The ultimate English farm pony is the Dales Pony. This little horses comes from the dales of northeast England and was used to herd sheep, plow fields, and pulling carts of many sizes. They were also used in mines back in the days when horses were actually used in mines. The Dales Pony was a pack pony in the lead mines and also carried ore to the cargo ships all around England. English farmers, in an attempt to better the breed, crossed Welsh Cobs and Clydesdales with the Dales Pony, but the Clydesdale blood was considered undesirable and was eventually bred out.
The Dales Pony defies expectations when it comes to the loads it can carry. A single horse can carry 220 pounds despite its small size. It can also trot a three-minute mile and is surefooted enough to make an excellent trail pony. This horse breed is also friendly and reliable, making it a great horse for children.
The Dales Pony is what most people think of when they hear the term pony, even if they don't realize it. This pony had thick legs and hard, dark-colored hooves. The legs are feathered and the hindquarters are strong. This horse may be short but its well muscled, especially the neck. The head of the Dales Pony is fine featured with tiny ears and wide-set eyes. Standing between 14 and 14.2 hands high, this pony is generally black. Brown and grey are seen on occasion, but neither color is considered desirable.
The perfect pony, the Dales Pony is now represented throughout most of the world. Enthusiasts from The Dales Pony Society and The Dales Pony Society of America maintain the stud books for most of the horses born throughout the world.
Most of the Curly Horses (also called the American Bashkir Curly Horse) in existence today are descended from a group of three horses found wandering the mountain ranges of Nevada by the Damele family sometime in 1898. No one really knows how they got there, and we'll probably never know. They might have been brought to North America by the Spanish, Russians, or even the Vikings. Genetic testing has shown us that the Curly Horse is not its own unique breed. Instead, it is comprised of many other breeds including the Missouri Foxtrotter and the Morgan.
When a Curly Horse is first born, it has curly hair. Everywhere. The hair all over the body is tightly curled, as is the hair on the head, covering the legs, and even in the ears. The mane and tail are particularly curly. As the horse grows to maturity, the hair settles a bit. By two years of age, the hair lies mostly flat, though it is still curly enough to be noticed. Though many people believe Curly Horses have a running walk, this is actually not characteristic of the breed. Some horses will have a running walk. Others will not. There is great variety among these horses.
When it comes to color, almost anything goes. You can have blacks, bays, roans, palominos, and many other colors. Patterns and size also vary according to type. The most common type is the Curly Horse saddle type, so they tend to be what people are referring to when speaking of Curly Horses. As such, the standard size of 14.1 to 15.1 hands high applies specifically to the saddle type. Curly Horses are a viable option for some people who are allergic to horses as they are often hypo-allergic. This hypo-allergenic hair is also suitable for spinning and sweaters have been made for Curly Horse enthusiasts.
These curly coated horses occur in many varieties these days. You'll find ponies, gaited, sport, draft, and even miniature Curly Horses wandering the world. They are sure-footed, hardy, and nimble and can be found participating in sports such as gymkhana. They're also popular in western sports.
There is only one breed of horse native to the glimmering island of Ireland, and the Connemara Pony is that breed. If you go far enough back in time (to around the 5th century BCE), the native pony of Ireland (or Erin as it was called) looked more like a Shetland Pony than the Connemara Pony we're familiar with today. But Celtic raiders tend to change things, and the Irish pony was no exception. They bred the little horse with several different breeds, including the Arabian, Thoroughbred, Irish Draught, Irish Hobby, Welsh Cob, and the Spanish Jennet.
These breedings helped to establish the modern Connemara Pony, which is named for a small area along the west coast of Ireland bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Galway Bay. This area is known for its rugged landscape and is made up of moorlands and bogs. This environment cultivated a sturdy and hardy pony, turning the Connemara into the ultimate sport pony. Though once used almost exclusively by Irish farmers (which tended to own only a single mare apiece), you can now see the Connemara Pony in jumping events all around the world. This breed is also frequently crossed with the Thoroughbred to create an exceptional event horse.
The Connemara Pony is indeed a pony, but it's a large one as ponies go, standing from 13 to 15 hands high. They come in a variety of colors, most commonly dun, brown, grey, and black. You will also sometimes see a Connemara with roan, chestnut, or even palomino coloring, though this is considered less desirable. The perfect jumping pony, this little breed has sloping shoulders and a long, arched neck. With thick and sturdy forelegs and strong thighs and hocks, this pony is considered sweet and beautiful by enthusiasts around the world.
When people think of draft horses, the image of the Clydesdale often springs to mind. Despite this, they are actually the youngest of the United Kingdom's heavy breeds. They originated in the Clyde Valley of Scotland, but prior to the 18th century none of the horses native to Scotland were heavy enough for the job they had to do. So in the 1700s native horses of Lanarkshire were bred to Flemish horses. This resulted in a horse with considerable bulk and height. This horse would eventually become the Clydesdale.
Though the Clydesdale didn't fully develop until the tail end of the 19th century, it spread quickly throughout the world. This draft breed was used to build most of the cities that rose from the 19th century onward, including cities in Australia, Canada, and the United States. Today, they are famous, but not for their contribution to the industries of the world. Instead, they achieved fame through the advertising campaigns of Anheuser Busch. You will find teams of these powerful horses (commonly referred to as "Budweiser Horses") at Anheuser Busch theme parks all across the United States.
