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Equine Kingdom Riding Academy
is no longer in operation. These more than 2,000 unique pages are provided for historical and educational reference. |
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- Highland - |
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The Highland pony is the native horse of the mountains of Scotland. Although it is referred to as a breed by many, and has had an established herdbook since the 1880s, this breed was never created by controlled breeding the way most other commercial breeds of livestock were. They descended from crofters' ponies that were used in the Scottish Highlands; of course there were additions such as horses brought into the country by invading armies and crossing with other breeds, and all these apply to the native horses and ponies of this countries. Quite opposite of other native breeds, Highland ponies don't have to pass a test for conformation or height before they can be entered in the stud book. All they need is a pure Highland pony pedigree. As the only exception, white markings are frowned upon as possible evidence to past cross-breeding, and the stallions of this breed cannot be registered if they have more than a small white star on their foreheads. Highlands are quite varied in height, color, and conformation, as a result of the lack of use of approved or selected stallions only. They retain a broad genetic mix within the population and the ponies we ride today are a result of their past breeding that is not a notional 'type'. Today the height is limited to not taller than 14.2 hands high, although they can be as short as 13 hands high. Because of the good food and care these ponies receive nowadays, some of the geldings occasionally grow taller than this. This is predictable because of today's higher nutrition, and Highland ponies are heavily built, but effectively they are more like horses with short legs. They are the largest of Britain's native pony breeds, the largest on nine different breeds. Originally the Highland pony was a farmer's horse that could work on all the crofts in the highlands of Scotland. They were used as pack animals and for transport before the roads were put in about two hundred years ago, and since then they have been used for pulling carts and other wheeled vehicles. For almost two centuries these hardy little ponies have been the main means of carrying deer and other wild game from the hills, and because of their quiet nature and ability to carry weight pony trekking was begun in Scotland in 1955. Highland ponies make ideal family ponies, because they are versatile but do not specialize in any single area. They can be great jumpers up to about four feet, and they will also tackle endurance riding and cross-country courses of a medium degree of difficulty. They excel in their ability to carry a very heavy load and taking people over the roughest, steepest mountains and hills. They are inherently sure-footed even on steep hill slopes, and they have nerve that can well exceed that of their rider. These ponies thrive outside no matter what the weather, and as a general rule they dislike being stabled. Many of them work on sporting estates dragging timber or carrying loads and are the most common pony for trekking in Scotland today. This breed is so old it doesn't even know how old it is...it is not entirely certain if the wild horses were spread into Scotland after the retreat of the glaciers ten thousand years ago or whether the first ponies were brought by the first prehistoric settlers. Either way, there are records of these horses being present in Scotland by at least the 8th century B.C. Most of the ponies have primitive marks such as eel or dorsal stripes along the back, zebra marks on the legs, shoulder stripes, and dark points. Sometimes these markings fade as the horses grow older, but usually only if the coat is gray. The same coat patterns can be found on such primitive breeds as the Przewalski Horse, the Norwegian Fjord, and the Konik from Poland. They are the only native British ponies in which all these markings occur so frequently without conscious selection. This suggests an ancient origin because of the lack of selective breeding and improvement through cross-breeding. The Highland is presumably the figurehead for the horses used in Pictish times (about 550-800 AD) in Eastern and Northern Scotland. Although few relevant early record exist for the highlands of Scotland, the Highland ponies are described in first travel accounts and agricultural surveys in the 18th century. Back then the ponies were smaller, but that is expected from the stunted growth caused by a hard life in the hills. The wild horses mentioned of having been seen near Loch Ness in 1527 may have not been truly wild, but it is said that they could only be caught by having tame horses released among them. Many present-day Highland pony bloodlines can be traced back to the 1830s, and DNA tests group Highland ponies in with British heavy horses and Fell ponies. The data preserved so far points to an ancient origin. Estimates say that there are five to six thousand Highland ponies worldwide, mostly in Scotland but also in other places in the British Isles. France, Germany, Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Canada also have some of these ponies as well as the USA, but so far it has not been kept as a separate breed. The Highland pony has been and still remains one of Britain's true native types. The breed has a long recorded history and many proven pedigrees that date back as far as the 1880s. Two centuries ago the Highland was the universal workhorse throughout Scotland. Many breeds that are now extinct branch from this versatile breed, such as the Eriskay, Barra, Mull, Islay, Rhum, and Gocon. Sometime in the 1890's the Department of Agriculture in Scotland founded the 'Faillie' Stud in Skye to improve Highland Ponies for agricultural purposes. This stud was moved to Inverness in 1913 and changed its name to Knocknagael. In December 1977, many prepotent sires were bred from this stud until its closure and eventual sale due to government cuts. Although this was a blow to the Society, the stock then offered was all bought by members and continued to be used to great effect in preserving quality in the breed. The Highland Pony Society did not sectionalize the Stud Book, and breeders could breed freely from registered ponies to select the type for whatever use or market they were supplying. This has given rise to forthright views about what a Highland Pony should look like, and also has resulted in a wide range of type and size in any native breed (i.e, 13hh - 14.2hh). Breeders of Highland Ponies still have an on-going role for their ponies, for deer forests, trekking, agriculture, driving, endurance riding and other recreational pursuits. Ponies are still bred for bone and substance but the main departure in recent years is the selection of good strong active animals for riding and driving. This process is a continuing one and is being used with existing bloodlines. Nevertheless, there is a growing realization that using a Highland Pony is an excellent way to improve the substance and temperament and of course with the Thoroughbred as the first stage in the production of second and third cross event horses. The Highland Pony supplying excellent bone structure and also imparting native intelligence and temperament.
Check out these fabulous links for more info on the Highland Pony! Australian Highland Pony Society
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