- Sable Island Pony -

There is very little known about the first horses of Sable Island, which is located off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. The ponies that now exist on the island rarely stand over 14 hands high, but are the ancestors of horses and can contribute their small height to their environment. One of the first horses on the island was the stallion, Jolly, who was taken there in 1801, but there were already horses there and it is commonly thought that the other horses may have arrived as early as the 16th century.

The ancestry of the Sable Island pony is largely unknown, but they owe some of their existence today to the Spanish Horse. The majority of the ponies on Sable Island are feral, but some have been tamed to ride and feedback says they are excellent, tough and enduring, and able to travel with ease over any terrain, no matter how rough. The ponies are very hardy and tend to thrive in an inhospitable environment. The herds are not managed and therefore exhibit a great variety of characteristics. They generally have nice heads with a straight or convex profile and have a short, stocky, muscular frame. Their coats are mostly dark color and they can have white markings.

For more information on the Sable Island Pony, check out the following websites!

http://www.paralumun.com/ponysableisland.htm

http://www.horseforsale.ca/breeds/sableIslandPony.cfm

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