The New Forest pony is originally from New Forest, a nature reserve in South West England. Herds of New Forest ponies still live in this nature preserve today. Only in 1957 these ponies made their appearance in the Netherlands. Where the New Forest pony used to be used in agriculture and as a draft pony, these ponies are now used as riding and sport pony. They are reliable, versatile ponies.
History of the New Forest Pony
The first New Forest Ponies date back to the 11th century. They lived in herds in the New Forest Nature Reserve in the South West of England. They were purebred ponies that were used in agriculture and as a draft animal. Later the breed was bred with Arabs and English Thoroughbreds. In 1957 the New Forest Pony was imported to the Netherlands. In that year the Dutch New Forest Pony Studbook was also established. The ponies were used as riding ponies for children.
Character of the New Forest Pony
The New Forest Pony is known as a reliable, honest and child-friendly pony. They are intelligent and eager to learn. They can be used for all disciplines of equestrian sports. Their reliability makes them very suitable as children’s pony. In addition, the ponies are tough and they have great stamina.
Exterior of the New Forest Pony
The height of the New Forest Pony is between 1.20 and 1.48m. The ponies must conform to the rectangular model. This means that the lines along the bow, back, buttocks and bottom form a rectangle. The pony is solidly built, with a well-formed, short neck. The head is small, with a broad forehead and friendly eyes. They have sloping shoulders, a well-developed withers and a solid hindquarters. The New Forest Pony comes in many colors, except fur.
Use of the New Forest Pony
The New Forest Pony is a very versatile (less) pony. They perform well in various disciplines, such as dressage, jumping, compound, in-carriage and western. They can also be used in polo sport. Of course you can also use the New Forest recreationally and because of its reliability, the pony can be used well for the disabled.
Breeding the New Forest Pony
The Dutch New Forest Pony Studbook sets requirements for breeding with the New Forest Pony. It is a closed studbook. Regional inspections take place several times a year. Various predicates can be obtained during the inspections:
- Star: assessment based on exterior, type and movement
- Crown: star mares, based on quality and own performance. In addition, the quality of a registered 100% New Forest foal.
- Preferent: delivered by offspring, if they achieve good results at inspections.
There are still a number of sports predicates:
- Performance pony
- Performance stallion
- Performance broodmare
- Performance breeding stallion
Ponies with at least 25% New Forest blood may also be registered in the Dutch New Forest Pony Studbook.
Finally
The New Forest Pony is a sweet, reliable riding pony that children can learn to ride on. They have a friendly character and, because of their wider gaits, are better suited for riding than the Shetland. They are suitable for both novice and advanced riders.