Need to purchase an Exmoor pony? Then this information on what to search for and the place to look is an efficient place to begin.
What’s an Exmoor pony?
The Exmoor pony is Britain’s oldest breed of native pony. The Exmoor pony is a uncommon native breed recognised by the Uncommon Breed Survival Belief and is listed of their watchlist below precedence.
The popular top vary of Exmoors is beneath:
- Stallions and geldings can stand as much as 12.3hh, from 11.3hh
- Mares can stand as much as 12.2hh, 11.2hh
The Exmoor Pony Society (EPS) was based in 1921.
The EPS states that: “Exmoor ponies are versatile, adaptable, very robust for his or her measurement and capable of flip their hooves to all kinds of actions. Traditionally, the Exmoor pony was utilized by the hill farmers to undertake all types of labor from being ridden for shepherding to being utilized in harness for ploughing, harrowing, taking feed to inventory and the farmer’s household to market and church. Ponies from wild herds have been gathered after which educated to drag the carts and chariots of the Celtic settlers. The Doomsday e-book accommodates the primary written proof of ponies on Exmoor, when it was a chosen Royal Forest. Information from the 1500s onwards reveal that the equine inhabitants various in numbers rising to about 1,000 at occasions. Non-Exmoor mares got here to the moor to affix the indigenous British Hill Pony kind inventory however it’s thought that the wardens ran native stallions.”
There are roughly 500 breeding mares and 100 licensed, registered stallions in any given interval of 5 years producing between 100-150 foals per yr.
Foals are bred into the free-living herds on Exmoor – the house of the Exmoor pony – and in addition in in-ground and free-living conditions all through the UK, Europe and North America.
All Exmoor pony foals are inspected every year and registered into Part 1 or Part X of the EPS studbook in accordance with EU/DEFRA laws and the Guidelines of the EPS.
Every herd is assigned a quantity after which every foal is assigned a quantity in that herd – this makes up the registration quantity for the horse.
The EPS supplies the next breed commonplace:
- Basic look: Particular “pony” character; arduous and powerful; vigorous and alert and symmetrical in look; mealy muzzle; distinguished hooded toad eye
- Head and neck: ears brief, thick and pointed; clear reduce face; vast brow, eyes massive, vast aside & distinguished with properly outlined fleshy hood and pale colouration outlining the eyes (Toad Eyes); vast nostrils; mealy muzzle; clear throat; good size of rein.
- Shoulders: clear, superb at high, properly laid again.
- Chest: deep and vast between and behind forelegs; Ribs lengthy, deep, properly sprung and vast aside.
- Again: stage; broad and stage throughout loins; tail neatly set in.
- Legs: clear & brief, with neat uniformly darkish hoof partitions; forelegs straight, properly aside and squarely set; hind legs properly aside, almost perpendicular from hock to fetlock with level of hock consistent with pelvis bone; vast curve from flank to hock joint; legs free in movement with no tendency to brush or flip.
- Motion: straight and clean, with out exaggerated motion.
- Coat: summer time – shut, arduous and vivid. Winter – a double-layered dense coat with an below insulating layer of superb, springy hair and an outer waterproofing layer of arduous, greasy hair.
- Color: bay, brown or dun, with black factors; mealy color on muzzle, spherical eyes and inside flanks; no white markings wherever.
- High quality: alert expression and normal poise indicating steadiness and symmetry of motion; flat clear bone.
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What ought to I search for in an Exmoor?
Jackie Webb has been breeding Exmoor ponies below the Blackthorn prefix since 1978. She can be on quite a few judging panels, together with NPS and BSPS, and Exmoor, Connemara and New Forest breed society panels.
Influential Exmoor stallions she has owned or bred embody Dunkery Buzzard, Blackthorn Hawkwind, Siskin and Blackthorn Sea Poacher. Siskin was a three-time Horse of the Yr Present (HOYS) in-hand finalist, and Sea Poacher certified for HOYS quite a few occasions, together with with Laura Collett who campaigned him in working hunter courses. Blackthorn Poldark gained at Hickstead in 2023 with Jess Talbot, and Blackthorn Blush Rose gained at HOYS twice with Katy Marriott-Payne.
