Dartmoor ponies are small sturdy ponies that make perfect beginner horses for children. But they are also wonderfully suited as driving horses for children and adults. In addition, the ponies have enormous jumping ability and are ideal hunting and jumping ponies. The Dartmoor pony is also being used more and more often to care for areas that are valuable for nature conservation. Due to their low weight, they can even be used on steep slopes and areas with a high water table. They also feel comfortable on wet biotopes, poor meadows and heaths.
Confident and intelligent, Dartmoor ponies are calm without being phlegmatic. They impress with their strong nerves and composure. They are friendly when dealing with people. At work they show themselves to be docile. One could almost describe the character of the Dartmoor ponies as ideal.
The soft, slightly springy gait is ideal for children and young riders to sit on. Nevertheless, they have an expansive and elastic gait.
History of Dartmoor Ponies
Dartmoor is situated in the moors and heaths of South West England, just 300 meters above sea level. The area belongs to the county of Devon. Here, in the high, very barren landscape lies the birthplace of the Dartmoor ponies. The hardy and down-to-earth Dartmoor pony has been here for many hundreds of years. The first documented mention dates back to 1012. The small, robust pony, which stands just about 127 centimeters at the withers, has adapted to the environment in the Dartmoor area and has developed into an affable riding pony. The Dartmoor pony was common in the rolling countryside.
During the Crusades, numerous oriental horse breeds came to England. They were crossed with the wild native mares of Dartmoor ponies. Arabs, Shetland ponies and Hackney stallions were also crossed. This mixing of the most diverse horse breeds resulted in a pony that was ideal for driving and riding. The animals were also suitable as beasts of burden and pack animals.
In 1899 the stud book was opened for targeted breeding. The studbook was also the basis for the later formation of the Dartmoor Pony Society in 1957.
During the Second World War, the army took over the moors of Dartmoor as a training ground. A heavy blow for the ponies, because they were driven away or killed. After the Second World War, the pony breed was threatened with extinction. Extinction could only be prevented through the use of committed breeders.
In 1965 the first Dartmoor ponies came to Germany. The two Dartmoorers found their home in Schleswig-Holstein. In particular, the Dartmoor Pony Champion “Peter Tavy II” got breeding going in Germany. The offspring of the stallion are now in various German kennels.
In the meantime, the stock of Dartmoor ponies has gone back seriously. The tough ponies have become rare. In England, the stock is said to have been 61 stallions and 330 mares in 1999. 90 stallions and 1500 mares are now recorded. In Germany, the situation is even worse. There were just 32 stallions and 130 mares registered in 2011.
Dartmoor ponies in film and television
They are called the horses of the royal children, and rightly so. Because of their good nature and elegance, the ponies were popular in the royal houses. Especially in the British royal family, the royal children learned to ride on Dartmoor ponies. Even Princess Anne, Princess Royal, is said to have learned to ride on the Dartmoor ponies. Queen Elizabeth II herself is the patron of the horse breed.
There are beautiful shots of Dartmoor ponies on Youtube. Especially the films about the wild ponies are more than impressive.
Marc Lubetzki is known as a wildlife cameraman. Marc is particularly fond of the wild horses. And so he lives six months a year among wild horses. Among his numerous pictures there are also many of Dartmoor ponies. In his lectures “In the circle of the herd” or “Wild Horses” he also talks about Dartmoor ponies, with whom he temporarily lived.
