Mountain and moorland ponies form a group of several breeds of ponies and small

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 y ...

s native to the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

. Many of these breeds are derived from semiferal ponies kept on moorland or heathland, and some of them still live in this way, as well as being kept as fully domesticated horses for riding,

driving Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and bicycles. Permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met and drivers are required to fol ...

, and other draught work, or for horse showing. Mountain and moorland classes at horse shows in the British Isles cover most of the breeds; however, the four closely related Welsh breeds often form their own classes. Traditionally, the modern mountain and moorland ponies have been regarded as including nine breeds (the four Welsh types being counted as one). However, in recent decades, at least two further types have been recognised: the Eriskay and the

Kerry Bog Pony The Kerry Bog Pony is a mountain and moorland breed of pony that originated in Ireland. Possibly descended from the Irish Hobby horse, it originally lived a mainly feral existence in the peat bogs of what is now County Kerry in southwester ...

. Larger native British Isles horses (such as the various large draught breeds) are not regarded as belonging to the mountain and moorland group.

Characteristics

Mountain and moorland ponies are generally stocky in build, with flowing manes and tails. They are very hardy and are ‘ good doers’, needing relatively little feed to live on. They are prone to

obesity Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's we ...

and if allowed to graze freely on lush

forage Forage is a plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by grazing livestock. Historically, the term ''forage'' has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used m ...

may develop health problems, including laminitis. The various types range from about to more than . Shetlands are smaller, not to exceed . Shetlands are measured in inches. Some breeds, such as the Exmoor, are uniform in colour and pattern but others permit a wide range of colours. However the Shetland is the only breed that can be skewbald or piebald, though even Shetlands cannot be spotted.

Semiferal ponies

Several types of mountain and moorland pony still live in a semiferal state on un enclosed

moorland Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and montane grasslands and shrublands biomes, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland, nowadays, generally ...

heathland A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...

. These areas are usually unfenced

common land Common land is land owned by a person or collectively by a number of persons, over which other persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect Wood fuel, wood, or to cut turf for fuel. A person ...

on which local people have rights to graze

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...

, including their ponies. They are minimally managed: in some cases the

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

s are turned out for the whole year and live in small groups often consisting of an older mare, several of her female offspring and their foals (which are born in spring, after a gestation of 11 months). Small numbers of

stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...

s are allowed to join the mares for a few weeks in spring or early summer. Each stallion then gathers a harem of mares and their foals to form a larger group of 20 or so. The foals and mares are rounded up in autumn, when the

colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: *Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People * Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places *Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...

s and some of the fillies are removed for sale. The remaining fillies are usually branded to indicate ownership. Some

gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...

s may also be turned out. Ponies still kept in this way include New Forest, Exmoor, Dartmoor and Welsh. Fell Ponies are also kept in a semiferal state but managed differently. Each of these breeds also has a population kept as fully domesticated animals.

Showing

In horse shows mountain and moorland classes are divided into two subsections - small breeds and large breeds, although the four Welsh types are often shown in their own classes. They are overseen by the relevant breed society and by the

National Pony Society National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

Mountain and moorland breeds

Small breeds

* Shetland Pony from the

Shetland Isles Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the ...

off the northern tip of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. *

Exmoor Pony The Exmoor pony is one of the mountain and moorland pony breeds native to the British Isles. Some still roam as semi-feral livestock on Exmoor, a large area of moorland in Devon and Somerset in southwest England. The Exmoor has been given "P ...

from Exmoor in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

and

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

in south-west

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. * Dartmoor Pony from Dartmoor in Devon in south-west

. *

Welsh Mountain Pony The Welsh Pony and Cob is a group of four closelyrelated horse breeds including both pony and cob types, which originated in Wales in the United Kingdom. The four sections within the breed society for the Welsh breeds are primarily distingui ...

(section A) and Welsh Pony (section B) from

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. *

Eriskay pony The Eriskay Pony ( gd, Each Beag nan Eilean or ''Each Èirisgeach'') is a breed of pony from Scotland. It is generally grey in colour, and has a dense, waterproof coat that protects it in harsh weather. The breed developed in ancient times in ...

from the island of Eriskay in the

Hebrides The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebrid ...

