Newfoundland pony
Encyclopedia
The Newfoundland pony is a breed of pony
originating in Newfoundland formerly used as a beast of burden
. It was considered the all purpose pony, in large part because it has several desirable characteristics: stamina, strength, intelligence, courage, obedience, willingness, and common sense. Newfoundland ponies are generally hard workers and easy keeper
s.
in height; a dark, thick mane
, and also a dark, thick tail in lower sections. It is commonly brownish in color though other colors are common; some Newfoundland ponies experience mild to drastic color changes from season to season. The weight of the pony ranges from 400 up to 800 pounds
, its hooves are small, hard, and its tail is low set. Newfoundland Ponies can come in a variety of colors
that include blue roan
, grey
, chestnut
, black
, and bay.
. The ancestors were predominantly Exmoor
but also included the Welsh Pony
, the Galloway Pony (extinct), and the New Forest pony
, which adapted well to the similar climate. Over a few centuries, the early pony immigrants interbred (without human management) and merged into one common type, which is now recognized as the Newfoundland pony.
In the past, the Newfoundland pony was used for ploughing, assisting with gardens, hauling fishing nets, gathering hay, and carrying wood, and they were also used for transportation. With the advent of mechanisation, the Newfoundland Pony's uses were taken over by machines, and the pony population dropped. The population now numbers fewer than four hundred, and they are now considered critically endangered by Rare Breeds Canada
.
More than 12,000 Newfoundland ponies were once known to roam Newfoundland, mostly near the coastal communities that were settled by emigrants who arrived from England and Ireland in the 17th and 18th centuries to fish the waters of the North Atlantic. The population declined quickly in the 1960s when the need for a Newfoundland pony to assist with the chores was replaced by supermarkets or mechanized equipment such as ATVs, tractors, and snowmobiles. As a result, the pony lost its value and many were sold under the understanding they were going to new homes but this often meant a ride on the "meat truck". The "meat truck" roamed the Island looking for ponies that could be used for dog food or brought to a horse slaughter and meat processing plant in Quebec.
In 1979, with less than 100 ponies then in existence, the Newfoundland Pony Society was formed. One of its founding members was Dr. Andrew Fraser who was a veterinarian trained in Scotland who had moved to Newfoundland. Dr. Fraser saw the similarities of these ponies to the Moorland
ponies from the United Kingdom
and set out to protect them from certain extinction. In conjunction with others, Dr. Fraser set out to find and document the last remaining ponies in the Newfoundland Pony Society Registry. Dr. Fraser later wrote a book on the Newfoundland Pony in 1992 called "The Newfoundland Pony - The Lone Member of the Moorland Family of Horses in North America Now on the Verge of Extinction
".
Later in 1997, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador enacted the Heritage Animal Act and the Newfoundland Pony was recognized as the Province's first heritage animal. This resulted in greater protection for the animal and provided the basis to encourage others to help with the efforts to save the Newfoundland Pony.
Today there are relatively few ponies in Newfoundland when compared to the past and many over the years have found homes in most of the other provinces in Canada as well as into the United States.
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
originating in Newfoundland formerly used as a beast of burden
Working animal
A working animal is an animal, usually domesticated, that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks. They may be close members of the family, such as guide or service dogs, or they may be animals trained strictly to perform a job, such as logging elephants. They may also be used for milk, a...
. It was considered the all purpose pony, in large part because it has several desirable characteristics: stamina, strength, intelligence, courage, obedience, willingness, and common sense. Newfoundland ponies are generally hard workers and easy keeper
Easy keeper
An easy keeper, easy doer or good doer is a livestock animal that can live on relatively little food. The opposite of an easy keeper is a hard keeper , an animal that is prone to be too thin and has difficulty maintaining adequate weight.Easy keepers tend to be found most often in breeds...
s.
Physical Characteristics
Physical characteristics of the Newfoundland pony include a height of 11-14.2 handsHand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
in height; a dark, thick mane
Mane (horse)
The mane is the hair that grows from the top of the neck of a horse or other equine, reaching from the poll to the withers, and includes the forelock or foretop. It is thicker and coarser than the rest of the horse's coat, and naturally grows to roughly cover the neck...
