The French Saddle Pony, also called the Poney Français de Selle, is a

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 developed as a sport pony for children and smaller adult riders. It was initially developed in 1969 as the Poney de Croisement (Cross-bred Pony), and in 1972 a

stud book 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 breeders ...

was created. In 1991 the stud book was closed and the breed renamed to Poney Français de Selle. The breed combines a mix of French and British pony breeds, as well as

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 ...

and Arabian blood, to create the horse seen today. Due to the large number of breeds used to create the French Saddle Pony, there is not yet a defined set of physical characteristics for the breed, although all tend to be suited for competition in

English riding English riding is a form of horse riding seen throughout the world. There are many variations, but all feature a flat English saddle without the deep seat, high cantle or saddle horn that are part of a Western saddle nor the knee pads seen on an ...

disciplines, including dressage, show jumping and

three-day 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 ...

. They fill a similar role as the British Riding Pony and the German riding pony.

Breed characteristics

The French Saddle Pony stands high and can be any

color Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are assoc ...

. A set standard type does not yet exist, due to differences in bloodlines between various ponies, but the desired type is that of a small saddle horse. Despite the differences, the majority of ponies have some physical characteristics in common. The head is small with a straight or convex profile. The neck is long, the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...

prominent, the chest wide and deep and the shoulders sloping and long. The croup is sloping and the legs are strong with large, clean joints and clearly defined tendons.

History

The breeding program for the French Saddle Pony was initiated in 1969 by the Association Française du Poney de Croisement (French Association of Cross-bred Ponies), who wanted to create and promote a French Sport Pony, initially under the name Poney de Croisement (Cross-bred Pony). A

was created for the breed in 1972, and in 1991 the registry was closed to outside blood and the breed was renamed to Poney Français de Selle. The first ponies were created from a mixture of Arabian,

New Forest The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, fea ...

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

Connemara Connemara (; )( ga, Conamara ) is a region on the Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, ...

and

blood. Later, Landais, Pottok, Merens and Basque blood was added. Today, the biggest breeding areas are in

Mayenne Mayenne () is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and Ill ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

and

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

, although the breed can be found throughout France. Due to its success in competition, it is becoming increasingly popular outside France. Between 1977 and 2000, registrations increased from 95 to almost 1,300, although the population has declined slightly between 1997 and 2012—a trend common to all French pony breeds.

Uses

French Saddle Ponies are mainly used as riding horses in competition events such as show jumping, dressage and

, but are also used as harness ponies and for recreational riding. Many riding schools use French Saddle Ponies for novice riders, although they are also seen in competition as high as the international level. The breed fills a role similar to that of the British Riding Pony and the German riding pony.

References

{{Horse breeds of France, state=collapsed Horse breeds Horse breeds originating in France Ponies