Dartmoor horses are descendants of native ponies that existed for many centuries in the moorland of Southern Devon. The first written record of ponies on Dartmoor was a reference to the "wild ponies" that were owned by the Bishop of Crediton in 1012, but hoof-prints that were found during an archaeological excavation of the 1970s suggest they go back further than that.
These ponies were used for many purposes, including riding, agricultural work and pulling lodes in coal and tin minds. They were usually left on the moor when they were not needed and so they developed the ability to withstand rough terrain and poor food sources. This helped the Dartmoor develop into a very hardy breed with excellent staying power. The breed is one of five native ponies of the moorland. The others are the Exmoor, the Fell, the New Forest and the Dales.
At the beginning of the 1900s, Dartmoor ponies nearly died out because mechanization meant they were not needed. During the 1920s, Prince Edward, who would become King Edward VIII, crossed Dartmoor ponies with Arab ponies to produce a finer polo ponies. Originally Dartmoor ponies were recorded in the Polo Pony Society Stud Book. Later they were recorded in the stud books of the National Pony Society, until in 1924, the Dartmoor Pony Society was created, a first step in the Dartmoor's survival.
It has been estimated that there are less than 1,000 mares on Dartmoor, where they still roam today. In the fall the ponies are rounded-up and sorted by owner. The foals are weaned and some are then sold while the others are returned to the moor.
The global population of the Dartmoor is not more than 3,000 with only about 200 of them in the United States. The breed has been listed as a "rare breed." Still, the Dartmoor grows in popularity and the demand for them exceeds the availability. It is hoped that the number of this distinctive breed will increase in the future.
Dartmoor ponies are not that large, but they can carry an adult as well as a child as a mount. Their calm and friendly natures make them excellent for children. Most Dartmoor ponies are bay or brown, but there are black, chestnut and gray Dartmoor ponies as well. Their heads are small. They are strong and their legs are dense. Their manes and tails are very full. They are so distinctive that it is easy to recognize a pony as a Dartmoor.
These ponies were used for many purposes, including riding, agricultural work and pulling lodes in coal and tin minds. They were usually left on the moor when they were not needed and so they developed the ability to withstand rough terrain and poor food sources. This helped the Dartmoor develop into a very hardy breed with excellent staying power. The breed is one of five native ponies of the moorland. The others are the Exmoor, the Fell, the New Forest and the Dales.
At the beginning of the 1900s, Dartmoor ponies nearly died out because mechanization meant they were not needed. During the 1920s, Prince Edward, who would become King Edward VIII, crossed Dartmoor ponies with Arab ponies to produce a finer polo ponies. Originally Dartmoor ponies were recorded in the Polo Pony Society Stud Book. Later they were recorded in the stud books of the National Pony Society, until in 1924, the Dartmoor Pony Society was created, a first step in the Dartmoor's survival.
It has been estimated that there are less than 1,000 mares on Dartmoor, where they still roam today. In the fall the ponies are rounded-up and sorted by owner. The foals are weaned and some are then sold while the others are returned to the moor.
The global population of the Dartmoor is not more than 3,000 with only about 200 of them in the United States. The breed has been listed as a "rare breed." Still, the Dartmoor grows in popularity and the demand for them exceeds the availability. It is hoped that the number of this distinctive breed will increase in the future.
Dartmoor ponies are not that large, but they can carry an adult as well as a child as a mount. Their calm and friendly natures make them excellent for children. Most Dartmoor ponies are bay or brown, but there are black, chestnut and gray Dartmoor ponies as well. Their heads are small. They are strong and their legs are dense. Their manes and tails are very full. They are so distinctive that it is easy to recognize a pony as a Dartmoor.