The Clydesdale can present in a variety of colors. Bay, roan, black, brown, or grey are all common, as are the white feathers and white marking so characteristic of the breed. These horses are the showoffs of the draft horses and have a flashy, high-stepping motion. They stand 16 to 18 hands high and have huge feet.
The feet are of particular interest. In fact, it should be noted that their feet are larger than almost any other draft horse. So large that in the days of horse-driven farming, their feet did not fit into the plow furrows. Because of this, they tended to be used more in cities and towns and less on the farms, but there are exceptions to this rule.
Besides their presence at Anheuser Busch theme parks, you will find Clydesdales throughout the world. They are often used for historical or hobby farming, but they are more impressive as a driving horse. You'll find them pulling wagons and sleighs in all weather. They are a prime choice for the popular horse-drawn carriage, mostly because they are so beautiful and move with such quick precision.
The Cleveland Bay horse is one of the oldest breeds of horse which are native to the United Kingdom and originated in northeast England. The Cleveland area of Northern Yorkshire, to be exact. This breed was around in medieval times when it was used as a packhorse, primarily by the Church. The Cleveland Bay ferried goods to and from convents and monasteries all over Europe. Though traditionally a draft horse, the Cleveland Bay was used as a coach horse when the first roads were laid down across the Continent.
Today, the Cleveland Bay is one of the rarest and most endangered horse breeds in the world, even with the efforts to preserve the breed. The Royal Family in England has been breeding them for about one hundred years, but they still remain rare. Despite this, they can be seen in general riding and driving events around the world, if you look carefully enough.
Standing 16 to 16.2 hands high, the Cleveland Bay is almost always bay in color with a black mane, tail, and legs. Occasionally, however, you will see a chestnut horse, though this is not desirable. Even though they've been used as a coach horse, they're really draft horses, so they're aren't as high stepping as you might think. Their motion varies from long, flowing movements to short strides, but they rarely move with the fluidity of most coach horses.
The Cleveland Bay is now promoted by several societies around the world, including the Cleveland Bay Horse Society and the Cleveland Bay Horse Society of North America. This breed has a grace and style not often seen in the more ancient breeds and has gained respect on the world stage at many points in the last century.
The Chincoteague pony, sometimes referred to as the Assateague, live on the barrier island of Assateague between Virginia and Maryland. The popular theory is that these horses are descents of those steeds who swam to the island after Spanish shipwrecks, probably in the 1600s, but we really have no way of really knowing how these horses got to Assateague.
This small island is not known for its comfort, so the horses had to adapt to their new environment. Facing a hard life and having to feed on marsh grass and whatever they could find on the beach, they changed and adapted, eventually becoming the Chincoteague we know today.
Today, the Chincoteague ponies are divided into two groups. Those on the Maryland side are owned by the Maryland Park Service and are generally left alone. Those on the Virginian side are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. Each year, these horses are swum across the channel into Virginia. The foals are auctioned off and the stallions and mares are returned to the island to continue their lives.
Made famous by Marguerite Henry’s book Misty of Chincoteague, the Chincoteague ponies are generally not found in sporting events. They are, however, ridden by many horse lovers around the world. They can be found sporting either English or western tack and are considered a joy to own.
The Chincoteague is a result of its harsh island environment. They have thick manes and tails for warmth and light fetlock feathering. A sturdy little horse, their hooves are exceptionally strong and ideal for clamboring around on the rocky island. They can be found in almost any color, though bright pintos are the most common. Strawberry roan on white and palimino on white are the most desireable, but all colors suit this little pony. A fully grown Chincoteague stands from 12 to 14.2 hands high.
Sometimes, a breed that was thought to be lost is preserved by nature itself. Such is the case with Caspian horses. The Caspian is a rather small horse that was thought to have gone extinct 1300 years ago. But in 1965, an American living in Iran discovered a Arabian-like horse in the Elborz Mountains. The American (a woman named Louise Firouz) named the small horse Caspian.
Eventually, though various bone, blood, and DNA tests, archeo-zoologists were able to prove that Caspian, the tiny horse from the mountains, was actually a descendant of the small Mesopotamian horse of antiquity. It turns out that these little horses had found sanctuary between the mountains and the Caspian Sea. There they'd survived, untouched by humans and forgotten by most of the world.
Because they lacked any outside interference from either man or other types of horses, the Caspian horse has several unique characteristics. The scapula, for example, is wider at the base than at the top and there's an extra molar in the top jaw. They look a little like Arabians, but they're smaller with almond-shaped eyes and tiny but graceful tipped-in ears. They come in any color and stand a mere 10 to 12 hands high. Because of their small size, they are sometimes called Caspian ponies, but they're horses.
Today, Caspians are found in any sport that needs both sturdiness and speed. These sports include carriage driving, specifically scurry driving, and occasionally in barrel races. The Caspian Horse Society of the Americas is currently one of the few bodies devoted to preserving the blood line and integrity of this unique and sweet breed.
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