Riding Pony
The
Riding Pony was developed in the
United Kingdom, and was such a success that it is now
bred all over the world. They are excellent show
ponies, and are classes based on the height and type, hunter classes, side-saddle and in hand classes.
The breed is an extremely elegant animal, more like a small
horse than a pony. It has a small head and small, neat ears. They are compact, with sloping shoulders and a narrow front. Their feet are tough and they possess strong limbs. They are well-proportioned with comfortable
gaits and free-flowing movement.
There are three types:
* The show pony: super-elegant miniature show hack with pony features
* The show hunter: similar to the show pony, but with more substance
* The working hunter: stockier, and more workmanlike
The ponies range from 12–15
hands high, and can come in any color, including
palomino and
pinto. The Australian stud book for the Riding Pony (The Riding Pony Stud Book Society of Australia Inc), however, only allows ponies to be of solid colours (i.e. not pinto) and for registration purposes, must not exceed 14.2 hands high.
Children's ponies in Britain were mainly of the native breeds, and were used for riding and hunting. When pony classes began in the early 1920s, breeders began crossing
Welsh and
Dartmoor ponies with small
Thoroughbreds and
Arabians. From the 1930s into the 1950s, Arabian blood was again introduced to improve stamina and refinement, which included one of the most influential sires, Naseel. The result was an elegant, but small, animal that is now seen in the show ring.
In 1893, The Polo Pony Stud Book was formed, encouraging the breeding of fine riding and polo ponies. By 1899, there were over 100
stallions and 600
mares registered, almost half of which were native ponies. The society changed its name in 1903 to Polo Pony and Riding Pony Stud book, and again in 1913 to the National Pony Society. Over the years, the native breeds formed their own societies, and the NPS became dedicated to the British Riding Pony. Since 1994, foreign-bred ponies were placed on a separate register.
In America, the
Pony of the Americas developed in the 1950s, while in France, the Poney Francais de Selle (which was bred similarly to the British Riding Pony) developed in the 1970s. The French version is more of a useful all-around pony club type, and less refined.
*
NPS- National Pony Society*
The Riding Pony Stud Book Society of Australia Inc