, and also a dark, thick tail in lower sections. It is commonly brownish in color though other colors are common; some Newfoundland ponies experience mild to drastic color changes from season to season. The weight of the pony ranges from 400 up to 800 pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
, its hooves are small, hard, and its tail is low set. Newfoundland Ponies can come in a variety of colors
Equine coat color
Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings. A specialized vocabulary has evolved to describe them.While most horses remain the same color throughout life, a few, over the course of several years, will develop a different coat color from that with which they were born...
that include blue roan
Roan (horse)
Roan is a horse coat color pattern characterized by an even mixture of colored and white hairs on the body, while the head and "points"—lower legs, mane and tail—are more solid-colored. The roan pattern is dominantly-inherited, and is found in many horse breeds...
, grey
Gray (horse)
Gray or grey is a coat color of horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike many depigmentation genes, gray does not affect skin or eye color Their adult hair coat is white, dappled, or white intermingled...
, chestnut
Chestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
, black
Black (horse)
Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and novices frequently mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black. However, some breeds of horses, such as the Friesian horse, Murgese and Ariegeois are almost exclusively black...
, and bay.
History
The ancestors of the Newfoundland pony arrived in Newfoundland from the British IslesBritish Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. The ancestors were predominantly Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
but also included the Welsh Pony
Welsh Pony
The Welsh Pony and Cob are closely related horse breeds including both pony and cob types, which originated in Wales in the United Kingdom...
, the Galloway Pony (extinct), and the New Forest pony
New Forest pony
The New Forest Pony or New Forester is one of the recognised Mountain and moorland or Native pony breeds of the British Isles. The breed is valued for its hardiness, strength and sureness of foot...
, which adapted well to the similar climate. Over a few centuries, the early pony immigrants interbred (without human management) and merged into one common type, which is now recognized as the Newfoundland pony.
In the past, the Newfoundland pony was used for ploughing, assisting with gardens, hauling fishing nets, gathering hay, and carrying wood, and they were also used for transportation. With the advent of mechanisation, the Newfoundland Pony's uses were taken over by machines, and the pony population dropped. The population now numbers fewer than four hundred, and they are now considered critically endangered by Rare Breeds Canada
Rare Breeds Canada
Rare Breeds Canada is a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to preserving rare breeds of Canadian livestock. The organization was founded in 1987. It focuses on the rare breeds of livestock originating in Canada, including varieties of horses, sheep, pigs, chickens and cows...
.
More than 12,000 Newfoundland ponies were once known to roam Newfoundland, mostly near the coastal communities that were settled by emigrants who arrived from England and Ireland in the 17th and 18th centuries to fish the waters of the North Atlantic. The population declined quickly in the 1960s when the need for a Newfoundland pony to assist with the chores was replaced by supermarkets or mechanized equipment such as ATVs, tractors, and snowmobiles. As a result, the pony lost its value and many were sold under the understanding they were going to new homes but this often meant a ride on the "meat truck". The "meat truck" roamed the Island looking for ponies that could be used for dog food or brought to a horse slaughter and meat processing plant in Quebec.
In 1979, with less than 100 ponies then in existence, the Newfoundland Pony Society was formed. One of its founding members was Dr. Andrew Fraser who was a veterinarian trained in Scotland who had moved to Newfoundland. Dr. Fraser saw the similarities of these ponies to the Moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
ponies from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and set out to protect them from certain extinction. In conjunction with others, Dr. Fraser set out to find and document the last remaining ponies in the Newfoundland Pony Society Registry. Dr. Fraser later wrote a book on the Newfoundland Pony in 1992 called "The Newfoundland Pony - The Lone Member of the Moorland Family of Horses in North America Now on the Verge of Extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
".
Later in 1997, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador enacted the Heritage Animal Act and the Newfoundland Pony was recognized as the Province's first heritage animal. This resulted in greater protection for the animal and provided the basis to encourage others to help with the efforts to save the Newfoundland Pony.
Today there are relatively few ponies in Newfoundland when compared to the past and many over the years have found homes in most of the other provinces in Canada as well as into the United States.