Dulmen pony
Encyclopedia
The Dülmen is the only native pony
breed in Germany
, now that the Senner pony of the Teutoburg Forest
is extinct. They make good children's ponies and adapt well to domesticated life. They are also good for driving in harness
, and are also used to work the land.
coloring, while others are bay, black
, or chestnut
, indicating infusion of outside blood. The ponies have steeply sloping hindquarter
s and a short neck.
The Dülmen was found near the town of Dülmen
, in the Merfelder Bruch area where ponies have been documented since the early 14th century. It is believed that the Dülmen developed for primitive types, as it still has some primitive characteristics.
The ponies lived in wild herds across Westphalia
until the 19th century, when land was divided and separated and the ponies began to lose their habitat. There is only one wild herd left today, owned by the Duke of Croy, that roams 860 acres (3.5 km²) of the Meerfelder Bruch. The Dukes of Croy first helped the herd in the mid-19th century.
separated. The colts are sold at a public auction, and the mares are returned with only one or two stallions.
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
breed in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, now that the Senner pony of the Teutoburg Forest
Teutoburg Forest
The Teutoburg Forest is a range of low, forested mountains in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia which used to be believed to be the scene of a decisive battle in AD 9...
is extinct. They make good children's ponies and adapt well to domesticated life. They are also good for driving in harness
Driving (horse)
Driving, when applied to horses, ponies, mules, or donkeys, is a broad term for hitching equines to a wagon, carriage, cart, sleigh, or other horse-drawn vehicle by means of a harness and working them in this way...
, and are also used to work the land.
Breed characteristics
The ponies stand usually stand , and look quite primitive. Some have the usual dunDun gene
The dun gene is a dilution gene that affects both red and black pigments in the coat color of a horse. The dun gene has the ability to affect the appearance of all black, bay, or chestnut -based horses to some degree by lightening the base body coat and suppressing the underlying base color to the...
coloring, while others are bay, black
Black (horse)
Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and novices frequently mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black. However, some breeds of horses, such as the Friesian horse, Murgese and Ariegeois are almost exclusively black...
, or chestnut
Chestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
, indicating infusion of outside blood. The ponies have steeply sloping hindquarter
Rump (animal)
The rump or croup, in the external morphology of an animal, is the portion of the posterior dorsum that is posterior to the loins and anterior to the tail. Anatomically, the rump corresponds to the sacrum....
s and a short neck.
Breed history
Dülmen
Dülmen is a municipality in the district of Coesfeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Dülmen is situated in the south part of the Münsterland area, between the Lippe river to the south, the Baumberge hills to the north and the Ems river to the east...
, in the Merfelder Bruch area where ponies have been documented since the early 14th century. It is believed that the Dülmen developed for primitive types, as it still has some primitive characteristics.
The ponies lived in wild herds across Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
until the 19th century, when land was divided and separated and the ponies began to lose their habitat. There is only one wild herd left today, owned by the Duke of Croy, that roams 860 acres (3.5 km²) of the Meerfelder Bruch. The Dukes of Croy first helped the herd in the mid-19th century.
Modern conditions
The ponies are left to find food and shelter, must cope with illness and death. Therefore, only the strongest in the herd survive, promoting the toughness of the breed, and making them resistant to disease. Once a year, on the last Saturday of May, the ponies are rounded off and the coltsColt (horse)
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age....
separated. The colts are sold at a public auction, and the mares are returned with only one or two stallions.