Breed Registries | History & Origin |Area of Breeding | Uses | Conformation | Breeders

New Forest Pony History & Origin

In England, near the coast in southwest Hampshire, lies the beautiful New Forest. The New Forest Pony, one of the nine native breeds of the United Kingdom, has existed here since 1016 A.D. The native ponies mixed with transient stock, Welsh ponies, Arabians and Thoroughbreds, and because of this influx the pony’s genes are more diverse than any of the British breeds. However, their distinctive type was shaped by their environment.

New Forest Pony Area of Breeding

The New Forest Pony is one of the recognized nine Mountain and Moorland or Native pony breeds of the British Isles, valued for its hardiness, strength and sureness of foot. Many of them can be seen running loose on the New Forest in southern England; although the ponies may appear wild (which they are to some extent), they are privately owned by Commoners of the New Forest. The ponies are looked after by their owners and the Agisters (employees of the Verderers of the New Forest). The Verderers are a modern statutory body with ancient roots, that shares the management of the forest with the Forestry Commission.

New Forest Pony Uses

New Forest Ponies are popular throughout the world as leisure and driving horses and excel in dressage and jumping.

New Forest Pony Conformation

Height
The upper height limit is 148 cm. There is no lower limit but New Forest ponies are seldom under 12 hands (120 cm). They are normally shown in two height sections 138 cm and under (competition type A) and over 138 cm (competition height B).

Color
The New Forest pony may be any color except piebald, skewbald or cremello. Palomino or very light chestnut and cream ponies with dark eyes are only acceptable as geldings and mares. Blue eyes are not permitted. White markings on the head and legs are permitted. However, white markings that occur behind the head and above a line parallel to the ground from the point of the hock in the hind leg and the top of the metacarpal bone or bend in the knee in the fore leg are not permitted.

Type
New Forest ponies should be of riding type with substance. They should have sloping shoulders, strong quarters, plenty of bone, good depth of body, straight limbs and good hard round feet. The larger ponies, while narrow enough for small children are quite capable of carrying adults. The smaller ponies, though not up to so much weight, often show more show quality.

*References:
- The New Forest Pony Breeding & Cattle Society, England
- The Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies. Tamsin Pickeral.

New Forest Pony Breeders

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