Exmoor pony

Overview

The Exmoor Pony Society describes the Exmoor as probably Britain's oldest native pony, "thought to be little different from the original wild ponies that colonised Britain many thousands of years ago". Herds still live semi-feral on the moor, with minimal human care for much of the year. The breed is known for its mealy (oatmeal-coloured) muzzle, its prominent hooded "toad eyes" and a coat built for cold, wet, exposed moorland.

History

Exmoors stayed largely isolated on the moor, which preserved their original traits. They carried peat and small loads, ploughed, and worked as pack animals on rough ground. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust records that numbers fell sharply by the 1930s and 1940s, as industry and machines reduced the need for pack ponies.

The Exmoor Pony Society was founded in 1921 to register pure-bred Exmoors, conserve the breed and preserve its standard. Its stud book became closed in 1962: only ponies whose parents are both in Section 1 of the stud book can be registered. Every foal is DNA-tested for parentage and inspected before entry into Section 1. At the end of the Second World War only about 50 ponies were left on the moor. Today about 20 herds run on Exmoor, owned by moorland farmers with grazing rights, and the breed has around 500 breeding mares.

Breed standard

• Height (preferred range at maturity): stallions and geldings 11.3 hh (119.4 cm) to 12.3 hh (129.5 cm); mares 11.2 hh (116.8 cm) to 12.2 hh (127 cm).
• General: definite pony character, hard and strong, vigorous, alert and symmetrical, with a mealy muzzle and a prominent hooded toad eye.
• Head: short, thick, pointed ears; clean-cut face; wide forehead; large eyes set wide apart, prominent, with a fleshy hood and pale colouring around them; wide nostrils.
• Body: chest deep and wide; ribs long, deep and well sprung; back level and broad across the loins.
• Legs: clean and short, with neat, uniformly dark hoof walls, and straight, square-set forelegs.
• Action: straight and smooth, without exaggerated action.
• Coat: close, hard and bright in summer. In winter, a double-layered coat: a fine, springy insulating underlayer and an outer layer of hard, greasy hair that sheds water.
• Colour: bay, brown or dun, with black points, and mealy colouring on the muzzle, around the eyes and inside the flanks. No white markings anywhere.

Temperament and uses

The society calls the Exmoor a versatile breed that can make a good working family pony. Exmoors can live out and need little maintenance, but they are known for their quirks. At their height, they suit capable children and smaller adults. Many jump well, and more and more compete in ridden showing classes. They are highly intelligent, which can come across as stubbornness. A pony that has been handled from birth will be quicker to bring on than one straight off the moor, and the society advises getting professional advice and a pre-purchase vetting before buying. Each autumn the moorland herds are gathered in, and most colt foals go on as riding ponies or to conservation grazing sites around Britain.

The society's show rules require Exmoors in in-hand classes to be shown in natural condition: no trimming, clipping or plaiting.

Health and management

Native ponies evolved to live on sparse grazing. Research at the Royal Veterinary College notes that ponies tend to be more insulin resistant than horses, which makes them more prone to equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). This trait is genetic, probably an adaptation to harsh environments, and on richer grazing it leads to obesity, EMS and a higher risk of laminitis. World Horse Welfare names obesity as the biggest risk factor for EMS, and says insulin testing is a valuable way to assess the risk of laminitis and EMS in native breeds. Keep an eye on weight and body condition, and ask your vet about testing.

Conservation

The Exmoor is a Priority breed on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust's Watchlist.