Intro
The riding pony itself was developed in the U.K. and the term covers a variety of different show ponies. They are divided into classes based on height and type.
Origins
Breeding of a good riding and sporting pony began in earnest in the 1920’s and started by crossing Welsh and Dartmoor ponies with the blood of small Thoroughbred and Arabian animals.
In the mid 20th century more Arabian blood was introduced in the hopes of further refining the ponies and adding stamina.
There are three types
The Show Pony – Resemble a smaller show horse with pony features and they are shown in three height sections
The Show Hunter – Tend to have more substance than the show pony, built for more eventing needs
The Working Hunter – The largest and most robust of the three types
Features
Average height 12.2 – 14.2 hands
Physique
Head shows quality and intelligence
Neck is long and well-formed
Back is medium in length and straight
Chest is deep and wide
Legs are hard with clean joints
Hooves are sound and hard
Traditional Colors
Temperament
Well suited for the show ring, easy to teach and willing to work
Use
Show ponies
Pleasure ponies
Polo ponies
Sport ponies
Helpful Links
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National Pony Society
National Pony Society – Scotland
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