British breeds: New Forest Pony

New Forest ponies are one of the most popular native breeds, as they can turn a hoof to any task and come in a size to suit almost every rider. 

Fast facts

Height: 12–14.2hh

Colour: Usually bay, chestnut or grey. Piebald, skewbald and cremello colourings aren’t permitted

Place of origin: Hampshire

The pony for you if… you daydream about scooping the red rosettes at Pony Club camp

Picture perfect

The ideal New Forest pony is considered a working type, meaning that his conformation should help him to carry a heavy weight, jump and tackle tricky terrain. They have sloping shoulders and strong, well-built quarters. They have a good depth of girth and aren’t mega wide, which means they can take an adult rider’s longer legs without being too wide for a smaller child. Their movement is active, but it’s not as flashy as some breeds, such as the Dales pony. Smaller ponies (138cm and below) are shown as type A, and larger ponies (over 138cm) are shown as type B.

DID YOU KNOW?

The New Forest is kept under control by the feral ponies living there – they graze on the plants that would otherwise take over the forest.

In the history books

There have been wild ponies living in the New Forest since the end of the last Ice Age – that’s more than 11,000 years! In fact, scientists have found fossils that indicate ponies might have been living in the area since 50,000 BC – pretty impressive stuff! 

In 1066, William the Conqueror began the tradition of opening up the land for common use. For several centuries afterwards, New Forest ponies were used as pack ponies (to carry things) and even cavalry mounts in some European battles. In the 19th Century, Arab and Thoroughbred blood was introduced to add speed and the ponies became a popular racing breed.

DID YOU KNOW?

Feral ponies in the New Forest aren’t actually wild – they’re all owned by locals, known as Commoners, and looked after by people called Agisters, each responsible for a specific section of the Forest. 

Funky foresters

Pony round-ups, known as drifts, are held in late summer to give the Agisters, or caretakers, a chance to check the ponies’ health. A special design is then cut into the pony’s tail so everyone knows which Agister looks after him. Cool, huh?

Ace all-rounders

New Forest ponies are known for being great at a variety of disciplines, and they’re a popular choice for Pony Club activities. They’re handy jumpers, so they can make fab eventers as they’re so bold and sure-footed. New Forests also have their own special competition – the ponies can take part in a special point-to-point race across the Forest, held each year on Boxing Day. Competitors are told the starting and finishing point of the race the day before but, unlike other races, there’s no set track to get to the end! This means that riders who know the Forest well have an advantage, as they can choose a clever route and are able to rely on their tough ponies to make easy work of galloping and jumping through the varying terrain and treacherous bogs.