. *

from south-west

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Large breeds

* Connemara Pony from

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

in western Ireland. * Highland Pony from Scotland. *

Dales Pony The Dales Pony is a British breed of pony or small horse. It originated in, and is named for, the Dales of Yorkshire in northern England. It is one the nine native mountain and moorland pony breeds of the United Kingdom, and belongs to the b ...

from the eastern

Pennines The Pennines (), also known as the Pennine Chain or Pennine Hills, are a range of uplands running between three regions of Northern England: North West England on the west, North East England and Yorkshire and the Humber on the east. Commo ...

of northern England. *

Fell Pony The Fell pony is a versatile working breed of mountain and moorland pony originating on Cumberland and Westmorland farms of northwest England and is used for riding and driving. The breed is closely related to its geographic neighbour, the ...

from

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...

in north-western England. *

New Forest Pony The New Forest pony is one of the recognised mountain and moorland or native pony breeds of the British Isles. Height varies from around ; ponies of all heights should be strong, workmanlike, and of a good riding type. They are valued for hardi ...

from the New Forest in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

on the south coast of England. * Welsh Pony (section C) and Welsh Cob (section D) from Wales. *

Galloway pony The Galloway pony is an extinct horse breed, once native to Scotland and northern England. It was said to have "good looks, a wide, deep chest and a tendency to pace rather than trot." In the 18th century Galloways were bred in Swaledale, to ha ...

from Scotland and northern England.

Showing mountain and moorland ponies

Turnout

Mountain and moorland ponies are shown in their ‘native’ state and are not trimmed nor plaited (braided). In reality a little light trimming is commonplace, for example to show off the fine head of the Connemara, and Welsh Ponies often have their manes pulled to a length of about six inches. In some cases trimming is necessary - if a small-breeds pony's

tail The tail is the section at the rear end of certain kinds of animals’ bodies; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, r ...

was left to grow unchecked it would become matted with mud and the pony could stand on it, potentially causing injury to itself or its rider.

Bridle A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the "bridle" includes both the that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit. Headgear w ...

s are plain and workmanlike, without coloured browbands or embellishments. A

double bridle A double bridle, also called a full bridle or Weymouth bridle,Gurney, Hilda. "Double Bridle Pros and Cons." ''Practical Horseman'' Sept. 2007. is a bridle that has two bits and four reins (sometimes called "double reins"). One bit is the '' bradoo ...

or a pelham bit is used in open classes and a

snaffle bit A snaffle bit is the most common type of bit used while riding horses. It consists of a bit mouthpiece with a ring on either side and acts with direct pressure. A bridle utilizing only a snaffle bit is often called a "snaffle bridle", particular ...

in novice classes.

Rider dress

Riders wear tweed jackets, canary or buff breeches, shirt and tie, plain gloves, and a navy hat. Adult riders on large breed ponies wear long boots with garter straps. Adult riders on small-breed ponies must wear jodhpur boots with jodhpur clips. Children wear jodhpur boots with jodhpur clips. Show canes or plain leather

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

s are carried. The use of spurs is forbidden in all mountain and moorland classes.

Part-bred classes

Many shows hold classes for part-bred mountain and moorland horses and ponies. In these cases, the horses are turned out according to type - for example

hunter pony The Hunter division is a branch of horse show competition that is judged on the horse's performance, soundness and when indicated, conformation, suitability or manners. A "show hunter" is a horse that competes in this division. Show hunters, id ...

or riding pony.

Conservation grazing

The mountain and moorland breeds are well-adapted to surviving on poor-quality grazing. This makes them suitable for use in conservation grazing, the use of

to manage land of high ecological value in a natural way. Pony breeds used in this way in Britain include the Exmoor, Dartmoor, Fell, Welsh, and New Forest (as well as some similar ponies from other parts of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

such as the Icelandic and Konik).

References

National Pony Society website

The Native Pony Enthusiasts Community

The Fell Pony Society

Fell Pony Breeders Association