Dartmoor and Exmoor Ponies

The moorlands of South Western England are home to two very different breeds of pony, the Dartmoor and the Exmoor. The beautiful Dartmoor has been subjected to numerous outcrosses during its history. Its environment was easily accessible by land and sea, and many different breeds were brought in and so influenced the native ponies. Vastly contrasting the Exmoor, the oldest of the British Mountain and Moorland ponies, which has remained pure since prehistoric times?

The Dartmoor Pony
Up to the end of the 19th century, the Dartmoor ponies were crossed with a great variety of outside blood. The moor ponies of the day may not have been attractive, but equestrian authorities commented favorably on their jumping ability and good shoulders. At the height of the Industrial Revolution, Shetland stallions were turned out on the moor to produce pit ponies, and as a result the tough Dartmoor of good riding type almost disappeared. After that disastrous experiment, though, the breed was saved by the introduction of Welsh Mountain Ponies a Fell and the polo pony stallion Lord Polo.

The greatest influence on the Dartmoor's development was The Leat, a stallion by the Arab, Dwarka (foaled in 1922), bred by the remarkable Miss Sylvia Calmady-Hamlyn, Honorary Secretary of the Dartmoor Pony Society for 32 years. The Leafs daughter,
Juliet IV, mated with the Welsh Mountain Pony Dinarth Spark, produced Jude, the most famous Dartmoor stallion of all.

During the Second World War when the moor was used as a training area, the breed was again close to extinction, and only two males and 12 females were offered for registration between 1941 and 1943. Miraculously, the Dartmoor was saved again by the efforts of a few dedicated breeders. In the 1920s there were three distinct herds on the moor, but most of today's Dartmoors are bred on private studs throughout the UK.

This chequered history, and this mixture of disparate bloods, have produced one of the most elegant riding ponies in the world. Together with the Welsh, the Dartmoor has dominated the riding pony classes and has contributed significantly to the development of the British Riding Pony It is very popular in Europe, and in Belgium the ponies are even raced. It jumps as well as its forebears, but now with more scope, and it can be successfully crossed with the Thoroughbred and the Arab. The second cross with the Thoroughbred produces a top cross-country horse or hunter.

The height of the modern Dartmoor is limited to 1.27 m (12.2 hh). No colors are barred, other than skewbald or piebald, but bay, black, and brown are preferred. The action, on account of the good shoulders, is notable among the pony breeds. It is low, long, and economical ? "typical hack or riding action", as the breed standard states.

Exmoor Pony
The Exmoor's principal ancestor is believed to be Pony Type 1 Like that primeval pony, the Exmoor has a distinctive jaw formation, and the beginnings of a seventh molar, which are found in no other horse. Other characteristics include the unique hooded "toad" eye, the "ice" tail, which has a thick, fan-like growth of short hair at the top, and the virtually double-textured coat.

In the Bronze Age, the Exmoor was used to pull chariots. Thereafter, it became a saddle horse, and it is capable of carrying a man hunting. Between the World Wars, it was used as a child's pony and although in that role its popularity has waned, if properly schooled it is a grand, tough pony for a keen child or a small adult. As harness ponies the Exmoors can be easily matched and they have great stamina. They also make valuable base stock for the breeding of bigger horses.

There are still herds on Exmoor, whose purity is jealously guarded by breeders and by the Exmoor Pony Society. Small number; are bred away from the moor, but they tend to lose type outside their natural habitat. The coat is bay, brown, or dun, with black points and a mealy coloring on the muzzle round the eyes, and on the inside of the flanks. There are no white markings. The height for stallions and geldings is 1.30 in (12.3 hh), and for mares 1.27 111 (12.2 hh).