The New Forest Pony - Equiworld horse breeds and horse breeding. |
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New Forest Ponies are for Work, for Play, for Dressage, for Show Jumping, for Cross Country, for Riding Club, for Driving, for Children, for Adults, for Riding and Driving for the Disabled, for Showing, for Family Pony, for Working Hunter, for Gymkhana, for Hacking, for Polo, for Eventing, for Hunter Trialling, for Western Riding, for Endurance, for Hunting, for Pony Club, for the Experienced, for Beginners, for just about everything a good pony can do but most of all for SHEER PLEASURE !!! New Forest Ponies are one of the recognised 9 Mountain and Moorland or Native pony breeds of the British Isles, Stud Books have been in existence since 1906. Many of them can be seen running wild on the New Forest in southern England.
Their movement should be free, active and straight, but not exaggerated. They should have an ideal temperament and be very easy to train. History
In 1891, the Society for the improvement of New Forest Ponies was founded to offer Premuims to suitable stallions to run on the Forest. In 1906 the Burley District New Forest Pony Breeding Cattle Society started to register mares and youngstock and published it's first Stud Book in 1910. There was a current theory that the best way of improving the breed was to introduce stallions from other native breeds and as the earliest Stud Book shows, as acceptable sires for New Forest Ponies, a curious assortment of stallions.From 1914 to 1959 registrations were recorded in the National Pony Society's Stud Book. In 1938 the two local Societies amalgamated and no outside blood has been permitted since the mid - 1930s. In 1960 the New Forest Pony Breeding Cattle Society started to publish it's own Stud Book and has done ever since. The notable features of New Forest Pony breeding of recent years have been the increase in the numbers of New Forest Ponies bred in private Studs outside the New Forest and in the numbers of ponies exported. There are now flourishing Studs of Registered New Forest Ponies not only in the U.K. but all over Europe and as far away as North America and Australia. Height The upper height limit is 148 cms (just over 14.2 hands). There is no lower limit but the very small ponies under 12 hands are becoming rarer. Showing classes may be divided at 13.2 hands and under and over 13.2 hands.Surviving Breed Show schedules from the early 1900's have races for adults riding Registered New Forest ponies of under 11.2 hands!!! New Forest Ponies are bred to be suitable for both adults and children, a big New Forester should have the bone and substance to carry an adult, New Forest Ponies perform well in virtually all equine spheres. Colour
Can I take one home?
The Agisters are the employees of the Verderers of the New Forest, and their duties include keeping an eye on the stock living on the New Forest. The Verderers are a modern statutory body sharing the management of the New Forest with the Forestry Commission. They operate under the New Forest Acts 1877 - 1970. They control almost all forms of development in the Woods and Heaths of the New Forest. They regulate the agricultural use (exercise of common rights) in the New Forest. Within these wide categories, they have a variety of other duties. For fuller information visit their Website: The Verderers Site
FOREST BRED - a pony that was sired and foaled on the open New Forest, will have Forest Bred on it's papers. There are now some showing classes and or special rosettes for ponies which were Forest Bred . Forest Bred ponies have the advantage of being traffic proofed from birth, foals may be seen sleeping on the grass verges seemingly only inches away from passing coaches and lorries. What can they do?
It's native virtues of strength, intelligence, speed and agility, coupled with a calm and willing temperament make the New Forest Pony an ideal choice for any member of the family. They are also widely used for Driving and Riding for the Disabled. SHOWING RULES New Forest Ponies are shown unplaited, but may have lightly pulled manes and tails. The jawline and heels may be trimmed, Forest run classes at the Society's Annual Show excepted (see rule 4).
At the Society's Annual Breed Show all in hand ponies must be shown in white halters, including stallions off the Forest. Stud Stallions excepted (see Rule 5). Judges have been asked to take behaviour and temperament into account and not to judge ponies the behaviour of which they consider to be a danger to either the handler/rider or other competitors. Such a pony will be asked to leave the ring. A pony is only a real New Forest Pony if it has been registered with the New Forest Pony Breeding Cattle Society (if it was bred in the UK) or one of the other Societies in other parts of the world if it was bred there. Unless the papers your pony has are from one of these Societies or your papers are overstamped by one of these Societies, your pony can not be deemed to be a Registered New Forest Pony. If you have papers, a British Horse Database Passport for instance which gives the breed as New Forest, you should contact our office and find out whether your pony is Registered before you breed from it or show it as a New Forest Pony. You should also check that a pony bred overseas does fulfill as the criteria for inclusion in the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society register before you import it.
Colts and Stallions may only be used for breeding and or showing as a Registered New Forest Pony, if they have been passed by a Veterinary Surgeon. If you have a New Forest Pony colt or stallion, please contact the Society for details of the Veterinary inspection before you use him. Progeny of a colt or stallion which has not passed inspection are not eligible for registration. Artificial Insemination / AI Frozen and chilled semen from New Forest stallions, is available for more information: http://www.westkingtonstud.co.uk/
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Updated: October 2005.