“The horse has to shout Exmoor at you, which most of them do,” says Jackie. “An Exmoor is normally immediately recognisable.
“An Exmoor ought to be a well-made pony with good limbs and bone. It should transfer, too, and today many good ridden ponies do have motion and are capable of be schooled equally to the opposite breeds you see out and about on the circuit. As soon as upon a time, not many individuals confirmed Exmoors, however they’re more and more standard, which has been optimistic for the breed.
“Mealy markings are vital. I appreciated a well-marked pony, with apparent mealy markings. Darker ponies don’t have apparent markings and at sure occasions within the yr they’ll lose their markings utterly, particularly if they’re rugged throughout present season.
“A very good Exmoor ought to have a daring eye and small pony ears.
“Our breeding inventory ought to be nearly as good high quality as ridden ponies, nonetheless you arguably may desire a pony with extra scope for the ridden job.”
What can I do with an Exmoor?
Exmoors are a flexible breed they usually can normally carry out in a number of disciplines. They’re hardy and difficult, and they’re typically courageous and nimble. They’re a good selection as a working household pony as they’ll dwell out and require little upkeep.
Because of their stamp and measurement, Exmoors make ultimate mounts for small adults in addition to succesful youngsters.
Exmoors contend small breeds M&M ridden courses they usually soar in both 122cm or 133cm working hunter pony courses. Many Exmoors soar properly and the breed can be more and more seen within the mini circuit, with representatives contending each lead rein and first ridden courses with success.
If I purchase an Exmoor, will it swimsuit me?
It relies on the horse, and your using talents in addition to what you want to do along with your pony.
Exmoors are recognized for being a unusual breed that isn’t appropriate for everybody, nonetheless Jackie says it’s very a lot a case of horses for programs: “They’re recognized for his or her quirks, however they’re normally very smart which makes them not appropriate for everybody. They’re at all times one step forward of you, and other people can mistake that for them being cussed.
“At the moment, you see numerous Exmoor contending first ridden and lead rein courses, so it relies on the temperament of the person pony. It relies on how they’re educated, too. If you happen to get a pony that’s wild from the moor, then he’ll take much more work to get going in comparison with a pony that has been dealt with from the off.”
The place ought to I purchase an Exmoor pony from?
“If you wish to purchase an Exmoor for the ridden job, then I’d counsel taking your time to go to a number of breeders and have an actual good go searching,” Jackie advises. “The extra ponies you may have a look at the higher; this helps you get your eye in.
“If you happen to’re wanting a foal and are comfortable to attend for it to mature and develop, you may go to the breeders who run ponies on the moor. There actually isn’t something extra rewarding than bringing one up your self. However, if you happen to’re searching for an older pony to deliver on earlier than I counsel going to the up-country breeders as these ponies have normally been dealt with extra. Concentrate on your personal capabilities as not everybody has the expertise to deliver on a wild Exmoor foal!”
How a lot ought to I anticipate to pay for an Exmoor?
Like all native breeds, Exmoors range in value relying on temperament, age, competitors document and different components.
“There are low cost ponies round, however, like in any breed, the higher ridden ponies are fetching larger costs,” says Jackie. “Nowadays, foal can simply make between £500 to £1000.”
I’ve agreed to purchase an Exmoor pony, now what?
It’s time to organise a pre-purchase vetting, one thing that’s strongly beneficial. If the horse is for a kid, maybe asking for a trial interval could be wise, however not all sellers will comply with this.
It’s vital to let the vet know previous to the vetting what you plan to make use of the horse for to allow them to assess it accordingly.
If you happen to inform the vet that you really want the horse for the present ring, they need to hopefully inform you of any blemishes or conformational faults which may impression its future profession, even when they don’t impression its soundness or efficiency.
Do notice that if you’re shopping for an Exmoor off the hill, it will likely be unlikely that you should have the horse vetted because it may have had little dealing with.
“It relies on what you might be paying for an Exmoor, too,” says Jackie. “However for peace of thoughts you could possibly at all times get an older pony checked over by the vet.”
For extra info, you may learn H&H’s final information to purchasing a horse.
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