hardy mountain ponies developed from Mongolian stock, recent research indicates that there may be up to six separate horse breeds native to Tibet.Peissel, Michel. "Reserve on the roof of the world," ''Geographical'' April, 1999
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History

It is generally believed that most Tibetan ponies descended from ancient stock, likely partly from the Mongolian Pony and Chinese breeds. However, some breeds, such as the

Nangchen horse The Nangchen horse is a small breed of horse native to the Kham region of northern Tibet, thought to have been bred pure since the 9th century. They became known to the western world in 1994 due to the exploration of French anthropologist Michel P ...

have apparently have been bred pure for centuries. Another type, the

Riwoche horse The Riwoche horse is a dun-colored, pony-sized horse indigenous to northeastern Tibet. It came to international attention in 1995, at which time its primitive appearance and small size led to speculation that it might be an evolutionary link ...

, has been hypothesized to have been developed in isolation to a degree that some claim it is an evolutionary link between the prehistoric

wild horse The wild horse (''Equus ferus'') is a species of the genus ''Equus'', which includes as subspecies the modern domesticated horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') as well as the endangered Przewalski's horse (''Equus ferus przewalskii''). The Europea ...

and the modern

domestic horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

, though it could also be a domesticated variety that reverted to primitive coloring. Horses in general are well regarded by the local people, and they have been traditionally kept by both wealthy Tibetans and farmers alike, as well as by the

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...

and other religious figures. The ponies were sent as gifts to Chinese Emperors, especially during the

Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

and

Tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...

dynasties. Horses also were commonly traded for tea from the southern parts of Sichuan province, China even as late as the 1950s. The trade was prolific to the extent that the route between Lhasa and Sichuan came to be known as the Tea-Horse Road.Forbes, Andrew ; Henley, David (2011). ''China's Ancient Tea Horse Road''. Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books. ASIN B005DQV7Q2.

Characteristics

The ponies are known for having considerable strength and endurance for their size, as well as sure-footedness and resilience. They are mostly kept as light draft animals, as well as for pack and riding work. The Nangchen horse is used as a race horse and for handling livestock. Most Tibetan ponies have a pronounced jaw line, straight profile, and small ears and eyes. The neck is a muscular and a bit short, the chest is deep, the shoulder is straight. The ponies have powerful hindquarters, and short, strong legs with good joints.

Cross Breeding

The Tibetan Pony has been extensively

crossbred 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 ...

with the Bhutia Pony and the Spiti Pony to create a new type called the Indian Country Bred. The Tibetan breeds in their pure form do retain individual characteristics and heritage, however.

References

Mammals of Tibet Horse breeds Horse breeds originating in Tibet {{horse-breed-stub

History

Characteristics

Cross Breeding

See also

References