The Guizhou pony is a small pony from the
Guizhou
Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to the ...
province of
China.
History
As Guizhou is a mountainous province,
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
was developed as early as 770 B.C. in the basin area of the province, and trade in horses and
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
was of great importance. Some breeds from outside the country were introduced in the 1950s but did not bring beneficial results, so the Guizhou is still bred in pure form and is classified as a native breed.
Uses
In
plantation
A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...
areas the horses were used mainly for
cultivation and
transport
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land ( rail and road), water, cable, pipelin ...
. In hilly regions this breed has always been a good
pack horse
Pack or packs may refer to:
Places
* Pack, Austria, a municipality in Styria, Austria
* Pack, Missouri
* Chefornak Airport, Alaska, by ICAO airport code
Groups of animals or people
* Pack (canine), family structure of wild animals of the b ...
, somewhat smaller than the type used for agricultural purposes. The Guizhou horse is active and vigorous, good for travel in hilly regions, and can
trot
The trot is a ten-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is someti ...
at a steady speed for long distances. This breed is the main power source for the mountain farmers.
Characteristics
Approximately half of the Guizhou horses are
bay or
chestnut, others being
gray
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...
,
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
, and
dun
A dun is an ancient or medieval fort. In Ireland and Britain it is mainly a kind of hillfort and also a kind of Atlantic roundhouse.
Etymology
The term comes from Irish ''dún'' or Scottish Gaelic ''dùn'' (meaning "fort"), and is cognat ...
. This horse is compact and short bodied with a solid build. The head has a straight profile, ears small and set up. In the riding type the neck tends to be sloped, while the pack type has a level neck. 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 ...
are medium in height and length; the chest is of good width and depth; the rump is short and sloping but well muscled; the shoulder is short and tends to be straight. The forelegs have good posture while the hind legs are often sickled; the hoof is solid and tough and
shoes
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture t ...
are unnecessary even in the mountains. The skin is thin; mane and tail are think. Guizhou horses are willing and obedient and have a kind, patient temperament.
See also
*
Chinese Guoxia
References
* Hendricks, Bonnie. ''International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds'', page 207
Horse breeds originating in China
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